From coindesk by Benjamin Schiller

As the co-founder and general partner at early stage venture capital fund Race Capital, Edith Yeung has had a front-row seat on the development of the crypto sector, particularly in Hong Kong, where she was born and raised. Most notably, she was a seed investor in Solana, investing $250,000 when SOL was valued at just $0.04, and also was an early investor in Lightning Network. Since 2017, Yeung has also authored the China Internet report, an influential annual survey of technology trends in China.

Here, Yeung, who will be a speaker at Consensus Hong Kong, discusses Hong Kong’s ongoing development as a crypto hub, her take on China’s stance towards crypto, what she foresees for Solana and one big crypto prediction for 2025.

How do you see crypto regulations developing in HK in 2025? Do you think more crypto companies will become licensed by the SFC in 2025?

It’s exciting to see that Hong Kong now has seven SFC-licensed virtual asset trading platforms. From an investor’s perspective, having a clear licensing regime is a major step forward. Regulatory clarity and predictability are like well-lit roads — they give investors the confidence to drive forward without worrying about unexpected detours.

That said, licensing alone isn’t enough. Liquidity is the other critical piece of the puzzle. Think of a trading platform like a brand-new highway: you can have the smoothest pavement and clearest signs, but if no cars are on it, drivers won’t bother. Similarly, no matter how many licenses you have, if there’s no active trading and liquidity, investors will hesitate to come aboard.

The key for Hong Kong now is to build not just the infrastructure but the traffic flow — because a great platform without liquidity is like an empty highway going nowhere.

What kind of role do you see Hong Kong developing in terms of the crypto sector, especially in relation to the US? What about Asia more broadly?

Hong Kong is the New York of Asia. Exchange Square is basically Wall Street — a 24/7 financial powerhouse with soaring skyscrapers and streets full of traders, investors and bankers with energy that never quits. If you are a crypto builder or investor, you will find many TradFi talents (traders, market makers, etc.) in Hong Kong.

To build a successful TradFi or DeFi company, you need to recruit specific types of talent that are hard to find even in Silicon Valley. Hong Kong boasts a rich financial history, with its stock market origins dating back to 1866 — over 150 years — means there is a deep pool of experienced professionals who can drive innovation and growth in your venture.