Hong Kong Authorities Unite to Form Crypto-Centric Taskforce

Shares in Moon Inc. (formerly HK Asia Holdings Limited), a publicly listed Hong Kong-based firm that acts as an investment holding company while engaged in activities such as wholesale and retail sales of prepaid products such as SIM cards, have surged following the company’s symbolic purchase of one Bitcoin (BTC).Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash93% share price increaseThe stock (1723.HK), which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX), closed at HKD 5.50 following Monday’s trading. That represents a 93% increase compared to the closing share price following the previous day’s trading. The share price has settled somewhat following Tuesday’s trading, pulling back 16% to HKD 4.60. However, it jumped again on Feb. 21, closing at HKD 6.48. Bitcoin adoptionIt’s believed that the stock has been influenced by a decision taken by the company to adopt Bitcoin. The firm bought just one Bitcoin. However, the move has led to speculation as to whether Moon Inc. will become the MicroStrategy (now rebranded as “Strategy”) of China.  Michael Saylor’s Strategy has pioneered the use of Bitcoin as a corporate treasury asset. The company has positioned itself as the frontrunner in terms of the corporate adoption of Bitcoin. The company has amassed 471,000 Bitcoin within its reserves. This accounts for 2% of all Bitcoin. With Strategy’s Bitcoin playbook having been well documented, other companies now appear to be following its lead.  In recent weeks, Metaplanet, a Japanese Bitcoin treasury company, has demonstrated that it is pursuing the same strategy, outlining its ambition to build a reserve of 21,000 Bitcoin by 2026. On Feb. 18, it announced a 10-to-1 stock split in an effort to improve liquidity while executing on that overall Bitcoin treasury goal. Metaplanet shares have surged 3,900% over the course of the past 12 months on the back of its Bitcoin treasury pivot. On Feb. 16, Moon Inc. announced the purchase of its first Bitcoin at a unit price of $96,150. In a statement, the company said that the purchase was financed by way of the firm’s “internal resources.” An evolving global financial landscapeThe company’s board noted the increasing popularity of cryptocurrencies in the commercial world, with particular emphasis on the use of Bitcoin as an investment portfolio asset. It believes that Bitcoin acts as a dependable store of value. It added: “The Board believes that this initial investment is symbolic in scale, and marks a significant step toward aligning with the evolving global financial landscape, and would diversify the Group’s investment portfolio and enhance its asset value.” The company’s stock rose significantly last month when details emerged of a 70% stock position in the firm, taken by UTXO Management, in collaboration with Sora Ventures and other investors. Recently appointed board member John Riggins of BTC Inc. said that this recent Bitcoin purchase by Moon Inc. “is more than a transaction.” He stated, “It’s a bold step toward creating a vision for the future of the company.”

CJ ONE to Sell 3,000 NFTs for New Membership ServiceCJ ONE, a lifestyle membership service operated by digital service company CJ OliveNetworks of South Korean conglomerate CJ Group, announced on Tuesday that it will sell 3,000 digital membership NFTs for its new lifestyle service, PRISM ONE. This comes as part of efforts to enhance brand value and boost customer benefits.Photo by Choong Deng Xiang on Unsplash“The PRISM ONE Membership NFT is an important milestone that reflects changes within CJ ONE. As a lifestyle membership, our brand will strive to provide unique experiences in all aspects of our members’ lives,” said Ha Jae-young, Head of Data Marketing at CJ OliveNetworks.Tier benefitsThe NFTs are categorized into four tiers — Basic, Special, Premium, and Prestige — with higher tiers offering more benefits. Depending on the tier, which will be decided randomly, customers can receive up to 10,000 CJ ONE membership points per month and eight times the number of points that they accumulated the previous month over a period of half a year.CJ ONE points can be used like cash at various CJ Group subsidiaries that offer services in culture, dining, shopping, and entertainment, as well as over 30 brand partners such as cafe Mega MGC Coffee, convenience store CU, and refinery company Hyundai Oilbank.10 customers with the Prestige NFT will also be chosen to receive benefits worth KRW 1 million, including welcome packages from CJ The Market, CJ Group’s online grocery shopping mall, and accommodation vouchers to use at Starville, a luxury “glamping” — a portmanteau of “glam” and “camping” — site.Limited sales and resell opportunitiesMinted with a new brand identity design, the NFTs will be sold for KRW 45,000 each on the NFT trading platform Pala starting from 7 PM (Korea Standard Time) on September 13. Customers who participate in an event until September 3 can win a chance to purchase them at a discounted price of KRW 42,000 prior to the public sale. Payments can be made with Polygon tokens (MATIC) or Korean won, and digital wallets Klip and MetaMask are also supported, the company said. In particular, the NFTs can be resold on trading platforms like Pala.

Turkish Lira emerges as dominant fiat trading pair on BinanceThe Turkish Lira (TRY) claimed the top spot as the most influential fiat trading pair on Binance throughout the month of September, as per the latest research from the leading cryptocurrency exchange.Photo by PublicDomainPictures on Pixabay75% of all fiat volumeAccording to a report by Cointelegraph on Friday, despite being the fourth-largest crypto market globally in terms of transaction volume, following the United States, India and the United Kingdom, the Turkish Lira commanded a staggering 75% of all fiat volume in early September. This surge in the TRY trading pair is attributed to a recent influx of crypto investors into the Turkish market.In its analysis last month, crypto market data provider Kaiko put Turkish Lira dominance at 81% on Binance. Kaiko also pointed to growth in the volume of the Brazilian Real on Binance, while dominance of the British Pound and the Euro were fading.It’s important to note that the disproportionate level of lira-based fiat volume on the Binance exchange may also have come about due to difficulties Binance has had in recent months in keeping various fiat on and off-ramps open. In June Binance US suspended USD deposits while pausing fiat withdrawals.It has also faced disruption when it comes to Euro payments, withdrawals and deposits. In May Binance Australia users experienced difficulties relative to AUD deposits and withdrawals following a decision to terminate the availability of PayID services to Australian account holders.27% new crypto sector participantsBinance’s research revealed that 27% of participants in Turkey initiated their crypto investment journey within the past year, with 8% joining in the last six months alone. Most respondents indicated holding up to $175 (5,000 TRY) in cryptocurrencies, expressing a strong inclination towards investing in real estate.The profitability factor emerged as a significant motivator for Turkey’s interest in crypto, with ease of monitoring, no minimum threshold, and low transaction costs standing out as key drivers for new investors. However, the inherent risks associated with crypto investments contribute to the hesitancy observed among many Turkish investors.The evolving landscape of crypto adoption in Turkey is evident in the statistics, showing a substantial increase from 16% to 40% over the last three years. Chainalysis’ Global Crypto Adoption Index 2023 ranks Turkey at 12th place. Moreover, the country received humanitarian aid in the form of cryptocurrency during the 2023 earthquake, underscoring the growing integration of digital assets in various aspects of Turkish society.Protecting long-term wealthA report by KuCoin earlier this year identified a marked increase in crypto investors in Turkey. It found that one of the main motivations for the pursuit of crypto investments in Turkey was the desire to create long-term wealth. Recent years have seen the Turkish sovereign currency suffer from runaway inflation. Recent data put the year-on-year inflation rate at 59%.It’s likely that the ongoing loss of buying power of the Turkish Lira is a key motivator for Turkish citizens in choosing to onboard into crypto, in an effort to safeguard their savings and wealth.