Bitget has secured a place on New Zealand’s Financial Service Providers Register (FSPR), a move the crypto exchange says will underpin the expansion of its tokenised and direct US stock offerings, while access to its platform remains restricted in markets such as Singapore.
The company confirmed on 23 July that its New Zealand registration covers five lines of business: foreign currency exchange; domestic and cross-border money transfers; custody of client assets; portfolio and money management; and the execution of financial products or foreign-exchange transactions on behalf of clients.
At the same time, Bitget has joined the Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) Dispute Resolution Scheme, giving customers in New Zealand access to an independent channel to escalate complaints against the firm. The IFSO Scheme describes its service as a free, fair and independent process for consumers dealing with member financial providers.
Registration stops short of full New Zealand licence
New Zealand’s Companies Office stresses that appearing on the FSPR does not in itself mean a firm is licensed or actively supervised by regulators, nor does it amount to government endorsement. Certain financial activities in the country also require specific licences from the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) or the Reserve Bank of New Zealand.
Bitget’s announcement set out the categories under which it is registered but did not state that it holds any separate New Zealand licence from either the FMA or the Reserve Bank. Under its current registration, the platform can provide foreign-exchange services, move funds within New Zealand or across borders, safeguard client assets, manage portfolios and execute trades in instruments such as stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Membership of the IFSO Scheme satisfies New Zealand’s requirement that most providers serving retail clients belong to an approved dispute resolution body, unless an exemption applies, adding a formal complaints route around Bitget’s local services.
Part of broader compliance drive
Bitget has framed the New Zealand step as another link in a growing international regulatory network. The exchange points to its Digital Asset Service Provider licence in El Salvador and authorisation from South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority as examples of approvals that govern its operations in those jurisdictions.
However, the firm says it applies different access policies where it lacks local authorisation. In a notice dated 22 July, Bitget reiterated that it is not “licensed, approved, registered, authorized or supervised” by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).
The same Singapore notice states that Bitget does not offer services to people in Singapore, does not solicit Singapore residents and does not direct offers to them. Singapore is listed as a prohibited jurisdiction in Bitget’s terms, with access to the platform blocked from within the country.
Commenting on the company’s regulatory stance, chief executive Gracy Chen said: “As Bitget continues to expand globally, we will remain committed to meeting local regulatory requirements and building a trusted platform for our users.”
MAS operates an Investor Alert List highlighting firms that consumers might wrongly assume are regulated by the authority. As crypto.news reported, the regulator added decentralized exchange Hyperliquid to that list in June 2026, after which Hyperliquid said it had never claimed MAS approval.
Tokenised US equities at the heart of strategy
The New Zealand registration coincides with Bitget’s attempt to build two distinct channels into US equity markets. Its rToken range offers tokenised economic exposure to selected US shares and ETFs, while its Stock+ service is designed to give eligible customers access to real securities via licensed partners.
According to Bitget’s documentation, rTokens are issued by Reality and are intended to be backed 1:1 by underlying shares held in custody. The tokens track assets including Nvidia, Apple, Tesla and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF. Holding an rToken, however, does not confer the same legal ownership position as buying a registered share through a conventional brokerage account.
Bitget says more than 500 major US stocks and ETFs are now covered by the rToken programme, with some products tradable around the clock. Where permitted by product terms and local regulations, these tokens can be used in margin, collateral, lending and other trading strategies.
Stock+ targets a different segment by providing access to over 10,000 US-listed stocks and ETFs. The service supports fractional investing from as little as 0.0001 of a share, dividend distributions and trading during standard US market hours. Access is dependent on users’ location and eligibility criteria.
Chen told crypto.news that tokenised traditional assets represented 20% to 30% of Bitget’s spot trading volume in the previous quarter. She said 52% of users held both stocks and cryptocurrencies, while the exchange’s tokenised-stock products had accumulated more than $100m in assets.
Plans for US return still tied to approvals
Bitget is also preparing a renewed push into the United States after abandoning an earlier expansion following the collapse of FTX in 2022 and subsequent regulatory pressure. As reported by crypto.news on 22 July, Chen said the company intends to enter the US market regardless of whether Congress passes the CLARITY Act.
Before launching services there, Bitget plans to set up a standalone US entity and seek approvals as a money transmitter, derivatives provider and broker-dealer. The exchange has not given a timetable for a US debut, saying its return will depend on securing the necessary licences.
With its New Zealand registration now in place, Bitget has added another jurisdiction to its financial services footprint while continuing to tie product availability to local rules. Its ability to operate in the United States will hinge on obtaining separate permissions, and its self-imposed restrictions in Singapore remain in effect in the absence of MAS authorisation.
