Christopher Wells

Just five years ago, the idea of cooperation between crypto exchanges and traditional banks seemed far. One represented decentralization the other, stability and institutional structure. But times have changed and quickly. Today, banks that ignore the integration of crypto functionality aren’t just missing out on innovation - they’re risking becoming irrelevant and outdated.
As someone who’s reported on B2B fintech for over a decade, I’ve watched the arc of crypto’s evolution up close. From scrappy concepts to multi-billion-dollar financial rails. I’ve spoken to banking executives across Europe and the US. The consensus is becoming clear: integration isn’t a question of if - it’s a matter of when and how well you do it.
As digital finance accelerates, crypto is no longer just a curiosity. It’s becoming infrastructure. And for traditional banks, working with crypto exchanges is turning from an idea into a strategic necessity.
💰 Most of the crypto exchanges are already in close collaboration with neobanks:
Kraken partnered with Bunq - https://thefintechtimes.com/bunq-partners-with-kraken-to-launch-in-app-crypto-investment-capabilities/
WhiteBIT collaborated with Misyon - https://crypto.news/whitebit-tr-partners-with-misyon-bank-amid-turkeys-rapidly-changing-crypto-landscape/
And many others have joined the trend recently or a long time ago already.
💵 Banks and Crypto Aren’t Enemies. They’re Becoming Partners
With trillions in market capitalization and growing adoption among both retail and institutional investors, it’s clear that crypto is here to stay. Customers want to manage their finance and crypto assets in the same place. They expect flexibility, transparency, and 24/7 accessibility: features that traditional banking has long promised, but not always delivered.
That’s where crypto exchange integration comes in. Rather than building blockchain infrastructure from scratch, banks are increasingly partnering with exchanges to embed crypto services into their offerings.
What does crypto integration actually look like in banks? Integration in action
Secure storage. Banks are leveraging solutions from exchanges (or their institutional arms) to offer secure storage for cryptocurrencies, stablecoins, and even tokenized securities.Direct integration.Through partnerships with exchanges, banks can allow customers to buy, sell, and swap crypto directly within their banking app.Payment Processing. Exchanges need banking partners for fiat operations, and banks gain relevance by enabling seamless crypto-fiat conversions. It’s a perfect relationship.Tokenization of Traditional Assets. Some banks are exploring tokenized versions of stocks, offering new levels of liquidity.
Why does it matter strategically for banks?
Retaining the Next Generation of Customers. Millennials and Gen Z are growing up with crypto as part of their financial reality. If banks don’t offer these services, they’ll lose customers to others that do.
Competition with the giants. Tech giants like Apple, PayPal, and Revolut are already integrating crypto features. To stay relevant, banks need to do more than just keep up.
New revenue opportunities. Integrating digital assets can unlock new revenue opportunities for banks.
Positioning as Innovation Leaders. Offering crypto functionality isn’t just about technology. It tells customers and the market: we’re evolving, we’re relevant and we’re here for the long term.
*Forward-thinking banks are no longer building walls. They’re building bridges. *
Crypto exchanges are proving to be some of the most valuable partners in that construction process. By integrating with crypto exchanges, traditional banks can transform themselves. More agile. More responsive. More aligned with what modern finance actually looks like.
The question is no longer whether banks will engage with crypto. The real question is: will they lead, or will they follow?

💻 As a business owner or a regular user, have you ever heard of crypto corporate accounts? If not - now is the perfect time!
Companies all around are starting to pay attention to how to integrate crypto solutions as cryptocurrencies keep pushing into financial systems. However as a professional, I rarely noticed companies integrating it into their services.
CFOs and institutional investors are now assessing once niche digital assets more and more. But opening a corporate account on a crypto exchange is one crucial first step for any company that is ready to go forward. Understanding corporate crypto accounts is no longer optional but more a must, especially when your business intends to interact with crypto for example for accepting crypto payments, or enabling trading. In a fast-paced financial ecosystem, this is a strategic action providing more security and efficiency.
What are corporate accounts on crypto exchanges?
A corporate account on crypto exchanges is the business equivalent of a personal treading one, but with enhanced features, mechanisms and flexibility that is tailored to business needs. Just like the regular instagram account compared to a business one, where it provides more tools for professional usage. Corporate accounts are offered by most major centralized exchanges (like Binance, WhiteBIT, Coinbase).

Coinbase Application Page:

WhiteBIT Application Page:

Binance Application Page:

(All screenshots are taken from official landing pages for a corporate account application)
Why do businesses need them?
For companies that are willing to take a step towards crypto solutions they may take such advantages into consideration:
Separation of personal and business funds. This makes managing taxes and reporting far more manageable and efficient.Institutional access and liquidity. Corporate accounts unlock higher transaction limits and access to institutional liquidity pools.Operational use. Possibility to make paying contractors more secure and safe whether its employee or customer payments.
What are the key features of a corporate account?
Multi user access with role management. Yes, you can add your team members with custom access control.Higher Transaction Limits. Perfect for active funds and business operations.Dedicated support from the crypto exchanges. Most of them provide personal support and a point of contact for guidance.Advanced reporting tools. For history, reports, tax-ready documentation
What documents are essential to open a corporate crypto account?
- Company Registration Documents (recent):
Certificate of incorporation or business registry extractCompany charter or articles of associationList of directors and shareholders/beneficial owners
- Proof of Company Address (dated within the last 3 months):
Lease agreement, utility bill, or bank statement
- Director(s), Shareholder(s), Beneficial Owner(s) & Authorized Representative(s):
Passport or national IDProof of personal address (utility bill, lease, or bank statement within 3 months)
- Proof of Company’s Source of Funds:
Financial statements or audit reportsBusiness contracts or service agreements
- Proof of Beneficial Owner’s Source of Wealth (if required):
Tax return, salary slips, bank statements, dividend records, or asset sale contracts
- Board Resolution or Signed Authorization:
A document authorizing the representative to open and manage the account on behalf of the company
🚀 The digital asset landscape is no longer the Wild West.
It’s becoming a regulated, recognized part of the global financial system and more and more corporate crypto accounts are the gateway for businesses to participate responsibly and effectively.
Whether your company is exploring crypto for financial management, operational use or strategic investment, opening a corporate account is a foundational step. It not only protects your organization legally and financially but also positions you to take full advantage of what blockchain technology has to offer.

👀 Wanted to create a listing but still have not? Lets break down the concept of listings, top platforms and their advantages and disadvantages to consider.
As a person who has performed analytics for a few leading companies of today, I have never touched the topic of listings and its importance until today. However, I find it crucial, especially for someone opening a world of business possibilities and crypto projects.
Listings refer to the inclusion of a crypto asset, such as a token or a coin on crypto exchanges. Just right after the company goes public, a crypto project seeks listing on a reliable platform with a positive reputation.
This step is crucial in legitimizing the asset and enabling broader access for traders and investors. They are often seen as milestones that signify growth, credibility and market readiness.
🚀 Why is it an important step for projects to list their crypto assets?
-Visibility and Credibility. Being listed on a reputable platform enhances credibility in the eyes of investors.
-Liquidity. Listings provide access to deeper markets and increased trading volumes.
-User Exposure. It allows millions of users to see the token.
*Lets take a look at the most common platforms to list a token: Gate.io, OKX, Bybit, Mexc, WhiteBIT and evaluate their user journeys. *

-Gate.io. Extremely fast application process. Advantage or disadvantage?
The overall application is super fast due to the short number of fields to fill. Which can be considered as an advantage but at the same time disadvantage. The design is poor, I would say overall non-existent. All of the fields are lacking examples and clarification: what if I do not know how a token symbol should look like? Next steps are briefly left with “We will notify you by email” without any clarification of when and why. Overall, It is an easy application process that is intuitive and easy-to-follow, especially if you are a new user, however, it lacks clarity and explanation of what is going to happen next and when.
Lets discuss the criteria a bit further:
1.Application Form: 2/5 The shortness may seem like an advantage, the design and the overall user journey needs some serious work to be done.
2.Support during the process: 2/5 No transparency, no information or guidance why should your token be listed and how.
3.Marketing support: 2/5 There is very little information from Gate.io and online about the listings and the process.
Overall rating: 2/5

-OKX: Overly complicated UX, application within the application?
Nicely designed, clear interface. The process is divided into three parts and you can already see the next steps which provides us clarity about how it will go next. Again, lacking clarification and maybe examples of possible fields filling. On the other hand, the second step is a complete disappointment, a link to a poorly structured google form (see in the picture attached). It is not clear why they haven't integrated it into one application process within the website but decided to just paste a link inside the application form for another application form (google form), inconvenient for a user and also so confusing to later gather input. Much more questions than the last platform, however, many of them may seem irrelevant to the initial process.
Lets discuss the criteria a bit further:
1.Application Form: 3/5 The design is user centric and very initiative, if not the second step being published in a separate google form - a very smooth layout.
2.Support during the process: 2/5 No transparency, no information or guidance why should your token be listed and how.
3.Marketing support: 4/5 You can find a couple of posts and sections about the advantages of listing your token on OKX and even find a recently listed projects list.
Overall rating: 3/5

-ByBIT: The OKX clone?
Almost identical structure to OKX, this time without the need of any google forms, which simplifies the process a lot and saves time!.The design is also very similar to OKX, simple, sharp and user friendly. A lot of irrelevant questions for a first application that are not backed by any clear guidance of information, for example: Token Ticker, FDV in USD ($) that usually require a bit more specification and clarity for users. Overall, very long and confusing to fill, especially if you are not an expert.
Lets discuss the criteria a bit further:
1.Application Form: 3/5 The design is user centric and very initiative, however none of the fields are specified, very confusing to fill.
2.Support during the process: 2/5 No transparency, no information or guidance why should your token be listed and how.
3.Marketing support: 3/5 You can find a couple of guides on how to list your token and a bit more information about new listings on the announcement page.
Overall rating: 3/5

-Mexc: Perfect user-friendly solution.
Mexc has a middle sized application form that is overall readable and finally provides more clarity and examples that are especially useful for someone new to listings. For example: Token symbols like BTC. On the other hand, it is impossible to complete the form without registration or logging into the platform, which may take longer than expected and completely irrelevant to the token listing, especially for new users with a need to register and fill multiple forms for registration and then listing.
Lets discuss the criteria a bit further:
1.Application Form: 4/5 The design is user friendly and supportive.
2.Support during the process: 3/5 The process and each field are provided with practical examples and tips.
3.Marketing support: 3/5 You can find a couple of guides but less official information from MEXC
Overall rating: 3.5/5

-WhiteBIT: The new transparency leader?
The landing page is surprisingly different from the other platforms, provided with clear numbers and nicely designed visuals, explaining what types of listings are possible and explains their differences. Also describes the potential of the future listing and how beneficial it may be, which is quite appealing, then blends into the application form itself, which asks for the contact details and highlights the person who is in charge of the listings and will review your application, which adds to transparency and clarity. Then it is supported by the FAQ section right below, which answers not to a wide range of questions whether to the most crucial ones.
Lets discuss the criteria a bit further:
1.Application Form: 4/5 The design is user friendly and supportive, thoughtful design with a lot of sections and bright visuals.
2.Support during the process: 5/5 The process and each field are provided with practical examples and tips, a lot of transparency and reasons to list your token specifically here.
3.Marketing support: 4/5 You can find a lot of information about listings on the landing page and in the blog, supported by statistics and real examples
Overall rating: 4.5/5

👀 What to choose then?: Is there a difference between an expert and a beginner?
In conclusion, the user journey for a token listing, especially for the new users may be complicated and frustrating on a couple of listed platforms above. Many of the platforms have shown critical disadvantages that are very hard not to notice, as well as some advantages that can vary depending on your project goals and personality, every platform has their own target audience. Choose wisely and let the best listing win!
Disclaimer: all of the ratings and analyses are subjective, arguments or notes would be more than appreciated!

*Are you sick of looking at endless numbers in crypto reports and often consume too much time to make sense? *
Then this digest of Q1 2025 might be just for you, let's take a closer look at what's really behind the numbers and what has been happening in the crypto world for the first quarter of the year based on analytics and insights from CryptoRank, WhiteBIT, Binance and CoinMarketCap.
For the cryptocurrency community, the first quarter of 2025 was quite turbulent. Many believed that the good times would continue after 2024's massive incline by the end of the year. The market, however, did quite the opposite, which was quite surprising for everyone in the community. The Market declines from its highest point. The total value of all cryptocurrencies reached its highest point ever at the beginning of January 2025, reaching $3.8 trillion.
But by the end of March, it had fallen to $2.8 trillion, a 19% decrease. Which could not be said likewise for last year. In March 2024 the global crypto market cap was significantly higher than in March 2025 and ended with a strong upward trend. This indicates that current investors either lost some of their enthusiasm, grew more cautious to lose their money or security, or began to take profits from last year.
If you bought the trend and skipped Bitcoin last year to buy a Hermes bag, congratulations - now you own an overpriced leather shape while Bitcoin briefly hit 106k dollars in early 2025. That Birkin may hold that lipgloss but Bitcoin held the headlines.
Bitcoin Sets a record as well before declining, Bitcoin (BTC) experienced a significant point when it hit a new all-time high of $106,182. After that, though, the price of Bitcoin dropped by about 11.8%, ending the quarter at $82,514. Despite its decline, Bitcoin gained even more clout and attention, stabilising its position and reminding everyone of its importance on the cryptomarket. Currently, Bitcoin takes up almost 60% of the whole cryptocurrency market. This demonstrates that people trust Bitcoin more than smaller cryptocurrencies during difficult times and tend to rely more on it, while quite the opposite is happening to the trend coins that started to lose their hype this year.
What about Ethereum, the coin that was nominated by many experts to be the next stable coin?
Ethereum performance was poor. Its value was nearly halved when its price fell from $3,336 to $1,805. The majority of Ethereum's 2024 gains were lost and the prognosed targets were not met. This created a massive discussion and perspective shift for many who had really high hopes for Ethereum to reconsider its future.
*Are meme coins still in trend? Dramatic fall: Trump and Melania coins
*
Meme coins like Dogecoin or more recent ones, known as meme coins, also suffered greatly due to a significant scandal with Libra that shook trust of the users and made people to shift and rethink their perspective on memecoins. After that, the number of new meme coin creations fell by over 50%, meaning that memecoins are slowly falling off the trend and losing their hype, even Trump's and Melania's coins are not saving the situation and people are turning their backs to choose more stable options.
From FOMO to Caution: Trading activity drops and investors retreat from active trading
Additionally, trading activity decreased in comparison to late 2024. The spot trading volume on standard (centralised) cryptocurrency exchanges, such as Binance, dropped 16.3%, to roughly $5.4 trillion. Because prices were declining, people were trading less and growing more cautious. Meanwhile, an interesting development occurred on decentralised exchanges (DEXs), which are platforms where you trade without a middle company. Solana surpassed Ethereum, and it now accounts for about 40% of all decentralised trading. Many users prefer Solana because it provides quicker transactions and cheaper fees, which is quite surprising considering the leading position of Ethereum as a blockchain before. Meanwhile, despite the decrease, crypto activities such as: trading tournaments, airdrops and community driven events helped to balance the market by keeping high engagement allowing users to stay active without directly betting.
DeFi, which are decentralised finance apps that allow users to lend, borrow, or trade cryptocurrency, shrank drastically. The total value in decentralised finances, fell by roughly $49 billion, or 27.5%. This indicates that users may have switched to safer investments after removing a significant portion of their cryptocurrency from these apps. This again means that because of the previous year's ups and downs, investors became more cautious.
In conclusion, after the wild peaks of 2024, Q1 2025 was a period of cooling off and a time for many to rethink and stick to the stable and safe options or withdraw their investments. Bitcoin again proved its stability and leadership over altcoins, but it was still unable to prevent some losses. DeFi shrunk, trading slowed, and Ethereum and other coins lost their value. However, compared to a few years ago, the market is still much larger and healthier.