Bybit vs Ascendex: Fees, Security, Features & Which to Choose (2025)

Trying to choose between Bybit and Ascendex This side-by-side comparison reveals total cost (fees + spreads), security & licenses, coins/derivatives, deposits/withdrawals, and app quality. In 2 minutes you’ll see who wins for beginners, active traders, and long-term holders. Clear pros/cons, a quick verdict, and safe links to get started.

Last updated on August 16, 2025

Bybit

Ascendex

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Available Countries

United States

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

Yes

China

Canada

United Kingdom

United States

Yes

Europe

Yes

Latin America

Yes

India

China

Yes

Canada

Yes

United Kingdom

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Bybit is ideal if:

Advanced trading tools: Offers a sleek, user-friendly interface with features like conditional orders and charting tools that suit experienced traders looking for precision.
Wide asset selection: Supports a broad range of cryptocurrencies and derivatives, giving you flexibility whether you like spot trading or futures.
Strong security reputation: Prioritizes safety with industry-grade infrastructure and proactive risk management—great if security is a key concern for you.

Ascendex is ideal if:

Versatile trader tools – Offers both beginner-friendly and pro-grade interfaces for spot, margin, futures, staking, copy trading, and yield farming.
Passive-earning focus – Multiple earning paths available (staking, DeFi yield, OTC, Invest programs), ideal if you want crypto to work for you passively.
Robust performance engine – High-throughput tech, advanced analytics, and mobile support make it ideal for active or institutional traders needing speed and reliability.

Bybit isn’t ideal if:

New traders could feel overwhelmed: The platform’s advanced derivatives and leverage tools often present a steep learning curve for users just starting out.
Limited availability in some markets: If you're located in certain jurisdictions, you may not be able to access or fully use all features due to regulatory restrictions or regional bans.
Centralized security risks remain: Despite improvements, the record-breaking hack highlights inherent vulnerabilities in centralized exchanges—so those prioritizing decentralization or peace of mind may look elsewhere.

Ascendex isn’t ideal if:

Regulatory uncertainty – Lacks formal licensing in many regions, meaning oversight and user protections may be limited.
Customer service concerns – Some users report slow or unhelpful support, particularly for withdrawals or issue resolution.
Past security breach – A significant hack occurred, which may worry users who prioritize platforms with a flawless security record.

Fees & Total Costs

Spot Maker/Take

The spot market applies a tiered maker/taker structure where higher trading volumes unlock reduced fees—active traders benefit from sharper discounts as they climb VIP or Pro levels.

Spot trading fees follow a tiered VIP structure based on your 30-day trade volume and holdings of the native ASD token; larger volume or ASD holdings unlock lower maker and taker rates, especially for major market-cap pairs.

Futures/Derivatives

Futures and perpetual contracts also use maker/taker pricing that improves with higher tiers, and include dynamic funding payments between long and short positions, which shift with market sentiment.

Futures (perpetual) trading uses its own VIP-based fee tiers—maker fees can be as low as around 0.02%, takers around 0.05%—and funding payments occur every eight hours to align perpetual contract prices with spot.

Average Spreads on Liquid Pairs

For high-liquidity pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, spreads remain tight and competitive, ideal for minimizing slippage on larger trades.

Liquid pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT exhibit tight spreads thanks to deep order books and efficient matching, making execution cost minimal beyond standard fees.

Fiat Deposits & Withdrawals

Users can deposit or withdraw fiat through numerous local payment methods and gateways; each method displays its associated fee and processing time during the transaction—these vary by region and require identity verification.

You can fund via credit/debit card or bank transfers through third-party processors; while deposits are quick, they may include a dynamic processing fee; withdrawal options and speeds depend on your local banking rails and chosen method.

On-chain Withdrawals

Cryptocurrency withdrawals have fixed network-based fees per coin and chain, meaning the fee doesn’t scale with amount but adjusts based on current blockchain demand and congestion.

BTC, ETH, TRX, etc.)

Hidden Costs

Occasional indirect costs may include currency conversion charges from funding accounts denominated differently, potential inactivity penalizations over long dormant periods, and expedited identity checks for faster access, depending on account status.

Implicit costs may arise from conversion markups when buying crypto with fiat, inactivity penalties, or optional fast-track identity verification services, so even if explicit fees are low, these can add to your total cost.

Real-World Cost Example: “€500 BTC

When buying BTC worth €500, expect a blended cost that includes a spot trading spread, a tier-adjusted fee, and any subsequent withdrawal fee—altogether forming a practical view of the real expense beyond just the purchase price.

When you convert €500 into BTC, costs include the processing spread from fiat to crypto, the trading fee on your spot purchase, and any withdrawal network fee—so the net BTC received will be noticeably less than the €500 equivalent due to layered transaction components.

Crypto Offering & Trading Features

Number of Coins & Pairs

Bybit supports over 650 cryptocurrencies, offering a deep and diverse asset base; among the top-20 pairs by volume, you’ll typically find heavy hitters like BTC/USDT, ETH/USDT, SOL/USDT, and a rotating mix of high-liquidity altcoins tailored to market demand.

AscendEX supports over 200 to 300 cryptocurrencies across more than 200 trading pairs, with the most liquid top 20 pairs typically dominated by BTC, ETH, USDT, and popular large-cap and DeFi tokens if ranked by volume.

Product Range

Bybit houses a comprehensive suite of offerings including spot, margin, perpetual and futures derivatives, options (for BTC, ETH, SOL), crypto loans, staking/Earn, P2P, copy trading, along with automated tools—such as grid bots and DCA strategies—and a Launchpad for new token projects.

The platform offers spot, margin, and perpetual futures, flexible staking and yield programs, copy-trading for futures, and supports automated strategies such as grid bots and DCA through its API and third-party tools—though options and crypto ETFs are not part of the current offering.

Liquidity

The platform consistently ranks among exchanges with high 24-hour volume, especially in BTC and ETH markets, ensuring strong book depth and tight pricing in core pairs—making it suitable for executing sizable trades with minimal slippage.

With a reported 24-hour trading volume ranging from hundreds of millions to a couple of billion dollars, BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT markets offer strong depth and tight order books, enabling efficient execution even for substantial orders.

Tools

Bybit equips users with an advanced framework: key order types (limit, stop, OCO), native alerts, robust charting w/ browser-based or TradingView-integrated tools, and a programmable interface via both REST API and WebSockets for full automation.

AscendEX features a full suite of order types (limit, market, stop, OCO), advanced charting with customizable indicators, real-time alerts, and robust API/WebSocket access—although it relies on its proprietary charting tools rather than native TradingView integration.

Geographic Restrictions by Product

Some products—particularly derivatives—are blocked in jurisdictions such as the United States, United Kingdom, Mainland China, Singapore, and Quebec, meaning access to futures and options may vary depending on your location.

Certain regions face limitations such as no access to futures or derivatives features—specifically, users in jurisdictions like the United States and China are restricted from using these products due to compliance considerations.

Innovation

Bybit continues to innovate through its Launchpad/Launchpool ecosystem, and its Earn segment features flexible and locked staking options, giving you the choice between liquidity or higher yield opportunities depending on your strategy.

AscendEX delivers early access to new token projects via its launchpool platform, and its Earn suite includes both flexible staking options—as well as programs with lock-up periods—giving users choice in how they deploy assets to generate yield.

Security, Regulation & Custody

Operating Entity & Jurisdiction

Bybit is run by Bybit Fintech Limited, established in 2018 and headquartered in Dubai, with a separate European arm (Bybit EU GmbH) based in Vienna to serve EEA users under EU regulation.

AscendEX operates under AscendEX Technology S.R.L., legally established in Romania, while the broader group includes BMXDM Technology Pte. Ltd. founded in 2018, with headquarters primarily in Singapore.

Licenses/Registration

It holds a MiCA crypto-asset service provider license issued by Austria’s FMA for EU operations, along with additional authorizations in Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Georgia, and a provisional license in Dubai, reflecting its regulatory reach across multiple regions.

The platform adheres to AML/CTF regulations where required, but does not currently hold formal regulatory licenses such as VASP in most jurisdictions nor EU MiCA authorization.

Custody

Bybit manages custody itself via Bybit EU as the custodian, using a mix of hot, warm, and cold omnibus wallets, segregating client funds from its own, and providing quarterly asset statements—with regular Proof of Reserves audits to bolster visibility.

Users’ crypto assets are stored primarily in cold, offline wallets managed directly by AscendEX, supported by a defense-in-depth security model; there’s no publicly disclosed proof-of-reserves audit or specific percentage of assets held in cold storage.

Insurance & Protection Funds

There is no mention of a dedicated insurance fund, but the firm emphasizes tiered offline wallet security protocols and regularly published reserves for user asset protection.

AscendEX maintains an internal insurance fund drawn from its own balance sheet to cover potential losses in the event of security incidents.

Incident History

In February 2025, Bybit suffered a record $1.4 billion hack—but restored liquidity within 72 hours through support from major trading firms—additionally, it faced fines and service suspensions in regions like India, Canada, and the UK following regulatory scrutiny.

In December 2021, AscendEX suffered a hot-wallet exploit across several blockchains, but fully reimbursed all impacted users and rebuilt its infrastructure with stronger safeguards.

Risk Controls

Bybit protects accounts via mandatory 2FA, whitelist options, anti-phishing codes, support for sub-accounts, and and granular API permissions, alongside real-time behavioral monitoring and withdrawal safeguards.

The platform supports two-factor authentication, device monitoring, anti-phishing alerts, and offers API access with control options and sub-account structuring to help manage risk.

Transparency

The platform offers users periodic balance statements (at least once every three months), conducts public PoR audits, and operates under obligaciones de reporte for its EU entity—though there’s no public wallet viewer or explicit service-level SLA shared.

While offering real-time monitoring and reporting tools, AscendEX does not publish monthly reserve statements, public wallet addresses, or formal service-level agreements.

Deposits, Withdrawals, KYC & Support

Fiat Deposit Methods

Bybit supports various fiat deposit methods—including bank transfers (like SEPA), cards, and e-wallets—with available options, limits, and processing times depending on your region and selected channel, all displayed during the deposit process.

AscendEX supports depositing fiat through third-party providers such as Simplex, MoonPay, Mercuryo, and Banxa via card or bank transfer, offering fast funding for multiple regions, with specific minimums and maximums varying per provider and region.

Supported Fiat Currencies & Conversion

KYC (Verification Levels)

Bybit enforces tiered identity verification: unverified users face very tight limits (e.g., only €1 deposits on EU platform), while completing basic or advanced KYC dramatically expands deposit/withdrawal caps and feature access.

AscendEX requires identity verification for full platform access; unverified accounts face strict withdrawal caps (such as 0.75 BTC daily), while verified users enjoy much higher limits, with further tiered levels unlocking even greater flexibility.

Withdrawals

Fiat withdrawals require first depositing via the intended method; supported networks and limits vary by currency and method—USD via SWIFT has VIP and tenure prerequisites, while other currencies use local routes like PIX, SEPA, or bank transfers with processing dependent on region and method.

Withdrawal limits depend on KYC status—unverified accounts are capped at around 0.75 BTC per day, verified users far higher—and users can withdraw via multiple networks (ERC-20, TRC-20, BEP-20, etc.), with processing speed tied to blockchain congestion.

Customer Support

Bybit offers 24/7 live chat and email support across multiple languages, backed by a detailed Help Center; response times depend on issue complexity, but immediate help is usually available via real-time chat, and additional queries can be submitted through support tickets.

AscendEX offers round-the-clock support via live chat and email, with a comprehensive help center available for self-service; response times generally fall within reasonable hours though may vary based on query complexity.

Languages & Localization

The platform supports multiple languages, including native Spanish, shows fees in local currencies like €, and adjusts deposit/withdrawal availability to comply with regional regulations and payment infrastructure.

The interface supports multiple languages including English, and displays prices in common currencies like EUR and USD; it also tailors functionality—and availability—to comply with regional regulations.

App Quality & Stability

The Bybit mobile app provides full trading functionality on the go; while generally stable, users occasionally report crashes or performance hiccups—most issues resolve via updates or cache refreshes, and the team actively maintains and improves app reliability.

The AscendEX mobile and desktop apps deliver a polished and responsive experience, receiving regular updates to bolster stability and features, with no widespread reports of performance or crash issues among users.

Experience, Performance & Ecosystem

UX/UI

Bybit offers both Lite and Pro modes, allowing beginners to start with a simplified interface while giving experienced traders access to customizable layouts, advanced charting, and modular widgets in the Pro mode to tailor their trading environment.

The platform provides both a streamlined “Lite” interface optimized for newcomers and a feature-rich “Pro” mode tailored for experienced traders, offering intuitive navigation while allowing users to progress as their skills evolve.

Performance

The platform is engineered for speed, with a high-capacity matching engine and low-latency execution, although users occasionally report slowness or brief app lag during extreme volatility—maintained performance relies on stable internet and recent app/browser versions.

Order execution is generally fast and stable, though sharp market spikes can occasionally lead to slight delays; during bull runs, KYC processing times may lengthen, though the platform scales verification capacity to mitigate backlogs.

Education

Bybit offers a robust learning ecosystem through its “Bybit Learn” hub featuring guides, tutorials, and AI-powered strategy tools; while demo or simulator modes aren’t formally branded, the content—some available in Spanish—supports new traders across skill levels.

AscendEX hosts an educational hub with articles, investment lessons, and futures tutorials, but it does not currently offer demo trading accounts or Spanish-specific learning modules.

Community

The exchange supports active engagement through its Help Center, plus official Telegram and Discord communities; it also features referral programs and periodic trading competitions to energize and expand its user base.

Users can connect via numerous official Telegram channels across multiple languages and leverage an active referral program that rewards users for inviting others to the platform.

Integrations

Bybit integrates natively with TradingView charts and provides comprehensive REST and WebSocket APIs for external bots, tax tools, and reporting systems—making it highly compatible with automated trading and portfolio management tools.

The exchange offers native TradingView charts and robust API access, enabling integration with third-party bots and tax/accounting tools like CryptoTaxCalculator for portfolio tracking and reporting.

Who Each One Is Best For

Bybit shines for active and professional traders who value fast execution, depth of tools, and advanced automation; more casual users or those seeking simple buy-and-hold functionality may find the feature-rich environment a bit overpowered for their needs.

Beginners benefit from the Lite mode and educational resources, active/pro traders gain from the advanced order tools and integrations, and those focused on passive strategies can leverage the automated tools and referral rewards.