Hong Kong's New Bitcoin and Ether Futures ETFs Raise $79 Million in Trading Debut

Asset manager CSOP says its bitcoin and ether ETFs have raised nearly $79 million as they debut today on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

The fund manager launched new bitcoin and ether futures exchange-traded funds (ETF) that began trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Dec. 16, according to a press release. They will be the first listed bitcoin and ether futures ETFs available in Asia, according to CSOP.

The launch is notable since the Chinese government officially banned crypto trading and mining in September 2021, though Hong Kong currently maintains an autonomous financial and legal system. The two new funds will be actively managed to invest in Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME Group)-listed bitcoin and ether futures to track their respective prices.

“The approval of two new ETFs based on CME Bitcoin and Ether futures marks an important milestone for the digital asset ecosystem in Asia,” said Tim McCourt, CME Group’s Global Head of Equity and FX Products, in a statement.

CSOP had previously launched Hong Kong’s first Metaverse ETF, which was listed on the HK Stock Exchange in February.

The first bitcoin futures exchange-traded funds in the U.S. were approved last year, and while a number of spot bitcoin funds have been submitted for approval to the SEC, none have been approved thus far.

ProShares' Bitcoin Strategy ETF, a bitcoin futures ETF launched in the U.S. last year, attracted more than $1 billion during its first two days of trading at the height of the bull market. In the year since it launched, the ETF has attracted inflows of $1.8 billion, and outflows of $619 million despite the underlying value of bitcoin declining by nearly 70% in the same time period.

UPDATE (Dec 16, 3:03 UTC): Updates throughout