Bitcoin 
Ethereum 
Tether 
BNB 
XRP 
USDC 
Solana 
TRON 
Lido Staked Ether 
Figure Heloc 
John Wood 
BitMEX is closing out the year by turning trading into a full-on competition. The exchange has launched its Year-End Gala, giving traders the chance to compete for a combined 3.5 BTC in rewards, plus some extra prizes that go beyond crypto. Alongside the main BTC pool, BitMEX is also throwing in five Sony PlayStation 5 Pros through a lucky draw.
The event runs from December 18, 2025, through January 16, 2026, and traders can jump in at any point during the campaign window. Whether you’re active daily or ramp things up later in the month, your trades still count.
How the Rewards Are Split
The prize pool is divided across three separate leaderboards, giving different trading styles a fair shot. Most of the rewards are aimed at high-volume traders, but BitMEX is also carving out space for those who trade smarter rather than bigger.
Eighty percent of the total prize pool goes to the top 100 traders by trading volume. Another 10% is reserved for the top 100 traders ranked by profit and loss, while the final 10% is shared among the top 100 traders with the highest return on investment percentage.
That mix makes the competition a bit more interesting. It’s not just about who trades the most, but also who trades well. On top of that, the extra 0.5 BTC in bonus rewards and the PlayStation giveaways add a more relaxed, end-of-year vibe to the whole event.
Who Can Join and What to Know
Participation is open to fully verified BitMEX users, and there’s no restriction on when you start trading during the competition period. Once you’re in, every eligible trade counts toward the leaderboards.
BitMEX has positioned the event as a way to reward active traders while keeping things competitive without feeling overly complicated. There’s no need to chase a single metric volume traders, high-ROI traders, and strong PnL performers all get their own lane.
Full competition details, including registration requirements and eligible markets, are available directly through BitMEX’s official campaign page.
A Familiar Playbook From an OG Exchange
For BitMEX, the Year-End Gala fits neatly into its long-standing reputation as a platform built for serious traders. The exchange has long emphasized reliability, deep liquidity, and low-latency execution, particularly for derivatives trading.
BitMEX is also known for its security track record. Since launching, the exchange has never lost user funds due to hacking or intrusion, a claim few long-running platforms can make. It was also among the first exchanges to publish on-chain Proof of Reserves and Proof of Liabilities, and it continues to update that data twice a week.
That focus on transparency and risk management is part of why BitMEX still attracts professional traders, even as the crypto exchange landscape has become increasingly crowded.
Ending the Year on a Competitive Note
Trading competitions aren’t new in crypto, but BitMEX’s approach feels more like a year-end sendoff than a short-term growth push. With over a month to participate, multiple ways to win, and a mix of crypto and real-world prizes, the Year-End Gala is clearly designed to keep traders engaged through the end of 2025 and into the new year.
For traders already active on BitMEX, it’s a chance to earn extra rewards for doing what they’re already doing. For others, it’s a reason to take a closer look at one of crypto’s longest-running derivatives platforms before the calendar flips to 2026.
About the Author
Ryan Moore 
David Rich 
Timothy Young