One day in June this year, I went to Mugello in central Italy, where the Italian Grand Prix of the MotoGP World Championship was being held.

As the race cars roared past, their engines whirring and creaking, the air seemed to vibrate. Suddenly, a MotoGP staff member nearby remarked, "Did you know? These motorcycles can reach speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour, almost as fast as an airplane taking off."

My mouth dropped open in amazement, and I couldn't help but ask, "To reach that speed, the gearbox must be really powerful, right?"

He smiled. "Of course. These motorcycle racers usually have six gears. But simply shifting to sixth gear doesn't guarantee victory. True champions, in their quest to go faster, are always looking for ways to go beyond the norm, like switching to a 'seventh gear' that doesn't exist."

At that moment, the concept of "the nonexistent seventh gear" took root in my mind. To get ahead in a race car, one doesn't mechanically shift gears step by step, but rather constantly transcends convention and pushes boundaries. Similarly, building a trustworthy exchange requires such courage and breakthroughs.

This year marks Bitget's seventh anniversary. We chose #GearUpTo7 as our anniversary theme, not just because of the number, but also because it symbolizes a spirit: only by daring to push boundaries can we embark on a journey at full speed.

Challenger's stance

Over the past seven years, Bitget has consistently played the role of both a follower and a challenger, prompting us to redouble our efforts. Here, we eschew office politics and focus on development and results, supporting each other to achieve our goals. Along the way, we eschew short-term hype and instead strive to build a rational, long-term strategy, innovate products, and optimize the ecosystem.

We incubated and invested in Bitget Wallet and Morph public blockchain, building an ecosystem for financial innovation. We launched GetAgent, the world's first AI-powered crypto trading assistant, to help users make smarter decisions. We actively promote public welfare projects such as Blockchain 4 Her, Blockchain 4 Youth, and our partnership with UNICEF. This is more than just corporate social responsibility; it's our commitment to the community—making financial freedom more accessible.

This concept is also the reason why we are always passionate about the industry. Financial freedom means that we can control our own assets and no longer be subject to old-fashioned institutions and their managers.

As technology evolves, I increasingly believe the exchange industry has transcended the simplistic dichotomy between centralized exchanges (CEX) and decentralized exchanges (DEX). CEXs offer a limited asset selection, while DEXs offer a complex and fragmented experience. While each has its pros and cons, neither offers a truly complete solution.

I firmly believe that the ultimate outcome for CEXs and DEXs isn't about replacing one another, but rather building a unified, user-driven, and continuously iterative solution. To this end, we've been diligently working to overcome the "impossible triangle" faced by exchanges: the trade-off between user experience, asset diversity, and security.

Pushing the boundaries of CEX

Today, on the seventh anniversary of Bitget, I am pleased to introduce a brand new concept: UEX.

UEX stands for Universal Exchange, and we refer to it as a panoramic exchange. As a next-generation exchange, UEX will support all tradable crypto assets, unlike today's CEXs, which mostly support only a few hundred major currencies. Furthermore, UEX's service reach extends beyond cryptocurrencies—global premium assets such as stocks, ETFs, gold, and foreign exchange will all be tradable on UEX. This not only combines the strengths of CEXs and DEXs, but also represents a fusion of technology and philosophy.

We believe that in the future, all exchanges (whether CEX or DEX) will become UEX. This transformation will not only greatly expand the types of assets that users can trade, but also bring a smarter and more secure trading experience. The crypto world and Wall Street will move forward in unprecedented ways.

I'm particularly excited about the potential for financial freedom this trend will bring. Previously, to trade stocks or assets in a specific country, you needed proof of address and identity to open an account. Furthermore, these traditional financial markets weren't open 24/7. Now, through UEX, 24/7, all-asset financial markets are possible, and they're equally accessible to everyone.

UEX is highly consistent with the philosophical spirit of the origin of the crypto industry, just as Satoshi Nakamoto envisioned - to democratize the financial world.

In Bitget's roadmap for transforming from a CEX to a UEX, we will make breakthroughs around three features:

• Full asset coverage . From the latest altcoins to RWAs like stocks, you can now trade them on Bitget. In early September, we became the first platform to support trading over 100 US stock tokens directly with exchange funds. In a few weeks, Bitget's on-chain trading (Onchain) will usher in another major update, integrating all assets on major public chains. With funds from the exchange, you can purchase and trade millions of tokens. No more switching between platforms; all the great assets you want to trade are available on Bitget.
• AI tool integration . Today's AI is no longer the less intelligent customer service we once thought it was. While many crypto AIs are still limited to simple information aggregation, Bitget's AI assistant, GetAgent, can already learn your trading history, risk preferences, and asset allocation to assist you in completing transactions. In the future, we plan to leverage AI to further optimize the experience, bypassing the tedious learning process. Simply issue commands, and the AI will instantly complete various trading operations.
• Advanced security protection . Security is always our top priority. UEX will combine on-chain and off-chain best security practices, such as using intelligent tools to detect Pixiu risks in early-stage tokens and relying on a growing user protection fund to address the most extreme security challenges.

With the upcoming update of Bitget's on-chain trading products, we will support all on-chain assets of several mainstream public chains. Bitget will no longer be defined as a centralized exchange (CEX), but the world's first universal exchange (UEX).

The mindset of a marathon runner

Many Asian civilizations use the metaphor of "road" to describe life. I particularly like this philosophical wisdom from Xunzi: "Without accumulating small steps, one cannot reach a thousand miles ." Bitget's journey over the past seven years has been a marathon. Throughout this journey, we have always been guided by "user first." We have not pursued short-term gains, but have taken the spirit of "accumulating small steps," laying the foundation step by step, focusing on development, and facing the ups and downs of bull and bear markets with a "long-term" mindset.

On our seventh anniversary, looking back, Bitget's growth path resonates with the industry cycle. Looking forward, I believe that competition among exchanges is not a zero-sum game between CEXs, DEXs, or traditional brokerages, but an era of breaking conventions and collaborating for win-win results.

The UEX (Unified Exchange) is our blueprint for building a future financial world where financial services are no longer a privilege but a fundamental right for all. We are breaking down the barriers that have traditionally excluded billions of people from the global financial system. As a UEX, Bitget will empower users around the world, providing them with the tools and access to participate in this transformational financial landscape, truly achieving financial inclusion for all.

Finally, I want to thank Bitget's 120 million users and 2,181 employees. I'm excited to witness this milestone with you and continue working to bring the future of financial transformation to 8 billion people around the world.

Seven is a magical number, often representing cycles. God created the world in seven days, and Gautama Buddha achieved enlightenment after seven weeks of meditation beneath the Bodhi tree. Bitget's first seven years have been an extraordinary cycle. Now, we set out again—not to repeat the cycle, but to climb higher. Let's #FullSpeed7 together and head towards the future!

Gracy Chen

CEO of Bitget