Bitget, the largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has published its User Asset Allocation Report 2026, revealing that retail traders are rapidly expanding beyond crypto into traditional assets and AI-assisted investing. The report, which combines platform trading data with a survey of over 6,000 global users, indicates a structural shift in how retail participants build portfolios.
In Q1 2026, crypto remained the dominant asset class, with 86% of users holding digital assets. However, the concentration of trading activity in crypto declined from nearly 100% in early January to a stable 60–80% by the end of the quarter. Over the same period, trading in traditional assets—led by gold—surged from near zero to between 20% and 40% of total platform activity, marking the strongest quarterly increase for non-crypto assets on Bitget.
The data shows that 52% of users now hold equities alongside crypto, and 35% hold gold or other precious metals, making commodities the most widely adopted non-crypto category. Users identified AI-related investments, precious metals, and crude oil as the dominant themes for 2026. Among high-net-worth users, diversification is even more aggressive: they recorded an average annual return of 13% in 2025, while about 6% of VIP users achieved returns between 51% and 100%. A full 74% of surveyed high-value participants plan to further spread their capital across crypto, equities, and commodities this year.
Regional differences reflect local macroeconomic pressures. In East Asia, 60% of users favor USDT settlement to avoid currency conversion, and 48% cite easier access compared to traditional accounts. In Southeast Asia, 46% value leverage for traditional asset trading. In Latin America, 78% use the platform for diversification and as a hedge against inflation or currency depreciation.
AI adoption is also reshaping trading behavior: 51% of surveyed users already rely on AI tools for investment decisions, using products like GetAgent, GetClaw, and Agent Hub to analyze earnings reports, commodity prices, macro data, and on-chain signals. According to Bitget CEO Gracy Chen, retail traders are becoming “macro-aware,” shifting capital between asset classes based on liquidity, volatility, and market access rather than focusing on a single sector.
The report underscores strong demand for Bitget’s UEX model: 71% of users rank USDT settlement as the most important feature, and 65% prioritize the ability to switch quickly between crypto, equities, forex, and commodities in one account. Users described an ideal platform that combines stablecoin settlement, centralized liquidity, transparent reserve verification, global market access, and AI-assisted tools in a unified system.
