Bybit Outlines Institutional Strategy for 2026 at Abu Dhabi Gala
Bybit, the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange globally in terms of trading volume, has revealed its roadmap for institutional growth by the year 2026 during the BIG Series – Bybit Institutional Gala held in Abu Dhabi. This event gathered top executives from Bybit, along with global regulators, banking partners, liquidity providers, and institutional clients, to discuss the transformation of digital markets and the company’s expanding influence in the realm of regulated digital finance. The gala followed Bybit achieving significant regulatory milestones, including a full Virtual Asset Platform Operator (VAPO) license from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority and a MiCAR license for the European Economic Area. These developments position Bybit at the forefront of the rapidly evolving institutional digital asset landscape.
Focus on Regulation, Retail Growth, and Institutional Trust
During the event, Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit, emphasized the industry’s transition towards a market framework designed to accommodate institutional investors. He pointed out Bybit’s extensive retail presence as a key competitive advantage, noting that the Bybit Card had exceeded 1.8 million issued cards across 13 regions within its inaugural year. This robust retail activity, bolstered by increasing fiat onboarding options, enhances both pricing and execution efficiency for professional investors. Zhou also highlighted the swift expansion of Bybit’s wealth and asset management division, with assets under management soaring from USD 40 million in the second quarter to USD 200 million by the fourth quarter. Institutional inflows also saw significant growth, increasing from USD 1.3 billion in the third quarter to USD 2.88 billion in the fourth, further solidifying Bybit’s pivotal role in institutional cryptocurrency finance. “Institutions are turning to Bybit for certainty—certainty in liquidity, compliance, and performance,” Zhou remarked.
Innovative Institutional Products and Market Infrastructure
Yoyee Wang, the Head of Business to Business at Bybit, introduced new institutional products slated for release in 2026, which include significant enhancements to the INS Credit Suite. The revamped suite will feature integrated Bybit Custody, tokenized money market fund yield products, and access to institutional credit, allowing firms to maintain control over their assets while optimizing capital efficiency. This suite will support up to 1,000 sub-accounts and offer leverage of up to 5×. Wang also unveiled the Bybit Market Maker Gateway (MMGW), a high-performance access platform tailored for clients with latency-sensitive needs. This system reduces round-trip latency from 30 milliseconds to just 2.5 milliseconds, facilitating quicker and more reliable connectivity for high-frequency and quantitative trading operations. The INS loan notional experienced a 26% increase quarter-over-quarter, indicating a rise in adoption among multi-strategy and high-frequency trading clients.
Engagement and Institutional Acknowledgment
The gala featured a cross-regional dialogue moderated by Dimitrios Psarrakis, Bybit’s Head of Global Affairs, which included representatives from regulatory entities and prominent financial institutions. The discussion underscored a significant industry shift towards a model where traditional finance and digital assets increasingly function as interconnected systems, grounded in transparency and institutional-grade governance. The evening concluded with awards celebrating companies that excelled in areas such as liquidity, trading performance, market leadership, and institutional contributions. Xin Song, CEO of the market-making firm GSR, remarked on the importance of trust, infrastructure, and long-term partnerships in the evolving landscape of digital finance, as highlighted by the event.
