BitMEX Exchange Shatters Traditional Market Barriers with Crypto-Collateralized Stock Perpetuals
BitMEX has launched a seismic shift in equity derivatives with its new Equity Perps product. The platform now offers 24/7 trading of tokenized US stocks and indices—including Apple, Tesla, and Nvidia—using Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana, or stablecoins as collateral. These perpetual contracts mirror crypto derivatives mechanics, featuring no expiry dates and funding rate settlements.
The MOVE capitalizes on two converging trends: institutional demand for tokenized real-world assets and retail traders' preference for crypto-native platforms. BitMEX's offering circumvents traditional market hours while providing up to 5x leverage—a feature previously unavailable in conventional equity markets.
CEO Stephan Lutz positions this as democratizing finance: 'Younger investors reject the 9-to-5 trading constraints of legacy systems.' Early metrics suggest strong adoption, with trading volumes doubling expectations during Asian and European sessions.
The launch intensifies competition among crypto exchanges venturing into tokenized equities. Unlike competitors requiring fiat rails, BitMEX's crypto-collateralized approach creates seamless interoperability with existing DeFi ecosystems.