Many cryptocurrency exchanges offer sign-up bonuses to draw potential customers. You can receive free Bitcoin or funds you can use to purchase your preferred altcoin, depending on the offer. The terms and conditions vary, from the bonus amounts to the qualifying criteria.
Most exchanges will pay you a few dollars for completing your first trade. However, the more valuable promotions may allow you to receive up to $500 or more, in line with many stock brokerage bonuses.
Here is a list of the sign-up bonuses covered in this article:
- Tastytrade: up to $5,000
- Coinbase: $3 – $200
- Crypto.com: $50
- Gemini: $10
- KuCoin: Up to $500
- Phemex: Up to $6,500
- Plynk: Up to $100
- TradeStation: $150
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Best Crypto Sign-Up Bonus Offers
Crypto welcome bonuses are a nice perk for getting started with a new cryptocurrency exchange. But before jumping at the first offer you see, it’s important to compare other features, such as supported currencies and NFTS, trading, and other account fees – to determine if the exchange will fit your long-term needs.
Coinbase
Coinbase is one of the most widely-used cryptocurrency exchanges in the United States and offers new users a first-trade incentive. U.S. residents (excluding Hawaii) earn $5 in Bitcoin rewards after completing their first trade.
You can also spin a bonus wheel to receive up to $200 in additional USD or Bitcoin. According to Coinbase, 89% of participants receive a reward from $3 to $5, and the remaining 11% get $6 to $200 in bonus crypto.
In addition to the one-time signup bonus, the platform partners with various altcoin projects to award free crypto after completing short learning sessions and quizzes.
Crypto.com
Crypto.com has several bonus offers available, depending on your country of residence. You can anticipate receiving your crypto rewards in the platform’s CRO stablecoin.
U.S. residents are eligible for the following opportunities:
- Refer-a-friend: Up to $50 in bonus crypto when joining through an existing Crypto.com user’s referral link.
- Deposit bonus: 2% bonus paid in CRO for any on-chain crypto deposit.
- Trading fee rebates: Discounted trading fees from 20% to 100% when paying the fees with CRO.
- New app incentive: Don’t pay trading fees for the first 7 days when paying with a debit or credit card.
Gemini
Gemini is another leading crypto exchange and a popular alternative to Coinbase. It’s easy to use, supports over 90 cryptocurrencies, and offers multiple trading platforms. New users will receive $10 in Bitcoin after trading $100 in the first 30 days.
KuCoin
KuCoin is offering new users a “welcome box” worth up to $500 in Tether (USDT). Of course, you won’t know how much you will earn until you sign up, but this offer can be worth exploring if you are otherwise comfortable using KuCoin.
In addition to the potential $500 reward, new users can earn up to $10 in welcome rewards before trading. There are other coupons and bonuses available by completing certain activities too.
Note that KuCoin is not as beginner-friendly as Coinbase, Gemini, or a stock investing app that offers crypto trading. That said, it is one of the world’s largest and claims to have 25% of all crypto accounts.
KuCoin has also begun accepting US dollar fiat currency deposits and has the standard know-your-customer (KYC) protocols that make operating in the United States legal. Until recently, the exchange wasn’t licensed in the US and you had to use other funding methods, but that’s no longer the case.
Phemex
Crypto traders who live outside the United States, parts of Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Alberta), the United Kingdom, and a few other countries can be eligible for one of the most valuable crypto sign-up bonus offers through Phemex.
This bonus is worth up to $6,500 plus 2 BTC and 10,000 USDT (Tether) trial funds.
Plynk
New investors may appreciate the hands-on help of Plynk. This app offers stock and crypto investing and matches up to $100 in initial deposits ($10 minimum bonus).
You can trade the most popular coins, such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash, but you’ll need to go elsewhere if you want access to altcoins.
Plynk is currently free but may begin charging $2 monthly in the future.
Tastytrade
Tastytrade helps high-frequency traders execute buy and sell orders for stocks, funds, options, commodities, and crypto.
You can be eligible for a bonus when you deposit at least $5,000 when opening your account:
| Deposit Amount | Cash Bonus |
|---|---|
| $2,000 – $4,999 | $50 |
| $5,000 – $24,999 | $100 |
| $25,000 – $99,999 | $500 |
| $100,000 – $249,999 | $2,000 |
| $250,000 – $499,999 | $3,000 |
| $500,000 – $999,999 | $4,000 |
| $1,000,000 – $4,999,999 | $5,000 |
Tastytrade offers 25 crypto coins, including Aave, Bitcoin, Stellar Lumens, and Solana. Learn more about Tastytrade Promotions.
TradeStation
TradeStation is designed for active traders looking for competitive commissions and quick transactions. You can trade stocks, ETFs, and crypto.
You can get up to $150 in Bitcoin by entering promo code TSTVAFYH when opening your account. Next, deposit at least $500 into your trading account or buy at least $500 of crypto. Finally, the brokerage distributes your reward as two $75 Bitcoin payments.
If you prefer a stock reward instead, you can receive $150 in investing cash by following the same $500 deposit and trading requirements. Instead, you enter the promotion code TSTVAFYB.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the end-of-year tax documents will report any offers you receive as income earned. It will appear on the same form as any sell orders you transact or staking rewards interest that you earn.
As most of these offerings are for taxable accounts and may not be eligible for a self-directed IRA, it’s unlikely to avoid reporting these offers on your tax returns.
Most offers usually have you create a new account and deposit a minimum dollar amount within the introductory period to qualify for the bonus. Typically, you need to deposit at least $100 within the first 30 days. Many platforms award the bonus in Bitcoin instead of fiat or an altcoin.
Several platforms only offer new member bonuses when you join through a friend or influencer’s referral link. Before providing your contact details, you can browse the exchange’s website for active promotions. If one isn’t available, you can search online for referral bonuses, and the review site can receive a commission if you complete the requirements.
What Is the Best Crypto Sign-Up Bonus?
The best crypto sign-up bonuses can add extra cash to your pocket, giving you more money to invest. But is there a single best crypto sign-up bonus? It depends.
I don’t think anyone should decide on a crypto platform based on the sign-up bonus alone. After all, it’s a one-time offer. After that, you need to live with the platform you signed up for (or go through the hassle of switching.) If it doesn’t suit your needs, then it really wasn’t worth the bonus.
Another thing – I don’t like the lure of large bonuses (hundreds or thousands of dollars) as the vast majority of investors won’t qualify. With that in mind, TradeStation’s $150 bonus with a $500 deposit is very generous, as is SoFi’s tiered bonus of up to $100. And Crypto.com gives you multiple ways to earn bonuses.
