In a move that sent shockwaves across global financial markets, FUTU Securities — the tech-driven brokerage known for revolutionizing online trading — has officially launched cryptocurrency services. As of May 6, 2025, users can now deposit and trade Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and USDT directly within their integrated investment accounts.
This is not just another feature update. It’s the culmination of a 12-year vision to blur the lines between traditional finance and digital assets — a bold step toward building a unified financial ecosystem where stocks, ETFs, and crypto coexist seamlessly under one roof.
The DNA of FUTU: Where Tech Meets Financial Disruption
To understand FUTU’s leap into crypto, we must first examine its origins. Founded by Li Hua, a former Tencent executive and computer prodigy from Loudi, Hunan, FUTU was born out of personal frustration.
In 2007, as an active retail trader, Li experienced firsthand the pain points of legacy brokerage platforms: clunky interfaces, slow transaction speeds, and system outages that cost him HK$300,000 in a single day. That moment sparked a mission — to build a brokerage powered entirely by technology, designed for speed, reliability, and user experience.
FUTU’s identity is shaped by three core technical pillars:
1. Full-Stack In-House Technology
Unlike traditional brokers relying on third-party systems, FUTU develops everything in-house — from front-end UI to back-end settlement engines. With over 70% of its workforce dedicated to R&D, it operates more like a Silicon Valley tech firm than a financial institution.
2. Zero-Commission Disruption
Backed by early investments from Tencent and Sequoia Capital in 2014, FUTU disrupted Hong Kong’s brokerage market with near-zero trading fees, attracting millions of young, tech-savvy investors.
3. Global Licensing Strategy
Holding over 100 financial licenses worldwide, FUTU has built a robust compliance infrastructure — a critical advantage as it expands into regulated crypto services across jurisdictions.
This powerful trifecta — technology, capital, and compliance — forms the foundation for its entry into the digital asset space.
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The Road to Crypto: A Strategic Three-Phase Evolution
FUTU’s journey into cryptocurrency wasn’t impulsive. It followed a carefully orchestrated three-phase strategy.
Phase 1: The Silent Test (Before 2025)
- August 2024: Launched a limited crypto trading service exclusively for professional investors.
- Q4 2024: Published “A Comprehensive Analysis of Cryptocurrency Opportunities and Risks,” signaling long-term intentions and laying regulatory groundwork.
Phase 2: Full Market Launch (May 2025)
The official rollout includes:
- Support for BTC, ETH, and USDT deposits and trading.
- Minimum deposit of just 0.0002 BTC (~$6.50), making entry accessible.
- Sub-one-hour transaction processing — competitive with top-tier exchanges.
- Integration into the unified account system, enabling seamless transitions between stablecoins, stocks, and ETFs.
- Regulatory caution: USDT access restricted to accredited investors (requiring HK$8 million in assets), aligning with Hong Kong SFC guidelines.
Phase 3: The Future Vision
Insiders reveal plans for advanced offerings such as:
- Crypto-backed margin lending
- Cryptocurrency index funds
- Staking-as-a-service for institutional clients
FUTU aims to replicate its “one-stop investment platform” model in the Web3 era.
Business Logic Behind the Move: Traffic, Use Cases, and Ecosystem
Why now? Why crypto? The answer lies in a calculated strategy targeting three key dimensions: user traffic, investment scenarios, and ecosystem dominance.
1. Tapping Into 500 Million Crypto Users
Only about 15% of the world’s 500 million crypto holders currently engage with traditional stock markets. By allowing direct USDT-to-US-stocks conversion — bypassing fiat on-ramps — FUTU lowers barriers significantly.
Even capturing 1% of this audience could bring in $5 billion in new capital.
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2. Bridging Real and Virtual Investment Worlds
While most brokers treat crypto as an isolated product, FUTU enables fluid movement across asset classes:
- Convert Bitcoin profits directly into Tesla shares.
- Use ETH as collateral for Hong Kong IPO subscriptions.
- Eliminate cross-chain friction through unified custody.
Moreover, FUTU leverages data from its “Niuniu Community” investor sentiment engine to provide alternative analytics for crypto trading decisions — a unique edge in behavioral finance.
3. Becoming the Web3 Financial Router
Through strategic partnerships with regulated stablecoin issuers like Circle (USDC), FUTU is constructing a four-dimensional liquidity network:
Fiat → Stablecoins → Crypto Assets → Equities
Its goal? To become the central hub for cross-market capital flow — the "financial router" of the decentralized age.
Industry Impact: Reshaping Exchanges, Brokers, and Regulation
FUTU’s entry triggers ripple effects across the financial landscape.
1. Exchange User Migration Risk
Major platforms like Binance and OKX face potential outflows as institutional traders seek combined exposure to crypto and equities. FUTU’s zero deposit fees may force competitors to slash withdrawal charges to retain users.
2. Traditional Brokerage Disruption
Legacy firms struggle to keep pace:
- One Hong Kong-based broker admitted its systems cannot handle more than 1,000 crypto transactions per second — a tenth of FUTU’s capacity.
- Smaller players lack the licensing scale to enter global crypto markets, risking marginalization.
3. Regulatory Innovation
FUTU’s tiered access model (e.g., restricting USDT to accredited investors) serves as a live test case for Hong Kong’s regulatory sandbox. Its blockchain analytics tools — including exchange address tagging — could set new standards for anti-money laundering (AML) compliance.
FAQ: Understanding FUTU’s Crypto Move
Q: Is FUTU offering full crypto trading or just deposits?
A: As of May 2025, FUTU supports both deposit and trading of BTC, ETH, and USDT within its unified account system.
Q: Can all users trade crypto on FUTU?
A: Basic BTC/ETH trading is open to all users. However, USDT deposits are currently limited to professional investors meeting HK$8 million asset requirements.
Q: How fast are crypto transactions on FUTU?
A: Most deposits are processed within one hour — on par with leading centralized exchanges.
Q: Does FUTU support other cryptocurrencies beyond BTC, ETH, and USDT?
A: Not at launch. Future expansions may include additional tokens based on demand and regulatory approval.
Q: Will FUTU offer staking or yield products?
A: Internal roadmaps suggest staking and crypto-backed lending are under development, aligning with its broader wealth management vision.
Q: Is my crypto asset safe on FUTU?
A: FUTU employs cold storage solutions, multi-signature wallets, and real-time chain monitoring to secure digital assets — similar to enterprise-grade custodians.
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Final Thoughts: A Financial Singularity Approaches
FUTU’s crypto integration marks more than a business expansion — it represents a philosophical shift in how we perceive value. When Bitcoin price movements influence stock selection, and DeFi yields compete with dividend stocks, the boundary between traditional finance and decentralized economies dissolves.
As founder Li Hua once declared during FUTU’s Nasdaq listing:
“We are not a brokerage — we are a time machine rewriting financial rules with code.”
That machine is now accelerating toward a future where Wall Street and Satoshi Nakamoto’s vision converge. And this single feature update — a humble crypto deposit button — might just be the first ripple of a trillion-dollar wave in asset tokenization.
For investors, developers, and regulators alike, one truth becomes clear: the future of finance isn’t either stocks or crypto. It’s both — unified, instant, and borderless.