Bybit’s push to supply neobank-style companies is testing how far crypto exchanges can broaden into conventional finance (TradFi), highlighting regulatory hurdles and a rising reliance on licensed banking companions.
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou introduced the alternate’s push into retail banking on Thursday, with a deliberate February launch of its retail banking product, MyBank. The transfer would mark some of the formidable makes an attempt but by a significant alternate to supply bank-like companies to retail customers.
As crypto more and more intersects with TradFi, trade observers and executives warned that Bybit’s neobank transfer may set off main challenges because it enters largely uncharted territory for a crypto-native firm in pursuing banking companies.
“The concept of a crypto alternate increasing into ‘banking’ is conceptually possible, however in apply extraordinarily advanced from a regulatory perspective,” Gal Arad Cohen, a blockchain lawyer and accomplice on the unbiased regulation agency S.Horowitz & Co, advised Cointelegraph.
Bybit financial institution accomplice Pave Financial institution backed by Tether Investments
To supply banking companies, Bybit should both accomplice with a licensed financial institution or receive a full banking license, a years-long, capital-intensive course of, Cohen mentioned.
“No main international crypto alternate at present operates as a completely licensed financial institution within the conventional sense, providing deposit-taking and core banking companies beneath its personal license,” the lawyer added.
A Bybit spokesperson confirmed to Cointelegraph that the alternate is working with Pave Financial institution, a licensed lender based mostly in Georgia, to assist its retail banking providing.
Based in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 2023, Pave Financial institution positions itself as a programmable financial institution for companies, combining crypto and fiat companies. That very same yr, it obtained a digital banking license from the Nationwide Financial institution of Georgia.
In 2025, Pave Financial institution raised $39 million in a Sequence A funding spherical from main trade gamers, together with Tether Investments, the enterprise arm of Tether, which points the world’s largest stablecoin, USDt (USDT).
Trade cautions on trade-offs of full-service banking
The scope of Bybit’s banking ambitions stays a key query for trade observers.
“In the event that they wish to function within the US and search a US banking constitution, which might be shocking to me however is feasible, then they’ll have loads of structuring to do,” Ryne Saxe, co-founder and CEO of blockchain firm Eco, advised Cointelegraph.
Many exchanges, together with Binance, Coinbase and Kraken, have experimented with bank-like options reminiscent of fiat on- and off-ramps, playing cards and fee accounts. However working as a financial institution is a considerably totally different endeavor, mentioned Yuriy Brisov, a lawyer at Digital & Analogue Companions.
“It’s logical that crypto companies will compete with banks extra instantly in 2026–2027,” Brisov mentioned. “Nonetheless, the nearer a platform will get to providing full-service banking, the extra it inherits banking burdens,” he added, referring to capital and liquidity necessities, sanctions enforcement, operational resilience and incident legal responsibility.
Associated: UK banks block or delay 40% of crypto alternate transfers: Survey
Bybit’s push additionally displays the broader crypto and TradFi convergence. Petr Kozyakov, co-founder and CEO of fee platform Mercuryo, mentioned platforms in crypto are more and more making inroads into TradFi, whereas conventional monetary companies discover crypto.
Megan Knab, CEO of Franklin, framed the transfer as a part of “embedded finance,” the place customers may finally be abstracted from cumbersome cash motion, with borderless, near-instant funds turning into the norm.
Retail customers may face friction from heavier KYC guidelines
Whereas Bybit’s potential financial institution transfer may simplify fiat-to-crypto transactions, it might additionally current trade-offs for retail customers.
Nick Denisenko, co-founder of digital finance platform Brighty, mentioned the alternate’s banking push may “create extra issues than advantages” as it is going to doubtless introduce heavier Know Your Buyer (KYC) procedures.
Associated: Revolut drops takeover plans, seeks US banking license: Report
“Lots of customers select crypto exchanges, particularly Asian ones, as a result of onboarding is easy and KYC is comparatively mild in comparison with banks,” Denisenko advised Cointelegraph, including:
“If Bybit goes down this route, it will be the primary main alternate to significantly attempt it, and I’m undecided that’s what most retail customers are asking for proper now.”
Bybit declined to offer additional particulars to Cointelegraph on the scope of its deliberate neobank push.
Journal: A ‘tsunami’ of wealth is headed for crypto: Nansen’s Alex Svanevik