The new feature, set to launch on November 1, automatically adjusts each account’s fee tier based on its trading performance over the previous month.
Under the new structure, Deribit will track user volumes from mid-September to mid-October before assigning them to one of several reward brackets. Those handling billions in derivatives contracts could unlock the top VIP 6 status, which cuts options fees by two-thirds and futures fees by over half.
Smaller traders aren’t left behind. Even at the VIP 1 level, users receive sizable fee reductions if they maintain at least 100,000 USDC in their account – a balance that accrues U.S. Treasury yields on a monthly basis, according to Deribit’s Lin Chen.
She noted that the goal is to create a fair, transparent system that scales with a trader’s contribution to the exchange’s liquidity.
The timing of Deribit’s fee revamp coincides with mounting competition. The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) recently expanded into XRP and Solana options, marking another step in its growing presence in crypto derivatives.
CME’s surge in institutional interest helped push Bitcoin options volume to a record $1.2 billion, while Deribit maintained its dominant position with $3.8 billion traded, per Coinglass data.
CME’s upcoming plan to offer round-the-clock crypto derivatives trading in 2026 could test Deribit’s long-held lead in the market. But the exchange appears unfazed, focusing on building loyalty through a more dynamic fee ecosystem that reflects how modern crypto trading operates – fast, data-driven, and increasingly competitive.
