The University of Hong Kong’s Business School is exploring bitcoin plans. According to the South China Morning Post, the top-ranked business school in Asia is evaluating plans to accept bitcoin and other digital assets for tuition fees and donations.
Dean Professor Hongbin Cai confirmed the move at the CryptoFi Forum last week. “All the technical details have been sorted out. We will take Bitcoin and digital currencies for tuition fees and donations in the future,” he told the audience.
No timeline has been set yet, but it’s a sign that Hong Kong is getting serious about becoming a global hub for virtual assets. The move comes as Hong Kong tightens its regulatory framework for digital finance.
On August 1, 2025, the city introduced the Stablecoins Ordinance, a licensing regime that requires issuers of fiat-backed stablecoins to get approval from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC).
The rules are strict on capital reserves, risk management, redemption rights, and anti-money laundering compliance.
A University of Hong Kong spokesperson told the South China Morning Post, “HKU Business School is dedicated to creating a secure and sustainable environment for advancing research, development, regulation, and practical adoption of digital currencies in collaboration with our partners.”
Many believe one of the biggest risks with bitcoin is its price volatility. A coin can gain or lose value in days. Professor Cai said, “If we lose money, we will be losing the money of the faculty … It’s ok, we can take care of it, but at least let us give it a try.”
Local legislator Johnny Ng suggested the simplest way to reduce risk is to convert bitcoin payments into Hong Kong dollars immediately after they are received. He said KYC checks will be crucial to prevent illegal activity.
“The price of bitcoin is volatile, but you can fix the risk by converting it to local currency; otherwise, you could treat it as an investment product,” Ng said.
“But it is important for institutions to do the KYC [know your customer] process to ensure the digital wallet is not linked to any illegal activities or funds from unknown origins.”
The announcement got attention from major players in the Bitcoin industry.
Last week, Binance’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, attended the HKU forum and praised Hong Kong’s approach. He has said before that Hong Kong can rival the U.S. and the UAE as a virtual asset hub if the government acts fast and decisively.
Other industry voices also see HKU’s move as part of a bigger trend.
Universities worldwide are starting to experiment with Bitcoin. For example, in February, the University of Austin announced the creation of a $5 million dedicated bitcoin fund.
HKU will be the first to accept Bitcoin directly for tuition payments.
In a similar move, Lomond School in Helensburgh, Scotland, made history in April by becoming the first school in the UK to accept bitcoin as payment for tuition fees.
Hong Kong is going a different path from mainland China, which banned most digital asset activities in 2021.
Instead, the city is promoting a regulated but open environment. Eleven digital asset trading platforms are already licensed under SFC and the government has proposed tax breaks for digital asset investments.
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