Bybit vs Bitget: Overview

Founded in 2018, Bybit began with perpetual futures, leveraged contracts on a coin's price that have no expiry date. Co-founder Ben Zhou runs the company from Dubai. At an October 13 keynote, he reported more than 80 million users and presented an account that combines stocks and crypto payments.

CEO Gracy Chen leads Bitget, which also opened in 2018. Its terms identify BTG Technology Holdings Limited as the global operator. The exchange reported over 125 million users across 150 regions in July 2026. Gold, stock, and forex products accounted for its fastest growth this year.

Trading activity separates the exchanges more clearly than user counts. In TokenInsight's Q2 2026 exchange report, Bybit ranked third with 9.81% of tracked volume. Bitget placed sixth at 5.95%, down from 7.70% in Q1. Bitget's share of open interest, the value of open futures positions, still rose to 8.58%, compared with Bybit's 11.75%.

Key Differences at Bybit and Bitget in 2026

• Bitget suffered a large theft: Attackers exploited a flaw in third-party security software on September 24, taking $387.5 million from Bitget's hot and warm wallets. The exchange covered the loss with its Protection Fund.
• The MiCA deadline passed: July 1 marked the end of the EU transition period under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. Bybit moved European Economic Area (EEA) customers to its licensed bybit.eu site. Bitget EU still awaits a decision from the Austrian regulator.
• Bitget exited more countries: German sign-ups stopped in January, followed by the end of all French services on March 31. Terms updated on October 16 prohibit Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, and affected users received account closure deadlines.
• Bybit added real shares: Eligible users can now buy 1,000+ US stocks and ETFs from their crypto account, with settlement in USDC. Tokenized versions built with the Mantle network are planned for November.
• Bybit EU changed its fee model: Since October 5, bybit.eu has charged one spot rate per level. Accounts under €50,000 pay 0.25%.
• AI tools reached both platforms: Bybit AI launched in September. Bitget offers GetAgent and an Agent Hub for developers, which launched in February.

Bybit vs Bitget: Products

Both platforms offer spot and futures trading, savings, cards, AI assistants, and copy trading. Most Bybit products sit within one margin account. Bitget has more listed coins and a wider choice of ways to copy other traders.

Bybit Products

The Unified Trading Account connects Bybit's products, allowing one balance to support spot, margin, futures and options positions.

1. Unified Trading Account: Collateral includes coins, stablecoins, and open profits. When positions offset each other, portfolio margin reduces the collateral requirement.
2. Spot trading: CoinGecko tracks 390 coins on 520 pairs. For EEA residents, bybit.eu provides spot products but no futures.
3. Perpetual and dated futures: Traders can margin positions in USDT, USDC or the traded coin. Order types and liquidation rules are covered in our Bybit futures review.
4. Options and Perp Options: Crypto options cost makers 0.02% and takers 0.03%. Perp Options are written on Bybit's TradFi perpetuals.
5. US stocks and ETFs: Eligible users can trade 1,000+ US-listed shares and funds with zero commission, a service introduced on October 12, 2026. US broker-dealer Alpaca executes orders and holds the shares. Users can buy fractional shares and receive dividends in USDC.
6. TradFi perpetuals, CFDs and IPO Express: More than 600 traditional finance (TradFi) products cover shares, indices, commodities and currencies. Bybit's TradFi perpetuals have exceeded $180 billion in total volume.
7. Copy trading and bots: Master Traders receive 10% to 15% of net follower profit. Users can also set rules for grid bots and recurring-buy bots.
8. Bybit AI, Pay and Card: Bybit AI handles account questions and prepares orders from written instructions. The company has issued 4 million+ cards. Bybit Pay reaches more than 5,000 merchants across over 15 countries.

Bitget Products

Bitget targets traders seeking a large coin selection and more copy trading choices, alongside leveraged exposure to traditional markets.

1. Spot trading: Bitget's order book contains 496 coins and 559 pairs, according to CoinGecko. Its advertised total of 2 million+ tokens includes assets outside the order book.
2. Perpetual and delivery futures: Contracts use USDT, USDC or coins as margin. The unified account has also supported the BTCUSD coin-margined perpetual with up to 125x leverage since January 2026.
3. Copy trading: Followers can choose futures, spot, bot or CFD strategies. Added in April 2026, CFD copy trading starts at 50 USDT. Lead traders can earn up to 30% of profits, but receive payment only after followers recover earlier losses.
4. TradFi perpetuals and CFDs: USDT is the settlement currency for gold and stock-linked perpetual contracts. Forex, commodity and index contracts for difference (CFDs) run through a separate MetaTrader 5 (MT5) account.
5. Tokenized stocks and ETFs: Bitget states that users can access 500+ tokenized stocks, ETFs and other traditional assets. IPO Prime and Stocks 2.0 are among its 2026 launches.
6. AI trading tools: The AI market analyst GetAgent has 450,000+ registered users. Developers can use Agent Hub's MCP server, a standard connector for AI software, along with command-line access and APIs. GetClaw runs automated strategies in separate sub-accounts.
7. Earn, Launchpool and BGB: Bitget offers savings and staking products. Its Launchpool distributes new tokens to BGB holders.
8. Bitget Wallet: The self-custody wallet uses infrastructure separate from the exchange. Bitget said it was unaffected by the September theft.

Bybit vs Bitget: Fees

Entry-level spot trades cost 0.10% on both exchanges. For futures market orders, Bybit charges 0.005 percentage points less. Maker orders rest on the order book until filled, whereas taker orders fill immediately. Our guide to maker and taker fees explains the distinction.

Spot Trading Fees

• Bybit: Under the global fee schedule, updated September 2, 2026, VIP 0 makers and takers pay 0.10% on crypto pairs. National-currency pairs start at 0.15% for makers and 0.20% for takers. The xStocks rate is 0.20%.
• Bybit VIP 1: Traders qualify with a $100,000 balance or $1 million in spot volume over 30 days. Other qualifying paths appear in our guide to Bybit VIP levels.
• Bitget: The Bitget trading fees FAQ, dated August 20, 2026, confirms a standard maker and taker rate of 0.10%. Volume, assets or BGB holdings determine VIP rates, and users can combine VIP and BGB discounts.
• Bybit EU: EEA customers follow one rate per level. VIP 0 accounts below €50,000 pay 0.25%.

Fee Token Discounts

• MNT on Bybit: Paying fees in MNT, the Mantle network's token, reduces spot fees by 25% and futures fees by 10%. The discount excludes API orders, trading bots, and copy trading followers.
• BGB on Bitget: A 20% discount applies to spot fees paid in BGB, bringing the entry rate to 0.08%. No BGB futures discount appears in Bitget's fee FAQ.
• Token price risk: Users must hold the relevant token to receive either discount. A decline in its price can exceed the fees saved.

Fee example: At the standard rate, a $1,000 Bitcoin market buy costs $1.00 on either exchange. Token payment reduces that to $0.75 on Bybit or $0.80 on Bitget. On bybit.eu, a €1,000 purchase at VIP 0 costs €2.50.

Futures and Funding Costs

• Bybit: Maker fees are 0.02% and taker fees 0.055% for perpetual and expiry futures. A $10,000 futures market order costs $5.50, falling to $4.95 when paid in MNT.
• Bitget: The same order costs $6.00, based on futures fees of 0.02% for makers and 0.06% for takers. Across 100 such orders, a Bybit trader paying in MNT saves $105.
• Funding: Holders of long and short perpetual positions exchange funding payments to keep contract prices close to the spot market. On Bitget, these payments occur every 8 hours. Our funding rates tracker shows live rates for both exchanges.
• Transfers: Neither exchange charges for crypto deposits. Withdrawal fees depend on the coin and network, with the amount shown before confirmation.

Bybit vs Bitget: Futures and Copy Trading

Most trading volume on both exchanges comes from derivatives. Bybit holds the larger futures share. Recent order book data, though, shows competitive Bitcoin and Ether futures depth on Bitget.

Volume and Open Interest

• Bybit: Its 10.05% share of derivatives volume placed it third among tracked exchanges in Q2 2026. Open interest share was 11.75%, ranking second.
• Bitget: Derivatives share stood at 6.49%, in sixth place. Its open interest share increased from 7.81% to 8.58%, placing fourth.

Order Book Depth

Order book depth measures the volume available near the current price before large orders move it. Using snapshots taken from August 16 to September 14, TokenInsight's September 2026 liquidity report ranked Bitget first for combined BTC and ETH futures depth within 0.05% of the mid-price. It recorded $41.60 million. Bybit was not among the leaders.

Bitget also led in gold contracts within 0.03% of the mid-price, with $7.21 million against more than $4 million on Bybit. All these snapshots precede the September 24 theft. Depth can change quickly after a security incident.

Copy Trading

• Bybit: Rank determines whether Master Traders receive 10% to 15% of net profit. The exchange pre-deducts their share daily and settles weekly, refunding it if the week ends in a loss.
• Bitget: Elite traders set profit shares according to their tier, with daily settlement. CFD lead traders can receive up to 30%. A high-water mark rule limits payment to new net profit.

Followers have more strategies to choose from on Bitget. Bybit's lower profit share cap lets them retain more of each gain. Our ranking of crypto copy trading platforms compares other choices. Both exchanges can apply auto-deleveraging to profitable positions if an insurance fund cannot absorb liquidation losses.

Bybit vs Bitget: Stocks and TradFi

Bybit now offers real shares through a US broker, supporting dividends and stock splits. Most Bitget stock exposure comes from tokens and USDT-settled perpetuals that track share prices without ownership rights. Our Bybit TradFi guide explains the individual products.

The larger leveraged TradFi business belongs to Bitget. In Q2 2026, it recorded nearly $70 billion in TradFi perpetual volume, equal to 8.61% of its derivatives trading. TokenInsight ranked Bitget second in this market with a 9.7% share. TradFi perpetuals accounted for 1.23% of Bybit's derivatives volume and about 2.3% of the market.

Bybit combines more formats in one account, including real shares and TradFi perpetuals alongside MT5 CFDs and Perp Options. Its Mantle-based tokenized mStocks are due in November. Further platforms appear in our list of tokenized stock exchanges.

Bybit vs Bitget: Security and Proof of Reserves

Both exchanges have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to attackers linked to North Korea. Each covered the loss with company capital, leaving customer balances intact. The clearest difference was whether customers could withdraw during the incident.

Bybit Security Measures and History

• Record theft: An attack on February 21, 2025, removed roughly $1.5 billion in ETH from a Bybit cold wallet. The FBI attributed it to North Korea. Withdrawals remained open, and Bybit restored full backing of customer assets within days.
• Proof of reserves: Bybit's Hacken-verified 40th reserve report measured balances on September 23, 2026. Across 50 tokens, assets totaled $19.6 billion. Reserve ratios were 104% for BTC, 103% for ETH, 110% for USDT, and 223% for USDC.
• Withdrawal screening: In the first half of 2026, Bybit says it blocked more than 30,000 suspicious withdrawal requests worth over $700 million.
• Account controls: An authenticator app and anti-phishing code are available. Users can also restrict withdrawals to saved addresses.

Bitget Security Measures and History

• September 2026 theft: Unauthorized transfers were detected at 18:31 UTC on September 24. After identifying additional Zcash and TRON transfers, Bitget's incident update increased the estimated loss from $351.6 million to $387.5 million. The exchange said private keys and cold wallets were unaffected.
• How it happened: A zero-day flaw in third-party security products, meaning a flaw unknown to the vendor, gave attackers access to internal systems. They issued withdrawal commands that bypassed risk controls. Bitget linked the attack to North Korean groups.
• Withdrawal pause: Trading and deposits continued, but withdrawals stopped. Bitcoin withdrawals resumed on September 28, followed by ETH on September 29 and USDT on September 30. Other tokens, fiat, and P2P were scheduled for October 2.
• Protection Fund: Bitget absorbed the loss through this self-funded reserve, then replenished it with company capital. On September 30, the fund was restored to above $300 million, its committed minimum.
• Proof of reserves: Released on September 30, Bitget's 47th monthly report reported a total reserve ratio of 131% across 19 assets. BTC stood at 142%, ETH at 110%, and USDT at 107%.

Bitget uses Bybit's LazarusBounty program to trace stolen funds for its recovery bounty. Reserve ratios compare assets with customer balances on a single date; they do not audit other company debts. Keep only trading funds on an exchange and hold long-term savings in a self-custody wallet you control.

Bybit vs Bitget: Security and Proof of Reserves

Country restrictions may determine which exchange you can use before fees enter the comparison. Licenses usually require minimum capital, separate client assets, and ongoing supervision. Registrations often cover only anti-money-laundering duties.

Bybit Licenses

• European Union: Bybit EU GmbH has held MiCA authorization from Austria's Financial Market Authority (FMA) since May 2025. EEA residents use bybit.eu. Its MiFID II application, which would permit derivatives, remained pending when we checked.
• United Arab Emirates: In October 2025, the Securities and Commodities Authority granted Bybit a license to operate a crypto asset platform.
• Kazakhstan and India: Bybit Kazakhstan launched in November 2024 with a full license from AFSA, Kazakhstan's Astana Financial Services Authority. Bybit registered with India's Financial Intelligence Unit in 2025 after a fine of about $1.06 million.
• United Kingdom: Bybit restored UK access in December 2025, limited to spot and P2P markets. FCA-authorized Archax approves its promotions. Bybit is not FCA-authorized.
• New approvals: In 2026, Bybit reported five new licenses or approvals across the EU, the Cayman Islands, Indonesia, South Africa and El Salvador.
• Restrictions: Updated October 16, 2026, Bybit's service restrictions page excludes Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, the US and mainland China, as well as sanctioned regions. Our Bybit restricted countries guide tracks changes.

Bitget Licenses

• European Union: On July 2, 2026, Bitget EU confirmed that its MiCA application remained with the FMA, without authorization. EU securities regulator ESMA expects unauthorized providers to stop onboarding EU clients and wind down after July 1, 2026.
• France, Germany and Austria: All three countries appear on Bitget's prohibited list. The exchange ended all French services on March 31, 2026, transferring remaining assets above 10 USDC to a third-party platform. German sign-ups had stopped on January 16.
• Licenses held: Bitget's license page lists South African FSCA licenses for crypto asset services and over-the-counter derivatives. It also lists an investment dealer license in Mauritius and two approvals in El Salvador. Other entries include Australia's AUSTRAC registration, a registration in Mexico, and approvals in Argentina and Georgia.
• Restrictions: Bitget also prohibits the US, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Thailand. Our Bitget restricted countries page has further details.

Bybit wins this category with a licensed EU platform, while Bitget has withdrawn from major EU markets. EU residents can compare alternatives in our list of MiCA-licensed exchanges.

Is Bybit Better Than Bitget?

We prefer Bybit for most eligible traders in October 2026. Lower futures market fees and an MNT discount covering both spot and futures reduce trading costs. Its MiCA license gives EU residents a legal route to spot trading. Bybit also maintained withdrawals during its theft and now offers real US shares.

Bitget suits copy traders and buyers of smaller coins. It is also a strong choice for gold and stock perpetual traders on depth and volume. The September theft and withdrawal pause weigh against it, along with the absence of MiCA authorization and its departure from several countries.

Final Thoughts

Both exchanges spent 2026 bringing traditional markets into crypto accounts. Bybit focused on real shares and regulated entities. Bitget built a large leveraged gold and stock contract business, but its September theft and the end of the MiCA transition widened the gap between the two.

For active traders in supported countries, Bybit remains our first choice. Bitget still suits copy traders and TradFi perpetual users who accept its regional limits. More venues appear in our crypto futures exchange rankings.

Confirm country access and complete identity verification before depositing. Enable an authenticator app and save approved withdrawal addresses, then test a small withdrawal. Nothing in this article is investment advice.