Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange Bybit has launched a locally licensed platform in Indonesia after acquiring a majority stake in the entity behind Jakarta-based crypto trading platform NOBI. The move gives the world’s second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume a regulated foothold in one of Southeast Asia’s largest and fastest-growing digital asset markets.
Key Facts At A Glance
- Bybit Indonesia launched on July 15, 2026, following the acquisition of a majority stake in PT Enkripsi Teknologi Handal, the legal entity operating NOBI.
- The acquisition was first announced in early December 2025; the deal value was not disclosed.
- Indonesia’s Financial Services Authority (OJK) approved the acquisition after review of administration, governance, risk management, and consumer protection requirements.
- Former NOBI executives Lawrence Samantha and Dionisius Evan were named CEO and COO of Bybit Indonesia; Steven Gotama was appointed CMO.
- The platform will launch with more than 500 crypto-asset trading pairs, rolled out in phases.
- NOBI was founded in 2017 and had close to 100,000 users and an OJK exchange license dating to 2024 prior to the deal.
- NOBI’s app will be phased out, with users and assets migrated to the Bybit Indonesia platform.
- Indonesia currently has 29 exchanges licensed to operate locally under OJK oversight.
Bybit Enters Indonesia Through Acquisition Rather Than New License
Bybit launched Bybit Indonesia on 15 July after acquiring a majority stake in PT Enkripsi Teknologi Handal, the legal entity behind Jakarta-based crypto trading platform NOBI. The deal gives Bybit local entry into Indonesia, where crypto-asset licensing shifted from commodities regulator Bappebti to the Financial Services Authority on 10 January 2025.
The exchange did not disclose the acquisition value but says it has become the majority shareholder of Nobi, with the deal announced in early December 2025. The Financial Services Authority approved the acquisition, confirming it met administration, governance, risk management, and consumer protection requirements. Rather than applying for a new operating license from scratch, Bybit opted to acquire an already-licensed local operator, a route several global exchanges have taken as they seek regulated entry points into Southeast Asian markets.
Leadership And Product Rollout
Former NOBI executives Lawrence Samantha and Dionisius Evan were appointed CEO and COO of Bybit Indonesia, while Steven Gotama was named CMO. Bybit’s entry differs from the approach taken by competitor Binance, which chose to invest in Tokocrypto without bringing its own brand into the country. Samantha said Bybit was looking for a company with existing operations, an established user base, and existing regulatory relationships rather than simply a license.
Bybit will introduce products and services in stages, starting with more than 500 crypto-asset pairs. Nobi will be fully rebranded as Bybit Indonesia, with its employees transitioning to the new entity; Nobi’s app will be shut down and users and their assets migrated to the Bybit Indonesia platform. The Bybit Indonesia team currently numbers around 20 employees, with plans to double headcount depending on growth. Nobi had held a license to operate as a crypto exchange in Indonesia since 2024 and had close to 100,000 users before the acquisition.
Part Of A Wider Wave Of Regulated Market Entry
The launch comes as global crypto exchanges increasingly seek locally regulated routes into Southeast Asian markets, including BTSE and Robinhood. Bybit, founded in 2018, serves more than 80 million users globally and describes itself as the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume. Indonesia currently has 29 exchanges licensed to operate locally.
Bybit plans to list more than 400 crypto assets on the platform following launch and is taking a wait-and-see approach toward possible derivatives or futures products such as gold. The entry adds to a growing roster of internationally backed exchanges now operating under OJK’s post-2025 digital asset framework, which has tightened licensing and prudential requirements since oversight moved from the commodities regulator to the financial services authority.