Agreement marks HK’s first collaboration between an SFC-approved digital asset manager and an SFC-licensed brokerage and exchange
Firms will also cooperate on creation of digital asset products
Hong Kong – 3 March 2021 – BC Technology Group (BC Group), Asia’s leading technology and digital asset company and parent of OSL Brokerage, the only SFC-licensed digital asset brokerage and trading platform for professional investors, announced today that it has signed an MOU with Venture Smart Asia Limited (VSAL), a Hong Kong-licensed asset manager and investment advisory firm, to provide brokerage and related services for VSAL’s Hong Kong-regulated digital asset funds (DigiTrackers Bitcoin and Arrano Alpha Fund).
The agreement is the first collaboration between the first SFC-approved digital asset manager and BC Group, the parent company of the first SFC-licensed brokerage and exchange in Hong Kong.
Under the MOU, OSL will provide brokerage services, including trade execution and capital introduction services to the Arrano Alpha Fund.
OSL and VSAL’s blockchain arm, known as Arrano Capital, will also explore opportunities to jointly create digital asset products.
“OSL has long been a regional leader in the digital asset prime brokerage space,” said OSL Head of Distribution and Prime, Matt Long. “As an SFC-regulated brokerage, cooperation with other regulated counterparties is a key part of our business strategy moving forward. Building on our prime brokerage’s leading liquidity and trading capabilities, we’re excited to service VSAL’s regulated funds in Hong Kong.”
In June 2020, VSAL’s Arrano Capital launched Hong Kong’s first regulated cryptocurrency fund, which provides professional investors investment exposure to Bitcoin through a traditional fund structure. VSAL is licensed by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) to manage digital asset funds.
“The signing of the MOU with OSL comes at an inflection point in the development of digital assets,” said Arrano Chief Investment Officer, Avaneesh Acquilla. “As Bitcoin continues to gain momentum, institutional investors are rapidly entering the space in search of unique opportunities provided by this emerging asset class. We’re thrilled to be working with an institutional focused player like OSL to help us meet the growing needs of institutional investors.”
VSAL is Hong Kong’s first SFC-approved digital asset manager. This allows VSAL to manage portfolios that invest up to 100% of assets in crypto assets. Without such additional approval, asset management firms can only hold up to 10% of crypto assets in portfolios under management.
The MOU signing follows OSL’s 15 December announcement that it was the first firm to receive a license from Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission for Types 1 (dealing in securities) and 7 (automated trading systems) regulated activities for digital assets.
About Arrano Capital and Venture Smart Asia Limited
Arrano Capital is the blockchain arm of Venture Smart Asia Limited (VSAL), which is a company incorporated in Hong Kong and whose registered office is at 23/F, Lee Garden Five, 18 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, and is a licensed corporation regulated by the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong for types 1 (dealing in securities), 4 (advising on securities) and 9 (asset management) regulated activities pursuant to the Securities and Futures Ordinance. VSAL is a member of Venture Smart Financial Holdings Limited (VSFG). The products mentioned above are available to Professional Investors only (as defined under the Securities and Futures Ordinance).
About OSL Hong Kong
As a subsidiary of the publicly listed OSL Group (HKEX: 863.HK), OSL Digital Securities is Hong Kong’s first and most established SFC-licensed and insured digital asset platform. Operating since 2018, the platform provides institutional-grade digital asset services to corporations, financial institutions, professional and retail investors.
OSL Hong Kong delivers services across five core domains: OTC brokerage, Omnibus broker solutions, custody, wealth management, and retail services. The OTC brokerage services provide 24/7 high-liquidity crypto trading with fiat on/off-ramp services. Custody solutions feature client-asset segregated wallet management backed by US$1 billion insurance coverage. The wealth management suite offers crypto investments to traditional investors, including tokenised treasuries, RWAs, structured crypto products, and quant investment strategies. Retail services bring institution-grade security and crypto access to professional and retail investors.
As a pioneer in bridging traditional finance and the digital asset economy, OSL Group adheres to its core concept: Open, Secure, and Licensed, empowering the next generation of global financial infrastructure. In addition to Hong Kong, OSL Group expands operations under full regulatory compliance in Japan, Australia, Europe and beyond.
For more information, visit osl.com.
Press enquiries