Bybit Co-CEO Helen Liu to Step Down in April 2026

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Bybit Co-CEO Helen Liu to step down in April 2026.

Helen Liu will leave Bybit on 30 April 2026 after five years, departing from the Co-CEO role she was appointed to in 2025.
Bybit does not plan to appoint a direct successor; CEO Ben Zhou and the existing executive team will continue to lead the company.
Liu joined in 2020 as VP of Human Resources and held roles spanning marketing, chief of staff, and COO before reaching the top position.
Bybit is the world's second-largest crypto exchange by volume, serving more than 82 million users across 181 countries from its Dubai global headquarters.
The exchange holds a full SCA Virtual Asset Platform Operator Licence - the first crypto platform to achieve this on the UAE mainland - plus provisional VARA approval in Dubai.
Liu's departure is framed as a personal career move; no details of her planned entrepreneurial venture have been disclosed publicly.

A High-Profile Exit at a Pivotal Moment for Dubai's Virtual Asset Sector

Bybit, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has confirmed that Co-Chief Executive Officer Helen Liu will leave the company on 30 April 2026 to pursue an entrepreneurial venture. The announcement, issued from Bybit's Dubai global headquarters, marks a notable leadership transition at a firm holding a full Virtual Asset Platform Operator Licence from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) - the first crypto exchange to secure this status on the UAE mainland.

Liu's departure coincides with a period of sustained momentum in Dubai's digital asset sector, where the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) has been active in both licensing and enforcement. Bybit holds provisional VARA approval alongside its SCA licence, positioning it at the centre of a maturing regulatory environment designed to attract global Web3 ecosystem participants to the UAE.

Five Years at Bybit: From HR Lead to Co-CEO

Liu joined Bybit in 2020 as Vice President of Human Resources, helping build the company's global team and culture during a period of rapid expansion. She subsequently held roles including Vice President of Marketing and Chief of Staff before being appointed Chief Operating Officer in 2022. Her promotion to Co-CEO in 2025 placed her at the top of one of the world's largest digital asset platforms during what Bybit described as a pivotal stage in the industry's evolution.

Her professional background spans senior leadership positions at Nokia, Microsoft APAC, and Lazada - experience that informed her focus on organisational development and talent strategy at Bybit. She also holds an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) from Tsinghua University. Industry profiles have noted her advocacy for leveraging blockchain technology for broader social and economic impact, aligning closely with Dubai's push to attract Web3 builders and entrepreneurs.

Ben Zhou Pays Tribute; No Successor Planned

In an official statement cited by PR Newswire, Bybit co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou described Liu as an extraordinary partner who helped shape the firm's culture and guide it through both rapid growth and industry headwinds. Zhou noted her dedication, empathy, and sense of purpose, adding that Bybit's leadership welcomed her decision to pursue a new entrepreneurial vision.

Bybit has confirmed it does not intend to appoint a direct successor to the Co-CEO role, reflecting confidence in the existing leadership framework centred on Zhou and the wider executive team. For market participants, the decision to run a single-CEO structure going forward signals an operational consolidation rather than a strategic departure.

Liu's Own Assessment

In her own remarks, Liu described Bybit as an incredible platform for growth and expressed gratitude for the trust and opportunities she gained during her tenure. She said she was proud of what the global team had built together and voiced confidence that the exchange was firmly on the right track under Zhou's leadership and a capable regional team.

Liu did not disclose specific details of her planned venture. However, her background across HR, marketing, operations, and C-suite leadership at a major global exchange makes her well-positioned to found or lead a new organisation in the digital asset or technology space - areas where Dubai continues to cultivate new entrants through its regulatory sandbox and ecosystem initiatives.

Bybit's UAE Regulatory and Operational Footprint

Bybit opened its global headquarters at One Central, Dubai World Trade Centre in 2023, occupying a 16,000-square-foot office that reflects its long-term commitment to the emirate. The exchange serves more than 82 million users across more than 181 countries and regions, with 24-hour trading volumes consistently in the multi-billion-dollar range. Liu's tenure coincided directly with the most significant period of UAE regulatory formalisation for virtual asset platforms.

In 2025, Bybit became the first crypto exchange to receive a full SCA Virtual Asset Platform Operator Licence, authorising regulated virtual asset trading, brokerage, custody, and fiat conversion services across the UAE mainland. The firm has also signalled plans to expand into Abu Dhabi, targeting more than 500 staff across the two emirates and deepening its focus on compliance, operations, and client service in the region. Bybit is also an Ecosystem and Advisory Partner with the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), which supports Dubai's ambition to become a leading global centre for crypto and Web3.

Bybit's 2026 Strategic Direction

In early 2026, Bybit unveiled a strategic vision it describes as "The New Financial Platform" - a transition from a trading-focused exchange into a broader global financial infrastructure providing access to banking, investment, and payment services for underserved users worldwide. This strategy includes the TradFi (traditional finance) platform launched earlier this year, which offers UAE retail investors zero-fee gold trading across more than 200 assets through MetaTrader 5 infrastructure.

The platform combines traditional CFD (contract for difference - an instrument that lets traders exchange the price difference in an asset between the opening and closing of a trade) mechanics with tokenised gold instruments such as XAUT and PAXG futures. This bridge between on-chain digital assets and conventional commodities markets is particularly relevant in the UAE, where gold carries strong cultural significance and retail investment demand remains high. Bybit has stated publicly that its strategic focus and UAE regulatory relationships will continue unchanged following Liu's departure.

Practical Implications for UAE Crypto Advisors and Compliance Teams

For compliance officers and senior executives at licensed UAE virtual asset service providers, leadership transitions at major exchanges are a routine trigger for reviewing counterparty risk frameworks. Bybit's decision not to replace the Co-CEO role signals confidence in its governance structure, but practitioners should document the transition and note it in any forthcoming due diligence reviews of platforms they work with or recommend to clients.

Wealth advisors and financial planners who include digital asset exposure in client portfolios should treat Bybit's continuity messaging as broadly reassuring, while tracking any updates to its product roadmap or regulatory status over the coming months. Clients with assets on Bybit or using its TradFi platform should be informed of the leadership change as part of standard client communication practice - particularly those who hold regulated accounts under the SCA or VARA frameworks. Advisors should also monitor whether Liu's departure, and any subsequent venture she launches, introduces new competitive or partnership dynamics within Dubai's virtual asset landscape.

What Clients are Asking their Advisors

What is Bybit's regulatory status in the UAE?

Bybit holds a full Virtual Asset Platform Operator Licence from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA), making it the first crypto exchange to achieve this status on the UAE mainland. It also holds provisional approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), giving it dual regulatory coverage across key UAE jurisdictions.

Will Bybit appoint a new Co-CEO to replace Helen Liu?

Bybit has confirmed it does not intend to appoint a direct successor to the Co-CEO role. The company plans to maintain its existing leadership structure, centred on co-founder and CEO Ben Zhou alongside the broader executive team.

How does Helen Liu's departure compare with other recent crypto exchange leadership changes?

Liu's exit follows a relatively short Co-CEO tenure of around one year, though her overall five-year period at Bybit was extensive by crypto industry standards. Leadership transitions at major exchanges are watched closely because they can indicate shifts in strategic priorities or regulatory engagement - though Bybit has emphasised continuity across all three areas.

What does Bybit's leadership change mean for UAE investors and clients using the platform?

Bybit's public statements stress continuity of strategy under Ben Zhou, with no change expected to its UAE regulatory relationships, product roadmap, or operational focus. UAE-based investors and advisors should monitor any updates to Bybit's licensing position or service terms over the coming months, and include this transition in routine client communications about platform exposure.