Bitgate CEO Gracie Chen plans to shake up the male-dominated crypto industry

The cryptocurrency industry, despite its forward-thinking and innovative edge, remains largely male-dominated, especially in leadership roles.

However, on May 21, cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company Bitget announced the appointment of its new CEO, Gracie Chen. Chen succeeds Sandra Low as CEO of Bitget and brings decades of leadership experience both inside and outside the Web3 world.

Cointelegraph spoke with Chen to better understand how she views her role as the only female CEO of a top crypto exchange and what unique perspectives she brings to the industry.

With 25 million users, Bitget ranks among the most popular crypto exchanges, a top five futures trading platform and a top 10 spot trading platform. The platform has a global reach, with presence in more than 100 countries – making Chen a challenger to this male-dominated industry standard.

She told Cointelegraph that being the only female CEO among crypto exchanges is “truly an honor” as it helps the company “develop a broader perspective.”

“I think female business leaders bring a more collaborative approach to work, which is critical in the crypto space.”

In her new role, her priorities and focus will be maintaining compliance across the company's multiple regions, fostering long-term growth in emerging markets, and supporting women-focused initiatives such as mentorship programs and collaborative events that empower women and youth. in the crypto industry.

Chen has launched initiatives focused on inclusion and diversity, such as the $10 million project #Blockchain4Her, to elevate, empower, educate, and empower women contributors in the blockchain space through educational programs, workshops, and mentorships geared toward women.

“More than 50% of management positions at Bitget are held by women. We like to encourage more focus on women-led initiatives. Bitget is living proof of the progress that women-led companies can achieve.”

She mentioned that a new incubation program will be launched soon, especially for female entrepreneurs to showcase their innovations and secure potential investments.

Three prominent female personalities have joined the B4H Ambassador Program: Tess Howe, founder of Tess Ventures, Yevheniia Broshevan, founder of Hacken, and Cecilia Hsueh, CEO of Layer-2 ecosystem project Morph.

Related: Crypto Glass Ceiling: Barriers Remain for Women in Web3

Stick to the strategy

In her previous role, Chen said her focus was on growing the exchange's user base and simplifying the user experience. She said her next motivation is to build a strong international presence.

Other areas of focus where we did a significant amount of work were security and compliance. These steps and localized marketing campaigns have helped us build trust with consumers and increase our user base significantly.

According to the new CEO, Bitgate recently received licenses in Poland and Lithuania and is currently in talks with several other regions to explore similar opportunities.

In the year By the end of 2023, Bitget has launched the “Bitget Card” – a Visa-backed credit card – to allow its users to use crypto “beyond investment purposes”. Developing additional services to support this integration is also on the to-do list, Chen said.

Blockchain with a purpose

Over the years, there have been several initiatives in the blockchain and crypto space to equip the next generation of users with the knowledge and tools necessary to succeed in a technology-driven world.

Examples of this include a scholarship initiative led by Binance and the Blockchain 4 Youth Program, which has attracted 6,000 participants from over 54 campus lectures and workshops around the world. These events occurred in Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, and South America.

Chen said Bitgate plans to invest $10 million in the program over the next five years.

“[We] They believe that a blockchain-based future is crucial to creating new solutions that encourage acceptance and encourage people to embrace this new world.

“The young generation must learn the potential of Web3 early,” she said, not only to fully benefit but also to lead the movement.

According to data from Stilt, this is a sentiment shared by many leaders in the crypto space, and as such, Gen Z and Millennials already account for nearly 94% of all crypto buyers. This will continue to change as younger generations grow up to be more “tech-native” than their predecessors.

This sentiment is widely echoed among leaders in the crypto space, and for good reason: Gen Z and Millennials already make up nearly 94% of all crypto buyers, according to Stilt data.

Chen said that as a leader in this space, and especially as a female leader, the value placed on continuous learning and adaptation are both “great assets” and key to success in the fast-growing cryptocurrency industry.

Magazine: Historical turning point for crypto, Ethereum ETFs, FIT21, Trump: Hodler's Digest, May 19-25