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Bybit EU and Bybit global are two different exchanges. Here's what separates them
Bybit split its business to comply with MiCA. If you live in the EEA you are served by Bybit EU GmbH, authorised in Austria; everyone else uses the global platform. These are separate companies with separate accounts, and the products are not the same.
Side by side
| Bybit EU | Bybit global | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Bybit EU GmbH | Global platform |
| Regulator | FMA, Austria — MiCA authorisation granted May 2025, passported across the EEA | Outside the EU framework |
| Who it serves | EEA residents | Everyone except a published list of excluded jurisdictions |
| Spot | Yes | Yes |
| Margin | Yes, reported up to 10x | Yes |
| Perpetuals and options | No | Yes |
| USDT | Not listed | Yes |
Why the derivatives are missing
Not caution, and not a rollout in progress. A MiCA licence covers spot services; perpetuals and options require MiFID II permissions, which is a different authorisation entirely. Bybit has applied for it through an Austrian entity, but until it is granted and visible on the national register, the answer stays no.
If perpetuals are the reason you were choosing Bybit, this is a real reason to look at something else — and you should. In the EEA the venues holding both licences are few, which makes the shortlist genuinely short.
USDT is the other surprise
Tether did not seek EU authorisation, so USDT cannot be listed on a compliant EU platform. On Bybit EU you trade against euros or an authorised stablecoin. Convert any USDT balance before you migrate, not after — there is nothing on the other side to receive it.
Moving across
- Register separately. Your global account does not carry over, though you can reuse the same email or phone number.
- Complete verification again. Different legal entity, its own KYC.
- Close what can't travel. Open derivative positions have no equivalent on the EU platform.
- Convert USDT first, then move funds following the instructions on your account.
- Check the register yourself. Bybit EU GmbH appears on the Austrian FMA's entry in the ESMA register. Two minutes confirms it, and the same check works on any platform claiming EU authorisation.
On keeping the global account with a VPN
Bybit's service agreement bars misrepresenting your residency and gives it the right to liquidate positions and freeze withdrawals for users identified in excluded jurisdictions. The cost is not a warning — it is losing access to your funds at the point you most want them.
Where to open each
If you are in the EEA: Bybit EU. If you are outside it: the global platform. Both links are referral links and earn this site a commission; it costs you nothing extra, and it is why this page is free to read.