ZA Bank CEO sharpens focus on wealth, digital assets

The digital lender plans to launch Hong Kong stock trading later this year.

ZA Bank Ltd. will intensify its focus on wealth management as it seeks to capture opportunities in one of Hong Kong’s fastest-growing financial sectors, newly appointed CEO Calvin Ng said.

“I would say our focus now is more on wealth management because we have the base,” he told Hong Kong Business . “We have accumulated trust with the users. We have more products around it.”

“We still have more asset classes to introduce. Once the basic suite is assembled, that will become our digital wealth management focus moving forward,” he added via Zoom.

The digital bank already offers crypto trading, US stock trading, and access to more than 170 funds and unit trusts. Ng said Hong Kong stock trading is also on the way, with launch expected later this year.

Hong Kong’s total assets under management rose 13% year on year to $35t last year, according to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and Securities and Futures Commission. ZA Bank sees this expansion as fertile ground for digital players.

“The opportunity for us is how to make wealth management work under the digital wealth era,” Ng said. “Consumer behaviour has changed, with more options available globally and with users now empowered to make their own informed decisions. That shift will open new opportunities for us as a bank to keep up with the trend and ride along the wave.”

The CEO said the goal is to position ZA Bank as the next generation’s first choice for digital wealth. In the first half of 2025, the digital bank reached one million users.

“We aim to build a seamless, diversified, all-in-one wealth platform that helps customers grow their assets through hyper-personalised experiences and frictionless access to global markets,” he said. “Wealth is not just a feature; it’s our profit engine. And we’re scaling it with purpose.”

Beyond wealth products, Ng said the bank would double down on digital assets and Web3 services. 

“Web3 is here, but it needs trusted bridges,” he said. ZA Bank wants to bring bank-level compliance to digital asset transactions whilst letting customers trade crypto instantly through their savings accounts.

In 2024, ZA Bank became the first bank in Asia to offer retail crypto trading. The bank was also the first digital bank in Hong Kong to provide reserve banking services for stablecoin users. 

With Hong Kong’s stablecoin law taking effect in August, requiring issuers of fiat-pegged tokens to secure licenses, ZA Bank aims to become a reserve partner for licensed issuers.

“The law provides clarity and opens new opportunities,” Ng said.

Technology and efficiency also rank high on Ng’s agenda. The bank is using artificial intelligence to identify risk signals, streamline back-end processes, and deliver smarter customer service via chatbots and automation.

“Consumers today expect Netflix-style banking—fast, relevant, and tailored to them,” Ng said. “The future isn’t one-size-fits-all; it’s one-size-fits-you.”