Bybit vs Crypto.com

Both cards serve the EEA and APAC, creating direct competition in major crypto markets. Bybit additionally serves the UK, LATAM, and Australia. Crypto.com additionally serves the US, Canada, Singapore, and most global markets.

In the EEA and APAC, users have a genuine choice between these two. This is one of the most meaningful head-to-head comparisons on SpendNode because the overlap is real.

However, Bybit is restricted or banned in France, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and Singapore as of early 2026. In these markets, Crypto.com is the only option between these two. As of January 2026, EEA Bybit users must migrate to Bybit EU accounts for MiCA compliance.

Both operate on the Mastercard (Bybit) and Visa (Crypto.com) networks. Bybit has no annual fee. Crypto.com has no annual fee at any tier (subscription fees are separate from card fees). Crypto.com's card program has been operational since 2018 - one of the longest track records in the industry.

The fee structures fundamentally change the math. Bybit charges 0.5% FX plus 0.9% conversion (1.4% total on cross-currency spending). Crypto.com charges 0% on everything - no conversion fee, no FX fee.

At base tiers, Crypto.com Plus outearns Bybit Standard: $15/month versus $6/month on $1,000 cross-currency spending. Crypto.com's 0% fees make every cashback dollar fully earned, while Bybit's 1.4% cost eats into the 2% headline rate. The real effective rate at Bybit Standard is 0.6%, not 2%.

But Crypto.com's caps create a ceiling. Plus caps at $25/month (hit at $1,250 spending). Pro caps at $75/month (hit at $2,500). Above these caps, returns flatten. At $3,000/month, Bybit at 4% earns $78/month versus Crypto.com Pro's $60/month (after subscription). At Bybit Supreme (10%), the math is not close: $258/month versus $120/month from Crypto.com Private.

Both cards use custodial prepaid/debit models. Every transaction involves selling crypto at the point of sale - a taxable disposal event in most jurisdictions. The tax treatment is functionally identical. CRO staking rewards on Crypto.com may additionally be taxable as income in some jurisdictions, separate from cashback earned.

Bybit's Supreme VIP includes TradingView Pro reimbursement and ChatGPT Plus rebate. These are valuable for professional traders but narrow in scope.

Crypto.com's higher tiers add perks no other crypto card matches:

• Plus ($4.99/mo or $500 stake): 100% Spotify rebate ($156/year)
• Pro ($29.99/mo or $5,000 stake): Spotify + Netflix rebate ($348/year combined), airport lounge access (4 visits/year for annual subscribers), metal card
• Private ($50,000 stake): All above + unlimited lounge access + guest, priority support
• Prime ($1,000,000 stake): All above + private jet partnerships, dedicated account manager

For a European traveler who uses Spotify, watches Netflix, and flies through hub airports, Crypto.com Pro's perk value exceeds $500/year before counting any cashback. At Private ($50,000 CRO stake), unlimited lounge access plus a guest makes it comparable to premium travel cards like Amex Platinum - but backed by crypto.

Bybit has no equivalent lifestyle perks for non-Supreme users. If you value streaming rebates, lounge access, and metal card design, Crypto.com is the only crypto card that delivers a complete premium lifestyle experience.

These cards use fundamentally different mechanisms to determine your tier.

Bybit requires no staking. Your VIP level depends on 30-day trading volume and asset balance, both withdrawable at any time. The 2% base rate costs nothing beyond being a Bybit user. But reaching the 4%+ tiers requires significant, sustained exchange activity that most retail users will never achieve. The 10% Supreme VIP tier is reserved for institutional-level traders.

Crypto.com requires CRO staking or subscriptions. Plus: $4.99/month or $500 CRO locked 12 months. Pro: $29.99/month or $5,000 CRO locked 12 months. Private: $50,000 CRO locked 12 months with no exit option during the lockup period.

The risk profiles are opposite. Bybit carries no lock-up risk but rewards exchange loyalty - your tier is always withdrawable. Crypto.com carries CRO concentration risk: if CRO drops 50% during your 12-month lockup, your staked value halves with no recourse. CRO dropped from $0.97 (November 2021) to under $0.10 (June 2022) - a 90% decline that would have turned a $50,000 Private stake into under $5,200 in value while the lockup prevented any exit.

A passive holder who stakes CRO gets the same Pro or Private perks as an active trader, which suits long-term believers in the Crypto.com ecosystem. A professional trader who already generates volume on Bybit gets rewarded automatically with no additional capital at risk.

Comparing headline cashback rates without accounting for Bybit's 1.4% transaction fees. When a user sees "Bybit 2% vs Crypto.com 2%," they appear equal. They are not. Bybit's 0.5% FX + 0.9% conversion reduces the effective 2% to 0.6% net on cross-currency spending. At $2,000/month, that difference is $28/month ($336/year) in favor of Crypto.com Plus. The headline rate comparison only becomes accurate at Bybit's 4%+ tiers, where the higher rate absorbs the 1.4% cost and still nets more than Crypto.com Plus. How to avoid it: Always compare net returns after all fees. Bybit wins above 4%. Crypto.com wins at the 2-3% tier levels. Below 4% on Bybit, the fee drag makes Crypto.com's 0% structure mathematically superior at equal reward rates.

Staking $50,000 in CRO for Crypto.com Private without stress-testing the lockup. The 4% uncapped cashback and unlimited lounge access are compelling, but the 12-month lockup on a volatile token is the real cost. If CRO drops 30% during your lockup (it has dropped 90% in past cycles), you lose $15,000 in staked value - equivalent to 12.5 years of 4% cashback at $2,500/month spending. How to avoid it: Calculate your annual cashback and perk value at your actual spending level. If the total is under $2,000/year (e.g., $2,000/month spending = $960 cashback + $500 perks = $1,460), a 30% CRO decline erases over 10 years of earnings. Consider the $5,000 Pro stake or $29.99/month subscription instead, which limits your CRO exposure while still delivering Spotify, Netflix, and lounge access.

For active traders at higher Bybit tiers: Bybit at 4%+ cashback (2.6%+ net after fees) with no staking requirement delivers the highest raw returns. Best for users already generating significant trading volume on the exchange who want their card rewards to scale automatically.

For perk-focused moderate spenders: Crypto.com Pro with 0% fees, Spotify, Netflix, and lounge access delivers more total value than Bybit Standard for spending under $2,500/month. The streaming rebates alone ($348/year) exceed the difference in cashback.

For users in Bybit-restricted markets (France, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia) or the US: Crypto.com is the only option between these two.

Outlook: Bybit faces escalating regulatory pressure with bans in 6 countries and a mandatory EEA account migration underway in 2026. Crypto.com is rolling out up to 15% travel rewards at higher tiers and has survived the 2022 CRO collapse with its card program intact. The competitive dynamic could shift significantly if Bybit loses access to additional EEA markets under MiCA scrutiny, or if Crypto.com's new travel rewards launch successfully. Watch for Bybit's regulatory status in France (currently banned) and Germany (its largest remaining EEA market).