OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Push With Promptfoo Security Startup Deal
Hang Seng launches gold ETF in Hong Kong as tokenized access moves closer
(Originally posted on : Invezz )
Hang Seng Investment Management has launched a physically backed gold exchange-traded fund that gives investors direct exposure to bullion while also laying the groundwork for future blockchain-based access.
The product comes as global asset managers explore ways to combine traditional commodities with tokenization, even as regulatory approvals remain a gating factor.
Gold ETF details
The Hang Seng Gold ETF began trading on Thursday on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code 3170.
It is designed to track the LBMA Gold Price AM, the London-set morning benchmark that underpins much of the global gold market.
The fund is structured as a passive ETF and holds physical gold bars that meet London Bullion Market Association good delivery standards.
According to product disclosures, the gold is stored in vaults in Hong Kong, with HSBC appointed as gold custodian.
Creation and redemption are available to participating dealers in cash and, in limited cases, in physical gold.
Retail investors, however, buy and sell ETF units on the secondary market in the same way as listed shares.
The listed class trades in Hong Kong dollars, with a board lot size of 50 units.
The ETF carries an estimated ongoing charge of 0.40% per year and an estimated annual tracking difference of minus 0.50%.
Hang Seng has stated that the fund does not intend to make dividend distributions, meaning investor returns will depend entirely on movements in the gold price rather than income payouts.
Tokenized unit plans
Alongside the listed ETF, Hang Seng has outlined plans to introduce tokenized unlisted units of the same fund.
These units are not yet available and remain subject to regulatory approval, but they would represent ownership interests recorded on blockchain infrastructure rather than through traditional share registers.
HSBC has also been appointed as the tokenization agent for this structure.
Under the proposed model, HSBC would issue digital tokens representing ownership of ETF units, or fractions of units, with subscription and redemption transactions recorded on a public blockchain.
The prospectus notes that Ethereum is expected to be used initially as the primary blockchain.
Other public blockchains with comparable security resilience and distributed ledger capabilities may be adopted in the future.
Despite the use of blockchain, tokenized units would only be available through approved distributors, and there would be no secondary market trading for these tokens.
Gold price backdrop
The launch coincides with a sharp move higher in gold prices.
Spot gold surged another 4% on Thursday, pushing prices to $5,595 an ounce for the first time.
The rally reflects continued demand for safe-haven assets amid heightened economic and geopolitical uncertainty.
For ETF investors, this price environment places greater emphasis on cost efficiency and tracking accuracy, given that returns are driven solely by changes in the underlying gold price.
Tokenization trend
Hang Seng’s tokenization roadmap sits within a broader industry shift toward blockchain-based market infrastructure.
Last week, the New York Stock Exchange and its parent Intercontinental Exchange said they are developing a platform for trading tokenized stocks and ETFs.
The initiative aims to enable near-instant settlement and round-the-clock trading, pending regulatory approval.
Separately, a recent report from Sygnum said traditional financial institutions are increasingly moving toward blockchain-based systems.
Sygnum expects tokenization to enter the mainstream in 2026, with its co-founder and chief executive, Mathias Imbach, suggesting that up to 10% of new bond issuance by major institutions could be tokenized at launch.
Bitcoin 
Ethereum 
Tether 
BNB 
XRP 
USDC 
Solana 
TRON 
Figure Heloc 
Lido Staked Ether 
Dogecoin 
WhiteBIT Coin 
USDS 
Cardano 
Bitcoin Cash 
LEO Token 
Wrapped stETH 
Hyperliquid 
Chainlink 
Wrapped Bitcoin 
Monero 
Binance Bridged USDT (BNB Smart Chain) 
Ethena USDe 
Wrapped Beacon ETH 
Canton 
Stellar 
USD1 
Wrapped eETH 
Dai 
Rain 
sUSDS 
Hedera 
Litecoin 
Avalanche 
Coinbase Wrapped BTC 
PayPal USD 
Sui 
Zcash 
WETH 
Shiba Inu 
Toncoin 
Cronos 
USDT0 
Tether Gold 
World Liberty Financial 
PAX Gold 
Polkadot 
Uniswap 
MemeCore 
Mantle 
Ethena Staked USDe 
Pi Network 
OKB 
Circle USYC 
BlackRock USD Institutional Digital Liquidity Fund 
Bittensor 
Sky 
Falcon USD 
Aave 
Aster 
Global Dollar 
syrupUSDC 
NEAR Protocol 
Ripple USD 
Bitget Token 
Pepe 
HTX DAO 
Internet Computer 
Ethereum Classic 
BFUSD 
Ondo 
Ondo US Dollar Yield 
Pump.fun 
Gate 
Morpho 
KuCoin 
Superstate Short Duration U.S. Government Securities Fund (USTB) 
Worldcoin 
Jupiter Perpetuals Liquidity Provider Token 
POL (ex-MATIC) 
Spiko EU T-Bills Money Market Fund 
Midnight 
Quant 
NEXO 
Jito Staked SOL 
Cosmos Hub 
Ethena 
Kelp DAO Restaked ETH 
USDtb 
Kaspa 
Binance-Peg WETH 
Render 
Rocket Pool ETH 
Algorand 
Flare 
Binance Bridged USDC (BNB Smart Chain) 
Aptos 
Provenance Blockchain 
Wrapped BNB 
OUSG