Bybit CEO Ben Zhou announced that users can directly trade stock indexes, gold, crude oil, and US stocks, such as Apple and Microsoft, on Bybit by the end of the quarter. He added that gold trading on MT5 would now have 500x leverage. Some believe that Bybit’s move still invites the risk of North Korea’s Lazarus group Responding to the news, one X user, a blockchain and crypto researcher going by the name Po La, claimed that Bybit was planning to expand into other sectors and the 500x leverage could help draw in a lot of traditional traders. Another X user, a bit more skeptical about Bybit’s plan, commented , “Feels like the lines between TradFi and crypto are getting blurrier by the day. Let’s see how much volume this actually pulls in.” One user, however, argued that this was bound to happen, saying the convergence of TradFi and crypto is “inevitable,” especially under Trump’s administration. Another user pointed out the risk of the North Korean Lazarus group , seeing how Bybit had previously fallen victim to their attacks. On February 21, 2025, the Lazarus Group siphoned roughly $1.5 billion worth of Ether (ETH) from Bybit, marking the largest digital heist in cryptocurrency history. The hackers allegedly accessed Bybit’s cold wallets and rerouted an approved ETH transaction to their wallets. Moreover, the group quickly moved to launder the stolen money; according to an analysis by TRM labs, they got all the money out through illicit means within 48 hours. TRM suspects by February 26 the group had been using multiple intermediary wallets to launder the funds, converting them into various cryptocurrencies and leveraging decentralized exchanges and cross-chain bridges to obscure the trail. Bybit introduced the Copy Trading Gold&FX feature, its venture into Gold and Forex markets Earlier this year, Bybit launched Copy Trading Gold&FX to enable users to mirror institutional-level Gold and Forex trading strategies in their MT5 accounts using USDT as collateral . According to Joan Han, Sales and Marketing Director at Bybit, the service allows users to explore the complexities of Gold and Forex markets. Additionally, she claimed the service enhances portfolio diversification, improves risk management, and creates opportunities for optimized trading outcomes within the MT5 platform. She added, “It’s a gateway to smarter, more efficient trading in traditional asset markets. It represents a bold step forward in Bybit’s mission to empower every trader with the tools, resources, and opportunities they need to succeed.” Ben Zhou agreed to work with Vietnamese authorities on their crypto sandbox program Ben Zhou recently met with the Vietnamese Minister of Finance, the State Securities Commission Chairman, and the Minister of Foreign Trade. In the meeting, the Vietnamese Minister of Finance, Nguyen Van Thang, explained they wanted to protect users and blockchain technology. He said the government would launch a pilot sandbox mechanism for regulators to test issuance and crypto asset trading, which he believes will enhance investor protection. On the other hand, Bybit pledged to help the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance promote the new sandbox framework. Zhou agreed to work with Vietnamese authorities on system architecture design, transaction oversight, and implementing international best practices in AML/KYC. Cryptopolitan Academy: Want to grow your money in 2025? Learn how to do it with DeFi in our upcoming webclass. Save Your Spot
