WhiteBIT has spent the past six years scaling from a small startup into Europe’s busiest exchange in terms of user traffic. It now has 8 million registered users and processes around $2.7 trillion in annual volume.
On May 9–10, the platform will broadcast its most ambitious project yet: a live‑streamed trading duel where eight hand‑picked professionals start with a 50 k USDTB futures stack and vie for a prize that can swell to 5 million USDT.
Building a Global Stage
Q: The International Crypto Trading Cup is being billed as an epic first‑of‑its‑kind event. What was the original spark behind launching a tournament of this scale?
“Like many successful ventures, it all began with a coincidence (laughs – ed.). During the filming of our crypto entertainment show ByHi, our guest – Ukrainian trader Hamaha – spontaneously announced that he was ready to face off in a public trading battle with another well-known Ukrainian trader. That moment sparked an idea: what if we gathered the best crypto traders in the world and gave them a stage to showcase their skills in real time? That’s how the International Crypto Trading Cup (ICTC) was born.
This event has truly brought together the best of the best. On the main stage, May 9–10, you’ll see top-tier, highly experienced traders, each with their unique style and winning strategy. Among them are leaders of crypto communities, participants from the World Series of Trading (WSOT), seasoned investors, traders who’ve experienced massive losses and made epic comebacks, and even those who’ve achieved nearly 400% profit in under a week.
From the very beginning, our goal with ICTC was ambitious: to raise the bar for trading events by hosting the first-ever live-streamed trading championship. Alongside the eight main stage traders, full squads of 25 people each, as well as solo traders, will compete online. Everyone will be able to follow the real-time decisions, reactions, and strategies of the main stage competitors – and join the public chat to ask questions, share opinions, and be part of the live conversation.”
The ICTC scales that flash of bravado into a 12‑hour spectacle. Eight main‑stage traders will share the floor with 33 online “squads” of 25 and a public solo division —thousands of participants in total—while every keystroke on the arena terminals streams to YouTube and TradingView.
A Showcase of Skill, Not Luck
Q: You’ve emphasized that this is an educational and skill‑based event—not a lottery. How important was it for WhiteBIT to set this tone?
“It was absolutely crucial. We want to demonstrate that success in trading comes from knowledge, experience, discipline, and emotional intelligence—not from random luck or coincidence. That’s why we made sure to incorporate a strong educational component into this event.
We designed the tournament format to be educationally valuable for all participants, especially for beginners who want to grow in the industry.
And by the way, it’s no coincidence that we started our championship with the qualifying stage. Beginners and more experienced traders, as well as community members – essentially anyone interested – had the opportunity to compete for a chance to join the headline traders on the main ICTC stage. It wasn’t just a thrilling twist; it was also a valuable chance for everyone to test their skills, gain unique experience, and learn something new right from the qualifying round.”
More than 6,400 entrants tried the April play‑in round. Only one earned a ticket to the stage—reinforcing Nosov’s mantra that disciplined practice, not blind luck, earns the mic.
A Prize Pool of Up to $5 M USDT
Q: A prize pool of up to 5 million USDT is headline‑worthy. What does this amount represent for WhiteBIT?
“Our ICTC is the first international tournament where well-known and top-tier traders from around the world will compete. Naturally, the stars of such a show deserve prizes that reflect their skill and dedication.
I want to clarify that each of them will start with a balance of 50,000 USDTB (this is an internal asset for futures trading on WhiteBIT). The traders will compete in futures, and the winner, who demonstrates the most effective trading during the tournament, will receive the accumulated profits from all participants.
It’s no secret that the prize pool has always been, and still is, a great motivator. In our case, it also sets a high standard for the entire industry. If we truly want crypto trading to have its own “champions,” its masters, and legends, then trading tournaments must be held on a large scale, transparently, professionally, and with deserving prizes.”
With crypto derivatives turnover topping $17 trillion across major exchanges in 2024, jumbo purses are becoming the arena’s new norm. A single ICTC win could eclipse a year of six‑figure salaries—without traders risking a cent of their own capital.
Tech and Trust
Q: Given strict rules around KYC, banned tools, and real‑time supervision, how did your team balance fair play and performance?
“Of course, organizing a tournament of this level is no easy task, both from a technical and regulatory standpoint. But I don’t remember any challenges ever stopping us at WhiteBIT Group.
We’ve implemented continuous real-time financial monitoring to track traders’ activities – everything from screen actions to open market positions. Once a trade is closed, it undergoes a thorough validation process to ensure full compliance with tournament rules and standards.
It’s also worth mentioning that we have a powerful infrastructure under the hood, ensuring lightning-fast execution of trades even during peak load moments. So, we’re ensuring all the conditions are in place for the tournament to be fair, transparent, professional, and to earn the trust of the audience from the very first moments of the competition.”
WhiteBIT’s matching engine can process up to 700,000 orders per second and has weather‑tested load spikes during meme‑coin frenzies. The same stack now drives the tournament’s referee layer, flagging any forbidden device or off‑schedule request before it hits the book.
The Human Factor
Q: Eight traders, no bots, strict surveillance—what does this reveal about the kind of trader who will shape crypto’s future?
“The uniqueness of the International Crypto Trading Cup lies in its live, real-time format. On the main stage, all traders will compete under the same conditions, with no automation, no shortcuts – just pure skill. Each participant will rely entirely on their expertise, intuition, and decision-making.
We’ve invited professionals who can stay sharp under pressure, adapt quickly, and navigate the volatility of the market with confidence and discipline.
This format reflects our vision of the future of crypto trading: a field led by individuals who combine strong analytical abilities, emotional resilience, and sound risk management. It’s about transparency, professionalism, and setting a new benchmark for what it means to be a top-tier trader.”
Global eSports audiences are projected to reach 640 million viewers in 2025—proof that spectators crave demonstrable skill over pure chance. ICTC taps the same impulse, swapping headshots for candle charts.
Looking Beyond May 10
Q: Is this just the beginning? Could we expect future seasons, team battles, or even international league structures?
“Why not? I genuinely believe that formats like these – live trader battles with a massive audience reach – have enormous potential. Crypto trading tournaments can be just as thrilling and high-stakes as esports competitions.
As an investor and the president of a Ukrainian football club, I’ve seen time and again that true competition emerges where there are strong ambitions, worthy rivals, and real motivation to win. Just imagine: in the future, national-level trading teams, qualifiers between them, live broadcasts with commentary… Everything is possible! And at WhiteBIT Group, we’re ready to invest not just in the infrastructure needed for such tournaments but also in the community that will fuel them.”
Nosov hints at an ecosystem where regional trading “clubs” might mirror football leagues—no surprise from an exchange that already sponsors FC Barcelona and is the official crypto partner of a Ukrainian Premier League team.
The Future of Crypto eSports
Q: Can this carve out a niche that mirrors eSports championships?
“Absolutely. As I’ve said before, crypto trading has everything it takes: strategy, emotion, high pressure, and compelling personal stories. In fact, look at how eSports evolved – from a niche scene to a global phenomenon with millions of fans and iconic players. The same transformation can happen in trading.
We believe crypto trading tournaments can reach that level, where traders become public figures with dedicated followings, inspire others, and lead a new wave of education and entertainment in the crypto space.”
Brand sponsors eye a demographic overlap: esports fans skew 18‑35 and tech‑savvy—exactly the cohort filling exchange order books. Converging the two cultures multiplies reach for both.
Lessons for the Next Generation
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring traders who want to make it to the main stage?
“The key is to avoid the “get-rich-quick” mindset. To become a successful trader, you need to think like an athlete, not like someone chasing lucky breaks. That means daily training, cultivating discipline, managing your emotional state, and learning to stay calm under pressure.
Even the smartest trader can burn out because of FOMO, while someone more emotionally grounded can outlast the market, make tough calls, and ultimately win.
So my advice is to expand your knowledge, learn to think systematically, and test yourself under stress. Grow your skills, build your portfolio, join communities, and work on your reputation. If you’re truly ready, we’ll see you on stage!”
Volodymyr Nosov’s blueprint is clear: build a contest where transparency beats hype, skill beats chance, and a truly global audience decides who becomes crypto’s inaugural legends. If ICTC delivers on that promise this Friday and Saturday, trading may have found its very own Champions League. You can watch the ICTC live stream here.
Mauro Caimi is a Lisbon‑based Bitcoiner, quantitative crypto trader and educator who has led Tradingon.it as CEO since 2018, delivering training and strategy insights to a global audience. Before that, he spent almost a decade at CCFinance.it, where he designed asset‑allocation…
The post High Stakes, High Vision: WhiteBIT’s President on Turning an Up to $5 Million Crypto Showdown into the Next eSports Phenomenon appeared first on Cryptonews.
