Interactive Brokers has become the first SFC-licensed securities broker to receive approval to allow retail clients to trade cryptocurrencies in Hong Kong.

Eligible clients of Interactive Brokers Hong Kong trading cryptocurrencies can now transact and manage their portfolios through a single platform with a unified view.

The development will also allow clients to benefit from centralized cash management with the ability to trade cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum alongside stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, event contracts, cryptocurrency futures, and futures options – all from a single account and interface.

“As demand for cryptocurrency exposure as a means of diversification continues to rise, we are pleased to offer investors in Hong Kong a straightforward and cost-effective way to allocate a portion of their portfolio to digital assets,” said David Friedland, head of APAC at Interactive Brokers.

“Our single unified platform lets clients worldwide easily invest across a broad range of global products, and the retail investor community in Hong Kong will benefit from the ability to access digital currency markets without opening and maintaining different accounts at multiple brokers and exchanges.”

Interactive Brokers launched cryptocurrency trading in Hong Kong with the first SFC-licensed digital asset trading platform in Hong Kong, OSL Digital Securities.

Cryptocurrency trading for eligible professional investor clients of Interactive Brokers Hong Kong was introduced on 14 February.