Global family offices have joined Bybit in backing Malaysia-based digital asset exchange Hata in an $8 million Series A round, in a sign that wealth capital is starting to look more closely at regulated crypto infrastructure in Southeast Asia.
The round was led by Bybit, which said the investment deepens an existing relationship with Hata after participating in the company’s $4.2 million seed raise.
Hata said the latest funding will support efforts to deepen platform liquidity, accelerate user acquisition, and develop new digital asset products for the Malaysian market in partnership with Bybit.
The participation of several unnamed global family offices gives the deal added significance beyond a typical venture funding round, pointing to rising interest among private wealth investors in licensed digital asset platforms and tokenised real-world asset opportunities in the region.
Hata, which describes itself as Malaysia’s only dual-licensed digital asset exchange, operates under licences from the Securities Commission Malaysia and the Labuan Financial Services Authority.
The company is positioning itself as a compliance-led platform in a market where regulatory clarity remains central to institutional adoption.
Bybit CEO Ben Zhou said Malaysia is a strategically important market with strong long-term digital asset potential, adding that the partnership aims to combine Hata’s local regulatory footing with Bybit’s technology and product capabilities.
Founded by Malaysians, Hata said it had more than 209,000 registered users by end-2025.
It processed RM1.04 billion in transaction volume during 2025, while assets under custody reached RM86.3 million since launch, after peaking at RM115 million in September before broader market corrections.
The deal suggests family offices are not only exploring digital assets as an investable class, but are also beginning to back the regulated exchanges, custody platforms and tokenisation rails that could underpin the sector’s next phase of growth in Asia.
