Nomura survey indicates shift towards crypto investment in Japan

At the Foresight 2024 Hong Kong Summit on Aug. 11, Gary Tiu, director and head of regulatory affairs for OSL, a crypto market custodian, exchange and prime brokerage, outlined in a panel discussion that the crypto exchange-traded fund (ETF) market in the Chinese autonomous territory is challenged insofar as it lacks market incentives.Photo by Cecelia Chang on UnsplashThe intermediary problemTiu’s company hosted the event, alongside Foresight News and crypto publication The Block, who reported on Tiu’s comments. The OSL executive said that when it comes to funds and structured products in Hong Kong, there’s a “very rich layer of intermediaries— brokers, banks, private banks, retail banks, etc.” involved. Tiu explained that they make a lot of money from the distribution of such products, resulting in unlisted products being marketed far more effectively by comparison with listed products. It’s against that backdrop of misaligned incentives that Tiu identifies challenges for crypto ETFs on the public markets in Hong Kong. He stated: “So I think the incentive system in Hong Kong is one of the reasons why ETFs do have a bit of a hard time growing as a financial instrument.” In the case of ETFs, the OSL executive explained that equity brokers take just a few basis points in commission, only about 1-2% of what they make on the sale of structured products. Bias against Bitcoin and EtherTiu is also of the belief that cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether have a reputational problem among Hong Kong’s investment community, stating: “I think there is still a bit of a bias in the eyes of the regulators and also in the eyes of the financial institutions, that somehow bitcoin ETF is just this unique class of risk that you need to be extra cautious about.” Chen Zhao, who heads up the digital assets section of Hong Kong-based independent financial advisory firm Fosun Wealth, chimed in with his own concerns. According to Zhao, the crypto ETF products currently marketed in Hong Kong are lacking in terms of the depth of dealers and brokers offering the products. Zhao explained that there are three main types of market participant active on the Hong Kong markets, namely western institutions, Hong Kong-based institutions and their counterparts from mainland China.  Zhao stated: “Chinese brokers and dealers, they’re not allowed or they choose not to deal with the product, and for the western financial institutions, they don’t have the necessity of dealing the products because they acquire more fees and incentives, and have easier access to the U.S. ETFs.” While progress is far more modest by comparison with the U.S. market, the Hong Kong crypto ETF market continues to develop, with spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs setting a record trading volume last week. In the same week, Mox Bank, a subsidiary of British banking multinational Standard Chartered, launched trading services relative to spot Bitcoin and Ethereum ETF products in Hong Kong. Last month, OSL CEO Patrick Pan, anticipated that an Ethereum ETF product that incorporated staking would launch in Hong Kong within six months. Many commentators have suggested that institutional interest in Ethereum ETFs will begin in earnest once a yield-producing staking product hits the market.

Bunzz expands Web3 enterprise services in JapanSingapore-based company Bunzz, one of the largest dApp development platforms in the Asian region, has expanded its enterprise service offering to include the introduction of a specialized hackathon service geared towards developers in Japan.Photo by Jezael Melgoza on UnsplashWeb3 hackathon serviceThe new service offering, disclosed by the Singaporean startup via a press release published on Tuesday, follows on from a successful seed funding round that injected $4.5 million into the company. Bunzz is introducing a specialized hackathon service exclusively tailored for developers in Japan.The new service from Bunzz is designed to provide comprehensive support to projects and companies in planning and hosting hackathons, with a keen focus on meeting the unique needs of the Japanese developer community.Bunzz offers a suite of services that includes assistance in creating hackathon concepts, formulating effective marketing strategies for Japanese developers and providing extensive support throughout the entire hackathon process — from logistical arrangements to technical guidance and judging assistance. The hackathon-related service offering includes hackathon planning and design, marketing and promotion and management support.Capitalizing on Japanese Web3 growthThis expansion is not just an arbitrary move. The dApp development platform has taken note of Japan’s strong inclination towards embracing Web3 services. With that, it’s looking to capitalize on that market development.With Japan known for its openness to adopting new technologies, Japanese firms are actively seeking opportunities to integrate Web3 solutions into various facets of their operations. Back in April, the Japanese authorities published a whitepaper on Web3 titled “Web3 for All: The Future of the Digital Economy in Japan.” The objective of that whitepaper was to formulate a roadmap that could lead to the fostering of innovation when it comes to Web3.In September, Japan took a step towards allowing startups to raise capital from venture capital firms using digital assets instead of equity. The nation’s robust interest in decentralized applications and technologies has set the stage for Bunzz’s innovative offering. Added to that, Kenta Akutsu, Bunzz’ Co-Founder and CEO, is Japanese, and that may also have played into the decision to target the Japanese market in this instance.‘Bunzz for Enterprise’Earlier this month, Bunzz launched “Bunzz for Enterprise.” As part of that initiative, Bunzz offers consulting and system development support to companies attempting to enter the Web3 domain. The firm claims to have at its disposal over two hundred smart contract templates, made available to platform users via its Smart Contract Hub.In June, the fledgling Web3 platform launched a developer tool called DeCipher in an effort to assist developers in their approach to smart contract documentation, making that process more streamlined and efficient.Through this latest service offering, Bunzz is attempting to extend a warm invitation to projects and companies eager to tap into the skills and potential of Japanese developers through hackathons. This initiative presents an excellent opportunity for engagement with a community that purports to be deeply invested in Web3 and enthusiastic about exploring new technological frontiers.

Harvest Global to establish fixed income tokenized fundHong Kong investment firm Harvest Global Investments, in partnership with Meta Lab HK, is set to offer a tokenized U.S. dollar bond fund.The collaboration between Harvest Global Investments (HGI), an affiliate of Harvest Fund Management, and Meta Lab HK, backed by Harvest Digital Assets, marks a significant development in the crypto investment landscape within Hong Kong and the broader Asian region.Photo by Giorgio Trovato on UnsplashFirst fixed-income tokenized fund from Chinese institutionMeta Lab HK announced details of the new offering, detailed in a Nov. 22 post on X (formerly Twitter). The fund targets professional investors and will concentrate on U.S. dollar bonds with an investment-grade rating. Meta Lab wrote:”We have learned that this will be the first fixed-income tokenized fund introduced by a Chinese financial institution in Asia with a tokenization arrangement. The fund is exclusively available to professional investors and primarily invests in investment grade U.S. dollar bonds.”Meta Lab added, “The offering is set to be managed by HGI, a subsidiary of Harvest Fund in Hong Kong, with Meta Lab HK providing the tokenization solution.”The tokenization of the fund, a process transforming traditional financial assets into digital tokens, is expected to enhance accessibility and efficiency for investors. The notification to Hong Kong’s securities regulator has been duly completed, underscoring the compliance and regulatory adherence of the initiative.The move comes amidst a series of noteworthy developments emerging from Asia, occurring against the backdrop of persistent regulatory challenges facing the cryptocurrency industry in the United States.CoinFund market entryThis announcement follows closely on the heels of CoinFund, a New York-based investment firm, which revealed its plans to expand services into Asia earlier this week. Choosing Hong Kong as the inaugural location for this expansion, CoinFund cited the city’s appeal to crypto talents as a key factor. As Asia takes strides in pioneering tokenized funds, it suggests a competitive landscape in digital asset development that could rival the United States.It’s likely that Hong Kong is providing a workable environment for Harvest Global to take this tokenized product to market. In August, the local regulator, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), published a report where it indicated an interest in pursuing tokenization as a means to improve aspects of the bond market. The report presented outcomes of Project Evergreen, an initiative the HKMA had been running to examine the potential of tokenization, which also incorporated the launch of a first-of-its-kind tokenized green bond.Regional tokenization interestRecent weeks have also seen further efforts being made within the Asian region in terms of bond tokenization. Last week, SC Ventures, the Singaporean investment subsidiary of British banking group Standard Chartered, unveiled a new platform called Libeara. That platform is working towards the launch of the first-ever tokenized Singapore dollar government bond fund.In the same week, the Bureau of the Treasury in the Philippines announced that it is issuing $179 million in one-year tokenized bonds, with the bonds being facilitated by the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines.