Ant Group files ‘ANTCOIN’ trademark as it builds RWA rails
Public records in Hong Kong show Ant Group has applied for trademarks covering online payments, e‑wallets, and the potential issuance and transfer of stablecoins under the mark “ANTCOIN.”
On the surface, that looks like pre‑work for a consumer crypto product. In practice, it’s a defensive and optionality move: lock down the brand, preserve legal standing against imitators, and keep the door open to switch on stablecoin rails if regulators allow.
Earlier this month, multiple reports indicated Beijing asked major tech firms to pause Hong Kong stablecoin initiatives. That sits alongside Hong Kong’s new licensing regime for fiat‑backed stablecoins, suggesting any RMB‑adjacent “digital cash” will proceed first via state‑aligned channels (e‑CNY pilots, mBridge corridors, tokenized funds and bonds) rather than private, retail coins. Within those constraints, trademarking isn’t a contradiction; it’s a hedge and a placeholder for a future, policy‑compatible rollout.
Ant’s product roadmap already hints at a two‑track approach. On the consumer and merchant side, Ant International has been extending Alipay+ across borders and testing integrations with regulated stablecoins, including a pilot for USDC‑based payments between Alipay+ and select merchants. That pilot language has been consistently cautious – positioned as an experiment, not a relaunch of a crypto wallet – but it shows Ant wants a modular “stablecoin switch” it can flip for settlement where regulators permit it.
In parallel, Ant Digital Technologies is scaling enterprise blockchain without retail crypto exposure. In September, the unit unveiled a platform to tokenize energy‑infrastructure assets in China, linking on the order of $8 billion of projects to on‑chain systems. That is classic AntChain: B2B rails (trade finance, provenance, settlement data) that deliver compliance‑friendly efficiency and sit comfortably within the mainland’s guardrails.
Put together, the strategy is straightforward. Ant is building:
- Defensive IP and optionality in Hong Kong. “ANTCOIN” and related marks secure the names and classes needed for future virtual‑asset services while deterring copycats.
- A modular cross‑border payments stack. Alipay+ can route to cards, bank transfers, or – in permitted corridors – regulated stablecoins like USDC, without re‑architecting the network.
- Enterprise tokenization for near‑term revenue. AntChain’s RWA platforms let Ant sell blockchain infrastructure today, independent of retail crypto cycles.
For Hong Kong’s virtual‑asset push, Ant’s posture is a useful tell. The city has passed the rulebook and wants issuance and liquidity in CNH products, but the pace and shape will be state‑led. Expect the first real consumer touchpoints to be tightly scoped – institutional money funds in tokenized RMB, bank‑issued stablecoins for wholesale settlement – before any big‑tech brand launches a retail coin. If, down the line, policy loosens, Ant’s trademarks and pilot integrations shorten the path from “permit” to product.
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