Zodia Custody appoints Kal Chan as Hong Kong CEO

As CEO, Chan will spearhead the firm’s growth in Hong Kong, one of the key markets for Zodia Custody, focusing on continuously meeting the precise demands of the city’s financial institutions and catering to their needs. His main ambition is to drive rapid digital asset adoption in the region by offering institutions leading-edge technology, stringent risk management, and bank-grade compliance and governance.

“Hong Kong isn’t just a major hub for digital assets in Asia, it is leading the world in showing the pathway to mainstream adoption,” said Kal Chan, CEO of Zodia Custody Hong Kong. “Zodia Custody is determined to contribute to that objective, closely working with regulators and ensuring that we are leveraging our bank-backed heritage to quickly respond to both regulatory and institutional needs. Hong Kong represents a major opportunity for both us and the digital asset ecosystem around the world — we are dedicated to being at the front and centre of this hotbed of innovation and development.”

Chan joins the business from Aquanow, where he led its APAC business development effort in the APAC region. Prior to his previous role at Aquanow, Chan worked in senior roles across both traditional and decentralised finance, including the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and Cboe Global Markets, with his latest roles focusing on digital asset solutions and their growth in APAC.

“Just as it is for the global digital asset ecosystem, Hong Kong is an essential place for us,” said Julian Sawyer, CEO, Zodia Custody. “Combining a long heritage in traditional finance and forward thinking approaches to digital assets, the Hong Kong ecosystem perfectly aligns with our own origins and future direction. As such, Kal is exactly the right person to take us forward here, bringing unmatched experience and a deep understanding of the institutional digital asset ecosystem.”

To date, Zodia Custody operates in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Luxembourg, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan and Australia.