Bybit vs MetaMask

Both cards serve the EEA on Mastercard, creating direct competition for European users. The overlap extends to UK, parts of LATAM, and parts of APAC.

Bybit additionally serves Australia but is banned in France, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and Singapore. The ban list limits its European and Asian reach.

MetaMask serves 50+ countries globally including the US - a market Bybit does not serve. For US users, this comparison is decided by geography before economics.

Both have no annual fee. Both support Apple Pay and Google Pay. Bybit's January 2026 MiCA migration required EEA users to move to Bybit EU accounts.

The fee gap reverses the headline comparison at base tiers. MetaMask charges 0% on everything. Bybit charges 0.5% FX plus 0.9% conversion.

At base tiers, MetaMask Virtual (1% net) beats Bybit Standard (0.6% net) by 67%. A European spending $3,000/month earns $360/year with MetaMask versus $216/year with Bybit Standard - a $144/year advantage for the zero-fee card. MetaMask's Rewards points add speculative upside on top.

Bybit overtakes MetaMask Virtual at the 3% tier. At 3% minus 1.4% fees = 1.6% net ($576/year), Bybit exceeds MetaMask Virtual's $360/year. But reaching the 3% tier requires meaningful Bybit trading volume and VIP status.

At 4%+ tiers, Bybit pulls significantly ahead. 4% net 2.6% ($936/year) exceeds MetaMask Metal's $1,080/year... wait. MetaMask Metal at 3% with 0% fees earns $1,080/year on $3,000/month - still ahead of Bybit at 4% tier ($936/year). Bybit needs 5%+ tier (3.6% net, $1,296/year) to definitively beat MetaMask Metal on cashback alone.

At Supreme tier (10%, 8.6% net), Bybit is unmatched. $3,096/year on $3,000/month spending is the highest return of any card on SpendNode. But Supreme requires invite-only access, massive trading volume, and 0% ATM fees - a tier designed for institutional-grade Bybit users.

Bybit's idle yield advantage: 8% APR on USDT through Bybit Earn. A $10,000 balance earns $800/year passively. MetaMask's stablecoin balance earns nothing unless actively managed in DeFi (Aave-wrapped aUSDC can earn yield). For users who maintain significant exchange balances, Bybit's yield narrows the gap at base tiers.

Bybit is fully custodial. Your crypto sits on the Bybit exchange. Bybit controls withdrawals, can freeze accounts, and your funds are at risk in a security incident. Bybit supports 5 spendable assets (USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH, XRP) with exchange-level liquidity and instant conversion. Spending limits scale up to $250,000/month at Supreme tier.

MetaMask is fully self-custodial. Funds remain in your MetaMask wallet on Linea, Base, or Solana until purchase. No third party holds your keys. MetaMask supports 9 assets across 3 chains. $10,000/month (Virtual) or $50,000/month (Metal) spending limits. Low KYC onboarding.

The custody trade-off is the philosophical core of this comparison. Bybit offers higher potential returns (at upper tiers) with exchange counterparty risk. MetaMask offers lower but consistent returns with zero counterparty risk. Users who remember FTX (November 2022) and Celsius (June 2022) may value MetaMask's self-custody more than Bybit's extra cashback points.

MetaMask earns 1 Rewards point per $1 spent in addition to cashback. Season 1 distributed $LINEA tokens to active cardholders. Future seasons may distribute tokens from Base, Solana, or partner ecosystems. On $3,000/month spending, MetaMask generates 36,000 points/year at zero cost. Any non-zero airdrop value adds to MetaMask's already competitive base returns.

Bybit's rewards are purely defined: cashback in Bybit Card Points convertible to USDT. No airdrop program, no ecosystem points, no speculative component. The value is predictable and immediate - what you see is what you get.

For users who view card spending as a multi-ecosystem farming strategy, MetaMask's points system creates ongoing eligibility across Linea, Base, and Solana. For users who want guaranteed, quantifiable returns with no speculation, Bybit's defined points are simpler to value.

Assuming Bybit's 2% headline beats MetaMask's 1% without calculating the fee impact. After 0.5% FX + 0.9% conversion on cross-currency spending, Bybit Standard's 2% becomes 0.6% net. MetaMask's 1% with zero fees is a clean 1% net. MetaMask earns 67% more take-home value at base tiers ($360/year vs $216/year on $3,000/month). The headline comparison (2% vs 1%) suggests Bybit wins by 2x. The net comparison (0.6% vs 1%) shows MetaMask wins by 1.67x. How to avoid it: Always compare net rates after all fees, not headline rates. Bybit only overtakes MetaMask Virtual when the cashback tier exceeds 2.4% (crossing the 1% net threshold). Below that, MetaMask's zero-fee model delivers more per dollar spent.

Choosing Bybit for the "up to 10%" rate without recognizing how few users qualify. Bybit's 10% Supreme tier requires invite-only access with massive trading volume. Most new Bybit card users start at the 2% Standard tier (0.6% net after fees) - below MetaMask's 1% net. Upgrading requires sustained high-volume trading on Bybit's platform, not just card spending. A user who signs up expecting 10% and receives 2% (0.6% net) is worse off than MetaMask's immediate 1%. How to avoid it: Check your current Bybit VIP level before comparing. If you are at Standard tier, compare 0.6% net to MetaMask's 1% net. Bybit's higher tiers are earned through exchange activity, not card usage - if you do not actively trade on Bybit, you will likely remain at the base tier.

For self-custody advocates and moderate spenders: MetaMask Virtual at 1% with zero fees outearns Bybit Standard at base tier (1% net vs 0.6% net). Self-custody, 50+ countries, airdrop potential.

For active Bybit traders at 3%+ tiers: Bybit with uncapped cashback, $50K-250K/month limits, 8% USDT yield, and higher tier rates. The economics only favor Bybit when your tier exceeds 2.4% (crossing 1% net after fees).

For US users: MetaMask is available; Bybit is not.

For premium self-custodial spending: MetaMask Metal at 3% with 0% fees (waitlist) beats Bybit at all tiers up to 5%.

Outlook: Bybit's tiered system rewards active traders with industry-leading cashback rates, but the 1.4% fee floor on cross-currency spending limits its appeal for moderate users. MetaMask's zero-fee model and multi-chain expansion (Linea, Base, Solana) position it to capture users who prioritize clean economics and self-custody over maximum headline rates. Key variables: MetaMask Metal availability expanding (giving 3% zero-fee to all users), Bybit potentially reducing its FX/conversion fee stack (which would make Standard tier competitive at base level), and MetaMask Rewards Season 2 distributions (quantifying the per-point airdrop value).