Welcome bonuses: 5 exchanges compared
OKX, Kraken, Finst, Bybit and eToro give new customers something extra. What you get, what you have to do and where the catch is. Finst ends on 31 October.
Five exchanges with a MiCA authorisation give new customers something extra this month. The difference lies in what you have to do for it. At Finst it is almost immediate; at OKX the first cash only unlocks after €25,000 of trading volume, and the biggest reward after €300,000. Finst's offer ends on 31 October.
All five at a glance
We checked all terms with the exchanges themselves on 8 October 2026.
What is it really worth?
For a small start, Finst is the most tangible. You get your first €20 of trading fees back; that credit stays valid for 30 days.
OKX works in tiers:
Mind that first tier: the voucher is not cash. It is credit for a single leveraged futures position, and only any profit is yours. Futures are risky. Real money starts at €25,000 of trading volume, and that volume costs trading fees of its own. A crypto reward stays locked for up to 45 days: you can trade with it, but not withdraw it. You will see your exact amounts in the OKX app under Rewards once you have signed up.
Kraken gives back 10% of what you pay in trading fees. If you trade little, that is little; it mainly pays off for frequent traders.
Bybit revolves around its payment card. You must never have had a Bybit Card, and you top up €100 within thirty days of your card being approved. After that you get 10% cashback for thirty days, up to €120, only on transport, fashion, restaurants, beauty, travel, airlines and hotels. In the same period you get subscriptions such as Netflix or ChatGPT back in full, up to €50. There is no longer a fixed welcome amount: what you get depends on what you pay with the card.
eToro gives you shares, not cash: 5% of the crypto you transfer from your own wallet. Those shares can fall in value. eToro states no cap, no payout period and no lock-up. The summer offer that ran until 31 August had a cap of $2,000 a month and ninety days in which you could not withdraw the shares; whether that still applies is not stated anywhere.
Authorisation first, bonus second
All five are listed in the register of the European supervisor ESMA with an authorisation under MiCA (checked on 2 October 2026). For any other provider, check our overview of MiCA authorisations first.
A bonus is no reason to invest. Crypto can fall sharply in value and you can lose your entire stake. Choose a platform on fees, ease of use and what you want to buy; the bonus is a welcome extra at most.
Which one suits you?
- You are starting small: Finst (before 31 October).
- You trade often: Kraken for 10% of your fees back, or OKX if you reach the tiers.
- You want to pay with crypto: Bybit.
- You already hold crypto in your own wallet: eToro.
Compare fees side by side in our comparison tool.
Disclosure: the links to these exchanges and the codes belong to our partner programmes. If you sign up through a link or with a code, CryptoCode receives a commission; you do not pay more.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a bonus at several exchanges?
Yes, each exchange runs its own offer. Only at OKX can you take part in just one campaign at a time.
Do I get the bonus if I already have an account?
At four of the five, no: Finst, OKX, Kraken and Bybit are for new customers. For eToro you only need an active account.
Is the bonus free money?
Not quite. At Finst and Kraken it is a discount on fees you would otherwise pay, at eToro it is shares with price risk, and at OKX and Bybit you first have to deposit, trade or pay.
Sources
All terms were checked on the exchanges' own sites on 8 October 2026; the exchanges can change them.