Admiralty’s crypto shops: two counters, zero machines

If you are looking for a crypto shop in Admiralty, Hong Kong, the answer is one building: Admiralty Centre, 18 Harcourt Road. On the operator websites we checked on 6 October 2026, Crypto HK runs two counters on its first floor, while the COINHERO, CoinUnit and Localcoin ATM lists show no machine anywhere in Admiralty. That makes it the only one of our 22 areas with staffed shops but no ATM. Figures on this page come from operator lists, not site visits.

Crypto shops in Admiralty: the two Admiralty Centre counters

Both counters belong to Crypto HK and sit a few doors apart on the first floor. Shop 51 is the regular trading centre, open seven days with no appointment needed. Shop 57 is a 24-hour “select client” centre that serves only clients who have registered in advance; there is no walk-in service. The details below come from Crypto HK’s website:

Admiralty Centre sits directly above Admiralty station, reached through the mall connections (follow the station signs for the exact exit). The station joins the Island, Tsuen Wan, South Island and East Rail lines, so it is a direct ride from Kowloon, the Southern District or the northern New Territories, which may explain why counters chose this spot over a Central shopfront.

Crypto HK lists three other public addresses: a 15th-floor office at 9 Queen’s Road Central in Central (weekdays only), Shop 78 on the first floor of Chuen Fung Centre, 138 Sai Lau Kok Road in Tsuen Wan, and basement shop B8 in an arcade on Nelson Street, Mong Kok, plus a members’ club in San Po Kong by appointment. Admiralty keeps the longest hours of any branch and is the company’s only Island counter open on Sundays. Our Crypto HK review goes deeper.

Terms: cash, booking thresholds and ID

Crypto HK’s OTC page says you can buy with cash in Hong Kong dollars, renminbi or US dollars without an appointment. When selling, cash payouts under HK$100,000 also need no booking; HK$100,000 or more must be arranged in advance. If you want the proceeds by bank transfer, the minimum sale is HK$500,000. The website publishes no fee schedule or pricing formula, so the live quote at the counter is the price.

Renminbi acceptance may look convenient for visitors from the mainland, but a word of caution: the mainland has its own rules on holding and trading crypto and on carrying cash across the boundary, and this site does not and will not explain how to get around them. Our visitor guide covers what is lawful. In the same spirit, we never suggest splitting trades to stay under ID thresholds; if a counter asks for identification, that is compliance doing its job.

Admiralty used to have more crypto shops. Caixin, republished by Yahoo Hong Kong in August 2025, reported that after the Stablecoins Ordinance took effect, shops such as 5X Crypto and BitsMark suspended USDT services or closed. We could not verify their current status on any operator site, so we don’t list them.

What to ask before you hand over cash

With no published fee table, the questions are up to you. First, the quote: what is the actual buy or sell price, is there a separate fee, and how long does the quote hold? Second, the coin and the network: the same token can exist on different blockchains, and sending on the wrong one can mean losing it, so confirm the counter’s network matches your wallet. Third, identification: a counter may ask for ID, which is normal compliance. Fourth, the receipt: keep a record until the coins reach your wallet. If you don’t have a wallet of your own yet, read our wallet guide first rather than letting the counter hold coins for you.

Finally, large amounts of cash are a risk in themselves. Next-door Sheung Wan saw at least three money-changer-linked cash robberies between December 2025 and March 2026, one at Sheung Wan MTR Exit B. If you are carrying a lot of cash to or from Admiralty Centre, stay inside the mall and station concourses and never count it in public.

A staffed counter or an ATM?

Admiralty has no machines, but that doesn’t make a counter automatically better. Each suits a different job, depending on the amount, the time of day and whether you want help:

For a few hundred dollars of Bitcoin, one stop to a Wan Chai ATM is fine. To sell for cash, or if you want someone to explain each step, the Admiralty counter makes more sense. Neither comes close to the protection of a licensed platform, and the gap widens as the amount grows.

USDT in Admiralty: why shops can’t sell it to you

Many people come to Admiralty looking for a USDT exchange shop. Since 1 August 2025, though, the Stablecoins Ordinance allows only permitted offerors (licensed stablecoin issuers, SFC-licensed firms and banks, among others) to offer specified stablecoins to the public. In its answer to LegCo question 10 on 10 September 2025, the government confirmed that OTC shops are not permitted offerors. That is why several Admiralty shops dropped USDT after August 2025.

Separately, the consultation conclusions published on 24 December 2025 confirm that crypto dealers will be licensed by the SFC with no transitional period: the day the law starts, unlicensed shops must stop. Whether today’s Admiralty Centre counters continue will depend on whether they get licensed. For lawful ways to get USDT, read our USDT guide; for the HKD stablecoin timeline, see HKD stablecoins.

Nearest Bitcoin ATMs to Admiralty

Admiralty has no machine of its own, but there are options one MTR stop away in either direction:

Wan Chai has six machines from three operators in total; the Wan Chai guide lists them all. To the west, Sheung Wan has three CoinUnit machines, but it has also seen several money-changer robberies, so take extra care with cash there. The areas map and Bitcoin ATM map cover the whole city, and the crypto exchange shops guide lists hours and ID rules for every walk-in counter.

Working in Admiralty? Online options

Admiralty is home to the Central Government Offices, the Legislative Council and a lot of office towers, and many people here just want to buy a little during lunch. Online is usually the better fit. SFC-licensed platforms take Hong Kong dollars by FPS and eDDA; existing ZA Bank, Mox, Futu or Tiger customers can buy inside their bank or broker app; and if you want to pay by card right away, our credit card guide explains why your bank may treat it as a cash advance.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Crypto HK — contact page (Admiralty, Central, Tsuen Wan, Mong Kok) · checked 6 Oct 2026
2. Crypto HK — OTC trading terms · checked 6 Oct 2026
3. CoinUnit — Hong Kong Bitcoin ATMs · checked 6 Oct 2026
4. HKSAR Government — LCQ10: stablecoins and OTC shops · 10 Sep 2025
5. FSTB/SFC — consultation conclusions on VA dealing and custody · 24 Dec 2025

Read next