Blue Hat Establishes Malaysian Subsidiary, GOLDEN ALPHA STRATEGY SDN. BHD., Marking Full-Scale Entry Into Southeast Asia's Gold Market

Blue Hat Interactive Entertainment Technology ("Blue Hat" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:BHAT) announced the official establishment of its Malaysian subsidiary, GOLDEN ALPHA STRATEGY SDN. BHD., in Penang. This marks the company's full-scale entry into the Southeast Asian gold market with Malaysia at its core. Against the backdrop of sustained global gold market activity, Malaysia demonstrates strong growth potential. From Q3 2024 to Q3 2025, demand for gold bars and coins in Malaysia increased by over 38%, positioning its market size within the global top five. Data from the World Gold Council further corroborates this trend, showing that Malaysia's gold investment demand reached 2.5 tonnes in Q1 2025, a year-on-year increase of 34% [1]. This series of data indicate that Malaysian market exhibits significant resilience and growth potential even in a high-price gold environment.

The appeal of Malaysian market stems not only from robust demand but also from its solid industrial foundation and clear development prospects. As a global significant gold processing and manufacturing hub, Malaysia possesses a complete industry chain from production to retail. Penang stands as the core of the country's gold manufacturing sector, contributing approximately 80% of its gold jewelry production. Industry analysis forecasts that Malaysian gold jewelry retail market is expected to continue expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.3%, projected to grow from RM 18.3 billion in 2025 to RM 23.4 billion in 2029 [2]. Concurrently, the rise of digital investment channels, such as bank gold savings accounts and gold ETFs, is attracting more young investors, forming a "dual-engine" for market growth alongside traditional physical retail.

On the policy front, Malaysia offers a highly favorable business environment for the gold market. There is no import or export tariffs on gold bars and jewellery. Products meeting the "Investment Precious Metals (IPM)" standard are fully tax-exempt, and gold jewellery is also exempt from the Sales and Service Tax (SST) [3]. These policies significantly reduce transaction costs and industry friction, enhancing Malaysia's competitiveness to be a global gold trade and investment hub.