HashKey Capital, a Hong Kong-based institutional asset manager investing in blockchain technology and digital assets, has obtained a Type 1 license from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), further expanding its regulated capabilities under the SFC.

The firm said in a statement on Tuesday that with the addition of the Type 1 licence, HashKey Capital will now be able to provide brokerage services to both retail and professional investors, and market and distribute funds and structured products, including those related to virtual assets.

HashKey Capital currently holds a Type 9 license, enabling the firm to offer asset management products to both retail and institutional clients.

The firm has recently received approval to provide discretionary account management for virtual assets (VA) under the same license.

Additionally, it holds a Type 4 license, obtained in May last year, which allows it to offer securities and virtual asset investment advisory services.

“The Type 1 license enhances our capabilities and provides significant value to investors,

“It enables us to offer a broader range of investment opportunities, catering to different risk preferences with a strong focus on risk management and long-term growth,” said Vivien Wong, Partner, Liquid Funds.

The new offerings can be classified into three major categories – market access, investment funds and structured products.

In terms of market access, the company can provide brokerage services to two markets: introducing TradFi clients to crypto exchanges, and crypto native clients to brokers.

As part of this arrangement, the firm will not hold custodianship over any client assets.

As for investment funds, the firm notes that in addition to the HashKey FTSE Digital Asset Top 20 Index Fund and its two ETFs, it can now offer its clients access to diverse quantitative strategies, such as arbitrage trading, commodity trading advisory (CTA), market neutral and trend-following.

In terms of structured products, the firm can also provides its clients access to a diverse suite of structured investment products, including principal-protected solutions, yield enhancement products, binary options, dual-currency offerings, and other sophisticated strategies.

These offerings will enable HashKey Capital to serve investors with more diverse goals, such as capital preservation or hedging, across a variety of investor types.

In addition to retail and institutional investors, the firm believes its new offerings will be ideal for distribution channels, family offices, and even entities venturing into crypto for the first time, such as insurance companies or endowments.

“Financial inclusion is now rarely discussed in crypto, but that is what will be created. We will open virtual assets to investors who have thus far been excluded from them due to technical or other limitations,

“This accessibility will help mainstream crypto in Hong Kong, accelerating its bid to be a hub for virtual assets in the region,” said Wong.

Beyond its existing offerings, HashKey Capital continues to expand its suite of financial products.

Following the launch of the HashKey Top 20 Index Fund — which has already outperformed other crypto index funds — the firm will continue to roll out additional tracker funds scheduled for release this year.

With authorization from the SFC to develop new investment vehicles, the firm will collaborate with leading financial institutions worldwide to bring more institutional-grade digital asset products to market.

HashKey Exchange partners Animoca Brands to elevate digital entertainment and Web3 ecosystem in Asia