Bitget, the world's largest universal exchange, has unveiled an upgraded Market Maker Incentive Program that restructures how liquidity providers are rewarded across its spot and futures markets.
The updated framework will take effect on March 4, 2026, between 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM (UTC+8), and introduces a group-based maker rate model designed to differentiate incentives by market segment.
Under the new structure, all trading pairs will be categorized into three groups. Group A includes core, high-liquidity pairs such as BTC/USDT.
Group B consists of mid-tier, actively traded markets, while Group C covers other or newly listed pairs that may require additional liquidity support. Maker rebates will depend on both the group classification and the market maker’s tier, which ranges from MM1 to MM5.
For spot markets, rebates will range from −0.012% at the highest tier (MM1) to 0.000% at MM5. In futures markets, the range will be −0.008% to 0.000%, depending on tier. Negative maker rates indicate rebates paid to liquidity providers.
By structuring rebates according to pair grouping, Bitget aims to direct deeper liquidity toward markets where order-book support may be less concentrated.
Market maker performance
Beyond rebate adjustments, the exchange has also revised how market maker performance is evaluated. Trading volume calculations will now incorporate group-weighted metrics, assigning higher relative weight to emerging or less liquid pairs.
This approach is intended to encourage professional participants to allocate capital and quoting strategies beyond flagship trading pairs.
In addition, performance assessments will factor in bid-ask spread requirements and cumulative order volume thresholds. Instead of relying solely on gross trading volume, the updated methodology seeks to measure liquidity quality through tighter spreads and consistent quoting behavior.
These criteria are designed to improve execution conditions for broader market participants by reducing slippage and enhancing price stability.
Institutional adoption
The changes come amid continued growth in institutional trading activity across the platform. According to Bitget’s Transparency Report 2025, institutional clients accounted for 82% of spot trading volume and 60% of futures trading volume.
As professional participation increases, exchanges face greater pressure to maintain stable order books and predictable execution across a widening range of instruments.
Across the digital asset industry, structured maker-taker models remain a central mechanism for balancing liquidity provision and trading costs. Tiered incentive systems are commonly used to reward consistent quoting and large-scale participation, particularly as exchanges expand into derivatives and list new tokens at a faster pace.
Group-based segmentation represents a further refinement, allowing exchanges to target liquidity gaps more precisely.
By introducing differentiated rebates and weighted evaluation metrics, Bitget is adjusting its liquidity framework to align with evolving market dynamics. The update reflects broader efforts among major exchanges to strengthen institutional-grade infrastructure while supporting depth across both established and emerging trading pairs.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
