IoTeX and HashKey Exchange have partnered to develop digital asset infrastructure and launch an AI ecosystem center in Hong Kong.

IoTeX is a blockchain platform, while HashKey Exchange is a licensed digital asset trading platform in Hong Kong.

The collaboration will focus on building frameworks for digital asset use, integrating blockchain for compliance and data access, and providing custodial and regulatory services.

Their first step is launching an IOTX/HKD trading pair on HashKey Exchange, connecting IoTeX’s digital asset to Hong Kong dollar markets.

Both companies aim to support compliant and secure AI-driven services and advance blockchain use in digital finance.

No financial terms were disclosed.

🔗 Source: IoTeX

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Hong Kong’s digital asset infrastructure is experiencing explosive institutional growth

The IoTeX-HashKey partnership taps into Hong Kong’s rapidly maturing digital asset ecosystem, where institutional adoption is accelerating significantly.

Hong Kong banks processed HK$26.1 billion (US$3.3 billion) in digital asset transactions in the first half of 2025, representing a 233% increase from the previous year1.

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority has already authorized 22 banks for digital asset operations and 13 specifically for tokenized securities, with five banks now providing digital asset custody services1.

This regulatory infrastructure provides the compliance foundation that IoTeX and HashKey are building upon, explaining why their partnership emphasizes “compliance-aware smart execution” and regulatory expertise as core pillars.

The timing aligns with Hong Kong’s broader ambition to become a global digital asset capital, creating a favorable environment for blockchain-AI convergence projects that require both innovation and regulatory clarity.

2️⃣ AI-blockchain integration is moving from concept to institutional deployment

The IoTeX-HashKey collaboration represents a broader pattern where major financial institutions are beginning to operationalize AI-blockchain integration rather than just experimenting with it.