The US administration wants to take retaliatory action for China’s rare earth export controls. US stock markets and cryptocurrencies lost billions of dollars in value on October 9, while gold has reached $4,000 an ounce. China's commerce ministry said "we aren't afraid to fight".

Hong Kong’s Stablecoin Law is cementing the financial hub’s digital ambitions, however pending US crypto laws are keeping regulatory competition tight as both chase the growing opportunity.

Staking activities using two funds will be made available on April 25 and May 15, respectively.

The new regulation is targeting digital asset and payment service providers in both cryptocurrencies and stablecoins; draft legislation is expected by the end of 2025.

The fund will also be the first retail tokenised fund across Asia Pacific.

The release of a competitive low cost large language models not only shifts the AI narrative away from expensive hardware, but also prompts debate about a potential inflection point for fund managers, with some models potentially not surviving.

The new US president issues orders for the US to leave the World Health Organisation and Paris climate agreement, with digital app TikTok emerging as one potential leverage point between the US and China over tariffs.

Even as the market cap for digital currencies rises, experts say regulators in Asia will prioritise a prudent oversight path rather than follow Washington in lockstep; HK and Singapore's rivalry is set to continue.

DLT’s potential to drive transaction efficiency is more widely acknowledged, while some crypto native players are looking to tap into traditional financial products; however, Apac’s regulatory framework is fragmented.

Li's practice at the international law firm will focus on fund formation and digital assets, across hedge funds, private equity, real estate and cryptocurrency.