China ‘does not want to miss out’: Community reacts to HK spot Bitcoin ETF news
The cryptocurrency community is excited about the Hong Kong government reportedly weighing the launch of a spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund (ETF) amid the ongoing regulatory pushback against such products in the United States.
Hong Kong’s potential entrance into spot crypto ETFs could be a significant development in the context of the economic confrontation between the U.S. and China, BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes believes.
Hayes took to X (formerly Twitter) on Nov. 6 to express excitement over competition between the two economies, emphasizing that this competition will eventually be good for Bitcoin (BTC).
“Competition is amazing. If the U.S. has its proxy asset manager, BlackRock, launching an ETF, China needs its proxy asset manager to launch one, too,” he wrote.
Competition is amazing. If the US has its proxy asset mngr, BlackRock, launching an ETF, China needs its proxy asset mngr to launch one too.
The US v China economic war is great for $BTC. pic.twitter.com/ok7xipN4M5
— Arthur Hayes (@CryptoHayes) November 6, 2023
Cryptocurrency brand Coin Bureau was also quick to react to the potential spot crypto ETF launch in Hong Kong. According to the Coin Bureau, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) might be getting some pressure amid other jurisdictions like Hong Kong jumping on the bandwagon of a spot Bitcoin ETF.
“It’s a cursory tale to the SEC that if they continue to stifle capital market innovation in the United States, other countries are going to fill the void,” Coin Bureau wrote on X.
Crypto influencer Lark Davis also stressed that the latest spot crypto ETF news from Hong Kong shows that the Chinese government doesn’t want to miss out on crypto opportunities.
“Hong Kong going to get spot Bitcoin ETFs now! Chinese money does not want miss out,” Davis stated.
Hong Kong is considering allowing retail investors to access spot ETFs linked to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, providing regulatory concerns are met, Securities and Futures Commission CEO Julia Leung said, according to a Bloomberg report on Nov. 5. The SFC did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph’s request for comment.
Hong Kong’s potential move into spot Bitcoin ETFs comes as at least a dozen investment firms in the U.S. seek to launch similar products in the country despite long-running pushback from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Although both Hong Kong and the U.S. have permitted crypto ETFs linked to futures contracts, the jurisdictions are yet to approve a spot crypto ETF. Unlike a futures Bitcoin ETF, which tracks futures contracts to replicate BTC prices, a spot Bitcoin ETF directly holds BTC, allowing investors to gain exposure to the asset.
Related: Spot Bitcoin ETF hype reignited zest for blockchain games: Yat Siu
The U.S. was the first to launch futures-linked crypto ETFs in 2021, with Hong Kong following in its footsteps in late 2022 with the launch of CSOP cryptocurrency futures products. Combined with the Samsung Bitcoin Futures Active ETF, Hong Kong has about $65 million in crypto ETF assets, according to Bloomberg. The futures crypto ETFs have seen low demand in Hong Kong, with their share still being tiny compared to other global crypto funds.
Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation — the biggest bank in Hong Kong — reportedly enabled its customers to buy and sell Bitcoin and Ether (ETH)-based ETFs in June 2023.
Crypto regulation — Does SEC Chair Gary Gensler have the final say?
Politics
Wes Streeting ‘crossed the line’ by opposing assisted dying in public, says Labour peer Harriet Harman
Wes Streeting “crossed the line” by opposing assisted dying in public and the argument shouldn’t “come down to resources”, a Labour peer has said.
Speaking on Sky News’ Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harriet Harman criticised the health secretary for revealing how he is going to vote on the matter when it comes before parliament later this month.
MPs are being given a free vote, meaning they can side with their conscience and not party lines, so the government is supposed to be staying neutral.
But Mr Streeting has made clear he will vote against legalising assisted dying, citing concerns end-of-life care is not good enough for people to make an informed choice, and that some could feel pressured into the decision to save the NHS money.
He has also ordered a review into the potential costs of changing the law, warning it could come at the expense of other NHS services if implemented.
Baroness Harman said Mr Streeting has “crossed the line in two ways”.
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“He should not have said how he was going to vote, because that breaches neutrality and sends a signal,” she said.
“And secondly… he’s said the problem is that it will cost money to bring in an assisted dying measure, and therefore he will have to cut other services.
“But paradoxically, he also said it would be a slippery slope because people will be forced to bring about their own death in order to save the NHS money. Well, it can’t be doing both things.
“It can’t be both costing the NHS money and saving the NHS money.”
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Review into assisted dying costs
Baroness Harman said the argument “should not come down to resources” as it is a “huge moral issue” affecting “only a tiny number of people”.
She added that people should not mistake Mr Streeting for being “a kind of proxy for Keir Starmer”.
“The government is genuinely neutral and all of those backbenchers, they can vote whichever way they want,” she added.
Read more on this story:
‘Fix care before assisted dying legislation’
Why assisted dying is controversial – and where it’s already legal
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously expressed support for assisted dying, but it is not clear how he intends to vote on the issue or if he will make his decision public ahead of time.
The cabinet has varying views on the topic, with the likes of Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood siding with Mr Streeting in her opposition but Energy Secretary Ed Miliband being for it.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband is said to support the bill. Pic: Reuters
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood has concerns. Pic: Reuters
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill is being championed by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater, who wants to give people with six months left to live the choice to end their lives.
Under her proposals, two independent doctors must confirm a patient is eligible for assisted dying and a High Court judge must give their approval.
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Labour MP Kim Leadbeater discusses End of Life Bill
The bill will also include punishments of up to 14 years in prison for those who break the law, including coercing someone into ending their own life.
MPs will debate and vote on the legislation on 29 November, in what will be the first Commons vote on assisted dying since 2015, when the proposal was defeated.
The crypto industry is “going to save hundreds of millions of dollars” with Donald Trump as president, Consensys CEO Joe Lubin forecasts.
Former CFTC Acting Chair Chris Giancarlo said he’s “already cleaned up earlier Gary Gensler mess,” shooting down speculation he’d replace the SEC Chair.
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