Ant Group Files Hong Kong Trademarks for “ANTCOIN” and Stablecoins

Ant Group, China’s largest internet finance company, has applied to register several trademarks related to virtual assets and blockchain technology in Hong Kong, including one for “ANTCOIN.”

The tech giant filed applications with Hong Kong’s Intellectual Property Department covering digital wallets, stablecoins, and online payments, according to a Monday report from Hong Kong Economic Times citing public filings.

The ANTCOIN application was submitted in June and remains pending before the registry.

The filing includes registrations for providing online payments, electronic wallets, foreign exchange services, and the issuance and transfer of stablecoins and digital tokens.

Strategic Brand Protection

Joshua Chu, lawyer and co-chair of the Hong Kong Web3 Association, described the trademark applications as a way to protect Ant Group’s interests in Hong Kong’s virtual asset sector.

Chu noted that trademark protection serves as risk management, particularly against unauthorized or fraudulent tokens that could misuse the company’s brand.

Earlier in Oct. 2025, Beijing reportedly ordered major tech firms, including Ant Group, to suspend their stablecoin-related initiatives in Hong Kong. The trademark filings occurred before this reported directive.

Ant Group’s Crypto Expansion

In July, Ant Group partnered with Circle to pilot USDC-based cross-border payments between Ant International’s Alipay+ network and select global merchants.

The partnership represented an integration of a regulated stablecoin into Ant’s payment infrastructure as the $316 billion stablecoin market continues expanding.

In Sept. 2025, Ant Digital Technologies unveiled a blockchain platform to tokenize energy assets in China, linking approximately $8 billion worth of infrastructure to on-chain systems.

The move followed broader interest from Chinese financial players in digital assets, including China Renaissance’s $600M BNB fund raised alongside YZi Labs.

Traditional financial institutions globally have also moved toward stablecoin adoption. Japan’s major banks plan to issue stablecoins pegged to the yen and dollar through a joint initiative, while North Dakota announced plans to launch the first US state-backed stablecoin called Roughrider Coin on the Fiserv platform.

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