Banks say no to thousands of applications a year – and search data shows frustrated founders are looking for a way around them

Hong Kong S.A.R., 9th Oct 2026 – For many Hong Kong entrepreneurs, the biggest surprise of starting a company is not the incorporation paperwork – it is the wall they hit when trying to open a business account. Search data tells the story. Every month in Hong Kong, hundreds of people look for ways to open a company account — and 170 a month search specifically for “difficulty opening a company account.” That is not idle curiosity. It is a measurable queue of business owners who have been turned away.

Why traditional banks say “no” so often

Traditional banks in Hong Kong have tightened their onboarding rules significantly over the past few years. Common reasons applications get rejected or stalled include

• Strict KYC and compliance checks. New companies with no transaction history are flagged as higher risk.
• Physical presence requirements. Some banks still want directors to visit a branch in person – painful for overseas founders.
• Business model questions. E-commerce, trading, and cross-border businesses often face extra scrutiny because money moves across multiple jurisdictions.
• Minimum deposit and balance requirements. Tying up capital just to keep an account open hurts cash flow for young companies.

The result is that entrepreneurs wait weeks – sometimes months – and still get rejected with no explanation.

The rise of virtual banks in Hong Kong

Hong Kong’s virtual banks have helped, especially for simple local businesses. They offer faster onboarding and app-first experiences, and search interest in “virtual bank” keeps growing in Hong Kong – roughly 1,600 searches per month on the Chinese-language term alone.

But virtual banks have limits for internationally active SMEs.

• Multi-currency support can be basic
• Receiving payments from overseas marketplaces (Amazon, Shopify, Stripe) is often clunky
• FX rates and transfer fees quietly eat margins
• Caps and friction on international transfers

What to look for in a business account in 2026

If your company buys or sells across borders, this is the checklist that matters.

1. Multi-currency receiving accounts – get local account details in USD, EUR, GBP, HKD and more, so overseas customers pay you like a local.
2. Transparent FX and fees – know the real exchange rate before money moves, with the option to lock in rates in advance.
3. Fast, remote onboarding – open an account online without a branch visit.
4. Marketplace and platform integration – direct connections to Amazon, Shopify, PayPal and major payment gateways.
5. Compliance you can trust – licensed and regulated, with clear documentation.

A practical alternative – global payment platforms

This is where platforms built for cross-border businesses come in. A cross-border payment platform like PingPong, trusted by more than 750,000 businesses worldwide, is a good example of the model.

• Global Accounts – open local receiving accounts in 20+ currencies and accept 160+ local payment methods, so international clients pay you like a local.
• Global Payouts – send funds in 25+ currencies using cost-effective local payment rails – useful for paying suppliers and contractors.
• FX – convert currency 24/7 with real-time pricing, or lock in fixed rates in advance to protect future margins.
• Checkout and multi-currency cards – accept six global card networks and issue cards for ad spend, subscriptions, and team expenses.

For Hong Kong companies selling overseas – or mainland and international founders operating through HK entities – this kind of account often works alongside (or instead of) a traditional bank, especially during the early months when banks are slow to approve.

Bottom line

Opening a company account in Hong Kong does not have to take months. The options have expanded well beyond traditional banks. There are virtual banks for simple local needs, and a multi-currency business account for cross-border businesses that need to receive and send money internationally from day one.

If your bank application has been stuck for weeks, it is worth comparing alternatives – the right setup can save you real money on FX and fees every single month.

Media Contact

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Locked Out – Why Hong Kong SMEs Still Can’t Get a Business Account in 2026

Mutsamudu, Comoros, October 9th, 2026, Chainwire

MEXC, a pioneer in 0-fee digital asset trading, and Payward, the parent company of Kraken, shared their perspectives on the convergence of crypto and traditional finance during a TOKEN2049 Singapore panel. MEXC CEO Vugar Usi Zade and Payward Co-CEO Arjun Sethi, discussed how broader market access, retail demand and collaboration between platforms could shape the future of global trading.

Crypto and TradFi Move Closer Together

An important theme was the shift toward more connected, always-on markets. Vugar said blockchain infrastructure is challenging traditional market structures built around fixed trading hours, while users increasingly expect access to different asset classes through a more seamless experience.

“Over the next five years, we’ll see a convergence toward a singular platform where asset classes and investments can move quickly and smoothly,” said Vugar. “Retail will be the main driver.”

Arjun highlighted the infrastructure challenge behind this shift, noting that 24/7 trading is ultimately about bringing assets and collateral into a more connected financial environment.

“24/7 trading really means: how do you bring all that collateral into one place?” said Arjun.

Collaboration Over Competition

Both speakers also highlighted collaboration as an important part of scaling the next generation of global trading platforms.

Arjun noted that serving a much larger global user base will require platforms to work with partners that bring different strengths in their respective markets, explicitly pointing to MEXC as one such example.

“The only way to do that is to partner with folks, including MEXC, to be able to help succeed in their core markets,” said Arjun.

Vugar similarly emphasized that exchanges can increasingly build on one another’s strengths rather than approach every opportunity purely through competition. MEXC brings a retail-first approach, deep liquidity and broad experience in perpetual markets across crypto and TradFi assets, while Payward brings global financial infrastructure, professional trading capabilities and strong market experience in the United States.

The discussion built on the two companies’ earlier indication that they are exploring broader collaboration, with both executives pointing to infrastructure, market access and distribution as areas where greater connectivity between platforms could create value.

Trust and access were also highlighted as essential foundations for this evolution. Vugar described trust and access as two of the most important elements in building future financial platforms, while Arjun emphasized the importance of transparency as the industry becomes more connected.

The panel pointed to a future in which crypto and TradFi become increasingly connected, with collaboration between platforms helping bring together market access, infrastructure and user reach to serve a broader global audience.

About MEXC

Founded in 2018, MEXC is a leading global multi-asset trading platform built as your 0-fee gateway to infinite opportunities. Serving users across 170+ markets, MEXC provides simple and efficient access to crypto, stocks, tokenized assets, derivatives, and a growing range of TradFi-linked opportunities through one account and one gateway.

With 0 trading fees, deep liquidity, broad asset coverage, and a high-performance trading experience, MEXC is designed for retail users who want to discover earlier, act faster, and trade with fewer barriers. As crypto and traditional finance continue to converge, MEXC is committed to making global opportunities more accessible, helping users trade freely and MEXCmize every opportunity.

MEXC Official Website｜ X ｜ Telegram ｜How to Sign Up on MEXC

For media inquiries, please contact MEXC PR team: media@mexc.com

Risk Disclaimer:

This content does not constitute investment advice. Given the volatility of financial markets, including digital assets, tokenized assets, and traditional financial products, investors should carefully assess market conditions, underlying asset fundamentals, and potential financial risks before making any investment or trading decisions.

Contact

Lucia Hu
lucia.hu@mexc.com

Dubai, UAE, October 9th, 2026, FinanceWire

Ufunded has introduced Spotlight, a new long-form content format created to shed light on the stories seldom discussed behind some of the most influential minds in the trading industry, and to document the individuals shaping its ongoing evolution.

The initiative reflects a broader effort to move beyond performance metrics and surface the personal philosophies, decision-making frameworks, and lived experiences of some of the industry’s most influential figures. While many know these individuals for their achievements in front of the charts, Spotlight explores what happens beyond them, the underlying perspectives and experiences that often make such success possible.

Each episode is structured around a central question: “What is your legacy?”, inviting participants to reflect on defining moments, personal trade-offs, and the principles that guided them. Responses from industry observers have been overwhelmingly positive and a refreshing challenge to the status quo of how content is usually produced within the finance industry.

Fabio Valentini in the Spotlight by Ufunded, known for his achievements in the Trading World Championship, his public track record of 500% achieved over 12 months.

The series is deliberately reserved for a small group of traders who have played a meaningful role in shaping the industry. Featured participants include Sylvain Lemaire, founder of France’s first market-neutral hedge fund, Fabio Valentini, known for his performance in the Trading World Championship, and Jens Rabe, one of the most established figures in the German-speaking trading space.

Each of them represents a different generation, style, and perspective. From physical trading floors to modern, data-driven execution. Offering a layered view of how the industry has evolved and where it is heading. Many of these figures, including Jens Rabe, are also part of Ufunded’s network of educators, who are able to extend invitations to their communities to get instantly funded by the firm. Access to Ufunded’s platform is limited to traders who are pre-screened and introduced by partnered trading academies and communities, and who complete a personal demonstration call where suitability and expectations are assessed.

While many of these individuals maintain a relatively low public profile, their participation in Spotlight reflects a shared willingness to contribute to passing on their learnings and lessons to the next generation of traders, and sharing perspectives that are often not visible publicly.

Jens Rabe in the Spotlight by Ufunded – one of the founders and architects of the German trading and investing landscape:

“The reason why we choose to develop such pieces is to give a deeper and broader scope of our industry altogether, in pursuit of unification, rather than division of the industry. “ said Nikolaus d. Growth Lead of Ufunded. 

With initiatives such as Spotlight, alongside the recent introduction of verifiable Payout Reports, Ufunded continues to pave the way toward a more transparent trading ecosystem, an effort that aligns with the firm’s elevated positioning and the high standards it has consistently set within the industry. 

About Ufunded

Ufunded.com is part of an innovative fintech ecosystem built around instant, performance-based funding and education-first principles. The trading platform uses machine learning, deep learning, and artificial intelligence to allocate notional risk capital of up to $1m per trader based on observed behavior and performance. Its all-in-one environment integrates TradingView-powered charting, a personal performance dashboard, an automated trading journal, and other tools designed to reinforce learning through continuous feedback loops. Access is strictly invite-only and available exclusively through a small number of hand-selected trading academies and institutions worldwide that pre-screen and personally introduce suitable candidates into the ecosystem.

Contact

Gretchen Pahia
Ufunded
press@ufunded.com