There are dozens of crypto sign-up bonuses available for those willing to register for a new exchange. Often, they require making a small deposit.
In this article, we’ll compare the crypto promotions available from various exchanges, which you can use as a way to build your crypto portfolio or sell quickly for easy cash.
Our Criteria For Determining the Best Crypto Sign-Up Bonus Offers
Free money often seems too good to be true. What might look like a good bonus on a landing page sometimes isn’t such a good deal upon reading the fine print.
To determine the best free crypto promotional offers, we looked at the following factors:
- The amount of the bonus. We compared the amount earned to the minimum deposit required to qualify for the bonus.
- Whether the funds you get can be moved to an external wallet. For many reasons, it’s important to own your digital assets and to have the ability to transfer them to an external crypto wallet.
- The specific cryptocurrency of the bonus offer. While a bonus in the native token of a platform does have value, we prioritized free bitcoin, stablecoin and ethereum offers.
- The required holding period. Often you must hold, or in some cases stake, your assets for a certain period of time. We prioritized offers with shorter holding periods, which allow you to withdraw funds sooner.
The Best Crypto Sign-Up Bonus Offers
Here’s a quick rundown of the best crypto bonuses available right now.
| Platform | Bonus and Criteria to Earn |
| Okcoin | $50 in BTC after making a trade of $100 or more. |
| TradeStation | $50 in BTC after funding an account with $500. |
| Gemini | $15 in BTC after $100 of trading activity within the first 30 days or up to 25% trading fee revenue share for higher volumes. |
| Plynk | Matched deposits up to $75. |
| Strike | $5 in USD after opening an account and making a $1 deposit |
| Coinbase | $5 in BTC on your first purchase, and a chance to win $3 to $200 in a Spin The Wheel Promo. |
| KuCoin | A “mystery box” worth up to $500. |
| eToro | $10 in cash after purchasing $100 worth of crypto. |
| Phemex | $5 in BTC or USD after opening an account and following on Twitter. |
| Lolli | $5 in BTC after making a qualifying purchase. |
| iTrustCapital | $100 for opening a new IRA account and depositing at least $1,000. |
| Choice IRA | $50 in BTC upon opening an IRA (must fund with a minimum of $1). |
| Webull | $5 of crypto after making an initial trade of $1 or more. |
Note: Many of these offers are based on referral codes where we both earn the bonus. Others are affiliate links, where The Ways To Wealth has a formal partnership with the exchange and may earn a commission if you sign up.
#1. Okcoin
| Bonus: | $50 in BTC after making a trade of $100 or more. |
| Holding period: | 180 days. |
Okcoin is an international crypto exchange that offers 20 different assets, including BTC and ETH.
The $50 BTC bonus is awarded instantly upon purchasing $100 or more of any crypto asset on the platform. Users must deposit their local currency to the platform.
Note that transfers of existing crypto assets into your Okcoin wallet do not qualify for the promotion. Also, keep in mind that you must hold your bitcoin for 180 days before you’re allowed to withdraw it.
#2. TradeStation
| Bonus: | $50 in BTC after funding an account with $500. (Must use promo code FNMZAGAN during the sign-up process.) |
| Holding period: | Bonus is paid in two installments: one after your first full month, and one after your second full month. |
TradeStation — a popular stock brokerage for active investors — now allows you to trade a limited number of cryptocurrencies. Their current sign-up promotion gives you $50 in Bitcoin.
It’s a solid low-fee crypto exchange with a comprehensive suite of tools for traders, and it offers the ability to withdraw your crypto to an external wallet. You can learn about the platform in our TradeStation review.
This bonus is available to new TradeStation customers who fund their account with at least $500 within 45 days of signing up.
While this is TradeStation’s top Bitcoin bonus, there are several TradeStation promotional offers that give you discounts on trading fees.
#3. Gemini
| Bonus: | $15 in BTC after $100 of trading activity within the first 30 days or up to 25% trading fee revenue share for higher volumes. |
| Holding period: | None. |
For new users, Gemini offers two primary reward options.
The first is a flat $15 bonus in BTC, which you can earn after completing $100 of trading activity within your first 30 days.
The second option is more dynamic and is based on your trading volume. Specifically, if you trade between $10,000 and $100,000 within your first 30 days, you qualify for a 15% revenue share on your trading fees. For those who exceed $100,000 in trades, the “Legend” level kicks in, allowing you to earn back 25% of your trading fees.
For more details, refer to our detailed Gemini promo codes page for a complete list of current offers.
#4. Plynk
| Bonus: | Matched deposits up to $75. |
| Holding period: | 90 days. |
Plynk Invest offers a simple and commission-free way to invest, but it’s important to note that you do not actually own the cryptocurrencies you trade on the platform. This means you cannot transfer them to a private wallet.
The platform allows trading in a limited range of cryptocurrencies, specifically Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash. The service is accessible via its mobile app, available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.
How to earn the bonus:
- Download the Plynk app: Available on the Apple App Store or Google Play.
- Open a new brokerage account: Complete the account setup within the Plynk app.
- Make a Deposit: Plynk will match your net deposits starting from as little as $25 up to $75.
The matched amount cannot be withdrawn or transferred for 90 days after it is deposited into your Plynk account.
#5. Strike
| Bonus: | $5 in USD after opening an account and making a $1 deposit |
| Holding period: | None. |
Strike is available as an iOS and Android app, and as a Chrome browser extension. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll have to verify your identity, which may include ID submission for U.S. residents (and may take a day or two) and link a bank account.
To earn the $5 bonus, you must make a deposit of at least $1 into your Strike account.
Strike then immediately admits all users into their “Give $5/Get $5” referral program, enabling you to earn $5 for every user registering an account and completing required activities to earn a bonus. You can earn up to $400 a year.
$5 Bitcoin bonus on their first purchase, and a chance to win $3 to $200 in a Spin The Wheel Promo post-purchase.
#6. Coinbase
| Bonus: | $5 in BTC on your first purchase, and a chance to win $3 to $200 in a Spin The Wheel Promo. |
| Holding period: | None |
Coinbase is a popular cryptocurrency exchange that facilitates the buying, selling, and storing of a variety of digital currencies.
Upon creating your account and making your first cryptocurrency purchase on Coinbase, you’ll receive a $5 Bitcoin (BTC) bonus.
Additionally, you get a chance to participate in the Spin The Wheel promo. In this promo, you could win rewards ranging from $3 to $200, either in USD or Bitcoin. However, the distribution of rewards is such that 89% of participants will likely receive a reward between $3 – $5, while the remaining 11% have a chance to earn between $6 – $200.
These offers are available to new users in the U.S. (excluding Hawaii), who haven’t previously created a Coinbase account,
#7. KuCoin
| Bonus: | Random prizes awarded worth up to 500 USDT. |
| Holding period: | Not applicable. The bonus comes in the form of trading coupons, which reduce the amount of money needed for trading. For example, a $100 purchase of BTC with a 10 USDT trading coupon would cost $90. |
KuCoin is a popular cryptocurrency exchange for trading altcoins. In total, there are over 700 coins listed on the platform.
New users can get a bonus (given in the form of a trading coupon) worth up to 10 USDT by completing registration and verification.
An initial deposit or crypto purchase worth more than $50 USD can earn another random prize of up to 50 USDT.
Finally, trading with more than $50 USD can win up to 500 USDT in mystery prizes.
After completing each activity, coupons are awarded within 21 days.
KuCoin doesn’t provide information regarding the odds of receiving the maximum bonus.
#8. eToro
| Bonus: | $10 in cash credited to your account balance after purchasing $100 worth of crypto. |
| Holding period: | The crypto you purchase must be held for 30 days to qualify for the bonus. |
While eToro is a well-known worldwide brokerage, they’re offering U.S. residents a $10 bonus after purchasing $100 worth of crypto. You can reach the $100 minimum with either a single $100 trade or with multiple trades that total $100 in value.
You’ll get the $10 reward within 30 days after reaching the minimum purchase amount. The crypto you buy must then be held for 30 days before it can be sold or transferred to your private wallet.
Visit eToro to get the bonus.
#9. Phemex
| Bonus: | Multiple bonuses are available. |
| Holding period: | None. |
Phemex has multiple sign-up bonuses available, allowing you to earn anywhere between $5 to $6,000.
In order of easiest to hardest, these are
- $5 spot voucher for following Phemex on Twitter and retweeting their pinned tweet.
- $5 contract voucher for following any trader via their copy trading platform.
- $10 spot voucher for making a deposit greater than $50.
- Deposit bonuses ranging from $100 to $6,000.
Vouchers can be used for contract trading on the platform (not directly withdrawn). Bonuses come in two forms: USD trading bonuses (used for contracts settled in USD) and BTC trading bonuses (used for contracts settled in BTC).
To obtain the deposit bonus (which are awarded in USD) you must complete both the required minimum deposit and trading actions:
| Deposit | Minimum Contract Trade | Bonus |
| ≥ 3000 | ≥ $500,000 | $100 |
| ≥ 10000 | ≥ $1,000,000 | $300 |
| ≥ $20,000 | ≥ $5,000,000 | $1,000 |
| ≥ $100,000 | ≥ $12,000,000 | $4,000 |
| ≥ $125,000 | ≥ $15,000,000 | $5,000 |
| ≥ $150,000 | ≥ $20,000,000 | $6,000 |
Visit the Phemex promotions page.
Learn more about how the platform works in our Phemex review.
#10. Lolli
| Bonus: | $5 in BTC after making a qualifying purchase. |
| Holding period: | Reach the minimum withdrawal threshold of $15. |
Loli isn’t a crypto exchange but rather a crypto-back shopping portal. If you’re new to the concept, you can use a site like Loli to earn extra cash-back (in the form of crypto) on your online purchases.
To earn the $5 crypto bonus, just open an account and make a qualifying purchase at any participating retailer, which includes Nike, Lowes, eBay and Priceline — as well as 1,000 other top brands.
Once your account balance reaches $15, you can transfer your bitcoin to an external wallet.
#11. iTrustCapital
| Bonus: | $100 upon opening an IRA (must fund with a minimum of $1,000). |
| Holding period: | 45 days. |
iTrustCapital offers a $100 reward for opening and funding a new crypto-enabled IRA account when you join through special offer links such as the one below. Read our iTrustCapital Review to learn more about the platform.
To earn the $100 reward:
- Click on a qualified iTrustCapital offer link.
- Open a new IRA account on iTrustCapital’s platform. You must pass KYC and compliance checks.
- Fund your new IRA account with at least $1,000.
After completing these steps, iTrustCapital will deposit a $100 reward directly into your newly opened and funded IRA account within 45 days.
#12. Choice IRA
| Bonus: | $50 in BTC upon opening an IRA (must fund with a minimum of $1). |
| Holding period: | Retirement account withdrawal rules apply. |
Choice IRA is a self-directed IRA platform that makes it easy and affordable to hold crypto assets inside of your retirement account. You can learn more about the platform in our in-depth Choice IRA review.
Their current sign-up bonus rewards you with $50 in BTC for opening a self-directed IRA with Choice and depositing at least $1.
Keep in mind that this is a retirement account, which means:
- You must meet the qualifications for utilizing an IRA.
- You must hold the assets in your account (or you’ll pay a penalty).
Related Reading: There’s a lot to like about Choice; however, if you’re considering investing a more significant sum into an IRA, check our rankings of best crypto IRA accounts.
#13. Webull
| Bonus: | $5 of ADA, BTC, DOGE, ETH or SHIB after making an initial trade of $1 or more. |
| Holding period: | None. |
Webull is known for its commission-free stock trading platform, which you can learn more about in our Webull review. However, they also allow you to trade a limited number of cryptocurrencies on the platform.
Webull gives you $5 in your choice of a variety of coins upon completing a trade of at least $1. You can combine that bonus with Webull’s free stock offer, which allows you to earn free shares upon making an initial deposit into a brokerage account.
With both the crypto and free stock bonus, you can sell immediately and withdraw from your account.
Important Note: You cannot transfer your crypto from Webull to an external wallet.
Check out this list of ways to get free shares of stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Know Your Customer (also referred to as KYC) is a method of verifying your identity to protect crypto exchanges from fraud and money laundering, and to help prevent the financing of crime. All crypto exchanges operating within the United States require customers to go through a KYC process before opening an account.
The specific method varies by platform, but when testing out offers, the most common one I experienced was being required to upload a picture of the front and back of a government-issued photo ID.
Just as there are ways to get free money, there are plenty of ways to get free crypto. Sign-up bonuses are among the easiest methods. However, as we detail in our guide on how to get free bitcoin, other ways include Coinbase Learn opportunities, crypto-back credit cards, airdrops and more.
Our top crypto app sign-up bonus is TradeStation’s $150 BTC bonus awarded after depositing over $500.
Best Crypto Sign-Up Bonuses: Final Thoughts
Crypto sign-up bonuses are an ideal low-risk onramp to all things crypto. They allow you to get an immediate return on your money and get a sense of how an exchange works.
Offers do change constantly. We’ll refresh this page once a month. If you see an offer that’s out of date or are aware of a better offer, please leave a comment and let us know.
