TUSD-FDT on the misappropriation of reserve funds: the "loopholes" and enlightenment of Hong Kong's crypto trust supervision

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The TUSD-FDT event exposed that 456 million dollars in reserve funds from the Trust were mis, invested-such as manufacturing plants; FDUSD also experienced a price de-pegging to 0.87 dollars due to choosing FDT as its trustodee from techteryx's against Digital Fbut its impact goes far beyond the two parties exposing regulatory loopholes in Hong Kong. As a global financial center, Hong Kong's crypto ambitions are a severe test. I cannot help but wonder: How could such a massive amount of funds be quietly out of control in Hong Kong? What are the shortcomings in the regulatory system? This article will start from the full picture of the event, the fund transfers, the the ofITS and the loin trust supervision,, along with some insights from our client cases. is.

The origin of the matter is not complicated. Techteryx accused FDT of misappropriating $456 million in TUSD reserves, investing them in high-risk and low-liquidity assets such as manufacturing plants and mines, instead of holding cash or government bonds as is customary for stablecoins. This directly led to users being unable to redeem funds normally, and Techteryx filed a lawsuit against FDT in the Hong Kong High Court, case number HCA 629/2025, alleging a breach of fiduciary duty.

The event quickly escalated. Justin Sun jumped out and urgently injected a $456 million loan to try to stabilize TUSD, while publicly criticizing FDT for being "effectively bankrupt". FDT was not to be outdone, insisting that it was only following Techteryx's instructions and publicly disclosed the ISIN number of FDUSD reserves to try to prove solvency. However, the market was not convinced. FDUSD fell to $0.87 between April 2-3, 2025, with a market value evaporation of $130 million. TUSD's market value also slid from its 2023 high of $3.8 billion to the current $494 million, with investor panic quickly spreading, even affecting Binance - which holds over $2.2 billion in FDUSD.

[The rest of the translation follows the same professional and accurate approach, maintaining the original structure and meaning while translating into clear English.]

Hong Kong's trust regulation indeed has systemic shortcomings, such as the lack of specific regulations and insufficient transparency. However, I believe this does not mean that Hong Kong's trust is unreliable. Every place has its own characteristics, and Hong Kong's flexibility is precisely the soil needed for Web3 development. Compared to the highly regulated United States, Hong Kong provides the industry with more room for trial and error. This relaxed environment is both a challenge and an opportunity. The key is how we can make good use of this flexibility, rather than simply magnifying its flaws.

From a practical perspective, improvements can be more down-to-earth. First, legislation must keep up. For example, enact a "Crypto Trust Ordinance" that clearly defines the custodian's responsibilities, such as limiting reserve funds to only cash or low-risk assets, avoiding uncontrolled situations like FDT. Second, transparency must be grasped firmly. Mandatory third-party audits every quarter is a starting point. When helping clients establish trusts, we found that regular disclosure along with clear asset reports can reassure investors, and Hong Kong may want to learn from this. Third, cross-border collaboration must be implemented. By connecting with the Cayman Islands and Singapore for fund tracking, our experience shows that pre-clearing cross-border compliance requirements can effectively reduce risks.

More importantly, even if regulation is not yet perfect, the industry can proactively patch gaps. HKMA plans to launch a stablecoin framework by the end of 2025, but before that, we have already explored some methods when serving clients. For example, by establishing internal supervision mechanisms to ensure controllable fund flows, or optimizing audit processes to detect potential issues in a timely manner. These methods prove that loopholes are not unsolvable under the existing framework. Hong Kong's flexibility gives us room to maneuver - Web3 needs development, regulation needs time, and what we can do is to minimize risks through meticulous design.

Our past experience in helping clients improve compliance tells us that combining flexibility with meticulous work is sufficient to meet challenges. In the future, regulation must be upgraded, and the industry must strive, for Hong Kong to establish a firm foothold in the global crypto landscape.

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Disclaimer: The content above is only the author's opinion which does not represent any position of Followin, and is not intended as, and shall not be understood or construed as, investment advice from Followin.
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