Anchorpoint, the stablecoin-issuing joint venture led by Standard Chartered, plans to introduce a retail product on a public blockchain as competition intensifies in Hong Kong’s digital payments market. The company is taking a cautious approach to development, prioritizing long-term adoption, regulatory considerations and partnerships before confirming a launch date.
Anchorpoint aims to bring regulated digital money into everyday payments and commercial applications while connecting traditional payment infrastructure with emerging blockchain-based financial services. Chief Executive Dominic Maffei outlined the company’s next major milestone at a press conference on Friday but did not provide a confirmed release date for the retail product.
Retail Launch Remains Without a Confirmed Date
The announcement follows the launch of HSBC RedCoin, a Hong Kong dollar-backed stablecoin introduced by HSBC on Friday for users of its PayMe payment application, which serves approximately 3.3 million customers.
Anchorpoint previously indicated that its retail product could be introduced as early as the end of 2026, following the release of its institutional offering in August. However, the company has yet to confirm when consumers will be able to access the planned service.
Maffei emphasized that issuing a stablecoin on a public blockchain for retail use requires careful consideration. The company intends to develop the market sustainably rather than accelerate its launch at the expense of appropriate preparation.
The approach reflects the operational and commercial considerations involved in bringing regulated digital money to individual consumers. These include establishing suitable distribution channels, preparing potential users and building the partnerships needed to support wider adoption.
Business-to-Business-to-Consumer Model
Anchorpoint plans to expand through a business-to-business-to-consumer model, working with partners across the payments and financial services value chain to reach end users.
Under this structure, the company intends to establish an open ecosystem in which financial institutions, payment providers and other businesses can collaborate on stablecoin-based services. The model could help integrate blockchain-based money into existing commercial systems without requiring every consumer-facing service to be developed directly by Anchorpoint.
Maffei also identified market education as a central requirement for broader adoption. In September, the company launched its Tokenised Money Adoption Programme to support education, research and dialogue concerning tokenized money.
The initiative is intended to improve understanding of how digital representations of money can be used across financial and commercial applications. Education could become increasingly important as institutions explore the practical implications of public blockchain networks and regulated digital assets.
Cross-Border Payments Among Key Use Cases
Anchorpoint sees several potential advantages in stablecoins, including continuous availability, faster settlement, lower transaction costs, programmability, interoperability, and scalability.
Cross-border payments are a key application the company intends to pursue, with a particular focus on connecting Hong Kong to additional international payment corridors. Blockchain-based transfers could reduce reliance on traditional clearing procedures and allow participating parties to move digital funds outside conventional banking settlement windows.
Maffei said Anchorpoint had previously conducted work in the United Arab Emirates and planned to provide updates as additional payment corridors became operational. The company has not disclosed a comprehensive timeline for expanding these connections.
Stablecoins are blockchain-based digital tokens designed to maintain a stable value by being pegged to an underlying asset, commonly a traditional currency such as the Hong Kong dollar or the U.S. dollar. Unlike cryptocurrencies whose prices fluctuate substantially, these tokens are intended to maintain a closer relationship with their reference currencies.
Their potential use in payments depends on factors including regulatory compliance, liquidity, acceptance by participating institutions, and integration with existing financial infrastructure.
Hong Kong Advances Tokenized Finance
The developments come as Hong Kong continues to explore applications for tokenized financial products, including stablecoins, in its financial services sector.
Tokenized assets and digital money are expected to feature prominently at the upcoming FinTech Week x StartmeupHK, which is co-hosted by multiple Hong Kong government authorities.
For Anchorpoint, the planned retail product represents a step toward extending regulated digital money beyond institutional applications. Its progress will depend on the company’s ability to develop a sustainable partner ecosystem, address the requirements of public blockchain-based retail services, and establish practical payment use cases across domestic and international markets.
