China’s government-backed blockchain project, the Blockchain Service Network, has announced the integration of the Tezos blockchain onto its international portal. According to an official announcement on Sept. 24, Tezos has been selected as the “one of the first batch of blockchains” to be integrated into the BSN International — a global platform providing access to public chain services on the BSN. Due to the integration, developers worldwide can now access the Tezos protocol using BSN’s global public city nodes and portals. According to the BSN, there are three global public city nodes that have integrated with the Tezos blockchain in …

BNP Paribas’ securities arm has partnered with Digital Asset to develop a number of real-time trade and settlement applications using DAML-based smart contracts, the firm announced on Sept. 15. The new DAML-driven apps will connect BNP Paribas Securities Services with major global stock exchanges like the Australian Securities Exchange, or ASX, and the Hong Kong Exchange, or HKEX. The apps will provide market participants in the Asia Pacific with real-time access to ASX’s and HKEX’s upcoming blockchain-based trading and settlement platforms. BNP Paribas will specifically connect to the ASX’s blockchain-powered equity transaction platform known as the Clearing House Electronic Subregister …

The Bitcoin Association of Hong Kong, a major local alliance promoting crypto awareness and education, is launching the “Bitcoin Tram” ad campaign in Hong Kong; one of the world’s main global financial centres. According to a Sept. 11 announcement, the new ad campaign composes three double-decker trams fully covered with Bitcoin logos and ads alongside 20 similarly-designed billboards across the city. Hong Kong’s Bitcoin Association said in the announcement that the “educational campaign” was initiated by the Hong Kong Bitcoin community and is coordinated by the association. The campaign is financed with donations from the community, the non-profit added. A …

Ant Group, the financial affiliate of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba, has filed an Initial Public Offering, or IPO, in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Created by Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma, Ant Group is targeting a valuation of about $226 billion, based on a target IPO raise of nearly $30 billion, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Aug. 25. As reported, the new IPO could become the largest deal in history, potentially overtaking the record set by Saudi Arabian multinational oil and gas giant, Saudi Aramco — which raised around $29.4B earlier this year. According to Bloomberg data, the target …

With the coronavirus pandemic continuing to wreak economic havoc all over the world, China’s commitment to releasing its much-hyped digital yuan project — referred to as the Digital Currency Electronic Payment, or DCEP — as early as possible has remained impressively steadfast. In this regard, it appears as though Chinese authorities are now rolling out the digital currency for testing across Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area over the coming few weeks. Furthermore, it came to light on Aug. 5 that a select group of state-run commercial banks within China had been conducting industrial-scale internal tests of a digital currency wallet …

Gemini, a major cryptocurrency exchange founded by the Winklevoss brothers, has just added support for three new fiat currencies on its platform. According to an official announcement on Aug. 17, Gemini now allows users to trade in the Hong Kong dollar (HKD), the Australian dollar (AUD), and the Canadian dollar (CAD). The three new fiat currencies come in addition to the United States dollar, allowing Gemini users in Hong Kong, Australia, and Canada to buy and sell crypto with native currencies. However, HKD, AUD, and CAD are currently not offered through Gemini’s crypto trading platform known as the Active Trader …

Authorities recently took three men into custody following their alleged swindling of $226,000 in Hong Kong dollars from Bitcoin (BTC) ATMs in the territory. The apprehended male trio, ranging from age 26 to age 55, allegedly exploited six different Bitcoin ATM machines, manipulating them to cough up the Hong Kong dollar equivalent of roughly $30,000 U.S. dollars, an article from the South China Morning Post detailed on Aug. 15. The alleged robbers took the cash out across 11 transactions. Authorities think the three males in question reportedly make up part of a larger criminal operation, the South China Morning Post …

China’s digital yuan, also known as the digital currency electronic payment, or DCEP project, will be rolled out for testing at Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Area in the coming weeks, local news agency the Southern Daily reports on Aug. 12. The Greater Bay Area, or GBA, is a megapolis consisting of nine cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, as well as Hong Kong, and Macau. A major financial and tech hub in Asia, the GBA has a combined population of over 69 million people and GDP of around $1.5 trillion. He Xiaojun, director of the Local Financial Supervision Administration Bureau of Guangdong …

Major international banks like Credit Suisse and HSBC are reportedly scrutinizing their Hong Kong clients amid the ongoing protests over China-backed national security law. According to a July 19 report by Reuters, global banks including Credit Suisse, HSBC, Julius Baer, and UBS are now screening their clients in Hong Kong on potential ties to the city’s pro-democracy movement. Social media spies Citing a group of anonymous people familiar with the matter, the report says that the banks are scanning clients’ records for political and government ties in order to impose additional diligence requirements. The records include comments made by clients …

The Bitmain power struggle continues as Micree Ketuan Zhan, one of the co-founders of the crypto mining giant and its largest shareholder, has reportedly made an offer to purchase shares controlled by his fellow co-founder Jihan Wu and others for $4 billion. According to a letter provided to Chinese media outlet Jinse on June 21, Zhan claims he currently owns 36% of the shares for Bitmain’s Cayman Islands parent company — which owns Bitmain Hong Kong — and controls Bitmain’s offices in Beijing. His current shares give him 59.6% of the voting power. The letter states Zhan is willing to …

Blockchain firms are increasingly dominating Hong Kong’s financial technology sector, with 39% of new firms launching in the country’s fintech industry last year operating with distributed ledger technology, or DLT. According to Hong Kong’s Financial Services and Treasury Bureau, DLT represents an increasingly dominant share of the country’s new fintech firms year-over-year, up from 27% as of 2018. Blockchain drives big businesses in Hong Kong A June 1 report published by Hong Kong’s treasury department has provided a detailed snapshot of blockchain’s accelerating growth within the territory. Blockchain comprises the fastest-growing segment of the territory’s fintech industry, with 22 of …

Venture Smart Asia has launched Hong Kong’s first approved cryptocurrency fund with a target of $100 million under management for its first year. According to an April 20 Bloomberg report, Arrano Capital, the blockchain arm of Venture Smart Asia, announced the rollout of a new Bitcoin (BTC) fund in Hong Kong. The venture capital firm reported it had met the conditions for a licensed crypto fund by the local Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). Arrano Chief Investment Officer (CIO) Avaneesh Acquilla said the first attempt is only a tracker fund, buying and selling BTC. Nevertheless, the firm’s goal is to …