Key Highlights
- Bybit re-enters the UK after leaving in 2023 over FCA promotion rules.
- Operations and marketing run under the supervision of FCA-licensed Archax.
- The move aligns with the UK’s broader push to fully regulate crypto markets.
Bybit has officially returned to the United Kingdom (UK), two years after exiting amid tougher crypto rules imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The crypto exchange relaunched today, offering Spot and peer-to-peer (P2P) trading to UK users under a compliance-led structure designed to meet local regulatory standards.
According to the announcement, the relaunch comes as Bybit partners with Archax, a UK-based digital asset exchange licensed by the FCA. Archax will oversee Bybit’s financial promotions and regulatory alignment, a model it has previously used to support other global platforms entering the UK without holding their own domestic licenses.
Why Bybit left and what changed
Bybit didn’t leave the UK by choice. In late 2023, the FCA tightened its grip on crypto advertising, raising the compliance bar overnight. For many exchanges, the message was blunt: adapt fast or shut the doors.
Bybit chose to step back. New accounts were frozen, positions were wound down, and UK users were pushed into exit mode. Two years later, while the rules haven’t softened, the path back in is clearer.
Since then, the UK’s regulatory stance has shifted from restriction to structure. UK authorities are now working to bring crypto fully into the financial perimeter, with FCA-led oversight planned by 2027, mandatory HMRC reporting starting in 2026, and new laws recognizing digital assets as legal property. For exchanges willing to comply, the market is reopening.
A compliance-first return
Bybit said its UK platform follows enhanced AML and KYC standards and complies with FCA promotion requirements. At launch, UK users will gain access to more than 100 spot trading pairs and peer-to-peer services, supported by the exchange’s global liquidity.
“Our goal is to give UK users reliable access to global digital-asset markets within a clear and transparent framework,” said Mykolas Majauskas, Senior Director of Policy at Bybit. CEO Ben Zhou added that the relaunch marks “the start of a new chapter,” shaped specifically around UK regulatory expectations.
The UK’s crypto reset is underway
The UK is moving decisively toward formal crypto rules. Digital assets are now treated as property, which means ownership, recovery, and insolvency finally have legal teeth. The message from regulators has shifted from “keep out” to “come in, but do it properly.”
This puts exchanges on the spot. With roughly 8% of UK adults already holding crypto, according to the FCA, sitting on the sidelines is no longer an option. Bybit’s return makes that clear. Big platforms see the UK as open again, but only for those willing to play by the book.
And the money explains the urgency. The UK crypto market is expected to hit $619 million by 2030, growing at about 11% a year. For global exchanges, that’s not hype. That’s a market you don’t ignore.
Also read: Jito Foundation Moves Core Operations Back to US Amid Regulatory Shift
