Bybit Secures UAE VAPO License, Unveils Strategic Institutional Roadmap

Bybit announced a major strategic roadmap at its Institutional Gala in Dubai, highlighting key advancements in regulatory compliance and institutional service infrastructure.

Key Highlights:

• Full Regulatory Approval in UAE: Co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou confirmed that Bybit has received full authorization under the UAE’s Virtual Asset Platform Operator (VAPO) framework. This approval allows Bybit to operate a complete suite of institutional products from its Dubai hub, enhancing its appeal to institutions seeking clear oversight and operational stability.
• Surge in Institutional Activity:Zhou revealed a significant increase in institutional engagement during Q4:
  • Asset Inflows: Jumped from $1.3 billion in Q3 to $2.88 billion in Q4.
  • Assets Under Management (AUM): Expanded from $40 million in Q3 to $200 million in Q4.
• Retail Supports Institutional Liquidity: Zhou emphasized that Bybit’s extensive retail infrastructure, including card, payment, and fiat integrations across 13 regions, contributes to a deep liquidity pool essential for professional traders.
• Major Institutional Product Upgrades: Yoyee Wang, Head of B2B at Bybit, detailed two critical enhancements:
  • Expanded INS Credit Suite: Upgraded to offer up to 5X leverage, TradFi-aligned loan-to-value parameters, and support for up to 1,000 sub-accounts. The program saw $1.1 billion in loans in Q4, a 26% increase QoQ.
  • RWA-Credit Integration: A key new feature allows institutions to hold assets in custody, earn yield via tokenized money-market Real-World Asset (RWA) tokens, and unlock credit simultaneously—combining custody, yield, and credit into one workflow.
  • Redesigned Market Maker Gateway (MMGW): Execution latency for institutional clients has been drastically reduced from 30 milliseconds to just 5 milliseconds, with a further reduction to 2.5 milliseconds planned for 2026.

These regulatory and technological upgrades solidify Bybit’s strategy to provide a fully integrated institutional service that combines high performance, credit access, and strict governance standards.