Hong Kong-Based Asset Management Firm Acquires Controlling Stake in Asian Crypto Exchange Huobi – Bitcoin News

Li Lin’s controlling stake in Huobi, one of Asia’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, was recently acquired by About Capital Management for an undisclosed sum. Huobi’s acquisition by the Hong Kong-based asset management firm came shortly after the crypto exchange had exited the Chinese market.

Lin’s Arrest in 2020 a Key Event for the Huobi Founder

The Hong Kong-based asset management company, About Capital Management, recently became the biggest shareholder in the crypto exchange Huobi after it acquired founder Li Lin’s stake in the firm. The Asian crypto exchange’s acquisition by the “secretive” asset management firm has put an end to rumors suggesting that Sam Bankman-Fried’s FTX, Binance, and Justin Sun were interested in buying, or had already bought, Huobi.

Wublockchain reported that Lin suggested that after being arrested in 2020, he would like to exit the Chinese market.

“Without Huobi, everyone still has Binance and Okx. If you are disappointed, I’m sorry,” Lin reportedly said in a post shared via Wechat.

Huobi Experiences Additional Problems Following Exiting Chinese Market

After initially blocking Chinese residents from the platform in 2021, Huobi — which has licenses to operate in the United States, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan — proceeded to exit its biggest market in 2022. The report said that Lin may have considered quitting the crypto-exchange business because of the difficulties it faced after exiting the Chinese market.

While there has been no official confirmation of the amount that About Capital Management paid for Lin’s shares, some market rumors suggest the acquisition deal is worth approximately $3 billion.

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Terence Zimwara

Terence Zimwara, a Zimbabwean journalist, writer and author who has been awarded the Zimbabwe Booker Prize. His writings have covered the economic problems of several African countries and how digital currency can offer an escape route.