Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) announced today that its new digital payment solution for advance margin deposits during the After-Hours Trading (AHT) session in the derivatives market will launch on 14 December 2026.

The initiative builds on the announcement by HKEX and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) in June 2026 to explore the use of e-HKD – a wholesale central bank digital currency (CBDC) operating on a 24/7 basis – for advance margin deposit payments in the AHT session.

At launch, eligible HKFE Clearing Corporation Limited (HKCC) Clearing Participants (CPs) will be able to use this new digital payment option to submit advance margin deposit requests from 5:00 pm to 1:30 am for funds related to the corresponding AHT session. The extended payment time window supplements existing payment arrangements and provides greater flexibility in managing their Capital Based Position Limit utilisation outside regular banking hours.

HKEX has conducted Real-Value Trial Transactions with HKMA, settlement banks and CPs to validate the technical and operational readiness ahead of the launch.

This flexible payment option will be complementary to HKEX’s planned extension of AHT trading hours from March 2027, reflecting HKEX’s continued commitment to enhance market accessibility, connectivity and operational resilience.