Exchange Traded Funds | 06 Jun 2024

Source: ET

Hong Kong has launched Asia's first Spot Bitcoin and Ether Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) in a step toward becoming a Virtual Asset Investment Hub of the Region.

  • Bitcoin is the world's first and most well-known Cryptocurrency.
    • Cryptocurrency is a type of digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security and operates on decentralised networks based on blockchain technology.
    • Spot Bitcoin refers to the immediate purchase or sale of Bitcoin at the current market price.
      • It involves real-time transactions where buyers and sellers exchange Bitcoin for fiat currency (such as US dollars) or other cryptocurrencies.
  • Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are investment funds that are traded on stock exchanges, much like individual stocks.
    • They are designed to track the performance of a particular index, commodity, currency, or a mix of asset classes.
    • ETFs offer investors a way to diversify their portfolios without having to buy individual securities.
  • The ETFs can be traded in both Hong Kong Dollars and US dollars, and also in the Chinese Yuan.
  • Hong Kong ETFs might encourage other nations to approve Cryptocurrency ETFs and could help promote the wider adoption of digital assets.

Read more: Cryptocurrency