According to reports from Bitget, the world's largest Universal Exchange (UEX) has completed its New Zealand financial services registration covering five business areas as the crypto exchange expands its tokenized and direct U.S. stock products. The exchange announced the registration on July 23, with the entry covering foreign currency exchange, domestic and cross-border money transfers, client asset custody, portfolio and money management, and the execution of financial products or foreign exchange transactions for clients. The registration forms part of Bitget's work to build the operational and compliance infrastructure required for its expanding range of financial products, with the FSPR approval cementing the crypto exchange's presence and regulatory approval in the global financial services landscape.
As reported by Bitget, the company has also joined the New Zealand Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman (IFSO) Dispute Resolution Scheme. The independent scheme provides an external channel for eligible customers to raise and resolve disputes relating to participating financial service providers, offering customers an alternative avenue for grievance and resolution with involved financial services companies. This addition strengthens Bitget's commitment to providing transparent and accountable customer service in the New Zealand market, with providers serving retail clients generally required to belong to an approved dispute resolution scheme unless an exemption applies.
According to Bitget's product documentation, the New Zealand registration supports the exchange's rToken product providing tokenized economic exposure to selected U.S. stocks and ETFs, while Stock+ gives eligible users broker-style access to real securities through licensed partners. The rToken lineup covers more than 500 mainstream U.S. stocks and ETFs, with tokens issued by Reality designed to carry 1:1 backing through shares held in custody and tracking assets such as Nvidia, Apple, Tesla and the SPDR S&P 500 ETF. Stock+ offers more than 10,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs with fractional holdings from 0.0001 shares and supports dividend payments and trading during U.S. market sessions.
As reported by Bitget, the registration does not by itself mean the company is licensed or regulated in New Zealand, with the Companies Office stating that registration neither represents government approval nor guarantees active supervision. Certain financial services require separate licenses from the Financial Markets Authority or the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, though Bitget's announcement did not disclose separate New Zealand licenses from either authority. The exchange maintains different access policies in markets where it lacks local approval, with Singapore remaining listed as a prohibited country under the exchange's terms, following the company's confirmation that it is not licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
As reported by Bitget, Gracy Chen, CEO at Bitget, stated that "As Bitget continues to expand globally, we will remain committed to meeting local regulatory requirements and building a trusted platform for our users." Chen emphasized that the registration adds another layer to their international financial services framework as the platform continues connecting digital assets with established markets. The company is also preparing to return to the United States after dropping an earlier expansion effort, with Chen stating that Bitget intends to enter the market regardless of whether Congress passes the CLARITY Act. Before offering U.S. services, the company plans to establish an independent local entity and pursue money-transmitter, derivatives and broker-dealer approvals, with tokenized traditional assets accounting for 20% to 30% of Bitget's spot trading volume during the previous quarter.
