Sui in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan: Rules and Where to Buy

Sui in China depends on which part of Greater China you mean. In mainland China, every virtual currency business is an illegal financial activity under a People's Bank of China (PBoC) notice dated 6 February 2026, so residents there cannot legally buy SUI through any platform. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, SUI is traded on regulated local exchanges, and residents can use Sui DeFi apps from a self-custody wallet, subject to local rules.

This guide covers each market as of 18 October 2026: what the rules say, which local platforms list SUI (we checked their own market data), how Taiwan's new crypto law is progressing, and what Taiwan and Hong Kong users should know before moving SUI幣 (SUI币 in simplified characters) on-chain. If Sui itself is new to you, start with what Sui is.

Sui's footprint in Greater China

Sui is a layer-1 blockchain built by Mysten Labs and uses the Move language. Its developer and user community in the region is most visible in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Mainland activity is hard to measure from outside, partly because Google is blocked there and partly because crypto business is prohibited.

Taiwan has an active grassroots scene. On 3 November 2025 the Sui Foundation hosted Sui Onboard Hsinchu at National Tsing Hua University, billed as Sui's first event in Hsinchu, with speakers from Typus Finance, Scallop and Bucket Protocol and a Sui Taiwan ambassador. The event listing describes Scallop, one of Sui's best-known lending protocols, as having a team made up of Taiwanese people. Student groups such as XueDAO and the NTHU Blockchain Club were listed as partners.

In Hong Kong, the Sui Foundation was announced as the exclusive dinner sponsor of the Hong Kong Web3 Festival 2026, which is co-hosted by HashKey Group and Wanxiang Blockchain Labs. Sui's biggest regional event this year, though, was in Singapore: Sui Basecamp 2026 ran on 7–8 October alongside TOKEN2049. Our Sui Basecamp 2026 recap covers the announcements, including the 40.6 million TPS record that Sui set via offchain tunnels settled to mainnet, which is not a base-layer figure.

Across all regions, Sui DeFi held about $485 million in total value locked as of 18 October 2026, per DefiLlama.

Mainland China: crypto business is still banned

The rule that matters is the Notice on Further Preventing and Handling Risks Related to Virtual Currencies (Yinfa [2026] No. 42), issued by the PBoC with seven other national departments and dated 6 February 2026. It took effect on publication and repealed the September 2021 ten-department notice (Yinfa [2021] No. 237), which had already declared crypto trading illegal. It replaced the 2021 notice rather than softening it. Among other points, it says:

• virtual currency-related business activities are illegal financial activities;
• overseas entities and individuals may not illegally provide virtual currency-related services to entities in mainland China in any form;
• no entity or individual, onshore or offshore, may issue a stablecoin pegged to the renminbi overseas without approval from the relevant authorities;
• internet platforms may not provide premises, marketing or paid traffic for virtual currency or real-world asset (RWA) token business, and provincial governments remain responsible for shutting down crypto mining.

The US Library of Congress summarised the change as extending the existing ban to stablecoins and RWA tokenisation. We found no official easing of these rules between the notice and 18 October 2026.

In practice, mainland residents should not treat Hong Kong exchanges, Taiwanese exchanges or DeFi apps as a workaround. The notice targets overseas providers serving mainland users as well as onshore businesses. Nothing in this article is a guide to getting around those rules.

Hong Kong: licensed platforms and where SUI fits

Hong Kong regulates centralised exchanges through the SFC's virtual asset trading platform (VATP) licence. Our guide to the Hong Kong VATP licence explains the regime in full, including the SFC's list of licensed platforms. For SUI, three points matter.

First, retail access is token-by-token. Under the SFC's 2023 consultation conclusions, a licensed platform may offer a token to retail investors only if it meets extra admission criteria, including inclusion in at least two acceptable indices. A token can be listed for professional investors without being open to retail clients.

Second, SUI is on HashKey Exchange, but for professional investors only. HashKey opened a SUI/USD spot pair at 16:00 Hong Kong time on 4 February 2026, according to a press release. HashKey's own public market data, checked on 18 October 2026, shows the SUIUSD pair as trading with "retailAllowed" set to false and professional-investor access enabled. Some early coverage said retail would be included; the exchange's live data says otherwise.

Third, OSL Exchange does not list SUI. Its public instrument list on 18 October 2026 contained 22 pairs and none of them was SUI. We did not check every one of the 13 licensed platforms, so check your own platform's token list.

Stablecoins have their own regime. The Stablecoins Ordinance took effect on 1 August 2025, and issuers of fiat-referenced stablecoins in Hong Kong need an HKMA licence. That regime covers issuers. It does not decide which tokens a retail investor may buy on a VATP.

Taiwan: AML registration now, licensing from 2027

Taiwan is where Chinese-language search interest in SUI is easiest to see, and it has the most accessible local market for the token.

The current regime: AML registration

Since amendments to the Money Laundering Control Act took effect on 30 November 2024, virtual asset service providers must register with the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) before serving Taiwan users, and foreign providers must set up a local company or branch. Operating without registration is a criminal offence, with prison terms of up to two years for individuals, according to a Lexology summary. On 22 September 2025 the FSC announced that nine operators had completed AML registration, among them 現代財富科技 (which runs MaiCoin and the MAX exchange) and 幣託科技 (BitoPro). Operators that had not finished by 30 September 2025 had to stop regulated business. Check the FSC's current list before you sign up, because it can change.

The Virtual Asset Service Act

On 30 June 2026 the Legislative Yuan passed Taiwan's first dedicated crypto statute, the Virtual Asset Service Act, on final reading. According to Blockhead and TRM Labs:

• providers will need an FSC licence across separate categories, including exchange, transfer, custody, underwriting and lending;
• registered incumbents must apply for a licence within 12 months of commencement;
• stablecoin issuers need full one-to-one reserves held in trust and may not pay interest;
• the FSC is drafting the secondary rules, and the Act is expected to take effect with them in the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest.

As of 18 October 2026, the Act has passed but is not yet in force. We found no official commencement date, and AML registration remains the rule that applies today.

Where to buy SUI in Taiwan and Hong Kong

We checked each venue's own public market data on 18 October 2026. Listings change, so confirm on the platform before you deposit.

For Taiwan residents, MAX is the clearest local route: a registered operator with a direct TWD pair. Hong Kong retail investors currently have no SUI pair on the two licensed platforms we checked. Offshore exchanges that are not licensed in Hong Kong or registered in Taiwan carry legal and counterparty risks, and our exchange closures tracker shows how those risks can play out.

KYC, the travel rule and tax basics

Both the Hong Kong and Taiwan regimes require full customer due diligence. Licensed and registered exchanges verify your identity, often through KYC providers such as iDenfy, before you can deposit fiat or withdraw crypto. Both markets also apply the FATF travel rule. When you withdraw SUI to a wallet, expect to declare whether the address is yours. Our travel rule explainer covers what is collected and why.

Tax treatment differs between the two, and in both it depends on your circumstances:

• Hong Kong: the Inland Revenue Department's guidance, DIPN 39, says gains on digital assets may be chargeable to profits tax if they arise from a trade or business, depending on the type of asset and how it is used. Hong Kong has no general capital gains tax, but whether you are trading or investing is a question of fact.
• Taiwan: tax officials have said gains from non-regular crypto trading in Taiwan count as property transaction income under Article 14 of the Income Tax Act. In November 2024 legislators questioned how that is enforced for individuals, the Taipei Times reported.

None of this is tax advice. Staking rewards and DeFi yields can be treated differently from trading gains, so check with a local tax adviser.

Using Sui DeFi from Hong Kong or Taiwan

Once you hold SUI on a local exchange, the on-chain steps are the same everywhere:

1. Set up a Sui wallet. Use a self-custody wallet that supports Sui; our Sui wallet guide compares the options. Note that Phantom ended Sui support on 24 September 2026.
2. Withdraw SUI on the Sui network. Send a small test amount first and complete any travel-rule wallet declaration.
3. Stake or farm. Through the JewelSwap Sui app, you can liquid-stake SUI for JWLSUI and stake that for SJWLSUI, which accrues the staking yield. Our Sui staking guide and liquid staking comparison explain the trade-offs. Experienced users can also look at Scallop leveraged farms and Cetus farms, which carry liquidation and impermanent-loss risk.

For a wider view of the ecosystem, including DEXs, lenders such as NAVI and Suilend, and DeepBook, see our best DeFi platforms on Sui hub. JewelSwap Labs also runs public betas, Ember Loop and NAVI Loop, which use new, unaudited contracts with small caps (Ember Loop is not available to US or UK residents).

Access to DeFi apps can be restricted by local law, and Hong Kong and Taiwan rules are written for intermediaries, not for you as a wallet user. Check what applies to you. If you are in mainland China, the 2026 notice prohibits these activities.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy SUI in mainland China?

No. Under the PBoC-led notice Yinfa [2026] No. 42, dated 6 February 2026, all virtual currency-related business in mainland China is an illegal financial activity, and overseas providers may not illegally serve mainland users.

Is SUI available to retail investors in Hong Kong?

Not on the platforms we checked. As of 18 October 2026, HashKey Exchange lists SUI/USD for professional investors only, and OSL Exchange does not list SUI. Check other SFC-licensed platforms directly.

Where can I buy SUI in Taiwan?

MAX, run by FSC-registered MaiCoin operator 現代財富科技, had active SUI/TWD and SUI/USDT markets on 18 October 2026. BitoPro had no SUI pair in its public pair list that day.

Is Taiwan's Virtual Asset Service Act in force?

Not yet. The Legislative Yuan passed it on 30 June 2026, and the FSC is drafting secondary rules, with commencement expected in the first quarter of 2027 at the earliest. AML registration still applies until then.

What does SUI幣 mean?

SUI幣 (SUI币 in simplified Chinese) means SUI coin, the native token of the Sui blockchain. It pays gas fees, is staked to validators to secure the network and is used in Sui governance.

Keep reading

• Sui in Singapore
• Sui in South Korea
• Hong Kong VATP licence explained
• Sui DEX comparison 2026
• Crypto licence jurisdictions compared

This article is educational and is not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, listings and figures are as of 18 October 2026 and can change; exchange listings were checked against each platform's public market data on that date. Sources are linked throughout.