Futu and PantherTrade: crypto inside your stock app

Verdict: is Futu crypto trading worth it?

As of October 2026, Futu with PantherTrade ranks fourth in our Hong Kong table with 8.5. The appeal is simple. A huge number of Hong Kong investors already use Futubull for shares and ETFs, and for them crypto is just one more market in the same app, with the same money, the same identity checks and the same interface.

Convenient is not the same as transparent, though. Futu launched crypto in 2024 with a zero-commission headline, but we could not verify its 2026 fee schedule on an official page, and third-party figures contradict each other. We also could not confirm whether you can move coins out to your own wallet. Below, verified and unverified points are kept clearly apart.

How it works: Futu Securities plus PantherTrade

Hong Kong brokers and banks usually connect to an SFC-licensed trading platform through an omnibus account: you place the order in the broker’s app, the broker executes it on the licensed venue in its own name, and the position is booked to your account. Futu did this in two stages. At the August 2024 launch, Futu Securities International (Hong Kong) traded under a virtual asset licence uplift and connected to other licensed platforms. Meanwhile PantherTrade, set up wholly by Futu Holdings, received its own trading platform licence on 27 January 2025 and began full licensed operations around 26 March 2026, integrated into Futu Securities and the Futubull app.

Commentary on Futu’s first-quarter 2026 results (via press reports) says part of its crypto volume and assets has since migrated to PantherTrade. PantherTrade calls itself the first SFC-licensed virtual asset platform incubated by a licensed brokerage. Its own website markets mainly to institutional and corporate clients and offers OTC block trades to high-net-worth clients; retail users generally reach it through Futubull.

Licence status

Licensing means the retail safeguards apply here too: a virtual-asset knowledge assessment before you trade, a retail menu limited to eligible large-cap tokens, and custody by a licensed entity. PantherTrade says it holds SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type I reports, a company claim. A Type I report looks at whether controls are designed properly at a point in time; it is a lighter test than a Type II, which checks how they operate over a period.

Futu crypto fees

This is the hardest part of any Futu crypto review to pin down. What we can verify is Futu’s announcement of 1 August 2024: crypto trading launched with zero commission and a minimum order of HK$80 or US$10. Futu’s crypto fee page returned a 404 when we checked, and we could not find an official fee table for the PantherTrade era.

For a benchmark, look at brokers whose fees we could verify. Tiger Brokers, via its licensed platform YAX, charges zero commission plus a 0.05% handling fee. Victory Securities’ VictoryX charges 0.2% commission plus a 0.02% platform fee (minimum US$2). If the cost Futu shows you is far above those, another route may be worth a look. Our bank and broker apps page compares them.

Deposits, withdrawals and moving coins out

Money is the easy part. Crypto trades draw on the HKD or USD already in your Futu securities account. Fund it the way you normally would (for example by FPS or eDDA), buy from the crypto section, and when you sell, the proceeds go back to the securities account for a normal bank withdrawal. Third-party reports say Futu has accepted USDT deposits since May 2025.

Coins are another matter. Most bank and broker crypto services only let you buy and sell inside the account, with no transfers to a personal wallet; Victory Securities is one of the few brokers that clearly supports token transfers in and out. We found no clear answer on whether Futu retail clients can withdraw Bitcoin on-chain. If you plan to self-custody, confirm in the app first, or consider a licensed exchange that allows withdrawals such as HashKey.

1. Check your account

   If you already have a Futu securities account, find the crypto section in Futubull.

2. Enable crypto trading

   Complete the virtual-asset knowledge assessment and declarations. Futu does not publish how long activation takes.

3. Fund the account

   Add HKD or USD to the securities account as usual.

4. Read the fee line

   Confirm commission, platform fee and any minimum on the order screen, since we could not verify the current schedule.

5. Confirm withdrawals

   If you want self-custody, check whether the app supports on-chain withdrawals before buying.

Which coins you can buy

PantherTrade’s website lists BTC, ETH, USDT, SOL, BNB, HYPE, AVAX, LINK and USDC. Under SFC rules retail clients may only buy large-cap tokens included in at least two independent indices, so several on that list are probably limited to professional investors (individuals with an HK$8 million portfolio). At the 2024 launch, retail could trade Bitcoin and Ether; for today’s full retail list, go by what the app shows.

Crypto margin and risk

On 11 February 2026 the SFC allowed brokers to offer virtual asset margin financing to existing securities-margin clients, with collateral limited to Bitcoin and Ether and a haircut of at least 60%. Press reports say Futu became the first broker approved, in June 2026. Margin magnifies losses, crypto prices swing hard, and the large haircut limits how much you can borrow; we would not suggest it for beginners. Perpetual contracts in Hong Kong are for professional investors only; see crypto futures.

On Futu: spot crypto or a Bitcoin ETF?

Futu also lets you buy HKEX-listed spot crypto ETFs from the same app, and for plenty of people that may suit better than holding the coins directly.

Take a family in Tin Shui Wai who already save in Hong Kong shares through Futu and want a small slice in Bitcoin without dealing with wallets: an ETF may be all they need. Someone who wants to trade at weekends or later move coins to their own wallet should look at spot, or at a licensed exchange that allows withdrawals. More in Bitcoin ETFs.

Who Futu crypto suits

Good fit: existing Futu clients who want a small allocation to Bitcoin or Ether; people who want spot and ETFs side by side. Poor fit: anyone who wants to self-custody or withdraw often; buyers after tokens beyond the big names; people who need a clear published fee table.

Alternatives

The clearest broker pricing comes from Tiger Brokers at 0.05%. To buy inside a bank app, see ZA Bank. For HKD deposits plus withdrawals to your own wallet, see HashKey Exchange or OSL. For instant card buys and more coins, see CEX.IO, which is not SFC-licensed. All reviews are on the reviews hub, and scoring is explained in our methodology. PantherTrade’s details can be checked at panthertrade.com.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. SFC — lists of virtual asset trading platforms (Panthertrade (Hong Kong) Limited, BUY578) · checked 6 Oct 2026
2. PantherTrade — official site · checked 6 Oct 2026
3. Futu — first in Hong Kong to offer zero-commission crypto trading (moomoo community post) · 1 Aug 2024
4. Fintech News Hong Kong — Futu’s PantherTrade begins licensed operations · 26 Mar 2026
5. Futu Securities (Hong Kong) — official site · checked 6 Oct 2026

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