Before opening another account, decide whether you want to buy and hold on a platform, trade regularly, or withdraw coins to your own wallet. Those are different requirements. A broker you already use may be convenient, but convenience is less useful if it cannot make the withdrawal you need or charges more while you hold.
Check the legal entity first
Use the SFC’s licensed VATP list, which includes OSL Digital Securities and Hash Blockchain/HashKey Exchange. Match the operator and official website to the account being offered. The separate applicant list is not a licence, and an overseas platform sharing a brand name is not automatically covered by its Hong Kong entity’s licence.
A broker’s virtual-asset dealing service is a different arrangement from holding a VATP licence. For example, Futu’s announcement describes an uplift of its Type 1 licence. Check the intermediary’s SFC register entry and account terms for execution, custody and withdrawals. A licence is not a guarantee against investment loss or business failure.
Fee examples worth checking
The following are published Hong Kong fee examples checked on 2 October 2026, not a ranking of every platform or a promise about your account’s promotional rate. Compare the same order type and asset.
| Service and source | Published charge | What changes the comparison |
|---|---|---|
| OSL Pro Trade | 0% maker; 0.05% taker. | A limit order that executes immediately may take liquidity. Flash Trade’s quoted price is a separate comparison. |
| Futu crypto | At the first volume tier: 0.08% platform fee plus 0.08% commission for assets other than USDT/BNB; those two have a different commission tier. | The general fee page lists a US$1.99/HK$15 minimum platform fee per transaction. Check the live order preview and applicable promotion. |
| IBKR Hong Kong | 0.30% at monthly trade value up to US$100,000; US$2.25 minimum, capped at 1% of trade value. | Published pass-through custody fee is 8 basis points per month on average crypto value: 0.08% monthly, not annually. |
| HashKey Exchange | Use the current account-tier schedule and order preview. | HashKey’s fee notice says crypto withdrawal fees vary with network conditions and directs users to the current withdrawal screen. |
Do the arithmetic for your order and holding period
Illustration using the stated rates, excluding spread, currency conversion and withdrawal costs: a HK$10,000 OSL taker trade has a HK$5 trading fee. For a Futu asset at the 0.08% commission tier, commission is HK$8 and a HK$15 minimum platform fee brings the total to HK$23 if that minimum applies and no promotion changes it. These figures do not tell you which platform gives the better executed price.
For IBKR’s published first tier, a US$1,000 trade costs US$3 in commission. If the average crypto holding value stays at US$1,000, the listed custody rate adds US$0.80 each month. Repeat this calculation for the planned holding period and add the cost of selling or transferring out.
Check the way out before the way in
- Can your retail account trade the specific asset and pair? A platform-wide token list may include products unavailable to you.
- Can you withdraw that asset on the exact network your wallet supports? Check minimums, fees and any wallet-verification requirement.
- If you only want to cash out to HKD, check selling costs, conversion and bank withdrawal limits. Platform-free withdrawal can still incur bank charges.