Bybit: What It Is, What It Costs, and Who Can Use It
A plain read on Bybit in 2026 — 0.10% spot, 0.02%/0.055% on USDT perpetuals, where it is and is not available, what its EU licence actually covers, and how to open and access an account.
Bybit at a Glance
Bybit is a derivatives-first crypto exchange founded in 2018. Most of its volume is USDT-margined perpetual futures rather than spot, and its pricing reflects that.
✓ What it actually is
A derivatives exchange first, a spot venue second. If you are here to buy and hold, its spot pricing is ordinary; the reason people choose it is perpetual futures.
✓ What it costs
0.10% maker and taker on spot. 0.02% maker / 0.055% taker on USDT perpetuals for non-VIP accounts — the number that actually matters here.
✓ Where you cannot use it
Bybit's own terms exclude the United States, mainland China, Singapore, the United Kingdom and Canada, plus sanctioned jurisdictions. No workaround changes that.
✓ The EU situation
Bybit EU GmbH holds an Austrian MiCA licence — but MiCA does not cover derivatives at all, so the licence does not authorise the product most people come to Bybit for.
The Numbers That Decide It
| Item | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Spot maker / taker | 0.10% / 0.10% | non-VIP |
| USDT perpetuals maker / taker | 0.02% / 0.055% | non-VIP |
| Max leverage (perpetuals) | up to 100x | pair-dependent |
| Founded | 2018 | Dubai-headquartered |
| Not available | US, mainland China, Singapore, UK, Canada | plus sanctioned jurisdictions |
The Honest Read
Bybit's case is narrow and real: if you trade perpetual futures, 0.02% maker against 0.055% taker is genuinely competitive, and the depth on major USDT pairs is there. Its spot pricing at a flat 0.10% is unremarkable — you are not choosing Bybit to buy Bitcoin once and forget it.
The part most pages skip is the licence. Bybit EU GmbH is MiCA-licensed in Austria, which sounds like it settles the regulatory question and does not. MiCA does not regulate derivatives — MiFID II does — so an EU licence covering crypto-asset services says nothing about the perpetual futures that are the platform's whole point. That is not a scandal; it is a mismatch between a real licence and the product you are actually using, and you should know which one you are relying on. The country exclusions above are the harder limit: they come from Bybit's own terms, not from us.
Opening and Accessing an Account
Check your country first
The excluded list above is not advisory. Registering from an excluded jurisdiction risks a frozen account and a withdrawal problem later, which is a far worse outcome than not registering.
Register and complete verification
Email or phone, then identity verification. KYC gates withdrawals and any reward campaign, so completing it up front avoids discovering the limit at the worst moment.
Log in through the official domain or app
Bybit runs a web platform and mobile apps for iOS and Android. Reach them from the official site — brand-name searches are a common phishing surface for exchanges.
Set fee preferences before your first trade
Placing limit orders rather than market orders moves you from 0.055% to 0.02% on perpetuals. Over a year of trading that gap dwarfs any signup incentive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bybit available in my country?
What does Bybit cost to trade?
Is Bybit regulated?
How do I log in to Bybit?
Is there a Bybit app?
Derivatives & Leveraged Products — Important Risk Warning
Derivatives are complex financial instruments that carry a high risk of rapid capital loss. Leveraged trading (futures, perpetual contracts, margin trading, options) can result in losses that exceed your initial investment. The majority of retail investor accounts lose money when trading derivatives.
You should carefully consider whether you understand how derivatives work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, investment advice, or a recommendation to trade derivatives.
In the European Union, crypto derivatives are classified as financial instruments under MiFID II. Only platforms with appropriate MiFID II authorization may offer these products to EU residents. Regulatory treatment varies by jurisdiction — verify the legal status of derivatives trading in your country before participating.