Hong Kong has entered the cryptocurrency ETF market with the debut of its first spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on Tuesday, signaling the city’s ambition to compete with the US in the rapidly growing sector.

The launch, led by the Hong Kong units of three mainland Chinese asset managers — Bosera Asset Management, Harvest Global Investments, and China Asset Management — saw the introduction of two ETFs each tracking bitcoin and ether prices. Bosera’s funds were launched in collaboration with HashKey Capital.

On their debut, the three bitcoin ETFs closed between 1.5% and 1.8% higher, while the ether ETFs experienced slight losses of between 0.5% and 0.8%. Despite this, total trading turnover for all six ETFs, which included trading in US dollars, Hong Kong dollars, and renminbi, reached approximately HK$99.5 million (US$12.7 million). In comparison, US-based funds saw turnover exceeding $4 billion on their first trading day.

The move marks Hong Kong’s commitment to becoming a significant player in the cryptocurrency space, following its announcement in 2022 amid pandemic restrictions and increased Chinese oversight. Joseph Chan, Hong Kong’s under-secretary for financial services and the treasury, emphasized the city’s leading position in Asia’s crypto asset development during the ETF listing ceremony.

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Prior to this, CSOP Asset Management had launched Hong Kong’s first bitcoin and ether futures ETFs in late 2022, following the publication of rules for spot ETFs by the Securities and Futures Commission in December.

In January, the US Securities and Exchange Commission approved the country’s first spot bitcoin ETFs, which have since attracted significant assets under management and net inflows. Robert Zhan, director of risk consulting at KPMG China, remains optimistic about the potential of the Hong Kong funds, despite current market sentiments and relatively flat prices of bitcoin and ether leading up to the launch.

The launch of crypto-linked funds by major Chinese asset managers has generated excitement within the industry, despite China’s strict cryptocurrency regulations. Donald Day, COO of Hong Kong-based digital asset exchange VDX, believes the new funds will cater to active investors unable or unwilling to trade during US hours.

Source: ft.com

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