Best Of / Exchanges
Best Crypto Bonus And Promotional Offers
The best crypto bonus offers we could confirm on Nov 2, 2026, ranked by the largest bonus a new customer can earn, are Coinbase's random bitcoin reward of up to $2,000, eToro's up to $500 in crypto, Crypto.com's referral reward of up to $100, Gemini's $50, Kraken's and Uphold's $20, and Binance.US's $10. Each pays new customers who meet a minimum trade or deposit. We list only offers we found on the company's own terms or help pages, so several well-known bonuses are missing because we couldn't confirm them.
Quick Take
- Most confirmed offers are referral programs, and our links include the referral, so signing up through them qualifies you. You usually have about 30 days to meet the requirement. Coinbase's reward and eToro's deposit bonus don't need a referral.
- The cheapest bonus to earn is Binance.US's $10 for $100 of trading. The largest is Coinbase's up to $2,000 in bitcoin, but the amount is chosen at random and Coinbase says 99% of new users get $10 to $100. Crypto.com's up to $100 takes $5,000 of trading volume plus a card or CRO staking step.
- Crypto bonuses are paid in crypto or account credit, and in the US they count as taxable income when you receive them.
Best Crypto Bonus Offers Compared
Offers are ranked by the largest bonus a new customer can earn, so Coinbase's random reward ranks on its $2,000 maximum and eToro's on its $500 top tier. Ties go to the company with the higher Cult of Money Exchange Score, shown out of 5, and an unscored company ranks after a scored one with the same bonus. Terms checked on each company's own page on Nov 1, 2026.
| Rank | Exchange | Bonus | Score | What You Have To Do | Time Limit | Countries | Expires | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Coinbase |
$10 to $2,000 in bitcoin, chosen at random | 3.5 | Make a first single purchase of $50 or more | Within a year of opening the account, or a shorter window Coinbase shows you | US only | While supplies last | Visit Site |
| 2 |  eToro |
$10 to $500 in crypto | n/a | Make a first deposit of $200 or more and keep it in the account for 90 days | Paid about 7 days after the deposit settles | US states where eToro USA operates | No end date stated | Visit Site |
| 3 |  Crypto.com |
Up to $100 | 3.8 | Trade $100 to $5,000 for $5 to $75, plus $25 for staking CRO or a Level Up Pro plan | 30 days from ID approval | US and other "Tier 1" countries. Amounts vary elsewhere | No end date stated | Visit Site |
| 4 |  Gemini |
$50 (€20 in Europe, A$50 in Australia) | 2.9 | Verify your account and trade at least $100 | 30 days from sign-up | US, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia and 28 European countries | No end date stated | Visit Site |
| 5 |  Kraken |
$20 | 4.0 | Sign up in the Kraken app, deposit cash and trade the amount shown in the app | 30 days from sign-up | US (not Maine or New York), Puerto Rico, Australia, Brazil, Canada and nine EU countries | No end date stated | Visit Site |
| 6 |  Uphold |
$20 in bitcoin | 3.3 | Deposit $100 or more by bank or card and buy $100 or more of crypto with cash | 30 days from opening the account | US (not New York), Puerto Rico and much of Latin America. Not Europe | Dec. 31, 2026 | Visit Site |
| 7 |  Binance.US |
$10 | 3.6 | Pass Advanced Verification, then buy or trade $100 or more | 30 days from verification | US only | No end date stated |
Only Uphold states an end date, and every company says it can change or cancel its program at any time. Our links include the referral for each offer, but check that the reward shows on the sign-up screen before you open an account.
What Each Bonus Is Really Worth
A bonus is worth the reward minus what you pay to earn it. With trading fees from our Nov 1, 2026 market snapshot, here's what the minimum qualifying trade costs on each exchange's advanced trading screen:
| Offer | Minimum Trade | Fee On That Trade | Bonus | Net Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Binance.US $10 | $100 | About $0.02 (0.02% taker fee) | $10 | About $9.98 |
| Gemini $50 | $100 | About $1.20 (1.20% taker fee) | $50 | About $48.80 |
| Crypto.com $25 tier | $1,000 | About $5.00 (0.50% taker fee) | $25 | About $20.00 |
| Crypto.com $75 tier | $5,000 | About $25.00 (0.50% taker fee) | $75 | About $50.00 |
These figures assume you buy once and hold. If you sell to get your cash back, you pay a second fee plus any drop in price while you held. Using an app's one-tap "Buy" button instead of the advanced screen costs more than the fees shown here, and Gemini's terms count instant buys as qualifying trades. Kraken's referral terms don't name a minimum. The deposit and trade amounts you need appear only in the app, so Kraken isn't in the table. Coinbase's reward and eToro's deposit bonus also aren't in the table, because each company builds a spread into its simple buy price that it doesn't publish. Uphold does publish its spread, 2.00% to 2.20% on bitcoin, so its $100 qualifying purchase costs about $2 and leaves about $18 of the $20.
The bigger cost can be price movement. A $1,000 purchase of bitcoin that falls 5% before you sell loses $50, twice what the Crypto.com $25 tier pays.
Offer Details
Coinbase
Coinbase ranks first on its $2,000 maximum, but the reward is chosen at random. Coinbase scores 3.5. Under its new user incentive terms, a new US customer whose first single crypto purchase is $50 or more gets a random bitcoin reward between $10 and $2,000. Coinbase says 99% of new users get $10 to $100 and 1% get $1,000 or $2,000. Several smaller purchases that add up to $50 don't count, and a first purchase under $50 forfeits the reward.
The purchase has to happen within a year of opening the account, or within a shorter window Coinbase shows you. Crypto bought with assets you transferred in doesn't count, the reward can't be combined with any other offer, and Coinbase says the offer lasts while supplies last.
eToro
eToro ranks second on its $500 top tier, though it isn't scored yet. eToro USA pays a bonus in crypto based on the size of your first deposit, under its deposit bonus terms, updated Jan. 16, 2026: $10 for $200 to $499, $30 for $500 to $2,499, $200 for $2,500 to $4,999 and $500 for $5,000 or more. Only one deposit counts, and it has to stay in the account for at least 90 days. You need a fully verified account in a state where eToro USA operates, and the bonus usually arrives within 7 days of the deposit settling.
Crypto.com
Crypto.com scores 3.8, and its offer of up to $100 is the largest referral reward we confirmed. Under Crypto.com's referral program terms, updated July 2, 2026, a new user referred in the US earns trading-volume rewards of $5 at $100, $15 at $500, $25 at $1,000 and $75 at $5,000, for a maximum of $75.
A separate $25 Level Up bonus pays when you stake Cronos (CRO) or subscribe to the Level Up Pro annual plan to reserve a metal Visa card, for up to $100 in total. The 30-day window starts when Crypto.com approves your ID, not when you sign up. Your phone number and ID document must come from the same country, and the Level Up reward arrives 30 days after you subscribe. Crypto.com states each reward in US dollars but pays it in CRO, at the exchange rate when the reward reaches your wallet.
The terms don't say how much CRO you have to stake for the Level Up bonus. For comparison, Crypto.com's Level Up Plus tier costs $49.90 a year or a $500 CRO lockup, and Level Up Pro costs $299.90 a year or a $5,000 CRO lockup, so check the requirement in the app before you commit money to a $25 bonus. Staking or locking CRO for Level Up ties it up for 365 days, and unstaking afterward takes about 36 more days, during which it earns nothing, according to Crypto.com's Level Up help page. Level Up staking isn't offered in some states, including New York and California, where Crypto.com uses a CRO lockup instead.
Rewards differ outside Crypto.com's "Tier 1" countries, which include the US.
Gemini
Gemini pays the largest flat bonus here but scores 2.9 because of its penalties and the 2022 freeze of its Earn program. Under Gemini's referral terms, updated Jan. 20, 2026, a new customer in the US, Hong Kong or New Zealand referred on or after Nov. 24, 2025 earns $50, and so does the referrer. The reward is A$50 in Australia and €20 in 28 European countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland. The terms list no UK amount.
You have to verify your account and trade at least $100 within 30 days of signing up. Instant buys, ActiveTrader trades and OTC trades count. Deposits, withdrawals and stablecoin-to-stablecoin trades don't. Gemini says the program is available in limited jurisdictions at its discretion.
Kraken
Kraken scores 4.0, the highest Exchange Score among companies with a confirmed offer, so its $20 ranks ahead of Uphold's $20. Its app referral program, updated Oct 8, 2026, pays the new customer and the referrer $20 each in their default currency. It covers the US (not Maine or New York), Puerto Rico, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Spain. You have to sign up through the Kraken app with a referral link, deposit cash and trade the total shown in the app within 30 days of opening the account.
Card deposits don't count, and neither do stablecoin trades or bundles. The referred customer has to live in the same country as the referrer, except within eligible EEA countries, and US residents of Maine and New York are excluded. Kraken says it decides whether the reward comes as crypto or cash. The same help page also mentions "up to a $1,000 bonus" in its introduction, which doesn't match the fixed $20 in the terms, so expect $20.
Uphold
Uphold scores 3.3, below Kraken's 4.0, so its $20 ranks after Kraken's. Its score is held down by cost: Uphold's published spreads run 2.00% to 2.20% on bitcoin, so the $100 qualifying purchase costs about $2 of the $20. Under its referral program terms, a new customer and the referrer each get $20 in bitcoin when the new customer deposits at least $100 by bank or card and makes a cash-to-crypto trade of at least $100 within 30 days of opening the account. The program runs through Dec. 31, 2026 in the US (not New York), Puerto Rico and much of Latin America, and isn't available in Europe.
Binance.US
Binance.US scores 3.6 and has the lowest measured trading cost of any US exchange. Its referral program, relaunched Sept. 10, 2025, pays $10 to both the new customer and the referrer.
To qualify, sign up with a referral link, code or QR code, pass Advanced Verification and make crypto buys or trades totaling $100 or more within 30 days of verification. Binance.US can't add a referral code after you've signed up. Institutional accounts aren't eligible. Binance.US is a separate company from Binance.com, and we don't have a partner link for it.
Offers We Couldn't Confirm
We left these off because we couldn't confirm a current offer on the company's own page as of Nov 2, 2026:
- OKX and OKX US: OKX US's new-user promotion terms, updated Sept. 22, 2026, and OKX's European terms describe the requirements but show the reward amount only inside the app.
- Robinhood: every 2026 crypto deposit or transfer promotion we found on Robinhood's site had ended.
- Binance, Bybit, Bitget and KuCoin: we couldn't confirm a cash welcome offer on their own pages. Binance's referral program pays trading-fee vouchers rather than cash, so it has no row here, though it's in our exchange ranking. Third-party sites advertising "up to $10,000" for these exchanges don't match anything we found on the exchanges' own pages.
- Bitstamp: we found no current sign-up offer on its own site.
KuCoin, Binance.com, Bybit and Bitget don't serve US residents, so any offer they run isn't open to readers in the US.
How We Picked
We searched each company's own promotion, legal and help pages for a current sign-up or referral offer, then kept only offers with a stated reward, a stated requirement and a source we could link. Offers are ranked by the largest bonus a new customer can earn under the company's own terms. Ties go to the issuing company's Exchange Score, which weighs measured cost to buy and the safety and legal record at 25% each, plus reserves, reliability, withdrawals, coin selection and ease of use.
We show each company's score next to its offer because a bonus is paid once, while the exchange holds your money for as long as you use it. A $50 bonus at an exchange with a weak safety record isn't a better deal than $20 at one with a stronger record if you plan to keep money there. We recheck this page every week, and an offer comes off as soon as it ends.
What To Watch Out For
- The trading requirement costs money. Every confirmed offer requires a trade, and each trade carries a fee or spread. The net value table shows the cost at advanced-platform rates.
- Price risk can erase the bonus. Crypto you buy to qualify can fall in value before you sell.
- Referral codes can't be added later. Binance.US says it can't add a code after sign-up, and Kraken requires sign-up in its app through the link.
- Staking or card steps lock up money. Crypto.com's extra $25 requires staking CRO or paying for an annual plan.
- Bonuses are taxable in the US. The IRS treats crypto you receive as a reward as income at its value when you get it, per its digital assets guidance.
- Only open accounts you'll use. Each new account means another login to secure and more tax records to keep.
FAQ
Which Crypto Exchange Gives The Biggest Sign-Up Bonus?
Coinbase advertises up to $2,000 in bitcoin, but it says 99% of new users get $10 to $100. eToro's $500 needs a first deposit of $5,000 held for 90 days. Among referral offers, Crypto.com's is the largest at up to $100, and Gemini's $50 for a $100 trade is the largest flat bonus.
What Is The Easiest Crypto Bonus To Get?
Binance.US's $10 bonus requires the smallest outlay: $100 of buys or trades within 30 days of verification, at a 0.02% taker fee on its advanced screen. Gemini's $50 has the same $100 minimum but a higher 1.20% taker fee.
Do I Need A Referral Code To Get A Crypto Bonus?
For the referral offers from Crypto.com, Kraken, Binance.US, Gemini and Uphold, yes. You have to sign up through an existing customer's referral link or code, and Binance.US says it can't add a code after you've signed up. Coinbase's new-user reward and eToro's deposit bonus don't need one.
Are Crypto Sign-Up Bonuses Taxable?
In the US, yes. The IRS treats crypto received as a reward as ordinary income at its market value when you receive it, and you'll owe tax on any gain when you later sell it.
Can I Get A Bonus Outside The US?
Yes, in some countries. Crypto.com's and Gemini's referral rewards vary by country, Uphold's covers much of Latin America, and Kraken's referral program requires the referred customer to live in the same country as the referrer. Check the offer in the app for your country before you sign up.
About the author
Robert Farrington, Founder And Editor-In-Chief
Robert Farrington is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Cult of Money, the leading resource for personal finance for the crypto-curious. Since diving into cryptocurrency in 2016, he has personally researched, tested, and written extensively about Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi, NFTs, staking, crypto taxes, and how digital assets fit into real-world financial planning.
He is also the founder of The College Investor (one of the largest personal finance sites) and a Forbes contributor. Robert holds a BA in Political Science and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from UC San Diego.
Sources (13)
- Crypto.com referral program terms
- Kraken app referral program
- Kraken referral terms
- Crypto.com Level Up Plus (US) and Level Up Pro (US)
- Crypto.com Help Center: Level Up Rewards And Benefits
- Binance.US referral program FAQ
- Gemini referral rewards program terms
- OKX US new-user promotion terms
- Uphold referral program terms
- Coinbase new user incentive
- eToro USA deposit bonus terms, Jan. 2026
- IRS digital assets guidance
- Cult of Money market snapshot, Nov 1, 2026 (taker fees)