Hong Kong continues to welcome new avenues for investors to trade cryptocurrencies as Nasdaq-listed Tiger Brokers rolls out cryptocurrency support on its Tiger Trade mobile and desktop app.
According to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph, professional investors can access 18 cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), alongside stocks, options, futures, United States Treasury bonds and other global assets.
Tiger Brokers, which has been listed on the Nasdaq since 2019, has partnered with HashKey Exchange to offer professional investors access to cryptocurrency trading.
The facility will initially be available to professional investors in Hong Kong. This includes residents with an investment portfolio valued above 8 million Hong Kong dollars ($1 million) and corporate entities with assets exceeding 40 million HKD ($5 million).
The firm plans to extend its cryptocurrency trading services to regular retail investors, which requires regulatory approval. Tiger Brokers also noted that it is considering adding cryptocurrency spot withdrawals and deposits.
Don’t forget Bitcoin ETFs
Investors looking for direct and indirect exposure to cryptocurrencies can also tap into Bitcoin spot exchange-traded funds (ETFs) through the platform.
Tiger Brokers added that trading of U.S.-listed Bitcoin ETFs and recently launched Hong Kong spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs is also available on Tiger Trade.
Related: Hong Kong Bitcoin and Ether ETFs have tough debut on first-day trading
This provides another avenue for investors to gain access to these ETFs, which have had varying degrees of success since their respective launches in the U.S. and Hong Kong.
ETFs finally hit Hong Kong markets on April 30, but first-day trading volumes of $12 million paled compared to the $4.6 billion in trading volume that the U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded in January 2024.
Mainland China awaits?
Nevertheless, Hong Kong’s spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs attracted more than $200 million in total assets on their debut. According to data provided by Arkham Intelligence, the Bosera HashKey spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs have accumulated 964 BTC, totaling $71.94 million in assets under management.
Meanwhile, Eric Balchunas, senior ETF analyst at Bloomberg, revealed that spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs created by ChinaAMC amassed $123.61 million in combined assets on April 30.
There have also been murmurs of potential access to Hong Kong’s Bitcoin and Ether ETFs in mainland China, according to industry experts in Asia.
As Cointelegraph previously reported, SyzCapital managing partner and BTC investor Richard Byworth has suggested that these Hong Kong-based crypto ETFs could be linked to the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect.
The cross-border investment infrastructure connects the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, allowing investors, brokers and clearing houses to trade shares across these two markets.
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