On one side, brokers are opening up crypto access; on the other, exchanges are integrating resources and expanding payment and compliance pathways. Will 2025 be a new starting point for the circulation of crypto assets?
Author: Fairy, ChainCatcher. Translated by: Quantitative Consultant Xiao Sun (bosen0722)
Futu opens up crypto deposits, bridging the stock and crypto channels.
Futu Securities recently announced the official launch of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDT deposit services, allowing users to transfer crypto assets directly into their accounts and freely switch investments between Hong Kong and US stocks, funds, bonds, and virtual assets. This move signifies that traditional brokers are beginning to bridge the funding channels between crypto assets and traditional financial markets, providing investors with a 'one-stop' allocation channel.
Futu's actions are not a spur-of-the-moment decision. As early as 2023, its subsidiary PantherTrade submitted an application for a virtual asset trading platform license to the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission. On August 1st of this year, Futu launched BTC and ETH spot trading, further strengthening its crypto business layout. Currently, its deposit experience has been recognized by users, with a minimum deposit threshold of just 0.0002 BTC, 0.001 ETH, while USDT deposits are only open to professional investors.
Global brokers are accelerating their 'crypto adoption'.
Not just Futu, traditional brokers are collectively accelerating their embrace of crypto assets. Victory Securities opened USDT and USDC deposits as early as May 2024 and has made 'full ecosystem service provider for virtual assets' its core strategy. US broker Robinhood has also entered the market early, with this year's crypto trading volume reaching $143 billion, a year-on-year increase of 259%, and plans to expand into the Asia-Pacific market through the acquisition of Bitstamp.
Charles Schwab, E*Trade, and others are also following suit, expecting to launch Bitcoin and Ethereum trading services gradually from this year to 2026. Crypto assets are becoming a new battlefield for brokers vying for users.
Exchanges are reverse 'breaking the circle' to connect with traditional finance.
Meanwhile, crypto exchanges are no longer limited to the crypto ecosystem and are actively 'breaking the circle' to connect with traditional assets and payment scenarios. Bybit announced the upcoming launch of trading functions for traditional assets such as US stocks, stock indices, and gold, aiming to create a comprehensive cross-market trading platform.
In the payment sector, OKX has launched OKX Pay, achieving stable appreciation and conversion of digital assets; Bitget, Coinbase, and others have already introduced crypto cards, with similar products from OKX and Kraken on the way. Crypto assets are increasingly integrating into daily life as a 'payment' identity.
This not only expands the boundaries of crypto asset usage but also enhances user stickiness, building a moat for the platform's ecosystem. As crypto KOL Rocky said, 'In the future, there will only be two types of exchanges: comprehensive platforms that integrate RWA and traditional exchanges that stick to pure crypto.'
The linkage between crypto and stocks is becoming a new trend.
The trend of integration between the crypto space and the stock market is accelerating. From fund circulation to asset linkage, and then to payment integration, this 'interconnection revolution' is reshaping the asset allocation methods of investors and accelerating the exit of low-quality tokens.
As more investors view crypto assets through the lens of evaluating US and Hong Kong stocks, quality projects will receive greater attention and funding, while the usage rate of stablecoins will further rise, pushing the crypto market closer to the mainstream financial system.
Conclusion: 2025, the starting point of a new era of circulation?
Global regulatory clarity and elevated compliance thresholds provide traditional brokers and mainstream platforms with a clearer development path. Going public, mergers and acquisitions, and cross-industry collaborations have become normalized, as crypto assets traverse the existing isolated systems towards a broader market stage.
2025 may become an important starting point for the comprehensive 'breaking the circle' and reconstruction of the financial ecosystem of crypto assets.
What should ordinary people do?
[No investment advice provided; the crypto space has risks; invest with caution!]
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