Mr. Zeng Yuchao, CEO of Futu Group, expressed his views on the hot topics in the market. Futu successfully upgraded its virtual license in July 2024. Futu Securities, a subsidiary of Futu Group, can now provide virtual asset trading services to Hong Kong investors, including retail investors. In August 2024, Futu Securities officially obtained a license to provide spot trading services for Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, and HKD to eligible individual investors in Hong Kong. The services will gradually expand to include more trading pairs such as LINK and AVAX, as well as additional features like deposits and withdrawals. In January 2025, Panthertrade, a subsidiary of Futu Group, officially received the Virtual Asset Trading Platform License (VATP) issued by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, marking another important milestone in the group's compliance operations in the cryptocurrency field.

According to the regulatory requirements of the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission, the official operation of the Virtual Asset Trading Platform License needs to be completed in stages. Currently, Panthertrade is actively cooperating with the Securities and Futures Commission to undergo the second phase evaluation, which includes assessments of policies, procedures, systems, and monitoring measures. Once the evaluation is completed, it can officially commence operations. In other words, the two licensed entities under the Futu Group in Hong Kong—Futu Securities International (Hong Kong) Limited and Panthertrade (Hong Kong) Limited—have received the upgrade of the number one license and the Virtual Asset Trading Platform License (VATP). These two licenses can help create a more closed-loop and competitive ecosystem.