Bybit review 2026
Popular derivatives exchange with an EU presence via a MiCA licence.
ExchangeFacts verdict
Bybit is a popular derivatives exchange with deep perpetuals liquidity and a MiCA licence via Austria. It does, however, still lack a MiFID II licence, carries a 2024 DNB fine and was hit by a hack in 2025 — which weighs heavily in our security pillar. Suited to perpetuals and copy traders, less so for anyone who puts regulation and safety first.
Best suited for
Overview
Bybit is a crypto exchange focused on derivatives trading. It is active in the EU with a MiCA licence via Austria. Known for deep perpetuals liquidity and an active copy-trading community.
Licences and regulation
- MiCA licence: Austria
- MiFID II: not yet — no regulated perpetuals in the EU
- DNB fine: €2.25m (2024)
- GDPR & AML: compliant
Products
| Product | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Spot crypto | Live | 600+ assets |
| Perpetuals | Global | Restricted in the EU (no MiFID II) |
| Options | Global | Restricted in the EU |
| Copy trading | Live | Active community |
| Real / tokenized stocks | No | Not available |
| Yield on collateral | No | Not available |
Costs
- Spot (maker/taker): 0.10% / 0.25% (entry tier, crypto-crypto pairs)
- Perpetuals: to be confirmed — no verified schedule, excluded from the comparison
- Deposits: SEPA in EUR (via partners)
At an average of 0.175% in the entry tier, Bybit sits mid-table on spot in our comparison.
Yield & capital efficiency
- Yield on collateral: no
- Yield on idle stablecoins: no
- Yield products: none
Proof of Reserves
- Frequency: monthly
- Technology: Merkle Tree
- Coverage: major assets, 31 reports as of early 2026
Track record
- Operating since 2018: a strong position in derivatives, with deep liquidity in perpetuals.
- MiCAR licence (May 2025): Bybit EU GmbH obtained the licence from the Austrian regulator FMA and, since 1 July 2025, has served customers in 29 countries of the European Economic Area, including the Netherlands, via Bybit.eu.
- Largest crypto theft ever (21 February 2025): approximately $1.5 billion in ether and ether derivatives disappeared from a cold wallet, because attackers manipulated the user interface of the Safe multisig wallet during a transfer. On 26 February 2025 the FBI attributed the attack to North Korea. Bybit filled the gap within 72 hours with its own reserves, bridge loans and deposits from partners, so that customers lost nothing — but in our security pillar a loss of client funds counts, regardless of compensation.
- Fine from DNB (the Dutch central bank) of €2,250,000 (October 2024): for offering crypto services in the Netherlands until September 2023 without the legally required registration.
Reviewed on 10 August 2026 · Sources: FBI on the hack ↗ · Bybit on the incident ↗ · DNB on the fine ↗
Pros / cons
Pros
- Deep perpetuals liquidity
- MiCA-licensed (Austria)
- Consistent monthly PoR
- Copy trading community
Cons
- DNB fine history
- No MiFID II
- No real stocks
- No yield on collateral
Score breakdown in detail
Every point is traceable per methodology v1.6 (as of 23 August 2026):
Frequently asked questions
Is Bybit allowed to offer perpetuals in the EU?
Without MiFID II the EU derivatives offering is limited; check the current situation per country. See Which exchanges have MiFID II?.
Is Bybit safe?
Bybit publishes Proof of Reserves monthly. The 2025 hack weighs heavily in our security pillar.
Does Bybit offer yield on collateral?
No. No yield on collateral, no yield on idle stablecoins, no yield products.