MEXC Ventures Asia TradFi Report: Stock Futures Volume Surges 3,308%, And 87.2% Of Users Plan To Increase TradFi Trading
MEXC Ventures and Blockworks Research have jointly released The Cross Asset Shift, an industry report analyzing the growing trend of Asian crypto users engaging with traditional financial instruments including gold and equities via centralized trading platforms.
The study draws on exchange market data from Blockworks Research, alongside survey responses and platform statistics from MEXC’s Asian user base, concluding that demand for cross-asset trading is gaining momentum worldwide with particularly pronounced interest across Asia.
According to the findings, futures contracts have emerged as the dominant mechanism for this category of trading. During the second quarter of 2026, average daily Stock Futures trading volume among MEXC users in Asia surged by 3,308% quarter over quarter.
The survey further reveals that 87.2% of Asian respondents intend to expand their traditional finance trading activities through centralized exchanges. A notable 62.6% of crypto-native participants in the region indicated that precious metals represent their primary cross-asset focus on these platforms, marking the highest regional proportion recorded in the study.
The region’s mature digital asset infrastructure has facilitated this transition from cryptocurrency into conventional markets. Over the 12-month period concluding in June 2025, the value of on-chain assets received throughout the Asia-Pacific region climbed 69% on an annual basis. Stablecoins have played a facilitating role, with Asia generating roughly 30% of global stablecoin activity during 2025.
This existing familiarity with digital assets and exchange platforms enables users to manage gold, equities, and index products within a single account. Southeast Asian trading patterns on MEXC confirm this trajectory, as average daily Stock Spot participation rose 153% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the first quarter, accompanied by a 348% increase in average daily trading volume. Through August of the third quarter, these figures advanced by an additional 159% and 87% respectively relative to the preceding quarter.
Futures Markets Drive Structural Shift in Cross-Asset Activity
Trading activity spanning multiple asset categories remains heavily weighted toward futures instruments. While real-world assets, foreign exchange, and tokenized equities constitute under 2% of spot trading volume on centralized exchanges, they represent in excess of 12% of futures volume. July 2026 witnessed aggregate futures trading across these three segments approach $400 billion, establishing a new monthly peak within the report’s observation period.
Equity-linked futures products accounted for the majority of this recent expansion, with MEXC and BingX each capturing approximately 20% of segment volume. MEXC’s internal metrics corroborate this pattern, showing that the average daily count of Stock Futures traders in Asia expanded by 386% in the second quarter of 2026 from the prior quarter, while corresponding daily volume jumped 3,308%. Southeast Asian markets recorded even more dramatic gains of 399% and 6,648% respectively.
Asset preferences within this ecosystem are also evolving. Precious metals futures, among the earliest traditional instruments to reach substantial scale on centralized exchanges, posted open interest of $1.98 billion in May 2026 before moderating to $1.69 billion at June’s close, equivalent to 36.2% of total open interest in traditional finance perpetual futures. By June, open interest in United States Stock Futures had exceeded that of precious metals. Although gold maintained its position among the two largest categories, equities have surfaced as a critical emerging growth driver.
The analysis highlights restricted market hours, elevated costs, and cumbersome onboarding processes as ongoing obstacles within conventional financial markets, factors that enhance the attractiveness of centralized exchange alternatives. The survey indicates that 75.1% of Asian participants have faced significant market developments during periods when traditional markets were inaccessible, and 79% expressed willingness to utilize cryptocurrency platforms for gold or crude oil transactions under comparable conditions. Additionally, 53.8% of respondents characterized traditional brokerage fees as elevated, while 42.6% described account-opening procedures as complicated.
Sustainable advancement of this market segment will depend on striking an appropriate balance between expansion and risk controls. The report calls for enhanced spot market liquidity, more comprehensive user education, stricter protective measures for leveraged positions, and better pricing transparency and market depth during periods when traditional venues are closed. Looking ahead, deeper spot markets, improved educational resources, stronger safeguards for leveraged trading, and dependable weekend liquidity are identified as essential components for the next growth phase.
MEXC Ventures is directing investment attention toward tokenization, trading infrastructure, custody solutions, and settlement systems to foster continued traditional finance market development. Survey data and trading metrics alike signal a definitive movement within Asia, positioning the region to serve as a primary market as centralized exchanges broaden their multi-asset service offerings, liquidity provisions, and risk management frameworks.
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About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
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Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
