Bitget, a leading player in the cryptocurrency exchange arena, has announced the imminent launch of continuous trading for stock futures, a move that removes the conventional constraints of market hours and provides traders with 24/7 access to global equities. This development marks a significant advancement in Bitget’s vision for a Universal Exchange (UEX), where the rapid pace and flexibility characteristic of crypto markets are fully integrated into traditional finance.
In a recent statement, Gracy Chen, the Managing Director of Bitget, emphasized the limitations inherent in traditional equity trading hours. Currently, stock markets operate from Monday to Friday, typically opening at 9:30 a.m. and closing at 4:00 p.m. ET. These fixed hours leave gaps during weekends and off-market hours, which can hinder market participants from reacting to critical developments such as macroeconomic updates, earnings reports, or geopolitical events in real time.
“Beginning February 7, stock futures on Bitget will trade around the clock, empowering users to respond immediately to significant developments without the constraints of opening bells or regional market closures,” Chen noted. The new offering will support a variety of contracts linked to major equities and indices, including tech giants and well-known consumer brands, represented in pairs like TSLAUSDT, NVDAUSDT, AAPLUSDT, MSFTUSDT, AMZNUSDT, METAUSDT, COINUSDT, and QQQUSDT, among others.
Chen articulated a vision that transcends traditional trading norms: “The bell is a relic of an earlier era of finance. Markets react to information around the clock, and traders in Asia often absorb significant global news while they sleep.” By enabling true 24/7 access to stock futures, Bitget aims to grant traders unprecedented control over market timing, risk management, and the ability to seizing opportunities at their discretion.
The exchange’s innovative 24/7 stock futures model is encapsulated by the principle of “Your Time, Your Term.” This approach redefines the concept of market closing, allowing users to enter, alter, or exit positions in response to volatility as it occurs, irrespective of the time or day. This adjustment also aligns with a broader trend in the finance sector, where exchanges are increasingly exploring extended trading windows to cater to global demand, especially from Asia-Pacific traders, who often face time-zone discrepancies with U.S. and European markets.
Moreover, this initiative is indicative of a more substantial shift in trader dynamics. As trading in digital assets has become more normalized in continuous formats, expectations have evolved. The traditional notion that trading must cease overnight or on weekends is increasingly perceived as outdated, merely an artifact of previous financial infrastructures rather than an essential component of modern markets. Bitget’s UEX model seeks to embody this always-on mentality across various asset classes, thereby transforming global volatility into a continuous source of trading opportunities instead of a mere scheduling inconvenience.
Additionally, the platform update aims to alleviate “gap risk,” which traders face due to market closures over weekends and potential overnight market shocks. With the ability to react swiftly to news as it breaks, traders can significantly minimize their exposure to unforeseen price shifts, enhancing their overall trading strategies in this new environment.
