GMTEight Interview | Aide Financial: Hong Kong RWA Licensed Pioneer, Driving the New Development of Asset Digitization with Full Chain Services.

In the global wave of asset digitization, Hong Kong has become an important hub in the field of Real World Asset Tokenization (RWA). GMTEight has invited Joseph Lam, the head of the Global Capital Markets Department at Edelman Financial, to provide in-depth analysis of the core advantages, innovative practices, and ecosystem construction of RWA. This includes clarifying target adaptation directions, participant opportunities, and industry prospects. As a licensed institution rooted in Hong Kong and serving the global market, Edelman Financial holds licenses from the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission for Types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 9 activities, as well as the first batch of qualifications for digital asset distribution operations. With a forward-looking vision, Edelman Financial is taking the lead in combining traditional finance with Web3 integration, becoming a benchmark in the RWA field for compliance and innovation. At the forefront of exploration in the RWA track, Edelman Financial is committed to the digital transformation of various fields such as high-end agriculture and precious metals, innovatively achieving asset fragmentation and cross-platform circulation. By splitting traditional assets into standardized token units and utilizing an online trading platform across the entire chain, not only has it expanded corporate financing channels, but it has also allowed global investors to easily participate in high-quality asset categories that were previously difficult to access. This innovative practice aligns well with Hong Kong's position as a financial hub that is "backed by the country and facing the world," enabling Edelman Financial to play a unique role in connecting domestic and overseas capital and promoting cross-border asset flows. Looking ahead, Edelman Financial is consolidating its leading position through the construction of a "technology + compliance + ecosystem" integrated development model. Internally, it has established a professional financial technology team that focuses on smart contracts, on-chain interaction, and other underlying technologies. Externally, it collaborates deeply with investment and financing parties, licensed exchanges, and regulatory authorities, forming a complete ecosystem from asset screening and product design to investor education. With the clear regulatory framework in Hong Kong, Edelman Financial not only helps small and medium enterprises overcome financing bottlenecks but also propels industry standardization development through an evolving financial technology service system, injecting sustained momentum into the growth of the Asian RWA market, making investments more open, efficient, and inclusive. From a professional perspective, RWA is more suitable for which types of target assets and market participants? What specific suggestions do you have for newcomers in this field? From a professional perspective, in the Hong Kong RWA field, we focus on protecting investors, especially retail investors. Therefore, the target assets must meet three core conditions: legality and compliance, fair value, and clear business logic and returns. Currently, there is a saying internationally that "everything can be RWA," but I can say that it is not true. Only assets that meet legal and compliance requirements, have clear business logic, and provide transparent and reasonable returns for investors through RWA products designed by investment banks that can guarantee returns are eligible for issuance. Market participants can be divided into three categories. The first category involves asset holders, where we need to assess whether the assets are suitable for on-chain transactions. It must meet legal and compliance requirements as well as have clear business logic. For example, the fixed asset leasing and management business of a park or resort developer, with clear revenue constraints and legal protection within the contract period and fully predictable returns, is an example of clear business logic that is easy for regulatory authorities to underst...