Futu Securities International, Hong Kong’s largest online brokerage, has entered the cryptocurrency market by enabling retail cryptocurrency trading.
This move is perceived to be part of a broader strategy to establish Hong Kong as a global hub for digital assets and blockchain technology.
The new initiative offers incentives, such as shares of prominent companies and Bitcoin deposit bonuses, to attract investors and facilitate user engagement.
Futu Securities, known for its substantial customer base of over 22 million users, launched Bitcoin and Ether trading for its retail clients. This new service allows Hong Kong residents to trade these leading cryptocurrencies directly on Futu’s brokerage platform using either Hong Kong or US dollars.
The South China Morning Post reported that this makes Futu the first online broker in Hong Kong to offer direct access to Bitcoin and Ether for retail investors.
Futu’s move into the cryptocurrency space follows the recent approval from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to provide virtual asset dealing services .
To further incentivize participation, Futu is offering various rewards. Hong Kong investors who open accounts in August and deposit HK$10,000 (US$1,280) over the next 60 days can receive HK$600 worth of Bitcoin, a HK$400 supermarket voucher, or a share of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba.
Investors who deposit US$80,000 can receive HK$1,000 in Bitcoin or a share of Nvidia, the US AI chip leader.
Notably, PantherTrade, Futu’s new crypto exchange, is among 11 platforms that the SFC has not licensed in Hong Kong but is ready to start trading crypto while waiting for full approval.
Futu’s aggressive push into the crypto market also includes strategic
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