Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has outlined its institutional roadmap for 2026 at its BIG Series – Bybit Institutional Gala in Abu Dhabi. The event brought together senior Bybit executives, global regulators, banking partners, liquidity providers, and institutional clients for discussions on the evolution of digital markets and the company’s expanding role in regulated digital finance. The gala comes on the heels of Bybit securing a full Virtual Asset Platform Operator (VAPO) license from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority and a MiCAR license covering the European Economic Area — regulatory milestones that position the exchange at the center of the increasingly institutional digital asset ecosystem. Regulation, retail scale, and institutional confidence Co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou opened the event by emphasizing the industry’s shift toward a market structure built for institutional participation. He highlighted Bybit’s retail footprint as a competitive strength, noting that the Bybit Card surpassed 1.8 million cards issued across 13 regions within its first year. This retail scale, supported by expanding fiat onboarding channels, enhances pricing and execution for professional investors. Zhou also pointed to rapid growth in the firm’s wealth and asset management division, with assets under management rising from USD 40 million in Q2 to USD 200 million in Q4. Overall institutional inflows climbed from USD 1.3 billion in Q3 to USD 2.88 billion in Q4, reinforcing the exchange’s increasingly central role in institutional crypto finance. “Institutions are choosing Bybit because they want certainty — certainty of liquidity, certainty of compliance, and certainty of performance,” Zhou said. In a keynote session, Chief Legal & Compliance Officer Robert MacDonald underscored the rising importance of predictable, embedded compliance systems. He noted that regulatory clarity and proactive engagement now serve as trust-building tools that strengthen banking relationships and reduce friction for institutional clients. New institutional products and market infrastructure Yoyee Wang, Bybit’s Head of Business to Business, introduced new institutional offerings planned for 2026, including major upgrades to the INS Credit Suite. The updated version integrates Bybit Custody, tokenized money market fund yield products, and institutional credit access, allowing institutions to maintain asset control while improving capital efficiency. The suite supports up to 1,000 sub-accounts and offers 5× leverage. Wang also detailed the launch of Bybit’s Market Maker Gateway (MMGW), a high-performance access point designed for latency-sensitive clients. The system reduces round-trip latency from 30 milliseconds to 2.5 milliseconds, enabling faster and more stable connectivity for high-frequency and quantitative trading firms. INS loan notional grew 26% quarter-over-quarter, reflecting increased adoption among multi-strategy and HFT clients. Industry dialogue and institutional recognition The gala included a cross-regional dialogue moderated by Dimitrios Psarrakis, Bybit’s Head of Global Affairs, with participants from regulatory bodies and major financial institutions. The discussion highlighted a broader industry shift in which traditional finance and digital assets increasingly operate as converging systems grounded in transparency and institutional-grade governance. The evening concluded with awards recognizing firms for contributions across liquidity, trading excellence, market leadership, and institutional performance. Commenting on the recognition, Xin Song, CEO of market-making firm GSR, said the event underscored the growing importance of trust, infrastructure, and long-term collaboration in digital finance. The post Bybit positions for 2026 growth as Abu Dhabi Gala highlights institutional strategy appeared first on Invezz
