Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, announced a major strategic transformation in 2026, rebranding as “The New Financial Platform”. The move aims to position the company as a global financial ecosystem, extending beyond crypto trading into banking, payments, and traditional investment infrastructure, with a focus on serving the world’s 1.4 billion underbanked.
Co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou introduced the vision during Bybit’s biannual keynote, emphasizing that the platform now connects crypto markets, traditional financial instruments, and real-world services.
“Finance should not be limited by geography,” Zhou said. “We are building infrastructure that integrates crypto with real-world economic activity, removing barriers to participation in modern finance and creating a system that is accessible, efficient, and global by design.”
MyBank: Retail Banking Without Borders
A key initiative under the new platform is MyBank, a retail banking layer set to launch in February 2026. The service provides dedicated accounts to simplify large-value fiat on- and off-ramps and everyday cross-border transactions.
By combining crypto liquidity with traditional banking rails, MyBank aims to reduce fees, speed up transfers, and expand access for individuals and businesses in emerging markets.
ByCustody: Institutional-Grade Asset Protection
Bybit is also expanding its institutional custody framework, ByCustody, which currently safeguards over $5 billion in assets for more than 30 professional asset managers. The system enables secure segregation of client funds, bridging traditional financial safeguards with access to digital markets.
Bybit’s institutional infrastructure has attracted over 2,000 organizations, a 100% year-over-year increase, highlighting growing demand for hybrid financial platforms.
Unified Financial Ecosystem
Bybit now serves 82 million users across 181 countries, supported by:
- Connectivity to nearly 2,000 local banks and 58+ fiat gateways
- Over 200,000 P2P merchants worldwide
- 2.7 million Bybit Cards issued globally
- Local fiat payment support in 10+ countries via Bybit Pay
- $7.1 billion in Bybit Earn AUM, generating $110 million in yield for users in 2025
The platform also leads XAUT (Tether Gold) spot trading globally with 16% market share. Its Bybit TradFi infrastructure now includes over 200 instruments, with plans to launch 500 trading pairs in Q1 2026 across stocks, forex, commodities, indices, and crypto.
Compliance and Global Expansion
Bybit’s evolution emphasizes regulatory alignment and partnerships with licensed banking and custodial providers. Collaborations with over 10 global banks and custodians enable secure collateral systems combining fiat, traditional assets, and crypto holdings.
AI Integration as Core Infrastructure
Artificial intelligence is central to Bybit’s platform, driving efficiency, risk management, and scalability.
In 2026, the company plans to roll out:
- AI4SE, targeting 50% efficiency gains across the software lifecycle
- A company-wide AI agent network for risk control, compliance, and analytics
- TradeGPT, a personalized AI assistant simplifying access to financial markets
Zhou highlighted that AI is a platform-wide engine, not just an add-on feature, supporting Bybit’s mission to scale financial services to underserved populations.
“This transformation is about mainstream finance,” Zhou said. “We are moving beyond niche crypto services to a platform where crypto is integrated with real-world financial activity, empowering users to maximize capital efficiency.”
Investor Takeaways
Bybit’s strategic evolution positions the company to capture growth in both digital and traditional financial markets. With a massive user base, regulatory-aligned infrastructure, and integrated AI capabilities, the platform offers exposure to emerging fintech, crypto adoption, and cross-border banking expansion. Investors may view Bybit as a hybrid financial platform bridging DeFi and TradFi, with long-term scalability in underbanked and global markets.
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