Bybit Expands Pre-IPO Trading to Robotics and AI Startups as Crypto Platforms Rush Into Private Markets

Bybit, a leading Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange, has bolstered its offerings in private-market derivatives by launching perpetual contracts pegged to Unitree and Moonshot AI, two privately held companies with significant growth potential. These new USDT-denominated and settled derivatives allow traders to gain market exposure to these firms’ valuations without acquiring actual share ownership—a structure that has become increasingly popular as crypto platforms extend their reach into traditional finance products.

The addition represents a milestone in Bybit’s rapid expansion of its TradFi perpetuals division. Since debuting in April, the exchange’s private-market derivatives lineup has grown to encompass more than 200 products across equities, exchange-traded funds, commodities, market indices, and pre-IPO companies. This diversity signals both the pace of crypto platforms’ evolution and the market appetite for such exposure.

Unitree’s inclusion carries particular strategic importance. The company received the green light from China’s securities regulator in July to list on Shanghai’s STAR Market, making the perpetual contract a timely vehicle for traders seeking early exposure before shares become publicly tradable. By offering such instruments, Bybit allows market participants to position themselves around forthcoming listings.

A Broader Crypto Exodus Into Private Markets

Bybit’s expansion is far from isolated. Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, and other crypto exchanges have similarly introduced derivative products tracking private companies, most prominently rolling out SpaceX-linked perpetuals ahead of that aerospace company’s June market entry. This coordinated push reveals how crypto platforms view private-market products as a natural extension of their business models, combining the leverage, liquidity, and 24/7 accessibility that define digital asset trading with exposure to companies that traditionally lack retail trading mechanisms.

The mechanics are straightforward: perpetual contracts eliminate administrative and legal barriers associated with direct ownership while offering the leverage and price discovery that crypto traders demand. For platforms seeking to differentiate themselves and capture institutional capital migrating from traditional finance, such products have become essential.

Tokenized Equities Gain Mainstream Momentum

Beyond perpetuals, onchain equities are achieving real scale. According to RWA.xyz data, as reported by Cointelegraph, tokenized stocks have accumulated a distributed value of $2.38 billion and now count 1.31 million holders—a cohort that expanded by more than 123 percent over a 30-day period. These figures underscore a transition from speculation to utility: thousands of participants now actively engage with blockchain-based equity instruments.

This convergence of developments—perpetual contracts, tokenized equities, and institutional-grade infrastructure at crypto exchanges—marks a watershed moment. Traditional finance assets are no longer peripheral to crypto markets; they are becoming structural components of how crypto platforms compete and how participants access diverse investment opportunities.

As crypto platforms architect themselves into the plumbing of global finance, the infrastructure supporting XRP and other digital assets stands to benefit from mainstream adoption drivers; deeper institutional participation in these hybrid ecosystems could accelerate cryptocurrency’s role as a medium for cross-asset settlement and value transfer.

Source: Bybit, via Cointelegraph. Not financial advice.