Bybit will look for big broker partnerships to take on Robinhood in the U.S.
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou outlines a strategy to enter the U.S. market by partnering with established financial brokers rather than pursuing individual state licenses. The company aims to wait for clearer federal regulatory frameworks before launching operations.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing tension between crypto exchanges and U.S. state-by-state licensing requirements, signaling a potential shift toward institutional partnerships.
Zhou said finding a partner is Bybit’s standard approach when entering new territories, suggesting that for the U.S., Bybit will consider working with a company such as Interactive Brokers (IB), for example.
“It’s best at this stage to work with a partner who wants to enter the crypto field and who already has a client base in the U.S.,” Zhou said in an interview. “For example, IB or one of those guys who haven't gone into crypto and have a good U.S. base.”
Bybit, which has in excess of 80 million registered users worldwide across more than 180 countries and regions, has been collecting licenses globally with a view to offering a range of new regulated products. In Europe, for example, it plans to deploy an everything app offering derivatives and tokenized stocks as early as the first quarter of next year.
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