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Bank of China and HSBC are among a group of lenders aiming to launch mortgage services in Hong Kong using blockchain — the decentralised database technology behind the digital currency bitcoin.
中国银行(Bank of China)和汇丰(HSBC)等银行正力求在香港推出使用区块链（数字货币比特币背后的分布式数据库技术）的按揭服务。
So far, Bank of China (Hong Kong) has led tests on a property valuation system for home loans based on blockchain technology, according to Duncan Wong, vice-president of financial technologies at Astri, the government-backed research institute working on the system. He said the bank plans to go live with it next month.
系统开发单位、政府支持的研究机构香港应用科技研究院(Astri)的金融科技副总裁王世松(Duncan Wong)介绍说，迄今中国银行（香港）牵头测试基于区块链技术、用于按揭贷款的物业估值系统。他表示，中银香港计划在下月启用这一系统。
It will use the secure database capabilities of blockchain to provide quick property valuations for mortgage applicants in Hong Kong. At present, when customers apply for mortgages, the banks hire surveyors to value the property being bought. But as different customers shop around for mortgages, the same survey work is often conducted multiple times on the same property.
它将利用区块链的安全数据库功能，为香港的按揭申请人提供快速物业估值。目前，当客户申请按揭时，银行聘请测量师对客户想要购买的物业进行估值。但是，随着不同的客户都在申请按揭时“货比三家”，同一物业往往被测量多次。
Now, blockchain can be used to create a decentralised network of banks and surveyors through which the latest valuations can be listed, verified and shared in a matter of seconds.
现在，区块链可被用于创建一个银行和测量师的分散网络，通过该网络，只需几秒钟内就可列出、验证和共享最新的估值。
“To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first production-grade [blockchain] mortgage system to integrate with a bank,” said Mr Wong.explained
“据我们所知，这将是第一套集成至银行的生产级（区块链）按揭系统，”王世松说。
HSBC and several other banks in the city have also “aligned the data requirements to be posted in blockchain”, according to one person involved in the project, although they are yet to finalise plans for joining the system.
参与该项目的一名知情人士称，汇丰和该市其他几家银行也“已达到了在区块链系统中发布的数据要求”，尽管它们尚未敲定加入该系统的计划。
BOCHK confirmed it was testing such products. HSBC declined to comment.
中银香港确认正在测试此类产品。汇丰拒绝置评。
Adopting blockchain for banking products such as mortgages represents a major step in the use of new technology for traditional banking businesses. Until now, banks have talked up the potential uses of blockchain but have also, which have kept it at arm’s length so far, fearing repercussions from regulators.
对按揭贷款等银行产品采用区块链，代表着利用新技术改革传统银行业务的一大步。此前，各银行对区块链的潜在用途谈得很多，但另一方面也与这种技术保持距离，担心招致监管机构的反弹。
Blockchain grabbed global attention in late 2013 when the value of the digital currency bitcoin soared to more than $1,000 per coin. But while the focus on the digital currency has waned, the underlying ledger technology has been touted as a way to improve banks’ record-keeping, land registration, lending and online payments.
区块链在2013年末引起全球关注，当时数字货币比特币的价值飙升至每枚硬币1000美元以上。但是，尽管对数字货币的关注自那以来已经减弱，但是基础的账簿技术被誉为一种改进银行记录保存、土地登记、放贷和在线支付的一种方式。
PwC, the professional services firm, has said that by providing a decentralised network to verify information, blockchain can produce “transaction records that are infallible and incorruptible”.
专业服务公司普华永道(PwC)表示，通过提供一个分散的网络来验证信息，区块链可以生成“不会出错和不可破坏的交易记录”。
At present, few banks have tried to integrate a blockchain into their internal banking systems due to regulatory concerns over data leaks and vulnerability to cyber attacks. But Mr Wong said: “The reason we focused on the property valuation is because there is less regulatory concern for this.” He added that there was a plan to eventually build a system including more sensitive legal documents.
目前，由于监管部门担忧数据泄露和易受网络攻击，很少有银行试图将区块链集成至其内部系统。但王世松说：“我们专注于物业估值的原因，就是因为这方面的监管担忧较少。”他补充说，有计划最终打造一套包含较敏感法律文件的系统。
Trials for the systemare being conducted in what is known as Hong Kong’s financial technology “sandbox”, which is overseen by Astri and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. HKMA did not comment on the mortgage system, but said it was working on a research study aimed at better understanding blockchain.
该系统正在所谓的香港金融技术“沙箱”内试运行，由香港应用科技研究院和香港金融管理局控管。金管局没有就该按揭系统发表评论，但表示正在进行一项旨在更好了解区块链的研究。
