Hong Kong asset managers are working to include staking within their spot ether exchange-traded funds in the hope of getting the staking reward feature approved this year, Animoca Brands Chairman Yat Siu said.

Siu told The Block in an interview that Hong Kong is “having discussions now for ETH staking” and that the likelihood of staking being approved in Asia ahead of the U.S. is an “almost foregone conclusion.”

“In terms of how quickly, there’s an optimistic side of me that wants it to happen within the year,” Siu said. “If we don't get much movement on staking within the year, then I would say the election outcome will be the other determinant in terms of how quickly that could happen in the U.S.”

HashKey, which co-manages two spot bitcoin and ether ETFs in Hong Kong with Bosera, is …