Bitcoin (BTC) has risen 2.8% over 24 hours, trading above $66,500, and ether (ETH) has advanced to $3,240, according to CoinDesk Indices data, as multiple issuers in Hong Kong said they'd been approved for spot crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

China Asset Management, Bosera Capital and other applicants posted to social-media platform WeChat (Weixin) that they had been approved to list spot bitcoin and ether ETFs in Hong Kong. However, these announcements seem to have front-run an official statement from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), which has not posted a list of approved issuers. Some of the posts have since been deleted.

The SFC did not return emails or phone calls asking for comment.

Singapore-based digital assets trading house QCP Capital said in a message shared with CoinDesk that it believes the ETFs, when approved, will unlock some institutional demand during Asia trading hours.

"Participants who wanted exposure have always been limited to US hours, but this now gives institutional investors an Asia-based alternative," QCP wrote. "We believe this will be bullish short term, but there are more important narratives and drivers such as macro events."

Bitcoin ETF Hong Kong ether ETF SFC Regulation

Sam Reynolds

Sam Reynolds is a senior reporter based in Taipei. Sam was part of the CoinDesk team that won the 2023 Gerald Loeb award in the breaking news category for coverage of FTX's collapse. Prior to CoinDesk, he was a reporter with Blockworks and a semiconductor analyst with IDC.