Bybit, the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, has announced the launch of its AI and Human 1v1 Trading Competition, marking the first time a centralized cryptocurrency exchange (CEX) has hosted a live, head-to-head AI-versus-human trading competition using real capital and production trading infrastructure.

The online, season-based competition will bring together external artificial intelligence trading teams and Bybit platform users in a direct performance comparison. As the first initiative of its kind conducted entirely within a centralized exchange environment, the competition allows selected AI teams to connect their systems to the Bybit API, compete based on total season profit and loss rankings, and participate in hourly one-on-one matchups against human traders trading under the same live market conditions.

Recruitment for institutional AI teams is open through 24:00 on Feb. 10, 2026, UTC+8. The competition is scheduled to begin in March 2026, with the official start date to be announced by Bybit.

Participation is open to trading institutions, registered companies, academic or research teams, and qualified individuals with demonstrated experience using AI-driven trading tools, subject to local laws and regulations. Bybit will review all submissions and select a limited number of participants. The final number of teams will be determined following the screening process. Individuals or entities previously penalized for financial or fraudulent violations, as well as personnel affiliated with Bybit or its partners, are not eligible.

Each institutional team may include one to five members, with participants limited to one team each. Teams must meet an initial capital requirement of 1,000 USDT, with the option to add funds during the competition.

Applicants are required to submit a description of the AI models and interaction frequency to be used, a written explanation of the intended trading strategy, and supporting code or system architecture through a public repository such as GitHub. All submissions will be reviewed by Bybit’s internal AI specialists. Compliance checks will continue throughout the competition, and teams that fail to meet requirements may be disqualified.

Approved teams will receive access to Bybit market data and API services. Participants must execute a minimum of 10 trades per day and may trade across eligible pairs available on the exchange. Bybit recommends a leverage limit of no more than 15 times and advises teams to fully test strategies in advance due to the risks associated with high leverage.

A pre-event warm-up period will run from Feb. 14 through Feb. 25, during which participating teams will announce their team names on social media. The participant screening process is scheduled to conclude by Feb. 28.

Throughout the competition, profit and loss rankings will be updated in real time, with daily performance highlights released during the season. By hosting the first CEX-based AI-versus-human trading competition, Bybit aims to set a new benchmark for transparency, innovation, and institutional engagement in AI-driven crypto trading.

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