This episode of The New Money Podcast features Vugar Usi Zade, COO of Bitget. Vugar recounts his unconventional path from marketing director at Sony to scaling crypto giant Bitget from 12 million to 100 million users in under two years. Vugar explains the key drivers behind Bitget’s growth, including its strategic $30M partnership with Lionel Messi, the launch of the Bitget Wallet (now one of the most downloaded crypto wallets globally), and investments into Telegram’s TON ecosystem. He shares how Bitget scaled its operations to 1,800 employees across 60 countries, why the company prioritizes local autonomy over centralized control, and how they maintain performance through a rigorous metrics-driven culture. This episode is a masterclass in operating at scale, building trust in a post-FTX world, and thinking contrarian in crypto. A must-listen for builders, investors, and anyone fascinated by the future of money.

Key Chapters 

03:06 Vugar’s Unconventional Path: From Sony to Crypto

08:51 Evaluating Crypto Projects: Red Flags and Due Diligence

12:04 The Importance of Founders and Their Backgrounds

14:50 The Bitget Story Begins: Why Vugar Joined

17:57 Inside Bitget’s 8x Growth Playbook

20:50 Strategic Partnerships: The Messi Deal & Beyond

23:59 Rebuilding Trust in a Post-FTX Crypto World

27:01 Challenges of Rapid Growth and Talent Acquisition

28:36 Decentralization at Scale: How Bitget Operates

30:32 Culture Without Borders: Managing 1,800 Remotely

34:42 Performance Metrics and Accountability

35:54 Navigating Employee Performance and Retention

39:50 The Vision of a Crypto Super App

42:04 Tokenization of Real World Assets

46:50 Legislation and Regulatory Challenges in Crypto

49:30 Geographical Strategy and Market Focus

40:10 Quickfire Insights on Fintech and Crypto Trends

*This is NOT financial, tax, or legal advice*

Music by Marcelo Cataldo - http://www.marcelocataldo.com