Hong Kong-based HashKey Group mentioned it launched a $500 million funding fund concentrating on digital asset treasuries (DATs), initially specializing in publicity to Bitcoin and Ether’s worth efficiency.
The fund is structured as a perpetual, institutional-only automobile permitting common subscriptions and redemptions, much like an open-ended crypto hedge fund, HashKey mentioned in an announcement. In contrast to a passive exchange-traded fund (ETF), HashKey’s fund is designed to spend money on tasks and firms deploying DAT methods.
The launch comes after Nasdaq introduced enhanced scrutiny of listed firms’ crypto holdings on Thursday, a transfer HashKey framed as signaling a “survival of the fittest” stage for the business.
HashKey mentioned the DAT initiative is a part of a broader effort to bridge conventional finance and crypto belongings.
“In contrast with passive ETF merchandise, DAT is extra aligned with the around-the-clock, high-volatility nature of the crypto market” the corporate mentioned.
HashKey has over HK$12 billion ($1.5 billion) in shoppers’ belongings underneath administration, in line with its newest quarterly report.
The corporate additionally operates licensed exchanges, ETFs and an Ethereum layer-2 chain. In April, HashKey expanded its institutional choices by launching Asia’s first XRP tracker fund.
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Hong Kong leads crypto regulation, innovation in China
Hong Kong has moved to place itself as a hub for institutional crypto, giving firms like HashKey a regulatory base to launch large-scale funding merchandise.
In April 2024, the town grew to become the primary in Asia to approve spot Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) ETFs as native regulators clarifying that Ether was not a safety, offering a stage of certainty that was nonetheless absent in the US on the time.
In June 2025, authorities expanded the framework to permit crypto derivatives buying and selling for skilled traders and adjusted tax guidelines to draw digital asset funds and household places of work. The brand new insurance policies had been outlined in Hong Kong’s second digital asset coverage assertion.
Additionally in June, Hong Kong rolled out its LEAP framework, paving the way in which for licensed stablecoin issuance, together with tokenized bonds and broader RWA tokenization to attach digital belongings with real-world purposes.
By July, Hong Kong had accomplished a 3rd issuance of tokenized inexperienced authorities bonds, signaling an intent to make digital bond issuance a routine characteristic of public finance.
Towards this backdrop of increasing regulation and product launches, Asian household places of work have additionally elevated their crypto allocations. A July report discovered that some allocate as much as 5% of their portfolios to digital belongings.
Whereas Hong Kong pushes forward with ETFs, derivatives and tokenization frameworks, mainland China has centered on its state-backed digital yuan. Pilots for the digital yuan started in 2020 and have since expanded into public transit, retail funds and air journey.
