Deconstructing Bitget TradFi: How to Bridge the Final Gap Between Crypto and Traditional Assets?

Original Author: 1912212.eth, Foresight News

In the decade following Bitcoin's birth, cryptocurrency was largely viewed as a fringe experiment, leveraging cypherpunk ideals to challenge the central bank-dominated monetary system. However, with the maturation and development of public chains and DeFi, the boundary between crypto and traditional finance (TradFi) is blurring at an astonishing pace.

We are witnessing the arrival of an all-asset era: investors are no longer confined to a single market but are pursuing cross-border liquidity, diversification, and immediacy. The total global financial asset size has surpassed $400 trillion, dominated by stocks, forex, and commodities. While the crypto market cap is only about $3 trillion, its high growth and innovative nature are permeating traditional sectors.

This trend is driven by multiple factors. Firstly, the involvement of institutional investors has changed the game. Since 2024, traditional giants like BlackRock have entered the crypto market via ETFs and tokenized assets, fueling the rise of RWA. RWA brings traditional assets like bonds and commodities on-chain, enabling 24/7 trading and fractional ownership. Secondly, technological advancements like blockchain interoperability and the maturity of DeFi protocols mean crypto is no longer an isolated island. L2s and cross-chain bridges allow capital to flow freely between ecosystems, smoothing the friction between crypto and TradFi.

The macroeconomic environment is also accelerating this convergence. Inflationary pressures, geopolitical risks, and interest rate volatility are pushing investors to seek hedging tools. The traditional forex market sees a daily trading volume of $7.5 trillion, but its trading hours are limited to weekdays and time zones. In contrast, the crypto market never closes, offering real-time responsiveness. Commodity markets like gold and crude oil experience sharp price fluctuations due to supply chain disruptions, while crypto derivative tools allow investors to participate with leverage without physical possession.

Landmark events signaling the disappearance of boundaries include the 2025 regulatory changes. The U.S. SEC approved more crypto ETFs, and the EU's MiCA framework standardized stablecoin usage, among others.

As boundaries begin to vanish, what chemical reaction will occur between the two?

Bitget TradFi, officially launched on January 5, 2026, is a typical representative of this wave, attempting to bridge crypto with global exchanges through a single account, challenging the monopoly of traditional brokers.

1 Account, Trade Global Assets

Latest data from DefiLlama shows the total DeFi TVL has risen to $117.9 billion, still near historical highs. Among this, the total value of RWA has reached $17.131 billion, experiencing explosive growth since 2025.

Retail and institutional traders are not just trading native crypto assets; any RWA asset has also become a tradable object.

Retail investors are shifting from Robinhood-style stock apps to platforms supporting multi-assets, while institutions leverage API integrations for automated arbitrage. Ultimately, the all-asset trend heralds a frictionless financial world where crypto is no longer a supplement but a core engine.

Currently, leading perpetual contract exchanges like Hyperliquid, Aster, and Lighter have already listed trading pairs such as U.S. stocks and gold, with trading volume and open interest becoming significant. Even some trading protocols focusing primarily on traditional assets like RWA, such as Ostium, have received substantial venture capital funding, aiming to get a piece of the pie.

Boundaries are disappearing, and Bitget TradFi is the functional product turning theory into practice.

TradFi is a feature launched by Bitget in December 2025, allowing users to access traditional financial assets through a single account, using USDT as margin for trading. The official core definition of the product is a "cross-market trading platform," integrating crypto with forex, metals, commodities, and indices. This is not a simple asset expansion but building a "global exchange" ecosystem where users can participate in multiple markets without leaving the Bitget App.

The asset coverage is extensive, mainly including:

• Foreign Exchange (FX): Supports major currency pairs like EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, etc. The forex market is the core of TradFi, accounting for the vast majority of daily global financial volume. Bitget TradFi allows users to trade with USDT leverage, with leverage ratios reaching up to several hundred times.
• Metals and Precious Metals: Gold (XAU/USD) and Silver (XAG/USD) are the focus. Gold and silver have attracted immense market attention and popularity this year due to their strong price performance.
• Commodities: Include palladium XPD (one of the world's rarest precious metals), Arabica coffee, Brent crude oil, copper, etc. Energy prices fluctuate sharply due to Middle East conflicts; Bitget TradFi provides real-time quotes and leverage tools for easy hedging.
• Indices: Cover major global stock indices like S&P 500, Nasdaq, Hang Seng Index. Users can bet on market direction via CFDs (Contracts for Difference) rather than purchasing individual stocks.

If investors observe carefully, they will notice that Bitget's chosen coverage is not particularly comprehensive—it excludes low-liquidity assets like bonds or real estate—but focuses on high-frequency trading instruments, matching crypto users' preferences. Compared to traditional brokers like Interactive Brokers, TradFi's asset selection is more streamlined, emphasizing highly liquid global markets.

Coverage alone is far from enough. The trading experience is key.

Bitget TradFi integrates the MetaTrader 5 (MT5) platform, the standard tool in TradFi, supporting advanced charts, EAs (Expert Advisors), and algorithmic trading. Users connect to MT5 via their Bitget account without additional registration. Its core mechanism is CFD: users do not own the underlying asset but enter a contract with the platform, settling profits/losses based on price differences.

Bitget TradFi does not create a weird crypto interface. Instead, by using MT5, a global financial standard tool, it allows even traders outside the crypto circle to smoothly enter the crypto-driven financial ecosystem without changing any operational habits or abandoning any EA strategies.

Bitget uses USDT as a bridge, allowing crypto users to transfer funds directly from their wallets, bypassing bank transfers. The trading process: users deposit USDT to Bitget, convert it to MT5 account balance, and trade. Upon settlement, profits/losses are returned in USDT, supporting instant withdrawal to crypto wallets or on-chain addresses. This undoubtedly eliminates the significant inconvenience and hassle of repeated deposits and withdrawals.

Regarding security, Bitget employs cold/hot wallet separation, multi-signature, and third-party audits. MT5 integration ensures real-time data synchronization, but potential risks include slippage (price execution deviation) and forced liquidation.

Overall, what Bitget TradFi aims to do is practical bridging. It targets native crypto users, providing a TradFi entry point. However, it relies on external liquidity providers and may expose certain limitations in extreme markets, so investors still need to pay attention to risk control.

Product Features

Investors who have bought and sold cryptocurrencies will likely feel strong discomfort when experiencing traditional trading platforms and brokers. Conversely, users transitioning from traditional stock platforms to crypto exchanges will certainly have a fresh perspective on trading experience.

Traditional brokers like FXCM or OANDA rely on banking systems and regulatory frameworks, while crypto accounts leverage blockchain and stablecoins, offering unique advantages. Analyzing from three dimensions—threshold, fees, and capital efficiency—reveals considerable benefits.

First, Low Threshold.

Traditional forex/commodity trading requires strict KYC (Know Your Customer), including ID proof, address verification, and bank account linkage. Account opening can take days. For investors in regions like Southeast Asia or Latin America, accessing assets like the S&P 500 index or Brent crude oil may face extremely high local barriers. Furthermore, leverage ratios are capped by regulation, e.g., EU ESMA limits retail to a maximum of 1:30.

In contrast, Bitget TradFi has a lower threshold. Users only need a crypto wallet and basic verification to fund with USDT. Through a single account and stablecoin, investors from any region can cross geographical financial divides and enjoy liquidity synchronized with Wall Street. In a sense, Bitget TradFi can be considered an equal-access platform for global premium assets.

Leverage up to 500x attracts high-risk appetite users, catering to the needs of those seeking high volatility.

This is particularly friendly to emerging market users—no need for forex conversion or cross-border transfers; funds can be moved directly from other exchanges or on-chain wallets. Bitget holds multiple licenses, and the platform is also regulated by the Mauritius Financial Services Commission (FSC), providing assurance for fair and secure trading.

Second, Significantly Lower Fees.

For example, for opening positions with the same notional value of $100,000 in a gold contract and a Bitcoin contract, the latter's fee is 20 USDT, while the gold fee is as low as 1.5 USDT.

TradFi fees are as low as 1/13th of traditional crypto contracts, over 90% cheaper than regular coin-margined/perpetual contracts. With the same capital, users can open positions over 10 times larger. This completely solves the problem where crypto retail investors are deterred from trading gold/forex due to high fees.

Don't underestimate a single transaction fee. When user trading frequency and position sizes increase, the accumulated cost over time becomes a significant expense.

Official documentation shows that currently, Bitget VIP3 and above users enjoy fee discounts when trading forex, precious metals, commodities, oil, and indices.

Capital Efficiency is also a major highlight.

Traditional systems rely on SWIFT or ACH transfers, taking 1-3 days for deposits and even longer for withdrawals. Deposits to traditional brokers (like Interactive Brokers or FXCM) require multiple layers of bank scrutiny, while Bitget TradFi leverages blockchain technology to achieve "instant" financial liquidity. This is not just a benefit for crypto players but a necessity for global arbitrageurs.

Funds lying idle generate no yield. Crypto accounts enable instant transfers: USDT confirms in seconds on the blockchain and can be used in DeFi lending to earn interest.

On Bitget TradFi, users can put idle USDT into staking or liquidity pools, earning yield while trading. Capital utilization is higher—switching from crypto futures to forex is just a click away, avoiding dispersion across multiple platforms. Quantitatively, traditional brokers have a capital turnover cycle of T+2, while crypto platforms are near real-time. This is crucial in fast-paced markets, such as during the 2025 Fed rate hike cycle, where quick responses can capture opportunities.

Overall, for crypto natives, crypto accounts are more efficient in forex/commodity trading but are suitable for experienced users.

Hands-On Experience

To evaluate the actual performance of Bitget TradFi, I simulated a typical user flow based on official guides and user feedback. Test environment: Android App version, using a test account.

One noteworthy point is that users first need to create an MT5 account password (different from the main Bitget account).

The main screen displays real-time quotes: forex pairs, candlestick charts, customizable indicators like MACD, RSI, etc. The trading interface shows no significant difference from regular cryptocurrency trading.

Trade Execution: Placing a market order, the system displays potential profit/loss and margin requirements. Setting stop-loss/take-profit is straightforward. The experience was smooth during testing.

During market closures, investors cannot perform buy/sell operations, including placing orders.

Transferring from MT5 back to the spot account and then withdrawing to a wallet had a 0 fee and was a seamless process. Overall, the user experience exceeded expectations but has a steep learning curve for beginners—MT5's learning curve is steep. Some minor potential issues: reliance on third-party liquidity; extreme events like black swans could cause interruptions. Compared to traditional platforms, Bitget is more flexible but may slightly lag in stability.

Bitget TradFi is suitable for crypto users looking to expand but requires enhanced risk awareness. In actual trading, combining DeFi tools can improve efficiency.

The Eve of Global Finance Going On-Chain, Building Infrastructure in Advance for All Investors

U.S. SEC Chairman Paul Atkins predicted that within the next two years, the entire U.S. financial market might migrate to the blockchain technology underpinning cryptocurrencies. "This will not only be a trend for the next 10 years but could become a reality in as little as two years. The next step will come with digital assets, market digitization, and tokenization, which will bring 'tremendous benefits' for transparency and risk management."

Correspondingly, U.S. exchange Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong recently stated that the platform's top priority for 2026 is to develop an all-in-one trading platform covering cryptocurrencies, stocks, prediction markets, commodities—including spot, futures, and options, etc.

The tide is surging.

Before traditional finance migrates en masse on-chain, Bitget TradFi is not just about letting crypto users play with gold and silver; it's about building the infrastructure in advance for all investors, regardless of background.

The launch of Bitget TradFi perhaps signifies a transition from a pure crypto platform to a comprehensive financial services provider.

Firstly, it expands the user base. Bitget already has 120 million users, primarily crypto retail. Through TradFi, it attracts TradFi investors into crypto, targeting the multi-trillion dollar forex market. By integrating crypto, stocks, and on-chain assets, it forms a closed-loop ecosystem, increasing user stickiness. Secondly, it diversifies revenue. The crypto market is cyclical; trading volume declines during bear markets, and with the current cycle lacking widespread altcoin wealth effects, market enthusiasm has plummeted. TradFi can provide a stable revenue source, reducing reliance on spot/futures.

As Bitget CEO Gracy Chen stated: "Fine birds choose the best trees to perch on, capital flows where profit lies. Today's traders are no longer confined to a single investment track. The mission of a trading platform is to break down boundaries and make the crossing and flow of assets safer and more efficient. The launch of TradFi is an important part of Bitget's UEX (Universal Exchange) plan, granting users flexibility within the same platform and eliminating barriers to cross-market trading."

Overall, Bitget TradFi is not just a product but one of its important strategic moves. A new generation of global financial investment platforms is advancing rapidly.