#Abu Dhabi #Bybit #UAE #crypto #Digital Finance

Bybit's Institutional Gala: Shaping the Future of Digital Finance

On December 9, 2025, Bybit, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, hosted its BIG Series - Bybit Institutional Gala in Abu Dhabi. This prominent event brought together key executives from Bybit, global regulators, banking partners, liquidity providers, and institutional clients for a forward-looking dialogue regarding the evolution of digital markets.

The gala marked a pivotal moment for Bybit following its recent achievement of the full Virtual Asset Platform Operator (VAPO) license from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) and its MiCAR license across the European Economic Area (EEA). These accomplishments position Bybit at the forefront of regulated digital finance.

A Vision for the Future

Ben Zhou, Bybit's co-founder and CEO, emphasized the company's commitment to advancing institutional digital finance. With their regulatory base in the UAE and EEA, Bybit aims to drive the next phase of institutional finance by leveraging a robust retail ecosystem.

The gala highlighted this with the announcement of Bybit Card's success, surpassing 1.8 million issued cards across 13 regions in its first year. This retail success empowers Bybit to offer superior pricing and execution for its institutional clients.

Moreover, Bybit’s assets under management (AUM) surged to $200 million in Q4 from $40 million in Q2, illustrating growing institutional engagement and demand for competent asset management services. As Zhou remarked, institutions turn to Bybit for confidence in liquidity, compliance, and performance, demonstrating their expanding role in building reliable infrastructure for digital finance.

Compliance: A New Standard for Institutional Trust

In a keynote address, Robert MacDonald, Chief Legal Compliance Officer, pointed out the increasing importance of compliance as a key factor for institutional adoption. Predictable onboarding, compliance embedded within products, and proactive regulatory engagement now function as competitive advantages that strengthen Bybit's banking relationships and ease operational friction for professional investors.

Expanding the Institutional Ecosystem

Yoyee Wang, Head of Business to Business at Bybit, introduced the next wave of institutional offerings anticipated for 2026. These enhancements aim to improve market connectivity and operational efficiency, which include:

1. The INS Credit Suite: Upgraded to integrate Bybit Custody with real-world asset yield products, allowing institutions to hold assets securely while earning returns via tokenized money market funds. This streamlined structure enhances capital efficiency without compromising control, offering a 5x leverage and supporting up to 1,000 subaccounts.
2. Market Maker Gateway (MMGW): Launched as a high-performance access point for institutional clients, significantly reducing round-trip latency from 30ms to 2.5ms, catering to high-frequency and quantitative trading clients.

Wang emphasized that the growing momentum among institutions is driven by tangible benefits such as capital efficiency, liquidity depth, and operational reliability. Bybit's mission is to simplify access while collaborating with partners, banks, and regulators to develop a cohesive and scalable global market structure.

A Global Dialogue on Capital Markets

The evening also featured an insightful region-crossing discussion led by Dimitrios Psarrakis, Head of Global Affairs at Bybit. He was joined by European regulator Jean-Marc Laventure from Standard Chartered and other esteemed guests. The conversation highlighted a critical shift in the finance sector, noting that traditional finance and digital assets are not parallel tracks but converging systems built on shared principles of transparency, efficiency, and institutional governance.

Celebrating Industry Achievements

The gala concluded with an award ceremony recognizing leading institutions and contributors to the digital markets for their excellence, impact, and achievements. Awards included:

• - Premier Corporate Trading Terminal Award: Recognizing Vantage and Jarvis Lab.
• - Broker Market Leadership Award: Acknowledging Insilico Terminal and Coinroutes.
• - Outstanding Institutional Contribution Award: Honoring Wintermute and Amber Group, among others.
• - Liquidity Leadership Award: Given to Pulsar and Atomic.
• - Institutional Trading Excellence Award: Awarded to CyantArb and others.

Xin Song, CEO of GSR, expressed gratitude towards Bybit, underscoring the significance of trust, infrastructure, and long-term cooperation for mainstream adoption of digital finance.

In summary, Bybit's gala not only showcased its commitment to advancing the world of digital finance but also highlighted the critical trends and innovations shaping the future of capital markets.