TL;DR
- Ant Group filed for trademarks for “ANTCOIN,” stablecoins, and virtual assets in Hong Kong.
- The move points to a Web3 expansion despite regulatory setbacks from Beijing.
- Meanwhile, Ant is expanding its blockchain arm globally, focusing on payments and asset tokenization.
Fintech giant Ant Group made a powerful strategic move in the last quarter of the year, with a clear ambition toward the Web3 space. The company filed several trademark applications related to virtual assets, stablecoins, and blockchain technology.
The term “ANTCOIN” stands out among the applications. This move comes as Chinese tech firms rush to secure intellectual property in the digital asset sector, even in the face of stricter regulatory oversight on the mainland.
Ant Group’s decision to file for crypto trademarks in Hong Kong comes after a dramatic pause in its stablecoin plans earlier this year. In June, the company had announced its intention to apply for licenses to issue stablecoins in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Luxembourg.
However, these plans were halted by regulatory warnings from Beijing. Authorities expressed strong concern that large tech firms issuing currency-like tokens could undermine the central bank’s monetary authority, insisting that the right to issue money must remain exclusively in the hands of the state.
Global Blockchain Expansion as an Alternative Strategy
Despite the regulatory hurdles on the stablecoin front, Ant Group has aggressively expanded its blockchain infrastructure internationally. Its blockchain arm, Ant Digital, has pioneered the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA) in China, particularly in the renewable energy sector, connecting over 60 billion yuan in energy assets to AntChain. Last year, Ant’s Whale blockchain processed approximately one-third of the $1 trillion in transactions on its global payments platform.
Furthermore, the company partnered in July with Circle Financial to integrate USDC onto its platform, seeking to improve cross-border payment efficiency for its merchant network.
Ant Group’s strategy of filing for crypto trademarks in Hong Kong appears to be a hedge for the future, preparing the legal groundwork for Web3 innovations. Meanwhile, its international arm, which reported nearly $3 billion in revenue in 2024 and has been profitable for two consecutive years, is even preparing for a potential spin-off and listing.
