Key Highlights
- Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) has become the first authorized bank distributor of HKDAP, also known as HKD At Par, a regulated Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin.
- HKDAP is issued by Anchorpoint Financial Limited, which holds a stablecoin issuer license from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority under the Stablecoins Ordinance.
- The stablecoin is designed to maintain a 1:1 peg with the Hong Kong dollar and meet regulatory requirements covering reserves, redemption, AML, and customer verification.
Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (SCBHK), a licensed commercial bank, announced on Monday that it has become an authorized distributor of HKDAP, also known as HKD At Par. HKDAP is a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Anchorpoint Financial Limited (Anchorpoint).
According to the official announcement, SCBHK is the first bank to onboard as an initial distributor of the stablecoin. The bank said it is engaging with eligible institutional clients and partners on potential HKDAP applications and is proceeding with a phased rollout.
Background on HKDAP and Anchorpoint
HKDAP is a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin structured to maintain a one-to-one peg with the Hong Kong dollar. It operates under Hong Kong’s regulatory framework for stablecoins.
Anchorpoint Financial Limited holds a stablecoin issuer license issued by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. The license was granted in April 2026 under the Stablecoins Ordinance, with Anchorpoint among the first entities to receive such a license, according to regional briefings.
The Stablecoins Ordinance requires issuers to maintain full backing of stablecoins with high-quality reserve assets. Issuers must also provide for redemption of the stablecoin at par value and adhere to anti-money laundering rules and customer verification requirements. These conditions apply to HKDAP as a regulated product.
Anchorpoint Financial Limited is a subsidiary of SCBHK established as a joint venture between SCBHK, HKT and Animoca Brands. SCBHK is the largest shareholder in Anchorpoint. The bank has said it has worked with the subsidiary on applications involving HKDAP.
Use cases include treasury and cross-border payments
According to the announcement, SCBHK has identified initial use cases for HKDAP. These include tokenized money market fund subscription and settlement, intragroup settlement activities related to treasury and liquidity management, and cross-border payments.
According to the announcement, HKDAP can be used for 24/7 on-chain settlement and is designed to support programmable transactions and interoperability.
Rollout to begin with money market funds
SCBHK plans to launch tokenized money market fund subscriptions and settlements. These activities are to involve international and local asset managers and are scheduled for the fourth quarter. The bank also intends to adopt the intragroup settlement use case across its network in the near term.
The announcement said these activities could serve as a reference for other institutional clients, including multinational corporations involved in cross-border transactions.
Hong Kong’s digital asset framework
Hong Kong established a regulatory framework for stablecoins through the Stablecoins Ordinance. The introduction of HKDAP follows the granting of issuer licenses earlier in 2026. The stablecoin operates under standards set by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
SCBHK’s role as an authorized distributor places it as the first bank in this capacity for HKDAP. The bank continues to work with Anchorpoint on the identified use cases as the stablecoin moves through its rollout phases.
The announcement did not provide further details beyond the fourth-quarter timeline for money market fund activities and the near-term timeline for intragroup settlement.
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