Fonte Capital shared its perspective on the development of Kazakhstan’s crypto market at the Binance Link event
On June 19, 2025, the event Binance Link: A Night of Digital Innovation and Adoption took place in Almaty, organized by Binance Kazakhstan, the local regulated entity of the global blockchain ecosystem Binance. One of the key highlights of the program was the panel discussion “Bridging the Future: Crypto Meets Banking”, which featured Pavel Afanasyev, Chief Financial Officer of Fonte Capital Ltd, as one of the speakers.
Opening remarks were delivered by:
– Catherine Chen, Managing Director, Binance VIP & Institutional;
– Binur Zhalelov, Chief Digital Officer and Advisor to the Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan;
– Nurkhat Kushimov, General Manager, Binance Kazakhstan.
The panel brought together representatives of the crypto industry, banking sector, and regulators. Among the speakers were Catherine Chen, Managing Director and Head of VIP & Institutional, Binance, Natalya Romenskaya, banking consultant. The discussion was moderated by Brett Miranda, Head of VIP and Institutional Sales, Binance.
During the session, participants addressed the integration of crypto products into the traditional financial system, institutional demand, regulatory challenges, and the long-term outlook for digital assets in Kazakhstan. Special attention was given to the experience of launching the country’s first Bitcoin ETF, the role of banks in the development of crypto services, and the potential for international cooperation.
In his speech, Pavel Afanasyev spoke about Fonte Capital’s efforts to launch the first Bitcoin ETF in Central Asia — the Fonte Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund OEIC PLC (BETF) — and shared plans for the further development of investment products linked to digital assets.
“As part of our digital asset strategy, we plan to launch new spot market funds, including assets like Solana. We are also exploring the expansion of our product line to include derivatives. We already have several registered digital asset funds, and our near-term goal is to capitalize them and introduce new offerings. In the future, we may also consider umbrella structures for digital asset products. We see a sustainable market trend and are committed to systematic expansion.”
He concluded by emphasizing the importance of institutional support and government involvement:
“Today, we are witnessing direct political support and important initiatives from regulators that define digital assets as a promising sector. This builds trust in the industry and sets a clear direction for the creation of a full-fledged digital asset infrastructure in the region.”
At the conclusion of the session, panelists agreed that Kazakhstan has the potential to become a leading hub for digital assets in Central Asia, provided infrastructure is strengthened, regulation remains adaptive, and traditional financial institutions play an active role in the ecosystem.
More about the Fonte Bitcoin Exchange Traded Fund OEIC PLC (BETF) - https://fonte.kz/news/the-first-fund-providing-investors-with-convenient-access-to-bitcoin-registered-in-kazakhstan