We didn’t have enough money for Messi — but had values he believed in | Vugar Usi Zade -Bitget | E15

Welcome to Bill It Up! In this episode, I sit down with Vugar Usi Zade, Chief Operating Officer at Bitget, one of the world’s leading crypto exchanges now serving over 100 million users.

Born in Azerbaijan and raised across Geneva, the U.S., and Russia, Vugar shares how his international background and early career at Fortune 500 companies like Facebook, Sony, and Coca-Cola shaped his journey into crypto. We discuss how he transitioned from Web2 to Web3, scaled Bitget 8x in two years, and why living fully on-chain is more than a tech trend—it’s a mission.

From negotiating with Lionel Messi’s team without enough budget, to launching Bitget Pay, Vugar offers deep insights into building products, scaling teams, and bringing real utility to emerging markets.

Don’t miss this inspiring look at how values, speed, and vision can beat money in Web3.

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📌 Topics We Cover:
• How growing up in Azerbaijan and abroad shaped Vugar’s worldview
• Why he left a $460M Web2 exit to go all-in on crypto
• The behind-the-scenes story of Bitget’s partnership with Messi
• How Bitget scaled from 12M to 100M users in under 2 years
• Why crypto should be about storing value, not chasing hype
• The rise of “living on-chain” — and how Vugar does it every day
• Bitget’s bold $10M talent initiative: “Build Bitget with Vugar”
• The importance of personal branding in the age of crypto
• Why Bitcoin can outperform both real estate and the S&P 500
• His advice to Gen Z entering Web3, tech, or business

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About Vugar Usi Zade

Vugar is the COO of Bitget, a top global crypto exchange. He’s held senior roles at Facebook, Sony, Twitter, and Coca-Cola, and co-founded a unicorn MarTech startup. A Harvard and Oxford alum, Vugar also hosts the podcast Usi The Talk, where he explores blockchain, AI, and global innovation. He speaks 5 languages and is on a mission to make crypto practical, accessible, and impactful across emerging markets.

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📌Follow Vugar Usi Zade:
• X: https://x.com/usithetalk/
• Instagram:   / usithetalk  
• TikTok:   / usithetalk  
• Li:   / usithetalk  
• Youtube:‪@usithetalk‬

📌 Follow Bill:
• X: https://x.com/billqian_uae
• LI:   / billitup  
• TikTok:   / billitup  

📌Cypher Capital:
• X: https://x.com/cypher_capital
• LI:   / cyphercapitalgroup  
• Website: https://cyphercapital.com/

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Comment below: What part of Vugar’s journey inspired you most?

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DISCLAIMER
This episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. The views expressed are those of the guests and host and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cypher Capital. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.

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⏱ CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro — Meet Vugar Usi Zade
01:40 From Azerbaijan to the global stage
04:20 Career journey: Facebook, Sony & the $460M exit
07:45 Why Vugar entered crypto in 2018
10:10 The problem with banks & storing value in Bitcoin
13:30 Bitget’s rise: From 12M to 100M users
15:50 The Messi deal: Values over budget
18:30 Bitget’s strategy: Talent, speed & product focus
21:10 Living fully on-chain & real-world crypto use cases
25:00 Bitget Pay, stablecoins & the future of spending
28:00 Crypto vs. Real Estate & S&P 500
30:10 Branding, storytelling & trust in Web3
33:20 Advice to Gen Z & future builders
35:20 Final thoughts & outro