A China Merchants Bank subsidiary launched a Hong Kong-based crypto exchange for professional investors after securing a virtual asset service provider license. CMB International Securities Limited, a subsidiary of the China Merchants Bank (CMB) — one of China’s top banks — launched a cryptocurrency exchange in Hong Kong. According to a Monday CMB WeChat announcement, the bank has started offering virtual asset trading services. The launch comes after the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission approved the bank’s application for a virtual asset service provider license in mid-July. CMB’s Hong Kong-based crypto exchange allows for 24/7 trading of Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether’s USDt (USDT) for eligible investors. Documentation provided by the bank clarified that only professional investors are eligible for crypto trading services. Read more
The real tokenization revolution is unfolding in private markets, unlocking access, liquidity and inclusion beyond what public stocks offer. Opinion by: Alex Svanevik, CEO of Nansen Since tokenization first gained mainstream attention during the 2017 initial coin offering boom and early blockchain projects aimed at digitizing assets such as equities and commodities, it has been crypto’s go-to pitch for modernizing finance. For many, however, the conversation stops at tokenizing public equities, putting existing stocks onchain for fractional ownership and 24/7 trading. While these steps are nice to have, they’re a far cry from a revolution. The truth is that equities are already very efficient markets, meaning the marginal gains from deploying blockchain technology are notably small. Read more