Crypto exchanges · Comparison
Bybit vs MEXC in 2026: Fees, MiCA Status and Availability Compared
On published rates MEXC is cheaper: its fee page lists 0% maker / 0.05% taker on BTC/USDT spot and 0% / 0.02% on the BTC/USDT perpetual, against Bybit’s 0.10% / 0.10% and 0.020% / 0.055% at VIP 0 (both read 23 September 2026). MEXC holds no MiCA licence, and regulators in France, the Netherlands and Germany have warned that it operates there without authorisation.
Bybit: EEA residents are directed to Bybit EU, where PCNVIP does not apply; the UK service (since December 2025) offers spot and P2P only and no referral rewards; not available in the US.
Affiliate link: Bybit pays us a commission if you register through it; MEXC pays us nothing. It costs you nothing. On price alone, MEXC wins.
Written and checked by Sascha Martins, Promo Code Network, Switzerland
Bybit vs MEXC fees: MEXC charges less on its published rates
MEXC sets its rates pair by pair and says they may vary with platform events or the user’s region, so the rate on your order screen is the one that counts. Bybit applies one VIP 0 schedule to all crypto spot pairs and one to USDT perpetuals.
| Rate, entry level | Bybit (VIP 0) | MEXC |
|---|---|---|
| BTC/USDT spot, maker / taker | 0.10% / 0.10% | 0% / 0.05% |
| Other spot pairs | 0.10% / 0.10% | Maker 0%; taker 0% to 0.05% by pair |
| Spot, fees paid in the exchange token | 0.075% / 0.075% (MNT) | BTC/USDT taker 0.04% (MX, 20% off) |
| BTC/USDT perpetual, maker / taker | 0.020% / 0.055% | 0% / 0.02% (special rate) |
| Other perpetuals | 0.020% / 0.055%; 0.018% / 0.0495% with MNT | Maker 0% to 0.04%; taker 0% to 0.10%; MX deducts 20% |
Bybit Trading Fee Structure (updated 2 September 2026) and MNT FAQ; MEXC fee page; read 23 September 2026. MNT does not apply to API, bot, copy-trading or liquidation orders. Perpetual futures are leveraged: a small price move against you can liquidate the position and lose the entire margin.
Per 10,000 USD traded as a taker, BTC/USDT spot costs 5.00 USD on MEXC, or 4.00 USD with MX, against 10.00 USD on Bybit, or 7.50 USD with MNT. A BTC/USDT perpetual position costs 2.00 USD on MEXC against 5.50 USD on Bybit (4.95 USD with MNT).
Bybit vs MEXC in the EU: licence status and regulator warnings
| EEA residents | Bybit | MEXC |
|---|---|---|
| MiCA licence | Bybit EU GmbH, authorised by Austria’s FMA on 28 May 2025; 29 EEA states, not Malta | No MEXC entity on the ESMA register |
| France | Bybit EU serves France. Bybit’s global site was on the AMF blacklist from 20 May 2022; the AMF release of 16 May 2024 saying so is now marked “no longer up to date” | www.mexc.com on the AMF blacklist since 4 June 2024 for offering financial services without authorisation |
| Netherlands | Bybit EU serves the Netherlands | AFM warning (2025): crypto-asset services without the required licence; unclear from which country and legal entity MEXC operates |
| Germany | Bybit EU serves Germany | BaFin warning (October 2023): financial services on mexc.com without the required authorisation |
| What an EEA resident can trade | Bybit EU: spot and spot margin, no perpetuals; 0.10% maker / 0.25% taker, a single 0.25% from 5 October 2026 | No licensed offer |
ESMA CASP register, AMF, AFM and BaFin pages, Bybit EU fee page (updated 4 August 2026); read 23 September 2026. Spot margin is borrowing: a price move against you can liquidate the position, with a 2% liquidation fee.
Outside the EU, Japan’s Financial Services Agency lists warnings to both Bybit Fintech Limited and MEXC Global for serving residents of Japan without registration (FSA warning list).
Bybit is restricting its global platform for EEA residents in phases (notice of 29 June 2026); Malta residents are left out of that process because Bybit EU’s licences are not passported there. For an EEA resident the real choice is among licensed venues, and some charge less than Bybit EU: OKX Europe lists 0.08% maker / 0.10% taker on spot (MiCA-licensed exchanges).
Can UK and US residents use Bybit or MEXC?
| Residence | Bybit | MEXC |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Spot and P2P since December 2025, with promotions approved by Archax, an FCA-authorised firm; no derivatives and no referral rewards | No services and no registration |
| United States | Not available | No services and no registration; Canada, Singapore and Hong Kong are excluded as well, among others |
MEXC User Agreement (last updated 29 May 2025) and CoinDesk on Bybit’s UK return; read 23 September 2026.
PCNVIP is our affiliate code for Bybit’s global platform: it changes no rate and adds no reward of its own; Bybit’s new-user rewards (20 USD welcome reward on 21 September 2026) name no code condition. MEXC’s referral scheme is not covered here.
Security and regulatory record of Bybit and MEXC
Bybit. On or about 21 February 2025 Bybit was hacked; the FBI attributed the theft of about 1.5 billion USD in virtual assets to North Korea (FBI announcement I-022625-PSA, 26 February 2025). Its AMF and FSA record is in the section above.
MEXC. The warnings above concern authorisation, not a security incident. This page cites incidents only from a law-enforcement, regulator or operator source it links, and it links none for MEXC; that is not evidence that none occurred. The AFM’s point matters most for depositors: if the operating entity is unclear, so is your position if MEXC ran into financial problems.
Cryptocurrency trading carries substantial risk; this page is information, not financial advice.
Verdict: Bybit vs MEXC on price and by where you live
On price. MEXC. Its published BTC/USDT rates are half of Bybit’s or less, 0.05% against 0.10% on spot and 0.02% against 0.055% on the perpetual, and makers pay 0%. If price is your only criterion, MEXC wins.
In the EEA. Bybit EU (no affiliate link; PCNVIP does not apply), because MEXC holds no licence there and the AMF, the AFM and BaFin have warned against it. Bybit EU offers spot and spot margin, no perpetuals, at 0.10% / 0.25% and 0.25% from 5 October 2026, and does not cover Malta.
Outside the EEA, for example in Switzerland. Our pick is still Bybit, narrowly, and Bybit pays us a commission if you register through the link above. The reason is the operator, not the fee: three EU regulators have warned against MEXC and the AFM says it is unclear from which entity it operates. Bybit’s group runs a MiCA-licensed EU entity, but outside the EEA you open an account with Bybit’s global platform, which that licence does not cover, and Bybit’s own record includes the 2022 AMF blacklisting and the February 2025 hack attributed to North Korea.
In the UK and the US. MEXC excludes both. Bybit’s UK service offers spot and P2P without referral rewards; Bybit does not serve the US.
Bybit vs MEXC: common questions
Is MEXC cheaper than Bybit?
Why does this page pick Bybit outside the EEA if MEXC is cheaper?
Is MEXC licensed in the EU?
How do MEXC’s MX and Bybit’s MNT discounts compare?
Sources
- Bybit help centre: Trading Fee Structure (updated 2 September 2026) and Paying Trading Fees with MNT (updated 30 March 2026).
- MEXC fee page: spot and futures ranges, BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT rates, MX deduction; MEXC User Agreement (last updated 29 May 2025).
- AMF blacklist: www.mexc.com (4 June 2024), AFM warning on MEXC (2025), BaFin warning on MEXC (October 2023), AMF release on Bybit (16 May 2024) and the Japan FSA warning list.
- Bybit EEA notice (29 June 2026), Bybit EU fee structure, ESMA CASP register, OKX fee page.
- CoinDesk: Bybit returns to UK (19 December 2025) and FBI announcement I-022625-PSA (26 February 2025).
- Bybit invite page with the referral parameter, checked 21 September 2026 (20 USD welcome reward shown); Bybit Learn: Welcome Gift Rewards, 14 January 2026 (no code condition).
Read 23 September 2026 unless dated otherwise.