Bitget launched U.S. stock options trading on Thursday for eligible users, expanding its Stock+ platform beyond tokenized stocks and private market access into listed derivatives. The initial rollout gives users access to long call and long put strategies, allowing traders to buy call options for upside exposure to U.S. stocks or buy put options to position for downside moves or hedge existing exposure. The launch is part of a broader convergence between crypto markets and traditional finance, as crypto exchanges move to become multi-asset venues offering users access to equities, commodities, and derivatives from one account.
Bitget Introduces Long Call and Long Put Strategies on Stock+ Platform
The Seychelles-based crypto exchange is starting with single-leg options buying, a simpler structure than spreads, collars, straddles, or other multi-leg strategies. Bitget said more advanced options structures are planned for future updates. Traders can buy call options to gain upside exposure to U.S. stocks or buy put options to position for downside moves or hedge existing exposure. In both cases, the buyer's maximum risk is limited to the premium paid for the contract, though the option can expire worthless if the expected price move does not occur.
The product sits inside Stock+, Bitget's broader push to combine crypto trading infrastructure with traditional market access. The platform already includes tokenized stocks and pre-IPO exposure to private market opportunities. Adding U.S. stock options gives the exchange a deeper product stack and moves it closer to the model used by multi-asset brokers.
U.S. Options Market Processed 15.2 Billion Contracts in 2025
Bitget's launch comes after a record year for listed options activity. The U.S. options market processed more than 15.2 billion contracts in 2025, averaging about 60 million contracts per trading day, according to figures cited by the exchange. That growth reflects a wider shift in how both retail and institutional traders use options. For retail users, options can provide leveraged directional exposure with a defined upfront cost. For more sophisticated traders, they are also used for hedging, volatility trading, income strategies, and capital management.
For crypto exchanges, the appeal is clear. Options add a higher-engagement product to platforms that already serve active traders. They can also help exchanges reduce dependence on spot crypto volumes, which tend to rise and fall with market cycles. The challenge is that options are more complex than spot trading or simple tokenized stock exposure. Even when losses are limited to the premium paid, traders can misjudge volatility, time decay, strike selection, and contract expiry.
Bitget CEO Frames Launch as Execution of Crypto-TradFi Convergence
Bitget framed the launch as part of a broader convergence between crypto markets and traditional finance. "From tokenized stocks to now options, we are executing on convergence," Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said. "This is innovation crypto was born to push, our products are way ahead of its time in providing advanced trading access to stocks, gold, crypto, and worldwide assets."
The statement reflects a wider industry strategy. Crypto exchanges no longer want to be judged only by the number of tokens they list or the depth of their crypto order books. Several large platforms are trying to become multi-asset venues where users can trade crypto, tokenized equities, commodities, private market exposure, and derivatives from one account. That strategy depends on demand from users who want access to traditional markets without leaving crypto-native platforms. Tokenized stocks give users synthetic or blockchain-based exposure to equities. Options add another layer by allowing users to express views on direction, volatility, and risk management.
For Bitget, the launch may also help position Stock+ as more than a tokenized equity product. By adding options, the platform becomes closer to a trading suite built around different forms of market exposure rather than a single product category.
Coinbase and Binance Expand Traditional Asset Offerings
Bitget is not the only crypto exchange expanding beyond digital assets. Coinbase has outlined plans to broaden options capabilities across stocks and crypto while adding thematic equity index products and pre-IPO perpetual contracts. Binance has also added thousands of U.S.-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds for users outside the United States and has been developing tokenized equity access through its bStocks feature.
The pattern shows a clear competitive shift. Large crypto exchanges are trying to capture more of the trader wallet by offering products that previously sat with brokers, derivatives venues, or private market platforms. The more products they add, the more they compete with traditional financial intermediaries rather than only with each other. Regulatory exposure will remain a major constraint. U.S. stock options are heavily regulated products, and access rules can vary by jurisdiction, user type, and platform structure. For offshore exchanges, eligibility controls and market access restrictions will be closely watched as traditional assets are added to crypto-native platforms.
FAQ
What did Bitget launch on Thursday?
Bitget launched U.S. stock options trading on Thursday for eligible users, expanding its Stock+ platform beyond tokenized stocks and private market access into listed derivatives. The initial rollout gives users access to long call and long put strategies.
How many contracts did the U.S. options market process in 2025?
The U.S. options market processed more than 15.2 billion contracts in 2025, averaging about 60 million contracts per trading day, according to figures cited by the exchange.
What did Bitget CEO Gracy Chen say about the launch?
Bitget CEO Gracy Chen stated, "From tokenized stocks to now options, we are executing on convergence. This is innovation crypto was born to push, our products are way ahead of its time in providing advanced trading access to stocks, gold, crypto, and worldwide assets."
