CEOs Corner: The BTC Markets' Philosophy

BTC Markets was born 10 years ago.

Bitcoin was created a few years earlier, a counterpoint to the economic crisis then shaking the world. BTC Markets learned the lessons from the GFC.

Our philosophy as a result is that our client’s best interests are our best interests. There are no competing priorities when it comes to decision-making at BTC Markets.

Custody is here in Australia.

Not your keys, not your coins. However, not everyone is willing or able to run their own wallet or cold storage.

Our role as an exchange is to support client custody to the highest possible standards.

This includes keeping assets onshore in Australia, under Australian laws and control. Whether you’re withdrawing AUD or BTC, our systems are set-up to give you quick access to your assets on demand.

We are an exchange, not a broker.

Brokers are great! Some of my best friends are brokers. A broker though is different to an exchange. As an exchange, we build & support the trading infrastructure used by brokers.

This means we spin up & run the different blockchains, support wallet infrastructure, & manage highly complex issues such as custody and security.

Trading via brokers can mean a wider range of assets on one platform, as they can work with a number of exchanges without having to support technical infrastructure.

Trading directly on a crypto exchange means you take out a middle layer. This means tighter spread and lower fees. When you trade via BTC Markets, it also means your crypto is controlled in Australia. Not overseas or with another exchange.

We don’t trade against our clients.

There is no BTC Markets trading team. We don’t take advantage of our order book.

Our clients are Australian based. Meaning you’re buying & selling your crypto with Mary in Ulladulla or Bob in Toowoomba.

We have a handful of market makers who ensure there is always buyer or a seller for when our clients want to trade. They also work to keep the spread as tight as possible. This is the same as traditional financial markets.

We don’t touch your assets.

Rehypothecation is a financial term for where a lender re-uses your loan collateral to borrow against it. It is common in traditional finance.

BTC Markets does not currently lend to you against your crypto holdings, nor do we rehypothecate your assets. They are yours, ready to use whenever you want them.

We believe in the blockchain economy.

This is a new, exciting, unpredictable area of technical innovation. Fundamentally, we want to give our clients access to as many opportunities as we can.

BTC Markets listings primarily focus on projects and tokens with utility. We do not get paid to list assets. That way no-one else’s voice is as important as our clients.

As we move into our next decade, we know that challenges & exciting new possibilities will continue. Sticking to our core philosophy will mean Australians will always have a safe, reliable, & local digital asset exchange.

Caroline Bowler

CEO, BTC Markets

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