This guide does exactly three things: open the account properly, finish KYC and security setup, and get your first USDT in and ready to trade. Follow it top to bottom — no need to jump between other tutorials.

1. What you actually get

Bybit's standard rates are Spot Maker/Taker 0.1% and USDT Perpetual Futures Maker 0.02% / Taker 0.055%. On top of that:

• Registering with the BYOFFICIAL link → a built-in 33% fee discount
• Enabling MNT fee deduction on top → discounts stack, up to 50% on spot and up to 40% on futures

This is a discount — the fee is simply charged lower — not a rebate paid back later. You pay less at the moment your order fills.

2. What to prepare

• An email you actually use (Gmail / Outlook preferred) or a phone number
• A login password: 12+ characters, upper + lower case, numbers and symbols, never reused
• A valid ID: national ID / passport / driver's licence
• A phone that can run an authenticator app
• A stable connection — don't switch networks mid-registration

3. Registration steps (step 4 is the one that matters)

1. Open https://partner.bybit.com/b/BYOFFICIAL
2. Select your country/region of residence — ⚠️ this field usually cannot be changed later and determines your verification path and available products
3. Enter your email or phone number and set a password
4. Enter the code BYOFFICIAL — using the link usually fills it in automatically, but check with your own eyes that it appears. If the field is empty, type it in manually (uppercase)
5. Complete reCAPTCHA and the email / SMS verification code
6. Log in

Three ways people lose the code

4. Identity verification (KYC)

Bybit enforces mandatory verification: at least standard-level identity verification is required to use all products and to withdraw.

Standard verification (required)

1. Go to Identity Verification
2. Select the issuing country/region and ID type (national ID / passport / driver's licence)
3. Upload photos of both sides of the document
4. Complete the liveness face check
5. Wait for review — usually minutes to one business day

Advanced verification (optional)

Adds proof of address (utility bill, bank statement or residence certificate from the last 3 months) to raise withdrawal limits. Standard is enough when you're starting out.

Five common rejection reasons

1. Glare, blur or shadows on the photo
2. Document corners cut off
3. Expired document
4. Name on the document doesn't match the account
5. Face check in a dark room, or with a hat / glasses covering the face

5. Security setup (five things on day one)

1. Enable 2FA: use Google Authenticator or the Bybit authenticator — not SMS, which can be hijacked. Write the recovery key down and store it offline
2. Set an anti-phishing code: every genuine Bybit email will show your code; anything without it is phishing
3. Set a fund password: must differ from your login password
4. Enable the withdrawal address whitelist: only whitelisted addresses can receive funds
5. Turn on login alerts and clear unknown devices: Device Management shows every device that has logged in

6. Your first USDT deposit, end to end

This is the core of this guide. Pick one of three routes.

Route 1: C2C buy (most common for beginners)

1. On web or app, go to Buy Crypto → C2C
2. Select USDT and enter the amount
3. Pick a merchant by completion rate, completed orders and online status — favour high-reputation merchants
4. Click Buy and check the payment methods and time limit
5. Transfer using the details shown — keep all communication inside the platform; anyone asking to move to WhatsApp / Telegram is scamming you
6. After transferring, click "Paid" and keep a screenshot of the payment proof
7. Wait for release (usually minutes). Until the platform shows "Completed", don't trust any verbal claim
8. Funds arrive in your Funding Account

Route 2: On-chain deposit

1. Go to Assets → Deposit → Deposit Crypto
2. Select the coin USDT
3. Choose the network — this is where most mistakes happen; see the rules below
4. Copy the deposit address (or scan the QR code)
5. Initiate the withdrawal from the sending platform: paste the address, choose the same network, enter the amount
6. Wait for confirmations. Funds land in your Funding Account

Which network to pick: TRC20 (Tron) is cheap and fast — the default for smaller amounts. ERC20 (Ethereum) costs more but is most widely supported. Use whatever your sending platform supports.

Route 3: Transfer from another exchange

Same as Route 2, except the sender is another exchange. Use the same network and paste your Bybit deposit address.

Final step: move funds to the Unified Trading Account (this is where people get stuck)

Bybit uses a Unified Trading Account (UTA). Funds that arrive sit in your Funding Account and cannot be used to place orders yet — you have to transfer them:

1. Go to Assets → Transfer
2. From: Funding Account
3. To: Unified Trading Account (UTA)
4. Select USDT and enter the amount (or all)
5. Confirm — the transfer is instant

Only after this will your Spot or Futures page show an available balance you can trade with.

7. What the discount is actually worth (on 1,000,000 USDT of volume)

Link only, without MNT: spot 1000 → 670 USDT (save 330); futures taker 550 → 369 USDT (save 181).

8. How to enable MNT fee deduction

1. Hold some MNT (Bybit's platform token) in your account
2. Go to the fee settings / discount page and turn on "Use MNT to deduct fees"
3. Once enabled, the fee is first reduced by the MNT deduction and then by the 33% referral discount — they stack
4. You can turn it off at any time. Deduction rate and thresholds are shown on the page

9. FAQ

10. Day-one checklist

• Register via https://partner.bybit.com/b/BYOFFICIAL and confirm BYOFFICIAL shows on the page
• Check the country/region field (cannot be changed later)
• Complete email / phone verification and set a strong password
• Complete standard identity verification
• Enable 2FA (authenticator, not SMS) and store the recovery key offline
• Set the anti-phishing code and fund password
• Enable the withdrawal whitelist and login alerts
• Make your first USDT deposit (test small on-chain first)
• Transfer funds from the Funding Account to the UTA
• Place one small trade and check the actual fee charged
• (Optional) Enable MNT fee deduction