According to Tecent News, Harvest Fund Management Company Limited's Hong Kong arm filed an application for a Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) with the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong last Friday (January 26). This makes Harvest the first institution to file for a Bitcoin spot ETF in Hong Kong.
According to an informed source, the SFC is looking to expedite the approval of the first Hong Kong Bitcoin spot ETF, with plans for the listing of the first Hong Kong spot Bitcoin ETF on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange after the Lunar New Year holiday. This comes just two weeks after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the first U.S. Bitcoin spot ETFs on January 11. The SFC has also accelerated its progress after the SEC's approval of such ETFs in the United States.
In addition to accepting fiat currency subscriptions, Hong Kong's spot ETFs may also allow for direct Bitcoin subscriptions. Some family office investment managers have expressed that they did not directly participate in Bitcoin market investments before due to the complexity of investment categories and operations, but they have a strong interest in subscribing to Hong Kong's spot ETF.