BitMEX Partners With Zodia Custody on Off-Exchange Collateral Trading

Crypto exchanges typically require clients to deposit collateral on their platforms in advance, leaving assets vulnerable to being frozen or misappropriated if an exchange fails or is hacked. FTX’s collapse in 2022 and the theft of about $1.4 billion from Bybit in February 2025 highlighted the risks of combining trading and custody, prompting institutions to seek third-party custody arrangements.

BitMEX said on April 21, 2026, that it had partnered with Standard Chartered-backed Zodia Custody to allow institutional and professional clients to trade perpetual contracts and futures through Interchange. Collateral remains in segregated vaults and does not need to be transferred to BitMEX. The service supports cross-collateralization using BTC, ETH, USDT and USDC and is available immediately.