Bitget Latest Major Crypto Exchange To Partner With Sygnum For Off-Exchange Custody

  • With Bitget live on Protect, Sygnum’s off-exchange custody platform, member exchanges account for over half of global annual spot and derivatives exchange volumes
  • Bitget, one of the world’s largest exchanges and one of the biggest by derivatives volume[i], has 125 million users across more than 150 countries
  • Sygnum Protect is the largest bank-operated off-exchange custody platform, with total assets up 900% in 2025, surpassing USD 1 billion
  • Collateral includes yield-bearing US Treasuries – a differentiator over non-bank off-exchange platforms

Zurich, 24 September 2026 – Sygnum, a global digital asset banking group, has integrated Bitget, one of the world’s largest crypto exchanges by trading volume, into its Sygnum Protect off-exchange custody platform. Bitget client collateral is held off-balance sheet and bankruptcy-remote under Swiss banking law. With Bitget joining Protect, member exchanges account for over half of global spot and derivatives trading volumes. This milestone is the latest proof-point that bank-operated off-exchange custody has transitioned from a specialist safeguard to default market infrastructure.

Bitget is one of the five largest crypto exchanges in the world, serving over 125 million users across more than 150 countries, and among the largest venues globally for derivatives trading. Its broad institutional offering, featuring deep liquidity, is designed for market makers, asset managers, family offices, brokers and professional trading firms.

Bitget’s institutional clients can now access Sygnum Protect as an additional off-exchange custody option, the first operated by a bank, allowing them to trade crypto spot and derivatives on the exchange while their collateral is held off-balance sheet in Sygnum’s regulated custody in Switzerland.

Collateral held with Sygnum is mirrored on Bitget and available for trading. Protect accepts a broad, flexible range of collateral including BTC, ETH and Stablecoins, as well as US Treasuries – a differentiator over non-bank off-exchange platforms, whose yield can offset the cost of the service while reducing direct counterparty exposure to the exchange.

When Sygnum Protect launched in April 2024, off-exchange custody was still a specialist control used by the most risk-conscious trading desks. Over the past two-and-a-half years, the segregation of trading and custody, flexible collateral management and bank-grade risk controls, long standard in traditional finance, has also become best practice in digital assets. For many desks, the question is no longer whether to separate custody from the exchange, but which regulated bank holds the assets – and in which jurisdiction the bank is located.

This industry structural change is one factor that has supported Protect’s rapid growth into the world’s largest bank-operated off-exchange custody platform, which saw more than 900% asset growth in 2025 and surpassed USD 1 billion in total assets. Integrated exchanges on Protect, now including Bitget, represent more than half of global spot and derivatives trading volumes. The platform’s expansion is a strong vote of confidence in the quality of Swiss regulatory framework and financial infrastructure.

“Off-exchange custody has become the settlement backbone of institutional digital asset trading. When the majority of the market’s trading volume can now clear against collateral held at a Swiss regulated bank, counterparty risk stops being the largest uncertainty in the trade. Investors are empowered to fully focus on execution, liquidity, capital efficiency and their investment strategy. We are proud to welcome Bitget, one of the world’s biggest exchanges, onto the Protect platform, and enable their customers to trade on their principal exchange with complete peace of mind.” says Thomas Eichenberger, Deputy Group CEO and Chief Strategy Officer, Sygnum Bank.

“Security and trust are the foundation of institutional adoption, and off-exchange custody now sits at the heart of both. Working with Sygnum, our institutional clients can tap Bitget’s liquidity and product depth while their assets stay off our balance sheet, held with a regulated Swiss bank. As the market’s largest venues converge on bank-grade custody, this is fast becoming the standard institutions expect, and we are proud to help set it rather than follow it,” says Gracy Chen, CEO, Bitget.

Peace of mind is delivered through Sygnum’s custody infrastructure and security team, which safeguard client assets across multiple layers of software and hardware controls, governance and independent third-party audits, minimising single points of failure. All client collateral is held off the bank’s balance sheet in segregated, bankruptcy-remote accounts under Swiss banking law, with the balance mirrored and available for trading on the Bitget exchange.

[i] Top Cryptocurrency Exchanges Ranked By Volume | CoinMarketCap

About Sygnum 

Sygnum is a global digital asset banking group, founded on Swiss and Singapore heritage. We empower professional and institutional investors, banks, corporates and DLT foundations to invest in digital assets with complete trust. Our team enables this through our institutional-grade security, expert personal service and portfolio of regulated digital asset banking, asset management, tokenization and B2B services. 

Sygnum holds a banking licence in Switzerland, an EU MiCAR licence in Liechtenstein and a CMS and Major Payment Institution Licences in Singapore. The group is also regulated in the established global financial hubs of Abu Dhabi and Luxembourg. 

Sygnum’s B2B network of banks and international financial institutions now number more than 25; they include PostFinance, Zuger Kantonalbank, SocGen FORGE, Bordier la Cie, Incore Bank, Bergos, PKB, Bison Bank, VZ VermögensZentrum and Banca Stato. These industry leaders represent the full industry spectrum from systemically important and cantonal banks to universal, private, and retail financial institutions. 

We believe that the future has heritage. Our crypto-native team of banking, investment and digital asset technology professionals are building a trusted gateway between the traditional and digital asset economies that we call Future Finance. To learn more about how Sygnum’s mission and values are shaping this digital asset ecosystem, please visit sygnum.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X. 

Media contact 

Dominic Castley, Chief Marketing Officer 
[email protected] 
Sygnum Bank AG, Uetlibergstrasse 134a, 
8045 Zurich, Switzerland 

About Bitget

Bitget is the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), serving over 125 million users and offering access to over 2M crypto tokens, 500+ tokenized stocks, ETFs, commodities, FX, and precious metals such as gold. The ecosystem is committed to helping users trade smarter with its AI agent, which co-pilots trade execution. Bitget is driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships such as MotoGP™. Aligned with its global impact strategy, Bitget has joined hands with UNICEF to support blockchain education for 1.1 million people by 2027. Bitget currently leads in the tokenized TradFi market, providing the industry’s lowest fees and highest liquidity across 150 regions worldwide.

For more information, visit: Website | X | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord

For media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Disclaimer: The information in this publication pertaining to Sygnum Bank AG (“Sygnum”) is for general information purposes only, as per date of publication, and should not be considered exhaustive. This publication does not consider the financial situation of any natural or legal person, nor does it provide any tax, legal or investment advice. This publication does not constitute any advice or recommendation, an offer or invitation by or on behalf of Sygnum to purchase or sell any assets. No elements of precontractual or contractual relationship are intended. While the information is believed to be from accurate and reliable sources, Sygnum makes no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Sygnum expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information, omissions, or errors thereof. Any statements contained in this publication attributed to a third party represent Sygnum‘s interpretation of the data, information and/or opinions provided by that third party either publicly or through a subscription service, and such use and interpretation have not been reviewed by the third party. Sygnum reserves the right to amend or replace the information, in part or entirely, at any time, and without any obligation to notify the recipient of such amendment / replacement or to provide the recipient with access to the information. Simultaneously, there is no obligation of Sygnum to inform recipients of information, if before provided information later becomes outdated, inaccurate or obsolete, unless otherwise provided by applicable law. The information provided is not intended for use by or distributed to any individual or legal entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution, publication or use would be contrary to the law or regulatory provisions or in which Sygnum does not hold the necessary registration, approval authorisation or license. Except as otherwise provided by Sygnum, it is not allowed to modify, copy, distribute or reproduce, display, license, or otherwise use any content for commercial purposes.

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The information in this publication pertaining to Sygnum Bank AG (“Sygnum”) is for general information purposes only, as per date of publication, and should not be considered exhaustive. This publication does not consider the financial situation of any natural or legal person, nor does it provide any tax, legal or investment advice. This publication does not constitute any advice or recommendation, an offer or invitation by or on behalf of Sygnum to purchase or sell any assets. No elements of precontractual or contractual relationship are intended. While the information is believed to be from accurate and reliable sources, Sygnum makes no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information. Sygnum expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information, omissions, or errors thereof. Any statements contained in this publication attributed to a third party represent Sygnum‘s interpretation of the data, information and/or opinions provided by that third party either publicly or through a subscription service, and such use and interpretation have not been reviewed by the third party. Sygnum reserves the right to amend or replace the information, in part or entirely, at any time, and without any obligation to notify the recipient of such amendment / replacement or to provide the recipient with access to the information. Simultaneously, there is no obligation of Sygnum to inform recipients of information, if before provided information later becomes outdated, inaccurate or obsolete, unless otherwise provided by applicable law. The information provided is not intended for use by or distributed to any individual or legal entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution, publication or use would be contrary to the law or regulatory provisions or in which Sygnum does not hold the necessary registration, approval authorization or license. Except as otherwise provided by Sygnum, it is not allowed to modify, copy, distribute or reproduce, display, license, or otherwise use any content for commercial purposes.

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