Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, announced it will shift its open interest (OI) reporting methodology from bilateral (dual-sided) counting to unilateral (single-counted) measurement, effective June 11, 2026. The move aims to align the exchange’s data with standards commonly used in global derivatives markets, enhancing transparency and comparability across platforms.
Under the current bilateral system, both the long and short sides of a position are counted separately, which can inflate displayed OI figures. The new unilateral method will count the same market activity only once, potentially causing displayed OI to drop by approximately 50%. However, traders’ actual positions, margin requirements, profit and loss calculations, position limits, and risk exposure will remain completely unaffected. The change is purely cosmetic from a reporting standpoint.
To ensure traders’ practical trading environment remains stable, Bybit will double the applicable rate used for position limit calculations, compensating for the lower OI base. This means real-world position limits will stay the same despite the new numbers on the screen.
API users, institutional clients, and data vendors will receive advance access to two new fields: singleOpenInterest (unilateral OI value) and singleOpenInterestValue (the same in USD). These additions allow systems to distinguish old- and new-style readings, giving developers and analytics teams time to update dashboards, backtesting models, and monitoring tools before the public interface changes. The updated OI displays will appear across the Markets page, trading-page indicators, contract detail pages, open interest pages, and in-app candle data panels for perpetuals, futures, and options.
Analysts are advised that historical OI charts may show a visual break after the switch, and they should avoid interpreting the drop as a sign of deleveraging. The change merely reflects the counting methodology, not a shift in underlying market activity. Bybit’s initiative underscores the maturation of crypto derivatives markets and the growing need for consistent, comparable data standards across exchanges.
