Trump tariffs, meme coins, and $120K Bitcoin? Bitget CEO breaks it all down

In the midst of a roaring bull market, the crypto biggies are monitoring regulations before making their next move. We sat down with Bitget CEO Gracy Chen for an exclusive interview where she opened up about the crypto exchange’s rapid ascent, and why political headwinds like Trump-era tariffs might be reshaping digital tokens’ adoption in unexpected ways.

However, the next frontier Chen is quietly betting the farm on is PayFi, while most of the crypto market is still buzzing over meme coins and AI tokens. The digital asset market too looks solid with a bulging cap of over $3.4 trillion, with Bitcoin all set to hit a new all-time high any time soon.

Will payments outlast the meme coin mania?

With meme coins and AI tokens hogging headlines, I asked what she sees coming next. Her answer was refreshingly grounded.

“I don’t think there are many alt sectors that can confidently outperform Bitcoin right now,” she said. Instead, she pointed to payments, stablecoins, and real-world assets (RWAs) as sectors with genuine long-term potential. “There’s a lot happening quietly behind the scenes,” she added.

So what’s the underdog strategy Bitget is quietly doubling down on? One word: PayFi.

“Not many see PayFi as sexy. It’s tedious, operational, and boring. But it’s going to change how borderless crypto transactions happen,” she said, referring to products like Bitget’s own debit card and the upcoming Bitget Pay platform.

Bitget’s biggest revenue stream remains the good old trading fee. But the company is diversifying with staking, listings, custodial services, and its new payments suite. Retail users currently dominate volume, but Chen says 2025 will mark a pivot. “Institutional clients and VIPs are our focus. We’ll see a lot more of their volume this year.”

Post-Trump, pro-crypto?

Chen offered a panoramic view of global crypto regulation, highlighting how rapidly the US landscape has changed post-Trump. “He’s made it clear he’s pro-crypto,” she said, citing Trump’s own meme coin and reported plans for a more industry-friendly SEC. But it’s not all green candles.

“The current trade war isn’t good for crypto or traditional markets,” Chen cautions. “Tariffs increase volatility and place pressure on companies, but what we’re seeing now is a lot of negotiation. It’s more a tool for geopolitical leverage than firm policy, at least for now.”

In Asia, Bitget sees opportunity and challenge. While Singapore has stepped back post-FTX, Hong Kong is ramping up. “They’re not just handing out licenses,” Chen says. “They’re actively encouraging things like staking, which is a big deal,” and Dubai is a “bridge where East meets West.”

Will it be meme coins or AI Summer?

So, which narrative is going to win this cycle, AI tokens or meme mania? Chen says, pausing. “I’m actually very divided on AI. I’d say I have about 50% confidence that we’ll see an ‘AI summer’ like the DeFi summer we had before. It could be that big, even this year.”

But the other 50%? “It tells me that AI is still not ready, at least not for Web3. AI is absolutely transforming Web2. But when it comes to AI + crypto, we haven’t seen product-market fit yet. It’s still developing.”

Still, she’s not counting it out. “Even AI experts don’t have a clear answer. But I’ve got my eye on the sector,” she adds.

Bitcoin’s path to $120K

Despite global tensions, Chen sees positive price action after Bitcoin rallied from $75K to $95K and now to $105K as a reflection of improved liquidity and increasing institutional involvement. “Where we head next depends on macroeconomic conditions, Rate cuts. Trade negotiations. But surpassing Bitcoin’s all-time high? That’s definitely in reach.”

She highlights that around 75 public companies now hold Bitcoin in their reserves—including giants like Tesla and Strategy. “This cycle isn’t just about retail anymore,” she adds. “It’s institutional.” She added, “I think $120,000 by the end of the year is possible for Bitcoin, if macro conditions align.”

We asked Bitget’s CEO about her own trading portfolio. She replied that “Yes, I do trade, I made money on the Trump coin and lost some Melania.” But most of her holdings are in Bitcoin.

Big announcements are coming in the next six months, Chen revealed: regulatory wins, new partnerships, and deeper PayFi integrations. But perhaps the biggest takeaway is Bitget’s focus on building where others hesitate. “It’s easy to chase hype,” she said. “But we’re building for the long game.”

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