Alchemy Pay has upgraded HTF Securities Limited’s Type 4 (Advising on Securities) license to include virtual asset advisory services.

The upgrade was carried out in collaboration with HTF Securities, a licensed corporation regulated by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).

The license enhancement follows Alchemy Pay’s earlier strategic investment in HTF Securities. It expands the company’s regulated capabilities in Hong Kong’s digital asset sector.

Under the updated approval, HTF Securities may provide regulated virtual asset advisory services to both institutional and retail clients.

The Type 4 license upgrade marks the first phase of a broader regulatory plan by Alchemy Pay and HTF Group.

The plan includes extending permissions to cover virtual asset dealing and asset management services under Type 1 and Type 9 licenses.

This regulatory pathway reflects approaches already adopted by other licensed financial institutions in Hong Kong, as digital assets become more integrated into the city’s financial system.

Hong Kong remains a core market in Alchemy Pay’s Asia strategy. The city plays a key role in linking traditional finance with digital asset markets.

The addition of virtual asset advisory services supports Alchemy Pay’s focus on compliant fiat-to-crypto infrastructure.

It also aligns with its wider plans covering stablecoin development, payment network expansion and the Alchemy Chain, a stablecoin-based blockchain.

The SFC license upgrade adds to Alchemy Pay’s recent regulatory progress across multiple jurisdictions. In 2025, the company secured six US Money Transmitter Licenses.

It also continued to expand its compliance coverage in Australia, South Korea, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

HTF Securities currently holds SFC licenses for Type 1 (Dealing in Securities), Type 4 (Advising on Securities) and Type 9 (Asset Management) regulated activities.

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by bloodua via Freepik