By George Ward
Stephan Lutz, the CEO of BitMEX, believes that the cryptocurrency sector is undergoing a remarkable revival, even in the face of the 2022 downfall of FTX and top crypto-asset platforms, which left a lasting impact.
The CEO portrayed an optimistic outlook for the broader crypto space pointing to the surge in user adoption and heightened trading activity witnessed within the first five months of 2023.
BitMEX CEO Is Bullish On Crypto Revival
For BitMEX, a respite from persistent market challenges is crucial. Despite ongoing legal disputes involving co-founders Arthur Hayes and Benjamin Delo, the platform has managed to maintain its operations steadily.
After assuming the role of BitMEX acting CEO in late 2022 and combining it with his capacity as the firm’s chief financial officer, Lutz highlights the massive transformation experienced by the company and the broader crypto industry, including unparallel global interest.
To prioritize transparency with its user base, BitMEX has taken proactive measures. According to Lutz, one such measure that the platform initiated is publishing proof of reserves and proof of liabilities information biweekly starting from August 2021.
This initiative enables users to independently verify that their account balances are reflected in the platform’s overall liability calculations. The spotlight on crypto exchanges intensified last year due to the collapse of FTX.
Following the FTX turmoil, BitMEX introduced its native token, BMEX, on its platform. Lutz claimed that the exchange tokens would continue to hold a significant purpose within the industry.
According to Lutz, BitMEX has continued to increase its earnings and observed a rise in user numbers throughout 2023, primarily driven by its unwavering commitment to derivatives offerings in the cryptocurrency industry.
It is worth noting that the company has continued to operate smoothly, maintaining a “business as usual” approach in the absence of co-founders Hayes and Delo. Both ex-executives admitted to violating the Bank Secrecy Act concerning past Anti-Money Laundering shortcomings spanning two years.
The Memecoin Effect
During the conversation, recent market developments also came under scrutiny, including the surge of meme tokens in recent weeks, which had a ripple effect on transaction volume on the BitMEX exchange. The derivatives exchange experienced a notable uptick in trading volumes for PEPE and AIDOGE tokens, which are memecoins.
Lutz further noted that preliminary communications regarding upcoming contracts involving memecoins had garnered positive feedback from BitMEX users. He believes the general response clearly indicates the market’s appetite for such offerings.
As Lutz emphasized, derivatives exchanges function as essential market liquidity providers, enabling traders to benefit from market price fluctuations. Seasoned traders can achieve substantial profits on these platforms, especially with recent additions of perpetual swaps on meme tokens.
These swaps often offer users up to 50X leverage. However, it is crucial to note that such high leverages also come with inherent risks.
BitMEX has established itself as a dynamic derivative market player, primarily focusing on derivative offerings. Interestingly, the platform expanded its services to include crypto spot services about ten months ago.
During the BitMEX Spot Exchange launch last May, the firm revealed that the platform would allow retail and institutional investors to purchase, sell, and trade different crypto assets. At its launch, the exchange supports seven crypto assets, including ETH, BTC, UNI, MATIC, AXS, LINK, and ApeCoin.