Retail Traders Pivot to Utility Over Speculation

Contrary to popular assumptions about retail exodus from crypto markets, Bitget COO Vugar Usi Zade reveals investors are simply adopting smarter strategies. At Toronto's Consensus conference, he detailed how traders now prioritize practical applications over reckless speculation — a shift driven by post-bull market caution and 2025's economic turbulence under the Trump administration.

The PTSD Effect on Investment Patterns

——"The scars from 2021's crash run deep,"—— Usi Zade told Cointelegraph, noting retail's risk appetite has plummeted 【60%】 since the last cycle. With disposable incomes shrinking, investors increasingly favor stablecoin solutions and payment utilities like Bitget Pay over volatile altcoin bets. This behavioral shift mirrors broader industry moves toward functional crypto applications.

DEXs Disrupt the Status Quo

Interestingly, decentralized exchanges now capture 【9.8%】 of derivatives volume as traders chase early-stage tokens unavailable on centralized platforms. While CEXs still dominate, Bitget's Onchain division actively bridges this gap by supporting cross-chain trading across hundreds of DEXs — a strategic response to evolving user demands.

Bitcoin's Paradoxical Position

The BTC market operates in what Usi Zade calls "a quantum state" — simultaneously empowered by ETF-driven institutional inflows yet vulnerable to macroeconomic shocks. Recent data shows Trump's social media posts can trigger 【±7%】 BTC price swings, blurring lines between crypto and traditional markets.

The End of Boom-Bust Cycles?

Remarkably, the COO predicts traditional crypto cycles may be obsolete. Instead, markets will experience shorter "episodes" of volatility — a transformation forcing exchanges to reinvent themselves as hybrid financial platforms combining banking services with crypto innovation.

As proof of this evolution, Bitget now processes over 【$3.4 billion】 daily despite 2025's regulatory headwinds. Their success underscores a critical industry truth: survival belongs to those adapting to retail's new pragmatism in the post-speculation era.