Hong Kong's financial regulator vowed to keep "policing" cryptocurrency and ICO markets Friday during a fresh warning to potential investors.

Ashley Alder, President and CEO of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), said that following the rules of exchange and ICO providers for compliance, "market professionals" should also play their role in ensuring the legality of the issue. and exchange. This echoes similar sentiments from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in December.

"We will continue to police the market and enforce when necessary," he commented. "

Hong Kong has sought to strike a balance between permissiveness and self-sufficiency. In contrast to mainland China, where crypto trading and ICOs are both de facto banned, lawmakers have chosen a middle-of-the-road approach, with the SFC issuing warnings instead. of restrictions prior to China in September 2017.

The result has been a burgeoning crypto startup scene in Hong Kong, with major international crypto exchange Bitfinex among the best-known residents. Binance, currently the world's second largest volume, has been based there, despite CEO Zhao Changpeng opting for a multi-country presence.

As China seeks to close the net on SFC hints.

"If investors can not fully understand the risks of cryptocurrencies and ICOs they are not prepared for a significant loss, they should not invest," Julia