Bitget Launches Open Custody Network
The new network links banks and institutional custodians to Bitget's trading markets while users keep assets with their chosen provider.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Investing
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Bitget, a Universal Exchange (UEX), has launched the Open Custody Network (OCN). The network connects banks and institutional-grade custodians with Bitget's trading infrastructure for eligible users.
Why it matters
OCN is designed to address the concentration of custody and trading activities within a single platform. It allows eligible users to trade on Bitget while their assets remain with a participating external provider.
Under OCN's asset mirroring model, eligible users can trade spot, margin, and futures markets on Bitget without transferring assets to the exchange, in contrast to the transfer requirement typical of traditional centralized exchanges. The extraction does not identify the participating custodians or the number of eligible users.
The players
Bitget
Bitget is a cryptocurrency exchange that operates as a Universal Exchange (UEX) and is launching the Open Custody Network.
The details
OCN uses asset mirroring so that trading occurs on Bitget while assets stay with the selected provider. Eligible users maintain custody through participating external providers and connect that custody to Bitget's spot, margin, and futures markets.
Timeline
Launch date: November 5, 2026
Market Dynamics
OCN departs from the traditional centralized exchange model, in which users must transfer assets to the exchange to trade, by keeping custody with independent providers while preserving access to spot, margin, and futures markets. This structure targets the concentration of custody and trading within a single platform that has characterized centralized crypto exchanges.
Eligible users can keep their assets with a participating external custodian while still placing trades on Bitget's spot, margin, and futures markets. This separates the custody decision from the choice of trading venue for those who qualify.
The takeaway
Investors evaluating crypto exchanges should consider where their assets are held as well as where they trade, since OCN separates those two functions. Confirm a provider's eligibility and custody arrangements before moving any funds.
Further reading
Explore more on Investing to see how custody and trading structures affect investors.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cryptopolitan.
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