Bybit, the world’s second‑largest cryptocurrency exchange by trading volume, is turning heads with a first‑of‑its‑kind experiment: a live, AI‑versus‑human trading competition using real capital and the exchange’s production infrastructure. The initiative is set to kick off in March 2026, putting AI trading teams head‑to‑head against human traders in a season‑based contest designed for speed, strategy, and precision.

Unlike previous AI contests often limited to simulated markets, Bybit’s competition operates entirely within a centralized exchange (CEX) environment. Selected institutional AI teams will connect their models to Bybit’s API, executing trades under the same live market conditions as humans. Performance will be tracked hourly and ranked across total season profits and losses—effectively providing a real‑world scoreboard for machine intelligence versus human intuition.

Who Can Compete

Bybit is recruiting institutional AI teams until Feb. 10, 2026 (UTC+8). Eligible participants include trading institutions, registered companies, academic or research teams, and qualified individuals with demonstrable AI trading experience. Bybit emphasizes compliance: applicants must have a clean regulatory record, and employees or affiliates of Bybit are excluded.

Each team can comprise 1–5 members, operating with a minimum starting capital of 1,000 USDT. Teams must submit detailed strategy descriptions, system architecture, and code repositories—reviewed by Bybit’s AI specialists—to ensure both transparency and technical rigor.

Competition Mechanics

Approved teams will gain access to Bybit’s market data and API services. Daily participation requires a minimum of 10 trades, with leverage capped at 15x. Trading spans all eligible pairs on the exchange, and Bybit encourages teams to fully test strategies beforehand to avoid pitfalls of high‑leverage markets.

A warm‑up phase runs from Feb. 14–25, with teams publicly announcing themselves on social media. Bybit plans to release daily performance highlights, updating profit and loss rankings in real time throughout the competition.

Why It Matters

This event marks a significant milestone for AI in crypto markets. While algorithmic trading is nothing new, pitting AI directly against human traders under live market conditions on a centralized exchange is unprecedented. Analysts suggest this could become a proving ground for AI trading solutions, with implications for institutional adoption and regulatory scrutiny alike.

For Bybit, the competition underscores a broader push toward transparency and innovation in a sector often criticized for opaque practices. It also positions the exchange as a hub for AI‑driven trading research, potentially attracting high‑profile institutional players looking to test strategies in a controlled, high‑stakes environment.

As AI increasingly permeates financial markets, Bybit’s bold experiment could set the template for future contests—and perhaps offer a glimpse at which “mind” wins: human intuition or algorithmic precision.

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