The Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the Monetary Authority launched a pilot project to provide digital payment solutions for trading in derivative products after market hours.

The Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) today announced the launch of a joint pilot project to study the provision of new digital payment solutions for trading after-hours in the derivatives market. This pilot project aims to optimize the capital market in Hong Kong and meet the growing demand for trading after-hours. HKEX and HKMA are studying the introduction of "digital Hong Kong dollars" - a wholesale central bank digital currency operating 24/7 - for the prepayment of margins for trading after-hours in the derivatives market, to enhance the risk management capabilities of the market outside of banking hours while maintaining existing operational processes unchanged.