Bybit vs OKX welcome bonus: what each new user gets (2026)

Updated 2026-09-03

This is the comparison people ask for most and the one that is hardest to write honestly, because the two exchanges publish their offers in completely different ways. Bybit prints a fixed table. OKX prints rules and leaves the amount to the app. Everything below comes from the two exchanges' own pages, checked on the date at the bottom of this page, and where OKX does not publish a number we say so instead of borrowing one from an affiliate site.

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Bybit: a published table

Bybit's welcome programme is capped at $30,020 and is made of separate rewards with separate conditions: a $100 sign-up bonus after registration and the starter tasks, 10 USDT for a first deposit of at least 100 USD within seven days, 15 USDT for 500 USD of trading volume within thirty, a mystery box of up to 1,000 USDT for 10,000 USD of volume, and a deposit bonus ladder from $50 (a $500 deposit and $100k turnover) up to $30,000 (a $250k deposit and $150m turnover). Bybit's own claim is that over 80% of users get $100 or more, which describes the sign-up bonus.

The value of a published table is that you can check it before you register. The referral code page lists every rung and condition, and the claim guide puts the deadlines in order.

OKX: rules without a number

OKX's referral rules, updated the day we checked them, describe how the programme works but do not state what the invited user receives. The wording is that rewards "may vary" and depend on the campaign running in your region; the amount appears in the app after you sign up. What the rules do fix is the mechanics: the new user must complete advanced identity verification, deposit and trade tasks must be completed within 14 days of sign-up, and rewards are locked for 7 days before they can be withdrawn. Cross-region invitations (for example a user in one region inviting a user in another) disqualify the inviter.

This is why you will find OKX pages on other sites quoting anything from a few dollars to five figures. Those are regional campaigns, expired promotions or invention. We do not carry an OKX figure in our fact canon because OKX has not published one, and a number without a source does not go on this site.

What that means in practice

For a new account, the practical difference is not the size of the reward but whether you can know it in advance. On Bybit, the first three rewards are fixed amounts with fixed conditions, and the ladder tells you exactly what a given deposit and volume unlock. On OKX, you register first and find out afterwards, and the reward you are shown depends on where you live and which campaign is live that week.

OKX's 14-day window is also tighter than Bybit's for the trading task (14 days against 30), and the 7-day lock-up means an OKX reward is not usable immediately. Bybit's rewards go to the rewards hub with their own terms and expiries, which is not free cash either, but there is no withdrawal lock stated on the welcome rewards themselves.

Availability

Bybit does not serve the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the European Economic Area, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and a set of sanctioned territories; our availability guide has the list, and our button checks your country before redirecting. OKX likewise runs region-specific entities and campaigns, and its own rules note that "certain referral program features may not be available in your region". Check OKX's site for your country; we do not verify OKX availability here.

Which one to pick

If the bonus is part of the decision, Bybit is the only one of the two whose offer you can read in full before you commit, and its early rewards do not depend on trading volume. If you are already an OKX user or want OKX for other reasons (its product range or a local entity), the referral reward is a small bonus to be discovered in the app, not a reason to choose the exchange.

Whichever you pick, the fees guide is the number that matters after the first month, when every welcome reward on either exchange has been used or has expired.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the OKX sign-up bonus?
OKX does not publish a fixed amount. Its referral rules say the reward "may vary" by campaign and region and is shown inside the app after registration. Any page quoting a precise OKX figure is quoting a regional campaign or a guess, not a global number.
How much is the Bybit sign-up bonus?
$100, released after registration and the starter tasks in the rewards hub, with a further 10 USDT for a first deposit of at least 100 USD and 15 USDT for 500 USD of trading volume. The full programme is capped at $30,020.
Which has the tighter deadlines?
OKX gives 14 days from sign-up to complete deposit and trading tasks and then locks the reward for 7 days before withdrawal. Bybit gives 7 days for the deposit bonus and 30 for the trade bonus and mystery box.
Can I use both?
Yes. They are separate exchanges; each programme applies only to a new account opened through a referral link or code, and a referral cannot be attached to an existing account afterwards.

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