Bitget has introduced the Open Custody Network to give institutional investors more flexibility in managing digital assets while accessing the exchange's trading infrastructure.
The framework connects eligible clients and their chosen custody and asset partners to Bitget's trading and liquidity ecosystem.
The launch addresses a structural consideration for institutional investors: separating the execution of trades from the safekeeping of assets. Under this model, institutions can maintain existing custody relationships while applying for access to Bitget's spot, spot margin and futures markets.
The available products and services will depend on the custody solution selected, client eligibility and the terms agreed between the parties.
Institutional demand for flexible custody
In traditional financial markets, institutions can choose separate providers for asset custody, trade execution and settlement. These arrangements allow firms to align their infrastructure with internal compliance policies, risk limits and operational requirements.
Similar considerations are becoming increasingly important in digital-asset markets as institutional participation expands.
A survey of 351 institutions conducted by Coinbase and EY-Parthenon found that 46% of respondents identified improvements in institutional-grade infrastructure as a key driver of increased cryptocurrency allocations.
Custody, settlement procedures and risk controls can influence how institutions access digital assets, particularly when they must operate within established compliance frameworks or maintain relationships with approved service providers.
Bitget's Open Custody Network is designed to accommodate these requirements by allowing eligible institutions to use the exchange's trading and liquidity services without necessarily transferring their assets into a custody arrangement dictated by the trading venue.
The framework could offer institutions greater flexibility in managing collateral and account workflows while preserving their existing operational structures.
However, the specific arrangements available will depend on the selected custody provider and the agreements governing each relationship.
Extending institutional infrastructure
The network builds on Bitget's existing institutional trading infrastructure by connecting third-party custody and asset partners with its markets.
Eligible institutions can apply for access to spot, spot margin and futures trading while retaining their preferred custody arrangements, subject to the services supported by their chosen provider.
The model reflects a broader shift in institutional crypto infrastructure, where exchanges are expected to accommodate different custody, compliance and risk-management requirements rather than offer trading access alone.
For institutional clients, the ability to separate asset safekeeping from trade execution can help align digital-asset operations with existing governance policies.
For trading platforms, compatibility with external custody providers may broaden access to institutions that cannot or do not wish to consolidate custody and execution under a single provider.
Bitget has not specified that every custody partner will support all trading products. Access, collateral arrangements and other services will depend on the selected solution, eligibility requirements and final agreements.
The Open Custody Network is intended to provide institutions with more choice in how they connect to Bitget's markets, while allowing them to retain greater control over the custody structures underpinning their digital-asset operations.
