“Bitcoin Will Perform Well, Just Like Gold” says Thor Chan, A CEO of a Crypto Exchange

Thor Chan, the CEO of AAX crypto exchange. They recently announced their affiliation with the LSEG, also known as London Stock Exchange Group. The cryptocurrency market is very unpredictable and often we doubt its functioning and security. Let us try to understand this fluctuating market from one of the industry leaders and see how his company is changing the preconceived notion surrounding the above-said market.

Thank you for your time, Thor. Can you please explain to our readers, in brief, about your background? 

Sure. I come from a traditional equities market background and served as an SFC (Securities and Futures Commission) licensed representative for the brokerage and asset management business in Hong Kong and China. I’ve been actively involved in the crypto space since 2016 and now lead AAX as its Chief Executive. 

How has your experience with different Multinational Companies and that too in various capacities, helped you shape an efficient product at AAX? Any particular experience that you would like to share with us.

I have worked at established multinationals as well as startups, but while there are similarities, crypto businesses are really something else. This industry is developing so fast and requires us to move fast as well and constantly innovate. On the one hand, you need to be aware of what other crypto exchanges are doing and where the markets are heading, but the key to success is undoubtedly to carve out your own niche and aim to offer unique products and financial instruments that differentiate our exchange from others. 

With the crypto-currencies prices fluctuating continuously, especially Bitcoin, what special advice would you like to give to the potential investors?

Let’s first look at the reasons for the bitcoin price plunge recently. Firstly, all financial markets are struggling. Stocks, commodities, bonds, currencies and even gold prices are dropping. Investment managers are busy closing their positions for cash and fund redemptions due to a big drop that caused the downward spiral. That’s the reason US markets got caught in an unstoppable avalanche. It’s a crisis caused by a lack of liquidity.

Secondly, digital assets plunged. People were dumping all kinds of assets, including Bitcoin, to a point that caused a massive amount of liquidations that liquidated low leverage positions escalating the downward spiral. Even worse, Bitmex broke down. This is significant, because BitMex is used by many exchanges, market makers and trading firms to hedge their positions.

Also, many people were trading Bitcoin contracts using Bitcoin for the maintenance margin. When the Bitcoin price dropped, the value of the maintenance margin dropped, people’s position got liquidated even quicker. 

Crypto’s volatility is attractive to professional traders and for those engaged in the derivatives markets, but crypto is also about developing a long term view and investing accordingly. It’s all about perspective – recently, with all the commotion happening, $100 billion dollars vanished from the crypto market as institutional investors sought to defend their positions in financial markets. Bitcoin even dropped below $5,000. Some suggested this was proof that Bitcoin was failing, but many others saw this as a great opportunity to expand their Bitcoin holdings in anticipation of the asset’s recovery and the upcoming Halvening. If anything, crypto’s volatility really trains you and almost forces you to go back and revisit the fundamentals – once you formed your view, price fluctuations won’t distract you. 

With the stock prices falling fast due to the spread of Coronavirus, how do you see the impact of this scare on the cryptocurrencies? 

When Bitcoin plummeted, together with stock markets, some critics were quick to point out that Bitcoin was failing as a hedge. But this is inaccurate. Bitcoin, just like gold and pretty much all other assets, do not perform well when there is global panic. Big companies in the US, including great companies such as Apple, are now greatly undervalued, and it’s no different for Bitcoin. Over the coming weeks, when the liquidity crisis is over, Bitcoin will perform well, just like gold. Over the coming months, as we see interest rates cut, and economies shaking, we will see if Bitcoin will attract more investment and recover faster than the other assets. 

How do you judge the right time to invest in the world of digital currencies?

Everything is relative. For example, we will soon be launching our own native exchange token, AAB. In the first three flash sale rounds, we will be offering AAB at a discount – seems like the right time to me. 

In addition, AAB will be bought back using 100% of AAX’s futures revenue. The amount of AAB will be shrinking over time. With a deflationary model token, as long as the demand is there, earlier is always better than later.  

Right now, Bitcoin is in search of support slightly above $6,000 – of course, it would have been better to buy in at $1, but Bitcoin still has ample room for growth. There is no right time as such, it just depends on your timeframe. This industry is only a decade young. If you believe cryptocurrency will see more adoption over the coming five years, then any day of the week is the right time. 

AAX has been in the news recently for highlighting the LSEG technology and being one of the first in the market to implement the same. How does the adaption of this technology differentiate AAX from other digital asset exchanges?

We built AAX in anticipation of serious growth. As the industry continues to mature, and as crypto markets start to integrate with traditional asset classes, including commodities and real estate, and as regulation takes shape opening the gates for more institutional investors, there is a need for strong, high-performing exchanges. 

LSEG Technology’s matching engine is the same technology that powers London Stock Exchange and other global capital markets. Without a doubt, this matching engine makes AAX one of the most powerful exchanges in the crypto industry – in fact, based on our capacity to handle large order volumes and liquidity, if we were a stock exchange, we’d be up there in the top 10. 

What differentiates us from other crypto exchanges is that our vision extends beyond the crypto space as it is today – and this is shown in how we’ve designed our exchange, our partnerships, and the premium technology pieces that power the exchange. 

AAX is an institutional-grade exchange. How important is this factor for a potential investor or a digital asset trader?

First, we have to think. What does it mean when we say ‘institutional-grade’? It’s not just a fancy term – it carries certain connotations that are vital to a healthy trading environment. 

Institutional-grade means the exchange is powerful enough to handle a lot of trades at the same time, and not breaking down due to a traffic overload. It means there are systems in place to prevent, detect and counter market manipulation. 

Lastly, It requires compliance with international and domestic regulatory requirements and a strong commitment to integrity. 

In that regard, our matching engine is MiFid II compliant by design, meaning it allows for pre and post trade transparency. We’re also implementing market surveillance technology, and we have strong AML/KYC procedures in place. 

All traders benefit from this – except bad actors – and if we want to grow as an industry, this standard is really the only way forward. 

AAX was launched in 2018 and since then, it has seen a spiking growth, adding more and more customers, under its kitty every quarter. What are the main factors that have contributed significantly to the growth of the organization?

It’s all about quality. We’ve built a premium exchange and especially under stressful conditions when other exchanges start to crack, we’re operating normally. Reliability is crucial to growth. 

Also, it’s about offering something unique. With AAX, we’ve set out to connect crypto to global finance. In part, this is related to our work around market infrastructure, but it’s also about the products we have on offer – we’re currently expanding into commodity financed tokens, more derivatives, indices, and we’ll continue to explore innovative ways to engage this space – and in our conversations with industry participants and clients, we’ve noticed that there is great appreciation for this. 

You said that your token sale coming up? What improvements do you want to implement using the funds?

AAX Token (AAB) will be used to enter more markets and work closely together with our affiliates and ambassadors to build local communities. We will also be using AAB to expand our ecosystem with more fiat on and off ramps, and partnerships across finance. 

But really, AAB is about building a strong community – we want to make it as attractive as possible to trade with AAX, providing discounts, special deals, exclusive access to innovative financial instruments, and with daily buyburns funded by 100% of what we earn in fees on AAX’s futures markets we also expect significant price action. 

What are the dates of the token sale?

AAB will initially be offered at $1 per token. However, we’ve organized three flash sale rounds where a limited number of traders can purchase the token at a discount.

Round 1 will take place on April 20, round 2 on April 22, round 3 on April 24. In these rounds, lucky traders can purchase AAB at a discount (50%, 25%, 20%, respectively). But to make it even more exciting, after each round, based on a lucky draw, half of all successful buyers will get their money back and will get to keep their AAB for free. 

All you need to do is open an account with AAX, complete the relevant KYC procedures, fund your account with enough USDT, and subscribe to the sale. Per round, only 1,000 traders will be able to purchase 1,000 AAB each. If you’re unlucky during these rounds, then you can join from April 27th onwards and purchase AAB on the spot market. 

Can you share more details about your token? Why should investors be interested?

If you believe that connecting crypto to global finance is the pathway to growth, then AAB is for you, because this token is your vehicle on that pathway. 

Over the coming months, we will be rolling out new products around Bitcoin dimensions derivatives, indices, options, tokenized commodities, social trading, and more. AAB will enable investors to trade with us at a discount, optimize their trading experience, and gain access to some of the most innovative products on the market. 

We only launched in November 2019 and so for an investor who supports our mission it is highly attractive to be able to get involved this early on.  

Some reports claim that AAX has a high-security level to protect its customers from online security threats. Can you bring in some light for our readers so that they can know how your company strives for the best industry standards and practices?

As the world goes digital, new threats appear. Perhaps it makes sense that in the first few years, exchanges were vulnerable to hacks and scams. But there is really no excuse anymore. 

When we built the exchange, security was immediately a key concern. You don’t create a bank and then put the vault in the backroom, together with all the other furniture. Instead, you place the vault, and then build the bank on top of it! 

And so with us, security has informed our business operations and architecture from day one. We worked closely together with Kroll, a leading global provider of security solutions that has also worked with established financial institutions, governments and even intelligence agencies. 

And it’s not just about funds. We also take the security of client data very seriously. To protect that data, we’ve implemented a stringent multi-level employee verification system in compliance with CCSS as well as relevant data protection and privacy ordinances. 

Are we expecting a more open approach to the crypto world in 2020? Are we looking at a dramatic rise in the number of your competitors in the new decade?

Obviously, compared to a few months ago, what 2020 will look like has changed dramatically. However, the work continues – I do expect more regulatory clarity and think that over the coming months some of the unique features of crypto will become more apparent to both institutional but also retail audiences. 

I do not think there will be a dramatic rise in the number of competitors. Actually, as the market matures, I expect a degree of consolidation to take place. Exchanges that don’t take security seriously, or that leave their markets vulnerable to manipulation, will eventually dry up. 

In a few years, I believe some crypto exchanges will be mentioned alongside major stock exchanges in terms of volumes, participation and quality. 

It was wonderful talking to you, Mr. Thor Chan. Can you give some tips to our budding entrepreneurs and investors on how to achieve great success in their life?

I’m not sure if I’m in a place to give such advice. I am very goal-oriented and I believe keeping your eye on the ball, no matter what, is really important. 

I also believe everyone has their own share of success ahead of them, if they make the effort. Instead of looking at the success of other people of businesses, find out what success looks like for you and go for it. 

That’s what I’m doing at least. I never give up.