SAFEbit

SAFEbit is Turkey's largest regulated digital asset exchange and launchpad platform, built on the infrastructure of Bitci — the country's first blockchain-based crypto trading platform — and relaunched under new ownership in May 2025 with a renewed focus on regulatory compliance, institutional-grade security, and product breadth.

From Bitci to SAFEbit

SAFEbit's roots run back to 2018, when entrepreneur Çağdaş Çağlar founded Bitci as Turkey's first crypto platform built on its own blockchain infrastructure, BitciChain. Under Çağlar, the exchange carved out a distinctive identity through sports tokenization: Bitci issued official fan tokens for Spain's and Brazil's national football teams, partnered with the Turkish Basketball Federation, and sponsored the McLaren Formula 1 team — a run of deals that gave the platform outsized brand recognition for its size.

In 2025, businessman Seyfi Şahin acquired the company outright and initiated a strategic transformation. On May 20, 2025, Bitci became SAFEbit. Emrah Aktaş was appointed CEO, while former CEO Ahmet Onur Yeygün moved to a vice-chair role on the board. The rebrand was not cosmetic: it signalled a pivot away from the sports-token era toward a compliance-first, institutionally oriented exchange model.

Platform and Core Mechanism

SAFEbit operates as a centralized exchange (CEX) serving retail and institutional users in Turkey and beyond. Its core offering is spot trading across more than 100 crypto assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and a broad roster of altcoins. Users can place orders via a full order book with market-depth indicators, and a percentage-based shortcut system (25%, 50%, 75%, 100% of balance) speeds up execution for mobile traders.

Beyond spot markets, the platform bundles several yield and discovery mechanisms:

Staking — SAFEbit offers flexible and fixed-term staking pools with transparent APY/APR rates displayed in the app. Users can track reward accrual in real time.

Launchpad — The platform hosts token launches for new projects, giving SAFEbit users early-access allocation rights. The launchpad follows a demand-collection model: users register interest before listing, and final allocations are determined by the level of participation.

Launchpool — Alongside launchpad, SAFEbit operates a launchpool where users stake eligible assets (typically USDT) to earn newly listed tokens before they begin open trading. The SAFEcoin ($SAFE) launchpool, which ran from June 24 to July 6, 2025 ahead of the July 7 token listing, served as the inaugural showcase for this mechanism.

Fixed-Income Products — SAFEbit also offers structured fixed-income instruments for users seeking lower-volatility crypto exposure.

Institutional and API Services — Corporate clients gain access to a dedicated API suite, competitive commission tiers, and a dedicated support track.

SAFEcoin ($SAFE)

In conjunction with the rebrand, SAFEbit launched its own utility token, SAFEcoin ($SAFE), on the BNB Chain. The token is designed as a platform engagement layer: holders can participate in staking rewards, gain priority access to launchpad allocations, achieve VIP membership tiers with preferential fee rates, and receive discounts on trading commissions. $SAFE listed on the SAFEbit exchange on July 7, 2025, following a launchpool participation window and a demand-collection process that closed June 29. The roadmap projects staking activation in Q4 2025, additional CEX listings in Q1 2026, and a dedicated SAFE wallet with DApp integrations planned for Q2 2026.

Regulatory Compliance and Security

SAFEbit's defining operational commitment under new ownership is full compliance with Turkey's financial regulatory framework. The platform holds 500 million Turkish Lira in paid-in capital and operates under licenses from the Capital Markets Board (SPK) and the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). These two bodies together govern digital asset services in Turkey following regulatory amendments that took effect in 2024.

On the security side, SAFEbit employs a cold wallet architecture for the majority of custodied assets, multi-layered access controls, and two-factor authentication for all accounts. The company publishes monthly wallet transparency reports — disclosing on-chain balances for user-held assets — and commissions independent security audits. A key policy commitment is the segregation of user assets from company operating funds, a direct response to the industry-wide reputational damage caused by exchanges that commingled funds.

User Base and Market Position

SAFEbit currently serves more than one million individual users and over 200 institutional clients, making it one of the largest regulated digital asset platforms in Turkey by user count. Its mobile application, available on both iOS and Android (carrying the legacy Bitci app ID from 2018), supports the full trading, staking, and launchpad suite, and offers 24/7 customer support in Turkish and English.

Solana Relevance

SAFEbit's 100+ asset roster encompasses the major-cap tokens that Turkish retail investors seek, and as one of Turkey's primary SPK-compliant on-ramps, it functions as a fiat gateway for Turkish users entering the Solana ecosystem. For Solana holders and traders in Turkey, SAFEbit represents one of the few legally compliant local venues to buy, sell, and stake digital assets within the country's regulatory perimeter. The platform's launchpad and launchpool infrastructure also positions it as a potential listing venue for Solana-based projects seeking Turkish distribution.

Team and Outlook

The current leadership team — CEO Emrah Aktaş and owner Seyfi Şahin — has articulated an ambition to grow SAFEbit into a global digital asset platform headquartered in Turkey. The near-term priorities are maintaining regulatory standing as Turkish crypto law continues to evolve, scaling the institutional client base, and expanding the product suite through the SAFEcoin ecosystem roadmap. The history under Bitci demonstrated an ability to build brand awareness through unconventional partnerships; the SAFEbit chapter is focused on converting that audience into long-term, compliant users.