Original source: Bitget
I am very happy to start a new journey as the CEO of Bitget . I would like to share some of Bitget’s current focus and future plans (as if every new CEO would do this?), but first, please allow me to introduce myself (maybe not every new CEO would do this, but please bear with my lengthy self-introduction).
I grew up in a single-parent family, and my mothers expectations for me have always been simple: grow up happily. Like many Asian parents, she hopes that I will not be too strong, and she believes that the most important task for me when I grow up is to find a suitable partner. However, since I was a child, I have wanted to be a leader. Since elementary school, I have actively sought every opportunity to lead. This is not just because I want to manage or command others, but because in my eyes, leaders should create more value, take more responsibilities, and bring greater changes. (Not sure if 8-year-old Gracy agrees with this point of view)
At 18, I received a full scholarship to study for my undergraduate degree in Singapore. I chose to study applied mathematics, and after graduation, I became the host of a financial technology show. In 2015, some friends and interviewees on my show told me: Gracy, you should learn about crypto assets... At that time, one Bitcoin was worth about $300 (yes, it recently broke through $71,000)!
Gracy interviews Michelle Yeoh (2016)
I started reading the Bitcoin white paper and was immediately drawn to it. As a math enthusiast, I loved the beauty of the mathematics and was excited about this decentralized system. Most importantly, I was attracted by the idea of building a decentralized ledger that complements traditional finance.
Although I don’t consider myself a “rebel”, I have never been interested in following the rules, and I prefer to make my own rules rather than obey them! I found that the crypto industry allowed me to be at the forefront of innovation, so I bought some mainstream crypto assets — Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple (regret buying too little...) — and subsequently invested in some crypto startups, such as BitKeep, which is now called Bitget Wallet.
From 2015 to 2016, I also met many early investors and builders in the crypto industry, such as Tim Draper, founder of DFJ Fund, and He Yi, co-founder of Binance (I was honored to invite her to be my bridesmaid). I saw a lot of shining points of practitioners in this industry from them, who are sharp, visionary, and down-to-earth. They have now become the mainstay of driving the industry forward.
Gracys wedding, photo with bridesmaids He Yi and others (2016)
Soon after, I quit my job at the TV station and founded two startups as a serial entrepreneur, working in the fintech and virtual reality (VR) industries (how to describe entrepreneurs who keep failing? Just call them serial entrepreneurs? Haha, thats me...). At the same time, I always believed in the importance of lifelong learning, so I decided to go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA).
In the spring of 2022, a friend told me that Bitget was recruiting a managing director (MD). I was already acquainted with the Bitget team due to my investment in Bitkeep, but joining an exchange was still a cautious decision. Through one-on-one communication with each member of the Bitget management team, I found that they were very professional in their respective fields, and had strong execution and ethical standards. I believed that this platform had greater potential and potential. At that time, there were already many mature exchanges in the industry. This was not a battle that was bound to win, but seeing such a sincere and reliable team, I decided to challenge it with everyone.
Gracy on MIT campus (2022)
Fortunately, with the joint efforts of me (my contribution is actually the smallest), the management team and 1,500 Bitget employees, we have achieved more than four times growth in just two years, with the number of users exceeding 25 million. Bitget has become the top 5 contract trading platform and the top 10 spot trading platform in the world. I feel very lucky to work with the best people in the industry! And everyone is not internally consumed, very hard, and unanimously moving towards a bigger and stronger goal.
From Managing Director to CEO, I have witnessed the growth of Bitget. Although everyone may have their own opinions on what kind of company Bitget is, I would like to use two words to describe the Bitget I see. (Okay, enough joking, lets get serious...)
Users are the top priority. I firmly believe that users are the starting point and end point of all our actions, which is why I firmly believe in being user-centric. Take the SLERF incident in March this year, for example. When they lost user funds due to mistakes, we stepped forward without hesitation and donated SLERFs transaction fees, so that all users who participated in the SLERF pre-sale could get their assets back.
Diversity. Bitget is a collective of 1,500 people of different genders, nationalities, and beliefs. We are here to create change down to earth and communicate honestly with integrity. When we find some inequality, we also work hard to bridge it. As a single mother (I divorced in 2022), I know the importance of equal industry opportunities and gender diversity, which is why I launched the #Blockchain 4 Her initiative, hoping to build a more female-friendly crypto industry.
Gracy with her son (2020)
At the beginning of 2024, I mentioned in an open letter Bitget’s three major focuses for the whole year: 1) compliance, 2) emerging markets 3) Web 3.
Six months have passed, and we have made good progress in all three areas. Taking Web 3 as an example, our non-custodial Web 3 wallet Bitget Wallet has just completed the BWB points airdrop. According to its newly launched product blueprint , Bitget Wallet will be positioned as Bitgets Onchain layer, integrating a series of modular DApps through industry cooperation. More exciting progress about BWB will be revealed in the coming week.
In addition to these three strategic priorities, we also have bigger dreams and expectations for the role Bitget will play in the mainstreaming of the crypto industry in the future, so in the longer term, we will focus on:
1. Strengthening Bitget’s ecological construction: In addition to centralized exchanges, Bitget is enriching its ecosystem through investment. After we launched the Bitget Web3 Fund and EmpowerX Fund last year, enriching the ecosystem through investment will be our long-term strategy.
2. Connecting traditional finance and the crypto industry: With the approval of spot crypto ETFs in major markets such as the United States and Hong Kong, more institutions and retail users are expected to include cryptocurrencies in their portfolios. We are committed to working with industry partners to promote this trend and lower the threshold for entering the crypto world.
3. Bringing crypto assets into everyday life: We launched the Bitget Card, a crypto asset credit card, at the end of 2023 that can be used anywhere Visa is accepted. This innovation helps make crypto assets a part of everyday life, not just an investment. We will develop more services to support this integration.
Gracy at Bitget EmpowerX Summit in Singapore (2023)
In the long run, the crypto industry is destined to continue to flourish. Whether it is the performance of Bitcoin prices, the influx of more talents, the establishment of more innovative projects, or the increasing integration of traditional financial industries and the participation of the general public, this industry will only become stronger!
We are lucky to have the best team in the industry, but I believe that Bitgets success is inseparable from our beliefs. We want to be a good marathon runner, not a sprinter. Six years ago, Bitget was founded in the crypto winter. We have experienced many challenges, but we have never pursued overnight success. On the contrary, we work hard to lay a solid foundation, adhere to long-termism, and believe that every step will lead to improvement. Bitgets growth coincides with that of our global brand ambassador Messi. It is a similar spirit that has allowed Messi to grow from a young player with not the best physical conditions to one of the greatest players in football history.
Gracy and Messi (2023)
I am so grateful to be on this journey with each of you. Lets roll up our sleeves, open our imaginations, and create more possibilities!
There are more adventures ahead, so let’s keep working on BUIDL!
pay tribute,
Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget
