During the International Crypto Trading Cup 2025 (ICTC), the first Cryptographic Trade Commerce broadcast live, our staff spoke with the Whitebit CEO, Volodymyr Nosov and its CMO, Alex Kozenko, to obtain information about the event, its origins, the purpose and value it tries to provide the crypto community. This is what they told us.
Paradigm Shift: Crypto Commerce as the best sport?
Interviewer: Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to us. We are excited to listen more about Whitebit. To start, could you tell us a little about the first days of the platform? How much has grown up since then and where do you see it in next year?
Volodymyr Nosov: Thank you. First, it is important to keep in mind that Whitebit is only one of the many largest products within the biggest Whitebit group. Our group specializes in the development of Blockchain, and today we manage more than 12 active projects. Now we have a team of more than 1,300 people, including more than 240 internal developers.
All our products are built completely internally. That is critical for us. Many players in this industry depend on subcontracted development or white label solutions, which often leads to technical vulnerabilities. You constantly listen to hacks and data leaks, it is often so. In contrast, during our seven years of operation, we have never had a single hack or data violation. That is something that I am really proud.
And it’s not just a crypto. Yes, the cryptographic space has many exchanges and companies, but the truth is that about 98% of them are essentially only marketing shells, often directed by a person with a front-end and without infrastructure. In Whitebit, our central approach has always been in development. That is why we continue to grow year after year.
In terms of the exchange itself, only last year, Whitebit facilitated more than $ 2.7 billion in negotiation volume in 2024, without a single technical problem. That tells you something about the platform resistance.
Interviewer: Can you talk more about the broader strategy and future vision of Whitebit?
Volodymyr Nosov: Our vision is to close traditional finances and cryptography. We are developing characteristics that replicate the functionality of classic but reinvented financial systems for blockchain. The idea is that you can do everything you need, from commerce to the management of your finances, within an integrated application.
We are also investing a lot in infrastructure that supports institutional clients and professional merchants. Beyond cryptography, our team has been blockchain -based solutions for traditional industries: management, telecommunications and even electronic sports. These products live “Under the Hood” of web companies, giving them access without problems to web3 functionality.
Here is the reality: the big web2 companies are not going to disappear, but they lack the developers and the experience to integrate blockchain correctly. One day, they will realize that they need crypto-national infrastructure. When that time comes, we will be ready. We have spent the last four years building systems that are easy to integrate into their existing batteries.
Interviewer: Are you already seeing institutions to adopt these solutions?
Volodymyr Nosov: Yes, it is already happening, extravagant but constantly. At this time, there are hundreds of companies. In a year, it will be thousands. In three years, they will be millions. The wave is here.
Interviewer: Let’s talk about today’s event. What inspired Whitebit to organize commercial competition?
Volodymyr Nosov: Good question. This is not our first event: we have associated with football clubs, electronic sports organizations and other industry leaders. But we noticed that no one had organized something really significant only for cryptography merchants.
Throughout the history of 14 to 15 years of cryptography, no one has done this. So we decided to create something special for our community, something that celebrates merchants as professionals. This tournament is our first important step, and we plan to house it annually. It is a learning experience, and we are collecting comments, so the next one will be even bigger and better.
Interviewer: I also noticed that there is a strong educational component. Would you say this event is aimed at helping people become better merchants?
Volodymyr Nosov: Absolutely. It reminds me of how eSports began. I remember 15 years ago, sitting in a computing laboratory with friends playing against the backlash. At that time, our families told us it was a waste of time. Today, Esports is an industry of one billion dollars.
We are trying to build the same type of infrastructure for trade. Imagine that he is a 25 -year -old feeling on his computer all day studying lists, and his parents do not understand what he is doing. Now, suddenly, you are competing in an international scenario. That changes the narrative. This event legitimizes trade as a serious discipline, not just a hobby.
Interviewer: Therefore, it is not just about trade, but it is about raising the entire culture around it.
Volodymyr Nosov: Exactly. This is more than just markets. It is friendship, community and access. Merchants can find each other, exchange ideas and inspire others at the top of their game. We are building an ecosystem that goes far beyond the numbers on a screen.
Bitcoin price trends to the upside on the daily chart. Source: BTCUSDT on Tradingview
A conversation with the Whitebit CMO, the origins of ICTC 2025 and a look at its future
In a different conversation with multiple cryptographic communication, including Crypto News, Crypto Insiders and Bitcoinist, Whitebit’s CMO, Alex Kozenko, He talked about the idea that shaped the ICTC 2025, and how the team behind the event could achieve it, classifying many challenges.
Alex Kozenko: (…) It was a highly complex project. We try to combine everything we have learned as a team and do something that had never been done before: the first in the world Off -line cryptographic trade tournament. I told my team, if we are going to do something, it must be extraordinary“A true moment” first. “
Interviewer: So someone, even a beginner or a fan, could compete against the best merchants?
Alex Kozenko: Exactly. That was the magic of it. This is the first event in which anyone could try their skills in real time, against experienced professionals. In traditional electronic sports, you cannot appear and play with professionals. But in our tournament, everyone starts at the same time, in the same data feed: it is a level game.
Interviewer: That makes it more interactive and immersive than just seeing a game.
Alex Kozenko: Yeah! Imagine if you are FC Barcelona fan, and instead of seeing the classic, you could play in it. That is the emotional hook. Here, trade fans not only look, participate. They are tested against the best.
Interviewer: And how was the community’s response and influential?
Alex Kozenko: It was mixed at the beginning. When we approached, perhaps 80-85% did not respond. Some did not understand the concept. Others were skeptics. But those who did Dooked told us: “This is the dream. This is what we have been waiting for.”
We were completely transparent, without hidden tricks, without false numbers. Some participants even told us: “If I don’t win this, my followers will not buy my course!” He added pressure, but also made it more real. The merchants had the opportunity to show their ability, strategy and live style on stage. It is a dream scenario for them.
Interviewer: That is a bold way to convert trade into a spectators sport.
Alex Kozenko: It is. We design this as a professional showcase, a place where merchants can demonstrate their ideas, their decision making, their aggression, their experience. It’s about showing the world that trade is more than numbers, it is a trade.
Interviewer: Was this a difficult project to execute?
Alex Kozenko: Extremely. Every week, we had meetings with 40-50 team members. Everything, from the associations to the design of the stage, was carefully planned. A fun example: we had to coordinate LED approval with the League for part of the transmission. That normally has been two weeks; We had 12 days.
Our original place did not have enough electricity to feed the entire equipment. We had to move the entire event to a new location and recalibrate completely everything. But it was worth it. I told my team: “We are throwing a rocket here.” And somehow, we did it.
Interviewer: What was the most challenging part for you personally?
Alex Kozenko: Town. Managing the energy and motivation of the equipment was more difficult than anything else. We had to boost the event from February to May, and that delay was difficult. But now, seeing 99% of the idea executed exactly how I imagined it, that is the most rewarding feeling. Even in some areas, it exceeded my expectations.
I am proud of what we achieved. This event is more than marketing, it is a movement. And if this is just the beginning, I can’t wait to show you what we do next.
Whitebit’s cover image, TrainingView graphics
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