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Global cryptocurrency businesses are turning to Hong Kong for refuge and opportunity

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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Neon Signs Along Nathan Road in Hong Kong

With US regulators continuing to intensify their scrutiny of cryptocurrencies, industry startups and founders are looking abroad to find more favorable climates to support their growth.

One such destination is Hong Kong, which is trying to restore its status as a country financial hub, is banking on favorable crypto regulations to attract a new set of entrepreneurs, technologists and investors. So far, his strategy seems to be working.

In mid-April, Hong Kong’s annual web3 festival attracted over 50,000 attendees. There were many more non-Chinese participants than last year, when the event felt like a gathering of people Crypto refugees fleeing mainland China’s restrictive policy. At this year’s edition, buttoned-up city officials listened intently as shabbily dressed founders battled jet lag. While not at the event in person, Cathie Wood, the billionaire founder of Ark Invest, gave a speech via video. And Vitalik Buterin, the nomadic founder of Ethereum, appeared at the last minute.

It evoked a sense of déjà vu: In the industry’s early days, Hong Kong was a major hub for crypto firms run by foreign entrepreneurs, including FTX, Crypto.com and BitMex. Like other jurisdictions around the world, the city clamped down on cryptocurrency-related activities to safeguard investors’ interests as market volatility spiraled out of control.

The excitement around Hong Kong’s web3 scene has begun to boil over last June, when the government made cryptocurrency trading legal for retail investors. Since then, the city has implemented a number of measures to regulate cryptocurrency-related activities, including a sandbox for issuing stablecoins as well as a Licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchange operators. Following in the footsteps of the United States, Hong Kong has just listed a batch of cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds this week.

These moves are in stark contrast to those of the American government tough stance against crypto firms. Attendees of the web3 festival, who came from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, India and other regions, expressed their optimism about Hong Kong’s momentum. First Digital’s FDUSD, issued under Hong Kong’s digital asset rules and backed by U.S. Treasury bonds, for example, has quickly become the world’s fourth-largest stablecoin by market capitalization.

At the same time, people are aware of Hong Kong’s limitations as an aspiring crypto hub. First, it is a relatively small market of seven million people and the huge market of mainland China at least for now it will be off-limits. Furthermore, the rules prioritize investor protection, which can lead to higher compliance costs and discourage those who prefer a freer environment.

However, Hong Kong remains one of the few jurisdictions, along with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Singapore, that have shown a clear commitment to cryptocurrency. As Jack Jia, head of cryptocurrencies at global payments company Unlimit, noted: “The fact that Hong Kong is coming up with cryptocurrency regulation, just from a reputation and optics perspective, is going to appeal to everyone.”

Open-minded officials

Hong Kong doesn’t actually have the most lenient crypto regulations. In fact, its control over exchange operators pushed its cryptocurrency, HashKey, to do so look for a license in Bermuda. The largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, namely Binance, Coinbase and Kraken, are conspicuously absent from the city’s list of 22 virtual asset trading license applicants.

As it turns out, Hong Kong’s greatest appeal is its effort to provide regulatory clarity for crypto businesses.

“The SEC is known. “Everything is a security, but we won’t tell you clearly which license you need to apply for, and then we might just reject your application,” Jia said, describing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s attitude to regulating crypto firms. “There is no set SEC process. But Hong Kong regulators have initiated a process to listen to your views.”

In fact, several crypto industry executives told TechCrunch that they have held closed-door meetings with Hong Kong government representatives. Working to provide real-world data to smart contracts, which are lines of code that execute predefined rules, San Francisco-based Chainlink is in talks to provide its technology to major financial infrastructure in Hong Kong, its co said -founder Sergey Nazarov.

“People don’t fully realize that capital markets and cryptocurrencies are very compatible. Coming to Hong Kong, I found that compatibility will be accelerated here first because the government and regulators are more open to such compatibility,” said Nazarov, who invited Hong Kong Treasury Undersecretary Joseph Chan to speak at a fireside . chats with him at SmartCon, Chainlink’s annual conference, in Barcelona last year.

This year, Chainlink will bring SmartCon to Hong Kong at the invitation of the local government, making Hong Kong the first Asian city to host the conference, according to Nazarov.

“The Hong Kong regulator is issuing regulation on stablecoins and regulation on [digital] resources. This means that Hong Kong can be a place where business and payments can operate reliably in one system and in a regulated manner,” Nazarov added. “This is important, because if things don’t get regulated, all the hundreds of trillions of dollars and banks won’t migrate.”

Steve Yun, president of Dubai-based TON Foundation, Telegram’s official blockchain partnershared the optimistic sentiment, saying that Hong Kong may have the biggest competitive advantage over other aspiring crypto hubs as the city is “trying to come up with a very comprehensive framework to make builders and entrepreneurs feel more comfortable and to attract talent” .

Hong Kong’s financial regulations are intricate, but Charles d’Haussy, CEO of the Swiss company dYdX Foundation, is no stranger to them, having previously headed fintech for InvestHK, the foreign direct investment department of the Hong Kong government.

“The Hong Kong government was very open to cryptocurrencies at first,” d’Haussy recalled. Then came a period of hostility as regulators have sought to combat rampant crypto fraud. But “about a year ago or so, I think they realized that there was a new market there, and that there needed to be some regulations in place to ensure that this opportunity wasn’t missed.”

“That’s when you saw the HKMA [Hong Kong Monetary Authority] making more and more CBDC [central bank digital currencies]and the Hong Kong SFC [Securities and Futures Commission] issuing licenses for cryptocurrency exchanges and ETFs,” d’Haussy added.

Access to China

When Hong Kong opened up to cryptocurrencies last year, there was widespread speculation that mainland China might follow suit. This hope remains distant as China continues to block its citizens from trading cryptocurrencies. Nonetheless, companies are now recognizing Hong Kong’s potential as a gateway to another valuable resource of its neighbor.

While Hong Kong is a magnet for financial talent, its neighbor to the south, Shenzhen, is home to some of the world’s largest tech companies, such as Huawei, DJI and Tencent. Not surprisingly, crypto firms are taking advantage of the combination of Hong Kong’s favorable regulations and its proximity to developer resources in Shenzhen and other Chinese cities.

One such player taking advantage of Hong Kong’s geographic location is the TON Foundation. As part of his effort to become a super app, Telegram is partnering with TON, which allows developers to build blockchain-based lite apps that run on the messenger. During web3 week, the Foundation organized a bootcamp in Hong Kong in hopes of attracting Chinese developers, especially those familiar with WeChat’s mini-app empire.

“We are now reaching regions where they have a high number of developers and entrepreneurs, especially those who have grown using some type of mini app through a super app, and those who have participated in the growth of that ecosystem,” Yun said.

supported by a16z Apto, for example, hosted a three-day hackathon in Shenzhen in February, which attracted hundreds of applicants. Aptos, run by a team that previously worked on Meta’s Diem blockchain, also did so partnered with Alibaba’s cloud computing division to attract Chinese developers.

Some foreign founders have gone a step further by establishing a physical presence in the city. zkMe, founded by a German entrepreneur to allow the verification of private credentials, has chosen to locate its headquarters in Hong Kong.

“We came here to build a sustainable business and leverage the technology expertise here, and then, of course, the cooperation with the Greater Bay Area is also really beneficial,” said zkMe founder and CEO Alex Scheer, referring to the initiative that aims to integrate Hong Kong with nine adjacent Chinese cities through policies such as tax benefits for Hong Kong businesses wanting to establish in Shenzhen. Of zkMe’s 16-member team, 14 are based out of the Shenzhen office.

Some founders are more optimistic that Hong Kong will pave the way for China to embrace cryptocurrencies in the future. Anurag Arjun, founder of Dubai-based Avail, a modular blockchain company, believes that governments that see the full benefits of crypto technologies will eventually adopt a more accommodative stance.

“[The crypto industry has] has built very advanced technologies in recent years. Some examples are things like zero-knowledge proof technology,” he said, suggesting that the technology behind cryptocurrency was developed not to support fraudulent NFTs or speculative trading, but to improve the industry’s fundamental technology.

“Due to the strategic nature of Hong Kong, we believe it is an important place, a gateway to China in the future,” Arjun said. “If China opens up in the future – and once we talk to more government officials and make our case for the technology and not just its currency elements – what we do in Hong Kong will be a useful lesson for expanding as well. in China. “

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We are the editorial team of BlockChainGuardian, where seriousness meets clarity in cryptocurrency analysis. With a robust team of finance and blockchain technology experts, we are dedicated to meticulously exploring complex crypto markets with detailed assessments and an unbiased approach. Our mission is to democratize access to knowledge of emerging financial technologies, ensuring they are understandable and accessible to all. In every article on BlockChainGuardian, we strive to provide content that not only educates, but also empowers our readers, facilitating their integration into the financial digital age.

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Hollywood.ai by FAME King Sheeraz Hasan Promulgates a Complete Ecosystem that Unites Web3, Cryptography, AI and Entertainment for Spectacular Global Tech Innovation

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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Hollywood.ai by FAME King Sheeraz Hasan Promulgates a Complete Ecosystem that Unites Web3, Cryptography, AI and Entertainment for Spectacular Global Tech Innovation

The one and only FAME King Sheeraz Hasan is launching Hollywood.ai, a revolutionary platform designed to integrate the cutting-edge realms of Web3, cryptocurrency, AI, finance and entertainment. This revolutionary initiative is set to create a seamless, interactive and intuitive ecosystem where the world’s leading technology luminaries can collaborate on innovations, ultimately redefining the future of digital interaction.

Hollywood.ai represents the convergence of the most complex technologies of all time. Fusing Web3 principles, cryptocurrency utilities, AI advances, and financial machinery, Sheeraz’s platform aims to become the nucleus for innovation and modernization. It provides a high-tech environment where technology and creativity collide harmoniously, paving the way for new paths in the digital economy.

A defining feature of Hollywood.ai is the integration of cryptocurrency into the AI ​​ecosystem, transforming AI into a tokenized asset with full cryptographic utility. Sheeraz’s novel approach presents new avenues to leverage the myriad capabilities of AI in the financial realm, unlocking unprecedented opportunities for developers and users alike. Through the amalgamation of AI and cryptocurrency, Hollywood.ai is paving the way for an incredibly interconnected digital space unlike anything seen before.

The platform’s design emphasizes the undeniable symbiosis between various technology sectors. Under Sheeraz’s careful orchestration, Web3 technologies facilitate decentralized collaboration, while AI tools offer enhanced potential for data analytics, content creation, and audience engagement. Additionally, the inclusion of financial innovations ensures rapid mobility of both monetization and investments, providing a holistic environment that meets the ever-evolving demands of the technology and entertainment segments.

Sheeraz’s Hollywood.ai is poised to become the premier hub for industry leaders, developers, and creators to support and empower the next generation of digital experiences. This initiative aspires to drive the emergence of new tools, applications, and services that set new standards for advanced engagement and interaction.

Known for making the impossible possible, Sheeraz envisions a future where global audiences actively participate in designing the next A-list stars from scratch. Hollywood.ai will allow users to watch their creations evolve from simple concepts to 3D talents that can act, sing and perform just like human actors.

The Hollywood.ai platform leverages AI technology to deliver personalized fan engagement, real-time sentiment analysis, and informed content creation. By combining cutting-edge AI capabilities with Sheeraz’s deep understanding of celebrity branding, Hollywood.ai gains immense control over public figures.

Undeniably, FAME’s number one strategist Sheeraz Hasan continues to cement his reputation as a pioneer in the fields of FAME and technology. The power and influence of this latest development brings him closer to total world domination.

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Online Broker Futu Offers Cryptocurrency Trading in Hong Kong, With Nvidia and Alibaba Stock as Rewards

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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Online Broker Futu Offers Cryptocurrency Trading in Hong Kong, With Nvidia and Alibaba Stock as Rewards

Futu Securities International, Hong Kong’s largest online broker, has launched retail cryptocurrency trading in the city, offering shares of Alibaba Holding Group AND Nvidia as a reward in an attempt to attract investors. Futu has begun allowing Hong Kong residents to trade Bitcoin and ether, the world’s two largest cryptocurrencies, directly on the brokerage platform using Hong Kong or U.S. dollars, the company announced Thursday.

The online retail broker said last month that it had received an upgrade to its securities license from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), allowing Futu to offer virtual asset trading services to both professional and retail clients in the city.

Futu’s move comes as Hong Kong seeks to boost its attractiveness as a business hub for virtual assets, with the city government launching a series of new cryptocurrency policy initiatives over the past two years, including a mandatory licensing regime for cryptocurrency exchanges.

In addition to offering cryptocurrency trading on its flagship brokerage app, Futu is also seeking a cryptocurrency trading license for its new PantherTrade platform. That platform is among 11 in Hong Kong that are currently “deemed licensed” for cryptocurrency trading, an arrangement that allows them to operate in the city while they await full approval from the SFC.

Hong Kong’s progress in becoming a crypto hub has encountered various challenges, including exit of the major global platforms and relatively low trading activity for cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds offered on local stock exchanges.

Futu is now offering a series of incentives to potential investors, amid a cryptocurrency bull market that has seen the price of bitcoin rise 45 percent this year.

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 single Chinese stock. e-commerce giant Alibaba. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

By holding 80,000 U.S. dollars for the same period, users can get 1,000 Hong Kong dollars in bitcoin or a share of U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chip maker Nvidia, whose shares have risen more than 140 percent this year.

A Futu representative said the brokerage firm will also waive cryptocurrency trading fees starting Thursday until further notice.

Futu is the first online brokerage in Hong Kong to allow retail investors to buy cryptocurrency directly on its platform. SFC rules require it to offer this service through a tie-up with a licensed cryptocurrency exchange. Futu is partnering with HashKey Exchange, one of only two licensed exchanges in Hong Kong, according to the representative.

Futu’s local rival Tiger Brokers also said in May that it had begun offering cryptocurrency trading services to professional investors on its platform following a license update. The SFC defines professional investors as those with more than HK$8 million in their investment portfolios or corporate entities with assets exceeding HK$40 million.

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Tech Crash: $2.6 Trillion Market Cap Vanishes as ‘Magnificent 7’ Prices Stumble

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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Tech Crash: $2.6 Trillion Market Cap Vanishes as ‘Magnificent 7’ Prices Stumble

A group of seven megacap tech stocks, often called the Magnificent 7, have lost more than $2.6 trillion in value over the past 20 days, or an average of $125 billion per day over the period. In total, these stocks have lost “three times the value of the entire Brazilian stock market.”

This according to the economic news agency Letter from Kobeissiwho noted on the microblogging platform X (formerly known as Twitter) that the Magnificent 7 batch “is worth as much as Nvidia’s entire current market cap in 20 days,” with Nvidia itself having lost $1 trillion from its high.

Source:Letter from Kobeissi on the X

The group, which includes Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Alphabet, Meta and Tesla, has undergone a significant correction: in the last 20 days Nvidia has lost 23% of its value, or about $800 billion, while Tesla has fallen 19%, losing $164 billion.

Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Meta all posted losses of between 9% and 15%, losing between $257 billion and $554 billion in market capitalization, wiping out a total of $200 billion more “than every single German stock market tock combined.”

Tech titans, which have outperformed the broader S&P 500 index since the market bottom of 2022, are now facing a reckoning as investors grow increasingly wary about the sustainability of their meteoric rise, with Nvidia taking the lead soaring 110% since the beginning of the year and over 2,300% in the last five years.

Earnings reports from these companies, starting with Microsoft and culminating with Nvidia in late August, will be closely watched for signs of weakness. Their performance could set the tone for broader market sentiment, with implications for everything from cryptocurrency to other high-risk assets.

Their poor performance comes after a leading macroeconomist, Henrik Zeberg, reiterated his forecast of an impending recession that will be preceded by a final wave in key sectors of the market, but which can potentially be the worst the market has seen since 1929the worst bear market in Wall Street history.

In particular, the Hindenburg Omen, a technical indicator designed to identify potential stock market crashes, began flashing just a month after its previous signal, raising concerns about a possible impending stock market downturn.

The indicator compares the percentage of stocks hitting new 52-week highs and lows to a specific threshold. When the number of stocks hitting both extremes exceeds a certain level, the indicator is said to be triggered, suggesting a greater risk of a crash.

Featured Image via Disinfect.

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Trump Fights for Cryptocurrency Vote at Bitcoin Conference

BlockChainGuardian Staff

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A large conference hall filled with enthusiastic attendees, Bitcoin logos prominently displayed, and a podium with an American flag

To the Bitcoin Conference 2024 In Nashville, Tennessee, former President Donald Trump delivered a keynote speech.

Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, used the platform to appeal to the tech community and solicit donations for the campaign. During the conference, He said:

I promise the Bitcoin community that the day I take the oath of office, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ anti-crypto crusade will be over… If we don’t embrace cryptocurrency and Bitcoin technology, China will, other countries will. They will dominate, and we can’t let China dominate. They are making too much progress as it is.

Trump’s speech focused heavily on cryptocurrency policy, positioning it as a partisan issue. He said that if reelected, he would fire SEC Chairman Gary Gensler on his first day in office, a statement that drew enthusiastic applause from the audience. This statement marked a stark contrast to Gensler’s tenure, which has been characterized by rigorous oversight of the cryptocurrency industry.

The former president outlined several pro-crypto initiatives he would undertake if elected. These include transforming the United States into a global cryptocurrency hub, keeping all government-held Bitcoin as a “national Bitcoin reserve,” establishing a presidential advisory council on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, and developing power plants to support cryptocurrency mining, emphasizing the use of fossil fuels.

Trump’s current embrace of cryptocurrencies represents a reversal from his stance in 2021, when described Bitcoin as a “scam against the dollar.” He also noted that his campaign has received $25 million in donations since accepting cryptocurrency payments two months ago.

The event featured other political figures, including Republican Senators Tim Scott and Tommy Tuberville, as well as Democratic Representatives Wiley Nickel and Ro Khanna. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also spoke at the conference.

Trump’s appearance at Bitcoin 2024 reflects growing support for his campaign from some tech leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk and cryptocurrency entrepreneurs Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

While Trump has described the current administration as “anti-crypto,” Democratic Congressman Wiley Nickel said Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a “forward-thinking approach to digital assets and blockchain technology.”

This event underscores the growing political importance of cryptocurrency policy in the upcoming presidential election.

Kamala Harris and Democrats Respond on Cryptocurrencies

In a strategic move to repair strained relations, Vice President Kamala Harris’ team has initiated a dialogue with major cryptocurrency industry players. This outreach aims to restore the Democratic Party’s stance on digital assets and promote a more collaborative approach.

THE Financial Times reports that Harris’s advisors have reached out to representatives from industry leaders like Coinbase, Circle, and Ripple Labs. This move comes as the cryptocurrency community increasingly supports Republican candidate Donald Trump, reflecting growing dissatisfaction with the current administration’s cryptocurrency policies.

THE disclosure follows a letter from Democratic lawmakers and 2024 candidates urging the party to reevaluate its approach to digital assets. Harris’s team stresses that this effort is less about securing campaign contributions and more about engaging in constructive dialogue to develop sensible regulations.

The move is part of a broader strategy to reshape the Democratic Party’s image among business leaders, countering perceptions of an anti-business stance. Harris’ campaign aims to project a “pro-business, responsible business” message.

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