PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands, Aug. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As the digital asset industry enters a more mature and selective phase, the role of crypto exchanges is expanding beyond trade execution. Liquidity and product breadth remain fundamental, but security, transparency, regulatory readiness, infrastructure resilience and real-world utility are becoming increasingly important measures of long-term competitiveness.
Against this backdrop, CoinGecko Research has released the KuCoin Exchange Report, providing an independent assessment of KuCoin's nine-year evolution and its performance during the first half of 2026. Released alongside KuCoin's ninth anniversary, the report examines how KuCoin has evolved from a crypto exchange focused on token access into a trusted digital asset infrastructure serving more than 45 million users worldwide, while reflecting the broader transformation taking place across the digital asset industry.
The report highlights KuCoin's continued expansion beyond transaction execution, particularly across payments and broader crypto utility. During H1 2026, KuCoin's off-chain payment volume increased by 300%, payment orders grew approximately 25-fold, and its network of service partners and merchants expanded by 60%. On-chain payment activity also recorded rapid growth, reflecting increasing demand for practical digital asset use cases beyond trading.
CoinGecko Research identifies three key trends shaping KuCoin's market activity during H1 2026: resilient derivatives participation, broader trading interest and continued expansion into tokenized markets.
First, derivatives activity remained comparatively resilient despite a more cautious market environment. KuCoin recorded average daily trading volumes of $1.99 billion in spot markets and $3.07 billion in perpetual futures. Weekday and weekend perpetual trading volumes differed by only 9.4%, indicating sustained participation in a continuously operating global market and reinforcing the importance of reliable, always-on trading infrastructure.
Second, trading activity became increasingly diversified. BTC and ETH's combined share among KuCoin's top 18 spot trading pairs declined from 74.3% to 45.2% by the end of June. CoinGecko Research links this shift to faster rotation across altcoins and emerging market narratives, highlighting the growing need for exchanges to combine deep liquidity in major assets with the agility to respond to rapidly evolving user demand.
The report also points to tokenized markets as an important area of product evolution. Between January 1 and July 29, approximately 61% of newly launched perpetual contracts on KuCoin were tokenized stocks or equity indices, reflecting growing demand for round-the-clock access to traditional market themes through crypto-native infrastructure.
Taken together, the report suggests that exchange competitiveness is increasingly defined by more than trading volume alone. As the industry matures, market depth, resilient infrastructure, regulatory readiness, transparency, product relevance and real-world utility are becoming the defining characteristics of long-term leadership.
CoinGecko Research concludes that KuCoin's nine-year evolution reflects a broader industry transition—from facilitating access to digital assets toward building trusted infrastructure that supports long-term participation in the digital asset economy.
Read the full KuCoin Exchange Report.
About KuCoin
Founded in 2017, KuCoin is a leading global crypto platform built on trust and security, serving over 45 million users across 200+ countries and regions. Known for its reliability and user-first approach, the platform combines advanced technology, deep liquidity, and strong security safeguards to deliver a seamless trading experience. KuCoin provides access to 1,500+ digital assets through a broad product suite and remains committed to building transparent, compliant, and user-centric digital asset infrastructure for the future of finance, backed by SOC 2 Type II, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, and ISO/IEC 27701:2019 Certifications. In recent years, we have built a strong global compliance foundation, marked by key milestones including AUSTRAC registration in Australia, a MiCA license in Europe, and regulatory progress in other markets.
Learn more at www.kucoin.com.
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CoinGecko Research: KuCoin's Nine-Year Evolution Reflects Crypto's Shift from Trading to Trusted Infrastructure
- Fourth edition builds on last year's momentum, advancing partnerships across financial services and technology.
- Bringing together 40+ speakers, international delegations, and the inaugural Tech Talent Hub, the event demonstrates the scale of industry participation behind Fintech Forward 2026.
MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintech Forward 2026 (FF26), the Gulf region's flagship financial forum, wrapped up today at Exhibition World Bahrain with more than 60 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), strategic agreements, and key announcements unveiled, securing over 2900 local and international participants. Marking the fourth edition, the forum welcomed its largest number of sponsors and exhibitors to date, underscoring the strength of industry engagement and a shared ambition to shape the next chapter of financial services.
The 65% increase in announcements and signings at FF26 highlights the Forum's growing role as a catalyst for tangible economic outcomes. Several of this year's announcements and MoUs build on connections forged at FF25, demonstrating how Bahrain's agile financial ecosystem converts dialogue and access to decisionmakers into sustained momentum. This is the Team Bahrain approach in action, harnessing public-private partnership to drive innovation, strengthen the ecosystem and unlock new pathways for growth.
Among the developments announced at FF26 was a Google Cloud Universal Ledger pilot showcased by BBK. The project is being delivered in collaboration with ARRAY Innovation, a portfolio company of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund. It explores the use of advanced digital ledger technology within BBK's core banking operations, with potential applications in tokenized payments and programmable settlement.
Beyon and barq Group's (Technologies Union) also announced an agreement which brought together Beyon Money's operations with barq's fintech platform, with Beyon set to retain economic interest in barq, subject to final documentation and regulatory approvals.
FF26 also saw BENEFIT announce the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) as the first participating bank and anchor banking partner in the Trade Finance Registry pilot. Developed in collaboration with Singapore-based trade finance fraud prevention specialist MonetaGo and Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB), the pilot aims to reduce risk across trade finance. Bahrain FinTech Bay also launched its fourth Fintech Ecosystem Report (2024–2026), charting Bahrain's progression to regulated execution and highlighting opportunities in AI, tokenisation, and cross-border payments. FF26 also marked the announcement of the third edition of the NBB Innovation Programme in partnership with BFB, continuing its presence at Fintech Forward for a second consecutive year.
Further announcements included Beyon Connect's plans to launch an AML Referral Programme, with AMAN Compliance Solutions joining as its first referral partner, helping organisations access specialised financial crime prevention and compliance expertise, alongside an MoU between Beyon Connect and BENEFIT to explore joint fintech opportunities locally and internationally, combining their complementary capabilities across digital identity, payments, credit and information services, as well as data analytics. BENEFIT and Huawei also signed an MoU to explore cooperation in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, reflecting the growing intersection between financial services and emerging technology.
Additionally, Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain announced an MoU with stc Bahrain to expand their existing partnership, exploring new areas of collaboration across digital solutions and integrated use cases, while further advancing digital capabilities in cash management, reconciliation, and trade finance.
The exhibition also debuted the Tech Talent Hub, featuring Citi, J.P. Morgan and KPMG and highlighting the role of Bahraini talent in supporting global clients and operations from the Kingdom, alongside the skills and career pathways shaping the future of financial services and technology. Bahrain's highly skilled, future-proofed and diverse talent base continues to be a defining strength of the Kingdom's economy, underpinned by strong workforce participation.
Bahrain has built a well-established financial services ecosystem over decades, supported by progressive regulation, advanced digital infrastructure, and a commitment to innovation. Financial and insurance activities remain the largest contributor to the Kingdom's economy, accounting for 17.6% of real GDP in 2025, with the sector continuing to play a central role in driving economic growth and attracting investment. The sector is supported by a forward-looking regulatory environment led by the Central Bank of Bahrain, alongside a skilled workforce, and strong digital infrastructure.
Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and programmed by Forbes Middle East, FF26 was supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB) and was held under the theme "Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure."
MANAMA, Bahrain, Oct. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Fintech Forward 2026 (FF26), the Gulf region's flagship financial forum, wrapped up today at Exhibition World Bahrain with more than 60 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), strategic agreements, and key announcements unveiled, securing over 2900 local and international participants. Marking the fourth edition, the forum welcomed its largest number of sponsors and exhibitors to date, underscoring the strength of industry engagement and a shared ambition to shape the next chapter of financial services.
The 65% increase in announcements and signings at FF26 highlights the Forum's growing role as a catalyst for tangible economic outcomes. Several of this year's announcements and MoUs build on connections forged at FF25, demonstrating how Bahrain's agile financial ecosystem converts dialogue and access to decisionmakers into sustained momentum. This is the Team Bahrain approach in action, harnessing public-private partnership to drive innovation, strengthen the ecosystem and unlock new pathways for growth.
Among the developments announced at FF26 was a Google Cloud Universal Ledger pilot showcased by BBK. The project is being delivered in collaboration with ARRAY Innovation, a portfolio company of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, the Kingdom's sovereign wealth fund. It explores the use of advanced digital ledger technology within BBK's core banking operations, with potential applications in tokenized payments and programmable settlement.
Beyon and barq Group's (Technologies Union) also announced an agreement which brought together Beyon Money's operations with barq's fintech platform, with Beyon set to retain economic interest in barq, subject to final documentation and regulatory approvals.
FF26 also saw BENEFIT announce the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) as the first participating bank and anchor banking partner in the Trade Finance Registry pilot. Developed in collaboration with Singapore-based trade finance fraud prevention specialist MonetaGo and Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB), the pilot aims to reduce risk across trade finance. Bahrain FinTech Bay also launched its fourth Fintech Ecosystem Report (2024–2026), charting Bahrain's progression to regulated execution and highlighting opportunities in AI, tokenisation, and cross-border payments. FF26 also marked the announcement of the third edition of the NBB Innovation Programme in partnership with BFB, continuing its presence at Fintech Forward for a second consecutive year.
Further announcements included Beyon Connect's plans to launch an AML Referral Programme, with AMAN Compliance Solutions joining as its first referral partner, helping organisations access specialised financial crime prevention and compliance expertise, alongside an MoU between Beyon Connect and BENEFIT to explore joint fintech opportunities locally and internationally, combining their complementary capabilities across digital identity, payments, credit and information services, as well as data analytics. BENEFIT and Huawei also signed an MoU to explore cooperation in digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies, reflecting the growing intersection between financial services and emerging technology.
Additionally, Kuwait Finance House – Bahrain announced an MoU with stc Bahrain to expand their existing partnership, exploring new areas of collaboration across digital solutions and integrated use cases, while further advancing digital capabilities in cash management, reconciliation, and trade finance.
The exhibition also debuted the Tech Talent Hub, featuring Citi, J.P. Morgan and KPMG and highlighting the role of Bahraini talent in supporting global clients and operations from the Kingdom, alongside the skills and career pathways shaping the future of financial services and technology. Bahrain's highly skilled, future-proofed and diverse talent base continues to be a defining strength of the Kingdom's economy, underpinned by strong workforce participation.
Bahrain has built a well-established financial services ecosystem over decades, supported by progressive regulation, advanced digital infrastructure, and a commitment to innovation. Financial and insurance activities remain the largest contributor to the Kingdom's economy, accounting for 17.6% of real GDP in 2025, with the sector continuing to play a central role in driving economic growth and attracting investment. The sector is supported by a forward-looking regulatory environment led by the Central Bank of Bahrain, alongside a skilled workforce, and strong digital infrastructure.
Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) and programmed by Forbes Middle East, FF26 was supported by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), and Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB) and was held under the theme "Finance in the Age of Intelligent Infrastructure."
** This press release is distributed by PR Newswire through automated distribution system, for which the client assumes full responsibility. **
Fintech Forward 2026 Concludes in Bahrain with over 60 Strategic Agreements Signed, Drawing 2900 Participants
