Bybit has introduced dedicated AI Subaccounts that allow traders to deploy autonomous trading agents inside isolated environments, reflecting a broader industry shift toward agentic trading while addressing one of artificial intelligence’s biggest operational risks in financial markets: giving AI direct access to customer funds.
The feature, announced on June 24, provides segregated accounts specifically designed for AI-powered trading. Rather than allowing trading agents to operate directly from a customer’s primary account, the infrastructure confines AI strategies within dedicated subaccounts protected by predefined limits on leverage, capital allocation and withdrawals.
The launch also underscores the Middle East’s growing importance in financial technology. Bybit said the product was developed with the MENA market in mind as governments across the region continue investing heavily in artificial intelligence and digital assets through initiatives such as the UAE’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Crypto Exchanges Are Building Guardrails Around AI Trading
Artificial intelligence is becoming one of the most competitive areas in retail trading, but most attention has focused on what AI can do rather than how safely it can do it.
Trading agents capable of analyzing markets, generating orders and managing portfolios introduce new operational risks. A faulty algorithm, compromised API or poorly designed autonomous strategy can execute unintended trades, exceed risk limits or gain broader account access than intended.
Bybit’s approach separates those risks from customers’ primary portfolios.
The AI Subaccount acts as an isolated trading sandbox where automated agents operate independently from the user’s main account. AI systems can execute strategies using only the assets allocated to the dedicated environment, while the customer’s remaining holdings remain inaccessible.
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Segregated AI account | Separates automated trading from primary portfolio |
| API-only access | Prevents manual interference while limiting permissions |
| User-defined leverage limits | Controls automated risk exposure |
| Withdrawal restrictions | Protects customer assets |
| Real-time monitoring | Allows oversight without interrupting execution |
Rather than marketing AI solely as a trading advantage, Bybit is positioning infrastructure security as a competitive differentiator. That reflects growing recognition across financial markets that institutional adoption depends as much on governance and operational controls as on algorithmic performance.
Agentic Trading Is Becoming The Next Competitive Battleground
Bybit’s announcement comes as brokers, exchanges and infrastructure providers accelerate investment in artificial intelligence.
Interactive Brokers recently expanded its AI ecosystem by adding ChatGPT and Grok integrations alongside existing Claude support, allowing investors to research portfolios, analyze markets and generate trading instructions using natural language. Meanwhile, infrastructure providers including MoonPay, Broadridge and Zero Hash have introduced AI-driven finance operations, tokenization platforms and digital asset services aimed at institutional clients.
The common trend is that artificial intelligence is moving beyond research into execution.
How AI Is Moving Across Financial Markets
| Generation | Primary Function |
|---|---|
| AI research assistants | Market analysis and information retrieval |
| Portfolio assistants | Investment recommendations and portfolio analytics |
| Agentic trading systems | Autonomous trade generation and execution |
| AI finance operations | Back-office reconciliation and treasury automation |
That evolution creates new governance challenges. Financial institutions increasingly need mechanisms that allow AI systems to execute strategies without exposing unrestricted customer assets or operational infrastructure.
Derek Dai, Regional Head of MENA at Bybit, said demand for those capabilities is accelerating.
“The MENA region is not just participating in the AI revolution; it is actively shaping it. We are seeing an unprecedented appetite from local developers, institutional partners, and sophisticated retail traders for tools that allow them to deploy automated strategies safely. The AI Subaccount provides exactly that, a secure sandbox that empowers our users to innovate fearlessly, knowing their core assets remain strictly protected.”
The Middle East Is Becoming An Important AI And Digital Asset Market
The regional focus is notable.
Governments across the Gulf have spent several years positioning themselves as global technology hubs through investments in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure and blockchain innovation. Dubai has emerged as one of the world’s largest crypto licensing jurisdictions through VARA, while Abu Dhabi Global Market continues expanding its digital asset ecosystem. Saudi Arabia has similarly incorporated AI development into Vision 2030 as part of its broader economic diversification strategy.
Bybit’s AI Subaccount reflects that changing environment. Rather than launching another trading product, the company is introducing infrastructure designed for developers, quantitative traders and institutions seeking to deploy increasingly autonomous trading systems.
| MENA Technology Trend | Impact On Digital Assets |
|---|---|
| National AI strategies | Accelerates AI adoption across financial services |
| Crypto regulatory frameworks | Supports institutional digital asset businesses |
| Growing fintech investment | Increases demand for programmable infrastructure |
| Regional Web3 initiatives | Expands developer ecosystem |
Initially, the feature is available only to eligible users registered under Bybit’s CMA licence, while residents of Dubai are excluded from the launch because of local regulatory requirements.
FinanceFeeds recently reported on Interactive Brokers’ expansion of AI-powered trading, MoonPay’s acquisition of Entendre to automate digital asset finance operations, Zero Hash’s staking infrastructure for financial institutions, Broadridge’s expansion into tokenized market infrastructure, and Galaxy Digital’s investment in institutional crypto lending infrastructure. Together, these developments suggest the industry’s competitive focus is shifting from simply offering crypto trading toward building AI-enabled infrastructure capable of supporting institutional-scale automation.
Infrastructure, Not Algorithms, May Become The Differentiator
Most exchanges can now offer algorithmic trading, automated execution and increasingly sophisticated AI models. The harder challenge is designing infrastructure that keeps those systems under control.
Segregated execution environments, programmable risk limits and permissioned API architectures have long been standard features in institutional trading systems. As autonomous AI agents become more common among retail investors, exchanges appear to be adapting those institutional safeguards for consumer markets.
Bybit’s AI Subaccount illustrates that the next phase of AI trading may be defined less by increasingly powerful models than by increasingly robust controls over how those models interact with customer assets.
Takeaway
Bybit’s AI Subaccount is less about launching another trading feature than about solving a governance problem created by autonomous trading. As artificial intelligence moves from generating market insights to executing transactions, exchanges are increasingly competing on infrastructure that can safely contain AI activity. For the broader industry, secure execution environments may become just as important as the intelligence of the trading models themselves.
