Bitget Greater China Xie Jiayin: I Am Ambitious, and So Is Bitget

Introduction

In the fast-paced world of Crypto, few people stand out with a refreshing, calming presence—Xie Jiayin, the head of Bitget's Chinese operations, is one of them.

Since joining Bitget in early 2024, Xie Jiayin has been championing the slogan “Creating the Warmest Exchange,” actively engaging with the community through a down-to-earth, pragmatic, and approachable persona. In just two years, he has led Bitget from a small exchange with a stereotypical image to one of the top three platforms in the Chinese-speaking world.

With over 120 million users, an average monthly trading volume of $750 billion, and being the first platform to surpass $10 billion in contracts on U.S. stocks, Bitget's growth speaks for itself. In discussions about “the exchange app you use most often,” alongside Binance and OKX, Bitget is being increasingly mentioned in more and more comments.

Behind this rapid growth lies the leadership of this "gentle yet determined" leader, who has guided the company with ironclad willpower.

On his personal commitment, he says:

"If I can't protect users properly, I don't deserve to lead Bitget's Chinese markets. I work 12–14 hours a day, read every message, and respond to them personally—making sure real problems are solved and users' interests are protected. Since joining Bitget, I've posted over 17,000 tweets on Twitter, averaging 24 per day, not including the massive volume of DMs I handle daily."

On his team, he says:

"I demand instant replies from my team. If Bitget wants to be the warmest exchange, the team must never avoid, procrastinate, or delay."

After seven years of weathering challenges and achieving the milestone of becoming one of the top three exchanges, under Xie Jiayin's leadership, how will Bitget establish itself in the new direction of "UEX (Universal Exchange)" and begin its next phase of growth?

Regarding this, Xie Jiayin shared:

"I hope to quickly achieve Bitget's rise from 'third place' to 'second place' and firmly establish ourselves in that position. Bitget is ambitious, and so am I."

In this episode, we follow Xie Jiayin's insights and reflections to explore the mindset, instincts, and vision of one of the most enduring leaders in the exchange's Chinese-speaking market.

User Protection is My Everything

TechFlow:

It's great to have a talk with you again. I'm curious that aside from Bitget and a few other exchanges, most don't seem to have a prominent Chinese operations head, or even a position for it. Why do you think that is?

Xie Jiayin:

It's an interesting phenomenon. Since I entered the industry around 2018, I've been through many platforms and seen different exchange models. Indeed, most exchanges don't highlight a Chinese head or even have this role.

There are a few main reasons for this:

First, the regulatory landscape. Since 2017, China has steadily tightened its grip on the crypto industry. In response, many exchanges shifted toward a global strategy. This has been especially true for platforms founded by Chinese teams, which often chose to downplay their local roots in favor of a more compliant and low-profile path to international expansion.

Second, market strategies vary. For exchanges founded by Chinese teams, their roots in the Chinese-speaking world are implicit, and there is little need for a dedicated Head of Chinese Operations to reinforce local identity. Bitget, however, took a different path. Around 2023, we re-entered the Chinese-speaking market. While the brand was already well known globally, in this region we were essentially starting from scratch. Without an early-mover advantage, we needed a leader and a team capable of engaging users directly, building trust, and re-establishing our presence from the ground up.

That' s why, in April this year, I led our Chinese team's debut. The goal is to serve users more directly and efficiently, providing real, valuable support. Not every exchange has the courage to do this, but for us, it's a sign of our sincerity and a way to highlight our unique advantage.

Honestly, I often hear users'“exaggerated praise” like "There are many exchanges, but only one Xie Jiayin" or "Xie Jiayin is a born BD expert." I think these comments reflect our differentiated strategy in the Chinese market—our entire team, from top to bottom, responds quickly and is truly "user-centered." I always say, if you have a problem, reach out to me anytime. You can basically find me before 3 a.m.

For our brand, we'll continue to focus on the Chinese-speaking market and grow with the community. That's a major commitment for us.

TechFlow

You're likely one of the longest-serving heads of Chinese operations at a crypto exchange. What do you think are the main responsibilities of a Chinese operations head?

Xie Jiayin:

When I became the head of Chinese operations, my role shifted from focusing on specific tasks or sectors to a more overarching, strategic position, as the role itself emphasizes coordination and strategy.

I've always been hands-on, so my visibility in the community is quite high, and many people have come to know me and Bitget as a result. This is related to my personality: between being ordinary and being different, I chose the latter. Bitget has become a very important part of my life, and I'll do everything I can to bridge the gap between the platform and our users. I often say: "Your users are your responsibility." If I can't protect my users, then I don't deserve to be the head of Bitget's Chinese operations.

When dealing with users externally, I represent Bitget, but internally, I represent the users. There have been several times during meetings with the tech and product teams where I nearly argued with them, because I felt their rules weren't fair or their mechanisms weren't user-friendly. In the end, those aspects were optimized. I firmly believe that protecting users' interests isn't just about what I say, it's about what Bitget actually does.

As for the responsibilities of the head of Chinese operations, the primary tasks are brand building and marketing. Since I joined, we've certainly raised our profile in the Chinese-speaking market. For example, just last night at the gym, a few key clients told me that our recent financial products have been doing well, and many high-net-worth individuals have joined Bitget. When I checked the data a few days ago, I saw that since I joined Bitget, our platform's BTC reserves have increased by 5 times, and ETH reserves have grown by over 10 times. Of course, this isn't just my achievement, but this kind of recognition makes me very happy. We've achieved this by continuously marketing and operating, maximizing Bitget's visibility and appeal among Chinese-speaking users.

On the other hand, community operations and user management are also crucial. I personally have over 1,000 groups on WeChat, and the information never stops coming in. Although I've set most of them to “Do Not Disturb,” as soon as someone @ me, I'll check it and try to confirm whether they're contacting me personally or everyone. I also try to respond to every message as promptly as possible. The more groups and users there are, the better it helps me stay on the front lines, hearing feedback quickly and responding fast. This is extremely important.

Additionally, ecosystem building and business development are core responsibilities of the Chinese operations head. Now, I lead the marketing team, and in mid-October, I also formed a BD team to personally guide them in user acquisition and transaction expansion. This includes our early launch of U.S. stock contracts, as well as upcoming products like gold and forex. We need to drive market exposure, and we're also collaborating with quantitative institutions and other partners. Overall, my role now covers everything from marketing to business, pushing for the growth of our brand's ecosystem. The challenge is bigger than when I was only responsible for marketing.

Finally, as the head of Chinese operations, I also frequently participate in external PR activities, making public statements and actively maintaining the platform's reputation. This is an indispensable part of the role.

TechFlow:

As the head of Chinese operations at a crypto exchange, where do you find the most pressure and sense of accomplishment?

Xie Jiayin:

The pressure is indeed significant. First, the workload for this position is very intense.

I work about 12-14 hours a day. Doing this day in and day out, it's easy to burn out because everyone has limited energy. Also, I completely understand that when the market is down, people can become emotional. For example, my Twitter and WeChat get flooded with private messages, comments, and complaints every day. Occasionally, there are even personal attacks, which all require strong mental resilience to handle in an organized way. Moreover, if an unexpected incident occurs, we need to respond immediately. Any delay could lead to a crisis of trust, which is something we absolutely cannot afford on the platform.

Another source of pressure comes from competition. The exchange market is becoming more and more competitive, especially this year. Today, you might poach my employees and channels, and tomorrow, I might take your institutions and high-net-worth clients. Many Chinese-speaking users are already industry veterans, and their expectations for exchanges are very high. If we make even a small mistake, users may leave for other platforms, essentially sending users to competitors. This creates a lot of pressure.

Lastly, I believe personal exposure is a double-edged sword. As an executive, being too active can make you a target. There are all sorts of people in this industry, and being criticized or doubted is common. But that's fine. As long as I can help the platform gain recognition, bring in users, and boost our brand and trading volume, I think it's all worth it.

As for the sense of accomplishment, it comes from many areas.

What makes me happiest is the recognition and loyalty of our users. Many users who once had doubts about Bitget are now genuinely supportive of us. Seeing the user data continue to grow makes me really happy. For example, last quarter, we counted users across our entire ecosystem, including wallets and exchanges. Our user base surpassed 120 million, and the exchange's monthly trading volume reached $750 billion, which is something to be proud of. Our goal for 2026 is to exceed a trillion dollars in monthly trading volume.

On the other hand, a sense of accomplishment comes from the growth of the team. I've been able to lead the marketing and BD teams to rapidly expand our Chinese-speaking market ecosystem—developing channels, VIP clients, institutions, and partners. Every day, you can see changes happening, and I'm happy to have witnessed Bitget's transformation from a follower to a leading platform with broad influence.

TechFlow:

Everyone who's interacted with you seems to think you're very approachable and good at taking care of people. I'd like to ask, what's your MBTI? Is this friendliness a result of your job, or is it just part of your personality?

Xie Jiayin:

My MBTI is ENFJ, although I don't really believe in it, haha.

I'm naturally an approachable person. I believe that if you want to connect with users, just managing groups and posting on social media won't cut it. You actually need to help users solve real problems. That's one of my strengths. Whatever I do, I always try to think from the users' perspective. This may come from my very ordinary background and life experiences, which allow me to better understand what each user is thinking and what they need.

Moreover, to truly connect with users, you need to have empathy. For me, just because I'm the head of Bitget's Chinese operations doesn't mean I put Bitget's interests first in everything. To really help users solve problems and protect their interests, that's how you earn their trust. Otherwise, no matter how high your title is, it doesn't matter. This is the fundamental logic of a platform and its users growing together.

Top Three Secured: Bitget's Breakthrough in the Chinese Market

TechFlow:

Recently, "Bitget in the Top Three" has become a hot topic. What is the standard for this top three? Do you find this achievement particularly fulfilling?

Xie Jiayin:

There's no doubt that it's a very fulfilling achievement. Although the top-three ranking has generated some controversy, I can confidently say that Bitget is in the top three of the Chinese-speaking market based on our real data, real liquidity, and our advantages in derivatives, U.S. stocks, AI, and other areas. During our development, we've also faced some doubts. For example, when we launched the UEX (Universal Exchange) direction during Bitget's 7th anniversary event in September, many people were skeptical, but the reality proved otherwise.

In terms of direction, many platforms, including Robinhood and Binance, are all pushing toward becoming a "super app"—a platform where you can trade any asset, essentially capturing all users. That's exactly what UEX aims to do. In other words, there's no issue with the direction or trend that Bitget is following by introducing UEX; it's just about who can execute it first and do it well.

In terms of execution, we've already delivered on our promises, and users love it. We were one of the first platforms to integrate with Ondo, and last week, our daily trading volume for U.S. stocks surpassed $60 million, accounting for around 73% of Ondo's market share. At the same time, we became the first platform to break $10 billion in U.S. stock contract trading volume.

Additionally, we are working on TradFi products, including contracts for gold, forex, and ETFs. Currently, it's available for a select few users to experience, and we plan to fully launch it in January 2026. Our product innovation efficiency is still very high.

TechFlow:

After reaching the "Top Three" milestone, what initiatives will Bitget undertake in the future to further cement its position or help it become an even more dominant presence?

Xie Jiayin:

I once tweeted that Chinese-speaking users are truly loyal—once they make money on a platform, they'll stick with it. To this day, I still believe that statement is very true.

Many users' perceptions of exchanges are still stuck in the era of the old "big three" (Binance, OKX, and the old HTX), overlooking the fact that many newer platforms have caught up and even excelled in certain areas. When we entered the Chinese market in 2023, many people viewed us as a small exchange. We had to compete not only with the big players but also with other smaller platforms. It was tough, but we knew the Chinese-speaking market was essential, so the question was whether we were brave enough to take it on.

To make that happen, we invested heavily. From signing Lionel Messi to partnering with La Liga, all of these efforts were meant to show Chinese-speaking users one thing: Bitget is a strong platform, and it has proven itself on the global stage. The Chinese-speaking market is not just about Binance and OKX. There is also Bitget.

Habits can change, and I hope more users will come and experience Bitget for themselves.

At its core, a brand is a matter of perception. Much like a first impression between people, it reflects a collective understanding of a product. That perception evolves over time, and eventually, it aligns with reality. You may once have thought of Bitget as a smaller exchange, but as time goes on, you will come to see that Bitget truly deserves its place among the top three in the Chinese-speaking market.

Looking ahead, we'll continue pushing forward on several fronts.

In terms of the market, we'll launch more product activities. For instance, our newly launched TradFi products and the U.S. stock offerings from two months ago are bringing tangible user growth.

For branding, we'll strengthen partnerships with quality content creators, continuously produce content to increase exposure, and actively participate in industry summits. For example, at next year's Consensus and Token2049, we won't just be attending—we'll host our own events, further reinforcing Bitget's influence in the Chinese-speaking market.

Behind the Wolf Spirit Is The Most Human-Centered Exchange

TechFlow:

You're very active on Twitter. Are all those tweets posted by yourself? Have you ever tracked how many X messages you've replied to since joining Bitget?

Xie Jiayin:

I've tracked it, and since joining Bitget on January 2, 2024, I've replied to and posted a total of 17,000 messages on Twitter, averaging about 24 per day. That's a very high frequency, and this doesn't even include the massive volume of private messages I handle on a daily basis.

But I don't set a fixed time to focus solely on Twitter messages. In my daily life, I check Twitter from time to time. For me, checking Twitter is something very natural and effortless. For example, I'll open it during meetings or while writing proposals. It's probably one of my strengths—I can juggle multiple tasks at once, haha.

TechFlow:

Many people compare Bitget to Huawei. If you were to rate your own "aggressiveness" on a scale from 1 to 10, what score would you give yourself and why?

Xie Jiayin:

I'd definitely give myself a 10. At my core, I'm a very driven person, but my drive isn't aimless or about dragging others to just grind through it. Everyone has limited energy and is working hard, so my "aggression" is focused on performance. For example, when I'm leading the BD team, if there's a sudden need at 1 or 2 a.m., I'll immediately handle it, create a group, and arrange for BD to follow up.

I hold myself to a "reply in seconds" standard, so I expect the same from the BD team. The BD team I'm leading now is mostly new, some have briefly worked at other exchanges, and some have never been involved in crypto at all. But my management approach is effective, and the results are good. The BD team I'm personally guiding has been performing well.

TechFlow:

Since joining, we've seen you share various Bitget services on Twitter, like new token launches, VIP services, and more recently, the U-Card. What do you think Bitget has done right to continue growing, and what areas still need improvement?

Xie Jiayin:

I've been with Bitget for almost two years now, and during this time, I've genuinely felt proud of what we've achieved. We've gone from being a platform trying to catch up to one of the leading players in the industry, and this journey hasn't been easy—it's been built on real hard work.

While the spotlight is often on me, what really supports Bitget is the team behind the scenes—those who are working day in and day out to refine products and serve our users. Our team has about 2,200 employees.

In terms of our rapid growth, we've done a lot of things very well. I've always emphasized that we need to give users what they need, which is why we've launched products like U.S. stocks and TradFi. Additionally, since July of this year, we've been aggressively expanding our institutional and VIP services, and the market response has been great. Our VIP clients are extremely loyal, and many are choosing to keep their assets and major trades on Bitget. As for institutions, nearly 90% of the well-known ones in the market are now our clients.

Of course, we also have areas to improve. I've always said that there are no perfect people and no perfect exchanges. The development of any exchange is similar—moving forward while facing criticism. We've certainly had moments where we didn't handle things as well as we should have, but what sets us apart is our ability to identify problems quickly and correct them. When you take hits, you stand tall and show your attitude—this is how users know we are a platform with integrity and accountability.

Back in April when I led the team, I said that we want to build the "warmest exchange." What does that mean? It means not avoiding, not passing the buck, and not procrastinating. When users and partners reach out to us, we need to respond instantly and be available at all times. As long as we continue to do this well, our position in users' hearts will steadily improve.

TechFlow:

Can you share some key initiatives or projects that you have led or driven since joining Bitget? These could be related to products or marketing, for example.

Xie Jiayin:

First of all, I'm very proud of having built an excellent marketing team. Our entire Chinese market team has only six members, but we've managed to reach an industry-recognized level. Not only have we received positive market feedback, but even our competitors have praised us and tried to poach our team. However, since I personally built this team, it's not that easy to steal them away. Additionally, I also formed a strong BD team, which is still small, but if there are talented individuals, we're always open to recommendations.

Another achievement I'm proud of is significantly increasing Bitget's visibility among Chinese-speaking users. Now, when people mention Binance or OKX, they often think of Bitget as well. This is the result of our efforts to get noticed.

A while ago, there was a fire in Hong Kong, and I led Bitget's donation efforts. We donated a total of 12 million to three different organizations, each focusing on different types of assistance: one for post-disaster psychological support, one for meeting basic living needs, and another for providing financial compensation. We wanted to help the victims in a more targeted and effective way. Many users also gave positive feedback, saying that Bitget's efforts felt very genuine.

Since joining Bitget, I've always emphasized "moving with the community and aligning with users." In my mind, the user is always the priority. One of the most memorable events for me was the June pump.fun token launch event, which I personally took charge of. Many users couldn't get in; the quota was all snapped up within the first 10 seconds. At that time, I was on a business trip in Thailand, and as soon as I landed, I realized something was wrong and that we couldn't handle it the same way as before. So, I spent over five hours continuously monitoring community feedback, following up from around 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. the next morning. By 6 or 7 a.m., even before work hours, I urgently called a meeting with the product and operations teams, and we decided to implement the "Sunshine for All" plan, immediately starting to calculate the individual allocation amounts.

However, we couldn't announce anything to the community until many of the details were finalized. So, before we officially announced it at 4 p.m. that afternoon, we received a lot of criticism. The funniest part was when I posted a picture on my social media, saying I had been closely monitoring the community, but the picture was from a week earlier when I was in Kuala Lumpur having a casual gathering with friends. A lot of people criticized me, asking, "Is this how you say you're seriously listening to the community?" Of course, things were eventually resolved perfectly, and we earned recognition from everyone. This also further proved that through these little efforts, Bitget's brand influence among Chinese-speaking users will continue to grow.

Long-Term Commitment is the Key to Real Results

TechFlow:

As you approach your third year at Bitget, what are your next goals for both your work and personal life?

Xie Jiayin:

In terms of work, my goal is to move Bitget from "third place" to "second place" and firmly establish ourselves in that position. This is a major goal for us, and more specifically, I hope we can reach a monthly trading volume of over a trillion dollars soon. I'm ambitious, and so is Bitget.

As for my personal life, I can't really think of much, because my life and work have become one. In the Chinese-speaking market, Xie Jiayin represents Bitget, and Bitget represents Xie Jiayin. Sometimes, I come across comments praising me personally but criticizing Bitget. At first, I saw it as recognition, but now it feels a bit uncomfortable.

My mindset is simple: I represent Bitget. If Bitget isn't doing well, that means I haven't done my job properly.

TechFlow:

Let's talk about something lighter. I've heard you received 50 months' worth of year-end bonuses last year. How many months' worth of bonus do you think you'll get this year?

Xie Jiayin:

For me, the year-end bonus feels more like a reflection of the results, not the goal itself.

If I were to expect anything, it would be to see a "decent" number in TechFlow's flash news updates.

TechFlow:

One last question: You mentioned the market turning bearish. Can you share your thoughts on that? Do you think the crypto industry is in a bear market or bull market right now? And how do you view the future of the crypto industry?

Xie Jiayin:

I remember around 2010 when the concept of mobile internet emerged, but it wasn't until around 2014 that mobile internet really took off, with smartphones becoming more common and all kinds of mobile games, apps, and ecosystems appearing. Before 2010, the internet was the era of webpages, and people were still using Nokia phones. In my eyes, the crypto industry is still in the 2000s internet era, and it's still about a decade away from the mobile internet era.

I got into the industry around 2018. Back then, mainstream media and the general public had a critical attitude toward the crypto industry, but over the years, the value of crypto has been proven, and many countries, including the U.S., are actively developing crypto. This shows that good things will always stand the test of time, just as Bitget will be validated by history.

I also encourage young people to join this industry. It's definitely a vibrant and growing field. When I joined in 2018, it was by accident. At the time, I had no understanding of crypto and was a complete beginner, so I can say I came from the wild west of the industry and gradually became part of the established forces.

Back then, the barriers to entry in the blockchain industry were very low. Whether you were handing out flyers, in real estate, or a pharmaceutical rep, you could join in, try issuing tokens, or start a project. Eight years later, the industry has become more regulated and professional. Many graduates from top universities are now eager to join the industry, and young people have recognized the opportunities and prospects here, which is a very positive trend.

As for the market, last night Bitcoin was around $86,000. Short-term prices don't really tell us much. You have to remember that over a decade ago, Bitcoin was nearly worthless, and now, no other asset has outperformed Bitcoin. I think these things are just part of the natural evolution of the times. The market has its own cycles, and a short-term bear market doesn't mean much. Only by committing to long-term thinking can you truly achieve results.