MEXC, a digital asset exchange known for zero-fee trading, has released interim data for its Asian AI Pre-IPO Futures, revealing a dramatic surge in activity for its Unitree contract. The exchange became the first centralized platform to list UNITREEUSDT Pre-IPO Perpetual Futures on July 31, and daily trading volume for the contract jumped as much as 1,104% day over day shortly after launch. The listing came roughly ten days before Unitree, a Chinese developer of humanoid and quadruped robots, formally opened subscriptions for its STAR Market offering on August 10.
The early listing provided eligible users with a way to trade market expectations around Unitree's pre-listing valuation before the traditional allocation process began. Unitree, an embodied-intelligence unicorn, is expected to have a post-listing market capitalization of approximately RMB 61 billion based on its offering price. However, direct access through the conventional offering process remained highly limited, with a final online allocation rate of about 0.018% and a successful lot requiring the purchase of 500 shares at a cost of roughly RMB 75,400.
Against this backdrop, UNITREEUSDT offers an alternative route for traders to express views on Unitree's valuation without waiting for an IPO allocation. Users can take long or short positions around the clock, and as of August 9, the contract was trading 64.44% above its launch price. The rapid increase in trading volume reflects growing attention not only to Unitree's listing but also to the broader embodied-intelligence sector.
The momentum in UNITREEUSDT aligns with wider trends across MEXC's robotics segment. Data for July showed that trading volume in robotics and automation futures increased 129% month over month, significantly outpacing the 64% overall increase recorded by Stock and Index Futures. This suggests that robotics and embodied intelligence are emerging as a major area of interest within AI-related asset trading, alongside continued demand for chips and data storage.
MEXC expanded its Asian AI Pre-IPO coverage on August 6 with the launch of KIMIUSDT Pre-IPO Perpetual Futures, extending access from embodied intelligence to foundation models. The consecutive launches of UNITREEUSDT and KIMIUSDT allow users to trade pre-listing expectations across two core areas of Asia's AI industry on a single platform. Both contracts support 24/7 long and short trading with leverage of up to 25x, and fees are set at 0.01% for makers and 0.04% for takers. MEXC also provides deep order-book liquidity and tight bid-ask spreads, enabling eligible users to participate with USDT without needing brokerage accounts in multiple markets.
Beyond Asian AI companies, MEXC continues to expand its Pre-IPO Futures coverage across high-profile private firms. The platform has introduced exclusive first listings for additional assets, including Londian Wason, broadening the range of global private-market expectations that users can trade. This move comes as investor interest in pre-IPO exposure grows, particularly in sectors like AI and robotics, where public listings are often highly anticipated.
MEXC CEO Vugar Usi commented on the trend, noting that Asia is producing a new generation of globally competitive AI companies, yet global users still have limited tools to trade on related market expectations before these companies reach public markets. The growth in UNITREEUSDT and KIMIUSDT trading demonstrates genuine demand for exposure to Asia's frontier AI assets. As the market for pre-IPO futures evolves, platforms like MEXC are positioning themselves to capture this demand, offering innovative ways for investors to participate in the growth of private companies.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
