Buysell Standards and AGST collaborate to expand security token projects in Southeast Asia

Blockchain Experts from Ethereum, Solana, and More to Visit Seoul for Upbit D ConferenceDunamu, the fintech company operating South Korea’s leading crypto exchange Upbit, has unveiled the lineup of international speakers for the upcoming sixth annual Upbit D Conference (UDC). Scheduled to take place on November 13, the conference will bring together global blockchain specialists from notable projects like Ethereum and Solana to explore the latest trends and insights in the industry as well as future prospects.Photo by Terren Hurst on UnsplashThe roster of speakers includes renowned figures such as Tom Teman, Product Manager at Ethereum Foundation; Roger Ver, Founder of Bitcoin.com; and Wally Yu, Solutions Architect at Chainlink Labs. Korean speakers, such as Sehyeon Oh, Executive Vice President of telecommunications giant SK Telecom, are also set to attend.Empowering Korea’s blockchain landscapeSince its inception in 2018, UDC has grown to become Korea’s central blockchain conference. Conceived as a means to contribute to the domestic blockchain ecosystem without focusing on generating profit, the conference has consistently garnered praise for its in-depth presentations from global experts and a wide variety of sessions.Under the theme coined “All That Blockchain,” this year’s conference is open to anyone interested in blockchain, Dunamu said. The “D” in UDC stands for various keywords related to blockchain, including digital assets, decentralization, and developers. However, the focus of the conference has evolved beyond just technology, now encompassing areas such as policy, finance, technology, culture, and societal trends.Event detailsThe conference will be conducted in a hybrid — both online and offline — format, allowing a higher level of participation without the constraints of time and place. Though it will be hosted at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul hotel, anyone anywhere can tune in live through the official UDC YouTube channel. Simultaneous interpretation will also be provided in Korean and English.Dunamu will kick off registrations for both online and offline attendance starting from 10:00 AM KST on September 11. Due to the limited venue capacity, offline tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis.

CUBE, a hybrid crypto exchange that settles trades on-chain using secure multi-party computation, announced on its official X account that it has listed ACS, the native token of Solana-based monetization platform Access Protocol.  The hybrid exchange utilizes its custom rewards platform, Blocks, to engage users through unique packages for listing traders and token holders. Participants in the listing will be eligible for campaign rewards.  Bartosz Lipinski, CEO and co-founder at CUBE, recently revealed plans around Isometric (ISO), an intent-based transaction network, enabling cross-chain trading to eliminate the need for asset bridging.  “When we started building Cube, we wanted everything to be an intent… Everyone will be able to submit intents to the network and verify settlements on multiple chains using the decentralised MPC that we’ve built,” Lipinski said during his presentation at the Solana Breakpoint conference. “Through the decentralised MPC integration layer, you will be able to actually use the value on different layer ones without cannibalising it,” he went on to share.  ISO will be the platform token powering governance, staking, and decentralized custody, according to Cube's announcement. Both Token and Mainnet launch are expected to happen some time in Q2 2025.  In a related development on Monday, Cube announced its partnership with the Argentinian government. The company plans to explore leveraging the Isometric network as a catalyst for the South American nation’s financial system. 

Hong Kong Moves to Enable Retail Crypto TradeHong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has moved to enable retail participation in crypto trading within the Chinese autonomous territory.The SFC has arrived at that determination, according to a report it published on Tuesday. The report, titled “Consultation Conclusions on the Proposed Regulatory Requirements for Virtual Asset Trading Platform Operators Licensed by the SFC (Note 1),” provides an overview of the nature of feedback the Commission received as part of its consultation process relative to virtual asset trading.Photo by Ben Cheung on PexelsRetail investor protectionIn the press release which accompanied the report, the Commission outlined that “a significant majority of respondents agreed to our proposal to allow licensed trading platform operators to serve retail investors.” On that basis, the SFC is moving forward in enabling retail trading of crypto assets through licensed virtual asset trading platforms effective June 1, and it’s setting out to do so while implementing a number of measures to protect retail investors.That will include ensuring that operators provide an appropriate on-boarding process. In the case of crypto asset projects, the SFC is determined to see to it that good governance is implemented, alongside enhanced token due diligence, admission criteria, and disclosures.In the statement, the SFC’s CEO Julia Leung, said that “providing clear regulatory expectations is the key to fostering responsible development.” She added that “Hong Kong’s comprehensive virtual assets regulatory framework follows the principle of ‘same business, same risks, same rules’ and aims to provide robust investor protection and manage key risks. This will enable the industry to develop sustainably and support innovation.”Specific conditionsOne item that the SFC’s new rule-book on virtual asset trading for retail investors outlines is a ban on crypto “gifts.” Effectively any promotions or incentives that lead with free gifts, and this will likely include token airdrops, will be prohibited.In terms of capital liquidity, virtual asset exchanges will be required to maintain a minimum of 5,000,000 Hong Kong dollars ($638,000) at all times as a minimum paid-up share capital. A Platform Operator must at all times maintain liquid capital which is not less than its required liquid capital,” the document outlines.Token due diligenceThe SFC acknowledged that it can be difficult for virtual asset exchanges to carry out due diligence on new tokens. With that in mind, it has incorporated a requirement for any new token to have a twelve-month track record before it can be considered to be listed to provide an indication of such things as supply, demand, maturity, and liquidity. In that way, exchanges have some data to work with in carrying out token due diligence.Smart contracts have been a point of weakness in recent years, with considerable sums lost through hacks that have exploited smart contract code vulnerabilities. To that end, the SFC insists that as part of token due diligence, new assets will have to undergo smart contract audits performed by independent assessors.Given that the spate of recent crypto platform failures implicated loss of customer deposits, the rule-book considers the need for segregation of client funds. Exchanges will need to segregate funds and can either hold them separately from the assets of the exchange itself or have them held in escrow.