At a Glance
- Bitget has seen a dramatic increase in institutional trading, now representing around 80% of its total volume as of September.
- Institutional participation on spot markets grew from 39.4% to 72.6%, and on futures markets from 3% to 56.6% between January and July.
- A Bitget-Nansen report highlights liquidity as crucial for institutional adoption, noting Bitget’s strong performance against competitors like Binance and OKX.
- Major institutional inflows to Bitget were driven by firms such as Laser Digital and Fenbushi Capital.
- Other leading exchanges, including Crypto.com, Binance, and OKX, are actively enhancing their offerings and forging partnerships to attract institutional investors.
Bitget’s Institutional Trading Surge
Singapore-based cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has reported a significant expansion in its institutional investor base. A recent report, a collaboration between Bitget and blockchain analytics firm Nansen, reveals that as of September, institutional traders now constitute approximately 80% of the exchange’s total trading volume.
The detailed report illustrates the accelerating institutional presence on Bitget’s platforms. On its spot markets, the share of institutional activity rose from 39.4% on January 1st to a notable 72.6% by July 30th. The change was even more dramatic in futures trading, where institutional market makers accounted for 56.6% of activity by late July, a sharp increase from just 3% at the start of 2025.
The study identifies liquidity as a primary driver for institutional adoption in the crypto market. It further points out that Bitget’s depth of order book, spreads, and execution quality are now competitive with industry heavyweights like Binance and OKX across major trading pairs.
💡 In financial markets, liquidity refers to the ease and speed with which an asset can be bought or sold without causing a significant change in its price.
On-chain data from Nansen indicated that Laser Digital and Fenbushi Capital were instrumental in driving institutional inflows onto Bitget, contributing the largest portion of net positive flows to the exchange.
Institutional Activity Across Major Exchanges
During the first half of 2025, Bitget recorded an average monthly trading volume of approximately $750 billion, with derivatives making up about 90% of this total. The report also suggests that institutional investors are responsible for nearly half of the total derivatives activity on the platform.
In comparison, Binance, recognized as the world’s largest centralized cryptocurrency exchange, experienced a 61% month-over-month increase in spot trading volume in July, reaching $698.3 billion from $432.6 billion in June, according to data from Coingecko.
Exchanges Enhance Services for Institutional Investors
As institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies continues to grow throughout 2025, exchanges are actively implementing diverse strategies to secure market share and attract these significant players.
In January, Crypto.com introduced an institutional trading platform equipped to support over 300 trading pairs and sophisticated trading strategies specifically designed for institutional investors. This move represented a strategic effort to strengthen its position within the Wall Street ecosystem.
More recently, in September, Binance launched a “crypto-as-a-service” platform targeted at licensed banks, stock exchanges, and brokerages. This offering provides traditional finance institutions with direct access to Binance’s extensive liquidity, futures, and custody infrastructure.
OKX also made significant advancements by forming a strategic partnership with Standard Chartered in October. This collaboration focuses on rolling out a collateral-mirroring program within the European Economic Area, allowing institutional clients to hold their crypto assets directly with Standard Chartered’s custody services.
Expert Summary
The cryptocurrency market is experiencing a clear trend toward increased institutional engagement, with exchanges like Bitget reporting that institutional participants now drive the vast majority of their trading volume. This trend highlights the growing maturity and acceptance of digital assets among traditional finance entities, who are increasingly prioritizing exchanges offering deep liquidity and robust services.
The competitive landscape is intensifying as exchanges proactively develop specialized platforms and establish strategic partnerships to cater to the complex demands of institutional investors, indicating substantial evolution within the digital asset ecosystem.