Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has announced the opening of registration for its Institutional Strategy Championship, co-hosted with 1Token, a SOC 2-compliant software platform for institutional crypto portfolio, risk, operations, accounting, and lending management. The championship offers institutional participants access to a minimum of $1 million in interest-free capital support, with the potential to unlock up to $10 million based on eligibility criteria and internal approvals.
“This championship reflects our commitment to supporting institutional growth by combining deep liquidity with meaningful capital efficiency,” said Yoyee Wang, Head of Institutional and Enterprise Business at Bybit. “We aim to provide a platform where sophisticated trading strategies can be deployed, tested, and recognized at scale.”
The competition will feature three distinct strategy tracks: Delta Neutral, Dollar Neutral, and Directional. Participants may enter one or more categories, with each evaluated independently based on predefined performance metrics and scoring methodologies. Registration is now open and runs through May 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. UTC. The competition period is scheduled from June 1, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. UTC to August 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. UTC.
The event is open to existing VIP users at level 2 and above, institutional clients, and new institutional participants subject to Know Your Business verification. New institutional clients are required to submit an application, after which a dedicated relationship manager will provide onboarding support, including guidance on loan applications. As part of the championship, participating institutions may access interest-free loan support starting from $1 million, with the potential to unlock up to $10 million in total capital. The program includes a minimum collateral requirement of $250,000, with additional capital access linked to external trading volume, assets under management, and institutional lending qualifications.
The interest-free borrowing benefit is available during the campaign period, with continued use of the principal without interest permitted through September 30, 2026, subject to applicable conditions and approvals. In addition, ranked participants will receive a one-month upgrade to the next VIP or Pro level following the competition period, with non-Pro users upgraded to Pro 1 where applicable.
To ensure fair competition, participants must operate dedicated accounts used exclusively for the championship and maintain a minimum initial position value of $500,000 per strategy. All strategies must reflect genuine market-driven trading behavior, and activities such as market manipulation, wash trading or artificial profit generation are prohibited. Bybit reserves the right to review, adjust or disqualify participation in cases of irregular activity or rule violations.
A warm-up period from May 16 to May 31, 2026, will allow teams to test strategies without restrictions on trading capital. Activity during this period will not count toward official rankings. “By bringing a structured evaluation framework to the championship, we aim to enhance transparency and comparability across diverse trading strategies,” said Damon Xu, CEO & Co-founder at 1Token. “This initiative helps institutional participants benchmark performance more effectively while engaging with a broader market ecosystem.”
Performance rankings will be determined based on Bybit’s official systems and records, while 1Token provides the strategy evaluation methodology and analytical framework underpinning the ranking calculations. 1Token is an institutional-grade digital asset management infrastructure provider covering portfolio aggregation, risk monitoring, performance analytics, NAV reporting, and strategy benchmarking across CeFi and DeFi. Named Hedgeweek’s 2024 “Portfolio Management Solution of the Year,” 1Token serves over 100 institutional clients globally and supports more than $20 billion in assets.
