Two Hong Kong officials have withdrawn from a major Bitcoin Asia 2025 conference in the city after being advised not to attend due to Eric Trump, the son of U.S. President Donald Trump, being a speaker.
Eric Yip, Director at the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), and lawmaker Johnny Ng were originally listed as speakers for Bitcoin Asia 2025, scheduled for August 28–29. But their names were later removed from the event’s website. Ng told the Post that he pulled out because of “family issues” that clash with the conference, while the SFC said Yip won’t attend because of a business trip.
A report from SCMP suggests they were asked to avoid the event due to Trump’s participation. Legislator Johnny Ng Kit-chong, who is also a tech entrepreneur, was also taken off the list.
The withdrawals happened at a time when tensions between the U.S. and China are rising over trade, technology, and other disputes. Hong Kong is being caught in the middle, facing new tariffs that it didn’t have to deal with during Trump’s first term. This shows political unrest may make it more difficult for Hong Kong to emerge as Asia’s leading center for cryptocurrency.
Eric Trump at Bitcoin Asia Conference
Despite the withdrawals, Eric Trump remains a featured speaker at the conference. He is expected to headline sessions such as “All in on Bitcoin” and “Bitcoin Takes Over the World.” The event’s website also described that he is “one of the most vocal advocates of his father and the Make America Great Again movement.”
Eric is a Co-Founder of the mining company American Bitcoin and is also connected to World Liberty Financial, a digital asset project backed by his family.
His presence at the conference further emphasizes how the U.S. is trying to strengthen its role in crypto and present itself as the “crypto capital of the world” while expanding its global influence through Bitcoin.
Hong Kong is pushing ahead with its plan to become Asia’s crypto hub. In August, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) introduced new rules to protect users’ digital assets on licensed virtual asset trading platforms. Also, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) introduced new stablecoin licensing rules on July 29, 2025.
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