Esperanza Securities Marks a Major Milestone for Its Inaugural Entertainment STO - Charting New Model for Fans Economy and STO Investments

HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 9 March 2026 - Esperanza Fintech (Securities) Limited ("Esperanza Securities", or "Company") today announced a major business milestone for its first SFC permitted tokenized investment (STO) project with entertainment industry asset.

With the underlying concert successfully concluded last weekend, this marks the commencement of the new investment model that combines entertainment industry assets with financial technology.

Esperanza Securities congratulated the renowned Hong Kong singer Chris Wong on the successful completion of his concert "Chris Wong 40^th Anniversary Concert" and expressed gratitude for investors who participated in the STO, who have witnessed the first tokenized investment that integrates both a secondary trading market and exclusive experiential elements.

Ronald Leung, the responsible officer of Esperanza Securities said: "The entertainment industry carries strong investment potential while also embodying powerful community engagement and cultural influence. Through the STO model, we aim to establish a new participation framework for the cultural and entertainment sectors that integrates investment, content and the fan economy."

Professional Investors Participate as Secondary Market Trading Begins

The project successfully attracted subscription from professional investors as Hong Kong's first practical cases of entertainment STO. Investors are able to trade the investment tokens on Esperanza Securities' 24/7 digital investment platform, espetopia.com. The platform has recorded secondary market transactions from both institutional and individual investors, marking a crucial step for tokenized investments as an alternative capital raising channel for the entertainment industry.

Besides investment return, project investors gain exclusive access to concert rehearsal, auspicious opening ceremony and backstage interaction with the artist.

Several participating investors noted that the integration of investment and fan culture offers a new form of interaction within the entertainment industry, demonstrating the innovative potential of combining the fans economy with financial technology.

Strong Retail Market Interest Amid Anticipation of Future Regulatory Developments

Esperanza Securities noted that, STO investments remain strictly limited to professional investors. Beyond professional investors, a significant number of retail investors have expressed strong interest in tokenized entertainment investment projects. Many hope to eventually participate financially in supporting their beloved artists and cultural content in the future.

Any potential investment access for retail investors will require further review and approval from regulators. Globally, financial regulators are increasingly studying ways to enable retail investors to participate in private market assets. For example, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has recently launched a public consultation on frameworks that may allow retail participation in private market investment funds, reflecting broader international developments in this area.

Next STO Project to Launch Soon, Inviting Asia-Pacific Investors to Join New Opportunities

Following the successful completion of the first project's underlying concert, Esperanza Securities also announced today that the next entertainment STO project will be available for subscription and secondary market trading for eligible professional investors later this week. The underlying asset will be the concert project in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, featuring Kyuhyun of Super Junior and Korean boy band AHOF, scheduled for April 11, 2026.

Professional investors participating in this upcoming STO project will enjoy exclusive experiential privileges in addition to potential investment returns, with further updates to be announced.

Looking Ahead: Expanding Tokenization Across Entertainment Assets

Looking ahead, Esperanza Securities plans to deepen the application of tokenized investment within the entertainment industry while exploring additional asset classes across the broader cultural and creative sectors. These may include projects related to film production, content rights, and intellectual property licensing, further expanding the potential integration between community-driven fan economies and tokenized investment models.

The Company believes that tokenization can introduce more flexible and innovative capital participation for the entertainment industry while enabling investors to engage more directly with cultural content and creative assets.

Hashtag: #EsperanzaSecurities

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Esperanza Fintech (Securities) Limited

Esperanza Securities is a licensed corporation under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap 571 of the law of Hong Kong) with permission to carry out Type 4 (advising on securities) and Type 9 (asset management) regulated activities. On 13 February 2026, Esperanza Securities received a "no further comment" letter from the SFC in relation to its proposal to tokenize managed funds, effectively granting formal permission for Esperanza Securities to conduct tokenized investment businesses.

About Esperanza Fintech Group

Esperanza Fintech Group is a fintech group headquartered in Hong Kong. The group's licensed businesses include (i) gold trading and tokenized gold services operated by Esperanza Fintech (Commodities) Limited, a DPMS (dealers in precious metals and stones) Category A Registrant (No. A-B-25-03-08913) with the Hong Kong Customs with permitted businesses including the issuance, redemption and trading of gold backed instruments on www.espetopia.com; (ii) client asset custodian service operated by Esperanza Fintech (Nominees) Limited, a licensed Trust or Company Service Provider in Hong Kong (Licence No. TC010260), regulated by the Hong Kong Companies Registry; and (iii) tokenized investment services operated by Esperanza Securities, an SFC-regulated asset manager with permission to carry out tokenized investment businesses.