The Future of Trading: Crypto, Stocks and AI

Quick take

Episode 6 of The White Papers, hosted by The Block's Kelvin Sparks, explores the convergence of traditional finance, crypto and AI with MEXC CEO Vugar Usi.

Key topics

• How blockchain unifies financial infrastructure 
• Stablecoins, tokenized stocks and 24/7 trading
• MEXC's expansion beyond traditional crypto trading
• AI-powered trading and the rise of autonomous agents
  

Timestamps

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 01:37 - Blockchain’s ‘internet moment’
• 03:52 - Usi’s transition from TradFi to crypto
• 07:39 - Stablecoins, tokenized stocks and Earn
• 10:00 - Demand for unified, 24/7 trading platforms
• 14:01 - The convergence of AI and crypto
• 18:06 - Is the AI market a bubble? 

Summary

In episode 7 of The White Papers, recorded at Token2049 in Singapore, we spoke with Vugar Usi, CEO of global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC. In conversation with The Block's Kelvin Sparks, Usi discussed the blockchain industry’s maturation, the rise of AI and how digital asset trading platforms are evolving into unified hubs for a range of assets and wealth management options.

Usi himself entered the crypto industry after a career spanning management consulting and major multinational companies. His first encounter with bitcoin came in 2016, while searching for a cost-effective method of moving money internationally. 

Reflecting on the many phases the industry has moved through since then, Usi said that responsible crypto companies can no longer operate with the mindset that characterized their “wild west” years: “Look at MEXC, we have 2,600 people across 45 nations. You need to think as a Fortune 500 company. You need think as global company. [..] We have to think compliance first. We have think about security first.”

For Usi, the next stage of that evolution involves bringing traditionally fragmented financial services together under a unified platform. Comparing blockchain's development to the early internet, he argued that financial services are undergoing a transformation similar to industries where digital platforms have dramatically simplified the customer experience.

"Why do we have to go between a broker, a bank, a wealth manager?" he asked, describing a vision in which users can invest, trade, save, earn yield and spend from a single account. 

According to Usi, consolidation is increasingly being driven by consumer demand. Citing an MEXC survey, he said 74.2% of respondents were considering crypto or moving to an exchange because they wanted greater freedom to manage their assets. He argued that investors increasingly expect access to different asset classes — as well as 24/7 trading — without the need to repeatedly transfer funds between financial institutions.

One of the other definitive future trends that Usi identifies is the rise of artificial intelligence. Already MEXC integrates AI in its security and product development workflows, as well as offering AI analysis tools for its customers. Usi envisions that such tools will eventually make the catastrophic liquidation events common in crypto a thing of the past, as AI-powered risk management tools become mainstream.

The next step is entrusting AI agents with funds directly — something which is currently possible, but still largely experimental. "By 2030, at least 40 percent of all trades in the world will be initiated by AI," Usi suggested. For now, MEXC's agentic trading functionality retains human oversight, although Usi believes greater autonomy will become possible as safeguards develop.

As for whether the wider AI market is a bubble, Uri was optimistic. "Even dot-com was a bubble," he said, pointing out that lasting growth and technological breakthroughs can still follow periods of overblown speculation. He points to the rise of companies like Amazon and Google as an example. 

Ultimately, Usi sees the convergence of AI and crypto as an opportunity to democratize access to financial markets, with investors managing an increasingly diverse range of assets through a single, continuously accessible platform.

About the guest

Vugar Usi is the CEO of global cryptocurrency exchange MEXC. Previously, he worked in traditional finance before transitioning into the cryptocurrency industry, holding senior positions at Binance and Bitget. With a background spanning both traditional and digital asset markets, Usi focuses on expanding MEXC's financial services, integrating AI-powered trading tools and improving accessibility for retail investors.