#Abu Dhabi #Bybit #UAE #Gala #Institutional

Bybit's Institutional Gala: A Vision for 2026

On December 9, 2025, Bybit, the second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, took the stage in Abu Dhabi for its highly anticipated Institutional Gala. This event featured key executives from Bybit, international regulatory bodies, banking partners, liquidity providers, and institutional clients, all participating in forward-thinking dialogues about the evolution of digital markets.

The gala not only showcased Bybit’s vision but also celebrated the company's recent milestones, including the acquisition of the full Virtual Asset Platform Operator (VAPO) license from the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) of the UAE, along with the MiCAR license for the entire European Economic Area (EEA). These licenses mark Bybit's significant progress in establishing a prominent presence within the regulated digital finance landscape.

Key Highlights from the Gala

Ben Zhou, Bybit's Co-Founder and CEO, kicked off the evening by emphasizing the importance of a robust regulatory foundation in the UAE and EEA. He stated, "With our regulatory groundwork firmly in place, along with a unified liquidity platform prioritizing transparency and resilience, Bybit is poised to lead the next phase of the institutional digital finance ecosystem."

Institutional Trust and Market Structure

During his address, Zhou highlighted the industry's shift towards a more integrated and institutional market structure, pointing out Bybit's unique advantage stemming from its powerful retail ecosystem. Bybit has issued over 1.8 million cards across 13 regions in its first year alone, enhancing pricing and execution for institutional customers, facilitated by expanded fiat integration through its Pay and bank services.

The acceleration of Bybit’s asset management business was also discussed, with assets under management jumping from $40 million in Q2 to $200 million by Q4, underscoring the growing institutional interest and demand for qualified wealth management services. Zhou noted, "Institutions choose Bybit for security—liquidity security, compliance security, and performance security. The surge in asset inflows from $1.3 billion in Q3 to $2.88 billion in Q4 highlights our role in creating the most reliable infrastructure for the future of institutional digital finance."

Compliance as a Competitive Advantage

Robert MacDonald, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer at Bybit, delivered a keynote focusing on compliance's rising significance as a driving force for institutional acceptance. He indicated that predictable onboarding processes, product-integrated compliance, and proactive adherence to regulations now serve to strengthen Bybit's banking relationships while minimizing operational friction for professional investors.

Expanding Institutional Ecosystem

Yoyee Wang, Head of Business to Business at Bybit, unveiled exciting new institutional offerings aimed at enhancing connectivity and operational efficiency for institutional clients in 2026. This includes the updated INS Credit Suite, which integrates Bybit Custody with RWA yield products, allowing institutions to hold assets and earn returns through tokenized money market funds while accessing institutional credit. This unified structure is designed to improve capital efficiency without compromising control.

Furthermore, Bybit’s recently launched Market Maker Gateway (MMGW) offers a dedicated high-performance access point, providing institutional clients with faster, more stable connections and reducing round-trip latency for high-frequency and quantitative trading from 30 milliseconds to just 2.5 milliseconds.

The nominal volume of INS loans also saw a 26% quarter-over-quarter increase, reflecting robust demand from multi-strategy and high-frequency trading firms.

A Global Dialogue on Future Capital Markets

The gala also included a cross-regional dialogue, moderated by Dimitrios Psarrakis, Head of Global Affairs at Bybit, featuring notable figures like Jean-Marc Laventure, the European regulatory commissioner. The conversation highlighted a significant transformation within the industry, where traditional financial services and digital assets are no longer parallel but are converging systems based on shared principles of transparency, efficiency, and institutional governance.

Celebrating Industry Achievements

The evening concluded with an awards ceremony honoring leading institutions and contributors to the ecosystem for their exceptional performance and impact on global digital markets. Awards included the Premier Corporate Trading Terminal achievement, Broker Market Leadership, and the Outstanding Institutional Contribution awards among others, celebrating entities such as Vantage, Jarvis Lab, and Amber Group.

As Xin Song, CEO of GSR stated, "Receiving this recognition from Bybit at such a pivotal moment for the overall acceptance of the digital financial world is a privilege. The gala emphasized the importance of trust, infrastructure, and long-term partnerships. We look forward to ongoing collaboration with Bybit to roll out institutional-grade products and services in the crypto market."

Bybit’s commitment to reforming the decentralized finance landscape is evident as it continues to shape the future of financial services, bridging the gap between traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Discover more about Bybit and its innovative offerings at Bybit.com.

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