A Milestone for Digital Banks ZA Bank is now breaking news in the financial world by considering physical branches, Hong Kong’s largest digital bank. The move comes in the wake of new guidelines from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority that now allow digital banks to operate limited physical locations. The reason , he said, was to smoothen transaction processes and improve customer experience on various touchpoints where virtual banks generally struggle. This shift by HKMA reflects the growing awareness of the need to integrate the best of traditional and digital banking. Allowing for physical branches-in the case of a digital bank like ZA Bank, for instance-allows it to give more personalized service and solve complex customer issues, going toward overall satisfaction. What Does This Mean for Crypto-Friendly Banking? That is a game-changer, according to ZA Bank, which proudly claims crypto-friendliness. “Face-to-face interaction in physical locations can serve the customers much better while going through complex financial needs, especially in the crypto market,” it said. A lot of startups in the Web3 and blockchain areas had really bad onboarding processes, which were often very restrictive and with huge delays. Having physical branches would arguably make such processes much easier and thus further facilitate the access to financial services from crypto-oriented businesses. All of this interaction would make for a considerably improved customer experience and give credibility to digital banking, according to a ZA Bank representative. Industry Reactions at HKMA’s Decision Other Hong Kong virtual banks, including Mox Bank and WeLab Bank, have also cheered the shift. Among them, the CEO of the Mox Bank, Barbaros Uygun, discussed how physical branches could raise customer trust and ensure greater financial inclusions. However, the WeLab Bank Chief Executive, Tat Lee, added that it was an opportunity to provide diverse offline means to reach more people and develop digital banking. Support for Hong Kong’s Crypto Sector But perhaps most exciting for crypto startups in Hong Kong, ZA Bank could expand to physical locations. Crypto companies have long had to jump through hoops-like required fixed deposits and several shareholder visits-to secure banking services. In-person branches might make the onboarding process more seamless and less opaque, further solidifying Hong Kong as one of the friendlier cryptocurrency destinations around.
