Traditional hedge funds are showing a more active interest in cryptocurrency trading platforms, especially Binance, as they look to exploit arbitrage opportunities created by around-the-clock markets, deeper liquidity and weekend price discovery. According to Catherine Chen, Binance’s Head of VIP and Institutional, the shift was visible during Token2049 Singapore, where funds moved beyond general curiosity toward concrete engagement with instruments such as cash equities and perpetual futures.
Chen said the platform’s traditional finance perpetual futures volume has climbed from roughly $20 billion to $30 billion per month at launch earlier this year to approximately $400 billion every 30 days. In addition, cash equity assets under management on Binance increased from around $800 million to $900 million to about $1.4 billion. These products allow institutions to trade across different market clocks, capturing price differences when traditional exchanges are closed, including during weekends.
Chen emphasized that while liquidity on second-tier, third-tier and DeFi venues had previously constrained meaningful institutional deployment, Binance’s deeper order books now support larger transactions and more complex strategies. At the same time, the trend is not one-sided: crypto-native clients are also adding traditional finance-linked instruments to build hybrid portfolios. The convergence is reflected in strong growth in real-world asset perpetual markets across major crypto venues.
Despite the accelerating volumes, Chen cautioned that institutional adoption remains in its early stages. She said she would watch the next 12 to 18 months closely and does not expect capital inflows to surge overnight. Regulatory clarity, rather than any single venue’s product lineup, may determine how quickly traditional finance and crypto markets develop closer trading relationships.
