What is Bybit WSOT 2026? Tracks, prize pool and how to join

The World Series of Trading (WSOT) is Bybit's annual global crypto trading competition. Since its launch in 2020, it has brought together individual traders and squads through trading contests, tasks, and rewards.

WSOT 2026 brings these paths together under the theme “The World Trades Here.” The event is scheduled for Oct 29, 2026, 10AM UTC – Dec 2, 2026, 10AM UTC with prizes worth up to $10 million. Its five tracks span tasks, squad competition, individual performance, global assets, and AI trading.

Whether you want to explore event tasks, compete with a squad, or test your own performance, WSOT 2026 offers a route into the championship. This guide covers what has changed, how to choose a track, and how to get ready.



Key takeaways:

• WSOT 2026 has five tracks: Preheat Quest, Squad Showdown, Individual Showdown, Global Assets, and AI Showdown.

• Global Assets opens new Spot and TradFi Perps leaderboards, while AI Showdown introduces a dedicated arena for AI-assisted trading.

• Different tracks reward task completion, PnL, or trading volume, so participants can choose the format that fits their goals.

How does WSOT work?

WSOT combines an annual trading championship with activities that introduce Bybit products. Participants can compete individually, join a squad, or take part in eligible tasks. Each track has its own participation window, scoring method, and reward conditions.

Trading leaderboards use measures such as profit and loss (PnL) or eligible trading volume. PnL measures the gain or loss of trading activity. Trading volume measures the value traded, rather than how profitable those trades were.

The 2026 WSOT trading competition prize pool is worth up to $10 million. Rewards include leaderboard prizes, lucky draws, and squad incentives, with allocations and unlocking conditions set for each track.

To participate in WSOT 2026, you need a Unified Trading Account (UTA). A UTA brings supported trading products together within one account. Subaccounts can help separate trading activity, but their eligibility depends on the track.

When does WSOT 2026 take place?

The overall competition is scheduled for Oct 29, 2026, 10AM UTC – Dec 2, 2026, 10AM UTC. The timeline of events and tracks are as follows:

• Preheat Quest: Oct 29 – Dec 2, 2026.

• Squad creation: Oct 29 – Nov 11, 2026.

• Squad Showdown: Nov 13 – Dec 2, 2026.

• Individual Showdown: Nov 13 – Dec 2, 2026.

• Global Assets: Spot: Nov 5 – Nov 26, 2026.

• Global Assets: TradFi Perps: Nov 19 – Dec 2, 2026.

• AI Showdown: Nov 13 – Dec 2, 2026.

All of these windows open and close at 10AM UTC. Members cannot leave or switch squads after Nov 13, 2026, 9:30AM UTC.

What changes in WSOT 2026?

WSOT 2026 adds two new ways to compete: Global Assets and AI Showdown. Alongside tasks, squads, and individual trading, these additions bring a wider range of markets and trading approaches into the championship. Global Assets introduces separate volume-based leaderboards for Spot and TradFi Perps, bringing more markets into the championship. The Spot leaderboard includes eligible crypto and stock trading, while TradFi Perps lets participants compete across eligible TradFi perpetual contracts covering global markets.

Note that Bybit Stocks requires Level 2 identity verification before a first purchase and has additional regional restrictions.

AI Showdown introduces a new AI Showdown track allowing participants to compete using Bybit AI or third-party AI agents on a dedicated PnL leaderboard. Bybit AI also features in the broader event experience as a trading assistant. Using it for assistance is separate from entering AI Showdown and does not automatically register an account for that leaderboard.

Task participation also extends across the event. While the 2025 Trading Camp ran before the Main Competition, Preheat Quest runs throughout the 2026 campaign.

Compared with 2025, the 2026 edition gives traders more ways to take part beyond the core squad and individual contests. The sections below connect those options to different interests before explaining each track's mechanics.

Which WSOT 2026 path fits you?

If you're new to trading

If you're exploring Bybit products or joining WSOT for the first time, start with the event overview and Preheat Quest. Its task-based format offers a way to discover campaign activities before deciding whether a trading leaderboard suits you.

Learning how a Spot trade works can help you understand the products behind the tasks. Tasks that involve trading still carry the costs and risks of the underlying product.

If you prefer to compete individually

Choose Individual Showdown if you want your own trading performance to determine your place on the leaderboard.

If you want to join a squad

Choose Squad Showdown if you want a shared championship experience with other traders. You can join an existing squad or take the lead in building one, depending on how involved you want to be in the team setup.

If you're experienced with global assets or AI

If you already trade Spot markets or TradFi Perps, Global Assets brings that product experience into WSOT. Understanding derivatives trading is especially relevant to the TradFi Perps route, where leverage can amplify losses.

For traders who already use AI tools or agents, AI Showdown offers a way to compare an AI-assisted approach. The dedicated account setup makes it a separate choice from simply using Bybit AI as a trading assistant.

What are the five WSOT 2026 tracks?

Preheat Quest

Explore supported Bybit products or invite friends through Preheat Quest’s campaign tasks. The event map groups these activities into five “cities”: New & Invite, Spot, Derivatives, TradFi, and Bybit AI. Completing any one eligible task within a city lights it up and earns chances to win rewards through lucky draws.

Preheat Quest runs from Oct 29 – Dec 2, 2026, with tasks available to UTA main accounts only.

Lucky Wednesday adds a separate weekly draw. Each eligible task completion earns one ticket. Every Wednesday at 10AM UTC, one winner is drawn from participants who have lit up the required number of cities for that week. The weekly winner receives USDT or USDC equal to the value of that week's featured prize: a 5g gold bar, an NVIDIA RTX 5090, iPhone DUO, Apple Vision Pro, or a Tesla Roadster.

Squad Showdown

Team up with other traders in Squad Showdown and contribute to a shared position on the squad leaderboard. The competition ranks squads by a squad score built from qualifying trading performance.

The main competition runs from Nov 13 – Dec 2, 2026. Leaders recruit at least ten qualifying members before Nov 13, 2026, 9:30AM UTC to form a squad. Other traders can join an eligible team during the joining window.

Alongside leaderboard prizes, squad leaders and early-forming teams can qualify for additional incentives.

Individual Showdown

Put your own trading performance on the leaderboard in Individual Showdown. Traders compete by PnL within equity groups, with account equity determining the group for participants with different amounts of capital.

The scheduled period is Nov 13 – Dec 2, 2026. Additional transfers can affect a participant's equity group.

The leaderboard prize pool can unlock as qualifying trading volume grows, up to a maximum of 2 million USDT.

Global Assets

Global Assets brings a new range of markets into WSOT 2026. You can compete through Spot or trade gold, oil, indices, and stocks through TradFi Perps, with both leaderboards ranked by eligible trading volume. Eligible Spot products include Spot Trading (including mStocks), Margin Trading, Convert, Spot DCA, Spot Grid Bot, and direct stock trading.

The Spot leaderboard runs from Nov 5 – Nov 26, 2026, and the TradFi Perps leaderboard follows from Nov 19 – Dec 2, 2026. Both competition windows open and close at 10AM UTC.

The Spot leaderboard offers a prize pool of up to 1 million USDT, while the TradFi Perps leaderboard offers up to 2 million USDT.For TradFi Perps, only taker volume counts, meaning volume from trades that immediately match existing orders. Maker volume from orders that add liquidity to the order book is excluded.

AI Showdown

Put your AI-assisted trading approach to the test in AI Showdown. Enter with Bybit AI or a third-party AI agent and compare your account’s trading results on the PnL leaderboard.

Running from Nov 13 – Dec 2, 2026, AI Showdown offers a prize pool of up to 1 million USDT, with the pool unlocking according to qualifying trading volume.

Before you enter:

• Use an eligible Bybit AI Subaccount or a General AI Subaccount used with a third-party AI agent, each registered separately.

• Register each AI Subaccount separately. Participating accounts need a UTA balance of at least 100 USDT to appear on the applicable PnL or PnL% leaderboard.

• Participating AI Subaccounts cannot enter the Lucky Draw, Individual Showdown, or Squad Showdown.

• AI-generated analysis and actions can be inaccurate, and trading losses remain possible.

Who can participate in WSOT 2026?

Participation depends on your location, account type, and chosen track. The global event is unavailable in restricted countries and regions and excludes users in the European Economic Area (EEA), users with Pro 3 or above, market makers, and institutional users.

General WSOT registration has no equity requirement. To activate a PnL or PnL% leaderboard entry, you need to maintain at least 100 USDT in equity for five minutes.

You must complete Identity Verification Level 1 and use a Unified Trading Account (UTA). Each participating main account or subaccount must register separately.

How can you register and prepare?

The registration path depends on whether you're entering individually, joining a squad, or using an eligible AI account. A general preparation sequence is:

1. Check eligibility. Review the event's location, user-type, and account requirements before committing funds.

2. Prepare your account. Complete Identity Verification Level 1 and prepare a UTA that meets your chosen track's account requirements.

3. Open the official WSOT 2026 registration flow when available. Confirm that you're viewing the 2026 event and complete the required registration.

4. Choose your participation path. Join a squad where applicable, or complete any separate track-specific registration.

5. Check your participation status. Confirm your registration and any required leaderboard activation before taking part in your chosen competition.

How has WSOT developed over the years?

WSOT has grown from a trading competition into an annual event with multiple participation routes.

WSOT 2020 and 2021

The inaugural 2020 event attracted nearly 12,000 participants, competing for $1.27 million in prize money. It also supported fundraising for UNICEF.

Participation grew to almost 35,000 traders in 2021. That edition offered a $4.09 million prize pool and included non-fungible tokens (NFTs) among its rewards. UNICEF's 2021 announcement also linked a two-year education pledge to Bybit's corporate contribution and portions of the 2021 and 2022 WSOT prize pools.

WSOT 2022 to 2024

WSOT 2022 attracted more than 69,000 participants from 182 countries and regions. Its total prize pool was 8 million USDT.

The 2023 edition also offered an 8 million USDT total prize pool. It introduced a Copy Trading category alongside the broader championship.WSOT 2024 increased the advertised prize pool to up to 10 million USDT. It also added Web3 voting participation. Bybit supported Ethereum's Attackathon through a separate sponsorship of up to 75 ETH.

WSOT 2025

WSOT 2025 advertised a total prize pool of up to 10 million USDT. It combined the Main Competition with the Trading Camp and an on-chain side competition.

Its Main Competition included squad performance, individual profit, regional volume, and daily PnL% reward categories. It also used asset-weight groups and subaccounts to organize participation.

The Trading Camp introduced task, referral, and educational rewards before the main event. The on-chain competition involved Byreal, a decentralized exchange, with separate volume-based rewards.

Bybit also pledged 300,000 USDT toward blockchain education through the Bybit Rising Fund.

Frequently asked questions

1. Do I need to join a squad?

No. Joining a squad is only required for Squad Showdown; the other tracks offer separate ways to participate.

2. Does registration guarantee a reward?

No. Leaderboard rewards depend on qualifying activity and ranking, while Preheat Quest rewards depend on the applicable task and draw conditions.

3. Can one account participate in every track?

No. Choose the tracks you want to enter first, then register the appropriate accounts for each. AI competition entries are registered separately from other WSOT participation.

The bottom line

WSOT 2026 offers a broader championship built around tasks, squads, individual performance, global assets, and AI. The best fit depends on how you trade, which products you understand, and the risks you're prepared to take.

Explore the event's educational material on the Bybit Learn WSOT page, then use the official 2026 event flow to review your chosen track and prepare for registration.

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