Bybit Launches Real U.S. Stock Trading: 1,000+ Stocks and ETFs Funded With USDC

Published October 12, 2026, 15:45 PKT. Based on Bybit’s official October 12 announcement and reporting by Finance Magnates.

Bybit has crossed the line from crypto exchange to full financial platform: the Dubai-based exchange announced Monday that eligible users can now buy and sell more than 1,000 U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs directly, paying with the USDC stablecoin sitting in their Bybit accounts. The launch lineup includes Apple (AAPL), Nvidia (NVDA), Tesla (TSLA), Micron Technology (MU) and the Invesco QQQ ETF. The company says it has more than 80 million users worldwide, and the service is available to eligible users in permitted jurisdictions who have completed KYC verification.

Real shares, not derivatives

The key difference from Bybit’s existing equity products is what the customer actually owns. Since June 2025, Bybit has sold stock contracts for difference (CFDs) on Apple, Tesla and 76 other names, instruments that track prices without giving any claim on the underlying shares. The new Stocks service gives holders a direct economic interest in the securities they purchase. That means supported holders receive the economic benefits attached to the shares, including cash and stock dividends, with cash dividends converted from dollars into USDC and credited to the user’s Unified Trading Account, and stock dividends and splits reflected directly in positions. Fractional shares are available on eligible securities, and the service charges zero commission on eligible purchases and sales. Voting rights are planned for a future phase, the release said.

Alpaca executes, Alpaca custodies

Orders are routed through Bybit’s regulated brokerage infrastructure and executed by Alpaca, which the release describes as a U.S. self-clearing broker-dealer. Alpaca also holds the underlying securities in custody. The service itself is provided by Infra Capital Limited, an introducing broker regulated by the Financial Services Commission of Mauritius (license GB23202169), while U.S. clearing, settlement and custody come from Alpaca Securities LLC, doing business as Alpaca Clearing, a member of FINRA and SIPC. “Bybit’s expansion into U.S. stocks and ETFs is a major step forward in offering its global users a more complete, multi-asset trading experience,” said Yoshi Yokokawa, co-founder and CEO of Alpaca.

24/5 trading inside the Bybit app

Stocks trading runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, covering U.S. pre-market, regular and after-hours sessions, subject to product availability. Eligible users manage their crypto and equity positions side by side in the same ecosystem instead of moving money between a crypto exchange and a separate brokerage. “Stocks are an important part of our evolution into The New Financial Platform. Financial markets have long been separated across different products and platforms, but users increasingly expect a more connected experience,” said Ben Zhou, co-founder and CEO of Bybit, who tied the launch to the New Financial Platform plan the exchange set out in January, which added banking and custody to its trading business. According to Finance Magnates, the stock service sits alongside two derivatives products: stock CFDs stay on a separate MetaTrader 5 account, while the exchange last month listed 24/7 FX perpetuals in its crypto derivatives account. Equity-linked perpetuals have been the fastest-growing segment on crypto exchanges this year, reaching $141 billion in June volume, up from $45 billion in May, according to TokenInsight data cited by the outlet.

This article is news reporting and is not investment advice.

Sources

• Bybit press release, primary source for the October 12 launch, the 1,000+ stocks and ETFs, the Apple/Nvidia/Tesla/Micron/QQQ lineup, USDC funding, Alpaca execution and custody, Infra Capital Limited’s Mauritius FSC license (GB23202169), Alpaca Securities LLC’s FINRA/SIPC membership, direct economic interest, dividends and splits mechanics, fractional shares, zero commission, 24/5 sessions, the voting-rights future phase, the 80-million user figure, the KYC and permitted-jurisdictions eligibility, and the Ben Zhou and Yoshi Yokokawa quotes
• Finance Magnates, secondary source for the stock CFD history (Apple, Tesla and 76 names since June 2025), the MT5 separation, last month’s 24/7 FX perpetuals listing, the January New Financial Platform plan, and the TokenInsight equity-linked perpetuals volume figures ($141 billion in June vs $45 billion in May)