Prometheum Capital, HashKey Digital Asset Group, and Velocity Capital Sign Binding MOU to Internationalize Tokenized U.S. Equities

Agreement establishes a pathway built on SEC-registered broker-dealer infrastructure to distribute U.S. equities to eligible international investors through HashKey's licensed exchange network

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Prometheum Inc. ("Prometheum"), a market infrastructure provider for crypto assets, today announced that its subsidiary Prometheum Capital LLC ("Prometheum Capital"), an SEC-registered, FINRA member crypto asset custodian and clearing broker-dealer, has signed a binding memorandum of understanding ("MOU") with HashKey Digital Asset Group Limited ("HashKey") and Velocity Capital, LLC ("Velocity"), an SEC-registered, FINRA member broker-dealer authorized for traditional securities clearing and execution, to internationalize tokenized U.S. equities.

HashKey will serve as the international distributor through its eligible licensed exchanges in multiple jurisdictions. Prometheum Capital and Velocity Capital will collectively provide the traditional securities and crypto asset custodial, execution, and clearing solutions to HashKey.

"U.S. equities are among the most sought-after investments, and tokenization is how they will reach global investors at scale," said Aaron Kaplan, founder and co-CEO, Prometheum Inc. "This MOU connects the world's deepest capital markets to international digital securities distribution not through offshore wrappers, but through the regulatory frameworks that have made U.S. markets the most trusted in the world."

"This partnership extends HashKey's licensed infrastructure to one of the most significant opportunities in digital asset markets. Through this collaboration, eligible clients in multiple jurisdictions will have the opportunity to access tokenized U.S. equities supported by SEC-registered clearing infrastructure, subject to applicable laws and regulatory requirements," said Dr. Xiao Feng, CEO, HashKey Digital Asset Group. "We see this as a critical step in building the institutional-grade cross-border distribution layer that the industry requires."

"Tokenized U.S. equities can only work at global scale if the underlying shares are executed, cleared, and held with the same rigor as any share traded in the regulated U.S. equity markets," said Roy Yan, CEO, Velocity Capital, LLC. "This partnership demonstrates how traditional clearing capabilities support the emerging tokenized securities market while maintaining the operational standards our institutional clients expect."

The tokenized U.S. equities will be digital twins of the traditional real-world asset versions that are custodied at The Depository Trust Company ("DTC"), a subsidiary of The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation ("DTCC").

According to DTCC, DTC-tokenized assets maintain the same investor protections, entitlements, and ownership rights as traditional securities, all while enabling greater efficiency and programmability. The DTCC Tokenization Service is expected to launch in Q4 2026.

Eligible securities include the constituents of the Russell 1000, which represents the 1,000 largest publicly traded U.S. companies by market cap, as well as ETFs tracking major indices and U.S. Treasury bills, bonds, and notes.

The MOU comes amid rapidly growing global demand for tokenized U.S. equities, one of the fastest-growing segments of the tokenized asset market. U.S. equity markets are the deepest and most trusted in the world, yet most international investors cannot access them directly or cost-efficiently.^[1] Existing alternatives typically offer synthetic exposure rather than direct ownership of the underlying securities, or special purpose vehicle (SPV)-based exposure where the digital token represents a claim in an off-chain legal entity that holds the equity. This MOU establishes one of the first international distribution frameworks built on that foundation by bringing tokenized real-world U.S. securities to international markets – not synthetic or wrapped representations.

The parties intend to negotiate final definitive agreements and complete technical integration in the coming months, with a launch subject to regulatory approval and the completion of technical integration. The parties plan to launch a pilot project in the future.

Disclaimer: The proposed collaboration remains subject to the execution of definitive agreements, completion of technical and operational integration, availability of the DTCC tokenization infrastructure, and satisfaction of all applicable legal, regulatory and licensing requirements in the relevant jurisdictions. Any products or services contemplated in connection with the proposed collaboration may be made available only to eligible investors in specified jurisdictions. No offer or solicitation of any securities or investment product is being made pursuant to this announcement.

About Prometheum Inc.

Prometheum Inc. supports crypto assets including select crypto tokens, tokenized securities, and digitally-native securities through its broker-dealer network and market infrastructure for the issuance, distribution, trading, and custody of crypto assets. Its broker-dealer network includes Prometheum Capital (custody, clearing, and settlement), ProFinancial (issuance and distribution), Prometheum ATS (secondary market trading), and an SEC-registered digital transfer agent, Prometheum Coinery. For more information, please visit https://www.prometheum.com or contact business@procustody.com.

About HashKey Digital Asset Group

HashKey Digital Asset Group is an established comprehensive digital asset company in Asia with a global footprint, providing end-to-end financial infrastructure, technology and investment management to create a digital assets ecosystem. The Company offers a licensed digital asset platform to provide transaction facilitation services, on-chain services, and asset management services. Disclaimer.

[1] Coppola, A., Maggiori, M., Neiman, B. & Schreger, J. (2025). Barriers to Global Capital Allocation. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 140(4), 3067. https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/140/4/3067/8171934

^[1] Coppola, A., Maggiori, M., Neiman, B. & Schreger, J. (2025). Barriers to Global Capital Allocation. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 140(4), 3067. https://academic.oup.com/qje/article/140/4/3067/8171934

About Velocity Capital, LLC

Velocity Capital, LLC is a New York-based, SEC-registered and FINRA member broker-dealer providing execution, clearing and custody, and securities lending services, directly and through correspondent clearing relationships. The firm also trades for its own account and holds clearing memberships with The Depository Trust Company (DTC), the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), and The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). For more information, please visit https://velocitycapitalllc.com/

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Prometheum Capital, HashKey Digital Asset Group, and Velocity Capital Sign Binding MOU to Internationalize Tokenized U.S. Equities

NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hublot and Jeff Koons, two visionary forces renowned for transforming the ordinary, unveil a revolutionary collaboration that seamlessly merges watchmaking art with contemporary art; objects, time and symbols – transforming them into cultural icons. Available in three editions – mirror-polished stainless steel, red or blue anodized aluminum – the Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons turns form into presence and time into something tangible.

The Classic Fusion Balloon Dog, inspired by Koons's iconic mirrored balloon sculptures, translates the emotional language of inflatables into a radical object of horology. This unprecedented collaboration, limited to 200 pieces per edition, breathes new life into the iconic forms of Koons' beloved Balloon Dog, transforming the sculpture into a captivating series of timepieces that redefine the boundaries of wearable art.

Jeff Koons' Balloon Dog (1994-2000), from his Celebration series started in the mid-1990s, takes a universally familiar object, the balloon animal and transforms it into something permanent. What is fragile, temporary and playful becomes monumental, precise and enduring. A fleeting childhood gesture is fixed into industrial perfection. This transformation defines Koons' practice: elevating the ephemeral into the iconic through absolute control of form, scale and finish.

This logic resonates directly with Hublot's approach to watchmaking. Since its founding in 1980 and the introduction of the original gold-and-rubber concept, later reinterpreted through the Big Bang in 2005 and the Classic Fusion in 2008, Hublot has consistently worked with time as a material, shaping the momentary into something that lasts beyond it.

"Translating Balloon Dog into the language of the Classic Fusion required far more than fusing an artwork with an existing watch. The challenge was to fundamentally reinterpret the architecture of the Classic Fusion through the visual and sculptural language of inflatable forms. Traditionally defined by its sleek and relatively flat profile, the Classic Fusion was entirely re-engineered to create the illusion of inflated volume and tension, as though each component had been shaped by air pressure," stated Jeff Koons.

"Working with Jeff Koons on this project was both an artistic and technical adventure. What appears effortless and playful is, in reality, an extraordinary exercise in engineering, craftsmanship and detail. We challenged every construction principle of the Classic Fusion to create the illusion of inflation and volume while preserving the integrity of fine watchmaking. Every component was reimagined, reshaped and refined; milled on 5-axis CNC for a distinctive puffed form, then meticulously finished by hand to perfection. This project perfectly expresses Hublot's philosophy: using the full mastery of horology in the service of emotion, aesthetics and innovation," stated Julien Tornare, Hublot CEO.

THE CLASSIC FUSION: AIR-SCULPTED

Every element of the 42mm Classic Fusion Balloon Dog was reengineered through Jeff Koons' visual language. The traditionally sleek architecture of the Classic Fusion was transformed with inflated geometries, soft domed surfaces and convex lines to create the illusion of a watch shaped by air pressure. The result is playful, irreverent and technically highly sophisticated, where high horology and craftsmanship converge to achieve an aesthetic that feels effortless and self-evident in its execution.

Inspired by Koons' iconic reflective Balloon Dog, the watch reinterprets the Classic Fusion through a continuous language of roundness and air-filled volume. To create this sensation of volume and tension, multiple elements have been domed and reshaped, from the sapphire crystal and titanium screw heads to the convex "puffy" dial construction and sculptural case architecture. Every surface is reworked to preserve the illusion of internal pressure, extending through the smooth, padded metallic leather strap and softened attachment points. As a nod to both the dog and the balloon, signature details include a balloon-inspired crown in rubber-molded aluminum, a flexible decorative "balloon tail" at 10:30, a Balloon Dog-shaped seconds hand counterweight and inflated Super-LumiNova indexes and hands.

Available in mirror-polished stainless steel or polished anodized aluminum in striking red and blue, aluminum has been specifically selected for its ability to reproduce the vivid, saturated tones associated with Koons' work. The complexity continues within the movement itself. Powered by a manufacture automatic caliber, it integrates a custom-designed tungsten oscillating weight with rounded, voluminous forms echoing the visual language of the case.

The Classic Fusion Balloon Dog continues Hublot's philosophy of fusion through material experimentation and technical innovation. Presented in Balloon Dog-inspired packaging, the piece extends the concept of inflatable softness. The inflated dog is rendered in a chromed finish, colour-matched to each watch variation. Its rubber-effect painted surfaces echo the same tactile, playful codes that define the watch itself.

From its sculptural, air-inflated case architecture to its manufacture automatic movement, the Classic Fusion Balloon Dog by Jeff Koons is a powerful expression of the innovation, mastery and boldness that define Hublot. Conceived, developed and assembled at the Manufacture in Nyon, it conveys the quality and reliability of every watch it creates. This confidence is demonstrated through Hublot's 5+5 warranty program, extending coverage to up to ten years; a commitment rooted in the brand's conviction in every manufacture-made watch and the expertise of the teams behind it.

Limited to 200 pieces per edition, the Classic Fusion Balloon Dog is available at selected Hublot points of sale. It will also be presented in selected galleries, reinforcing the dialogue between contemporary art and watchmaking.

HUBLOT: www.hublot.com - Email: press@hublot.com - Presslounge platform: presslounge.hublot.com/connection/ 

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HUBLOT - CLASSIC FUSION BALLOON DOG BY JEFF KOONS: TIME, INFLATED INTO ART

HUBLOT - CLASSIC FUSION BALLOON DOG BY JEFF KOONS: TIME, INFLATED INTO ART