Is Bybit Blocked in Nigeria? The Current Situation Explained

You type bybit.com and the page will not load, so you wonder whether it is your phone or the country. Nigerian telecom networks were reportedly told to block major crypto exchange websites in February 2024, and a report in October 2025 said most were still hard to reach. Access can differ by network, so keep your own records and do not leave large balances on any exchange.

Last checked: 12 October 2026. We review this page every month.

Search for this question and you will find confident answers in both directions. Access may also differ between MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile.

This page sets out what has actually been reported, what a block does and does not mean for your coins, and how to make sure you are never stuck.

How it started

The story begins with a thaw. In December 2023, the Central Bank of Nigeria changed its stance and told banks they could again work with crypto businesses, reversing its 2021 instruction (TechCrunch).

Two months later, in February 2024, the mood changed again. With the naira under heavy pressure, the Nigerian Communications Commission reportedly told telecom operators to restrict access to the websites of major exchanges, including Binance, Coinbase and Kraken. The instruction was said to come from the central bank as a step against currency speculation. The order itself was not published, so the details come from news reports (TechCrunch, BusinessDay). One report lists Bybit among the affected platforms. Some reports said the block hit websites only, while some apps kept working.

By April 2024, as Binance faced a regulatory clampdown in Nigeria, traders reported moving to alternatives including Bybit, KuCoin and the wallet built into Telegram (TechCabal).

Then the law moved. The Investments and Securities Act 2025 brought digital assets under the SEC, which now registers digital asset exchanges. You might expect the website restrictions to have eased after that. According to TechCabal in October 2025, they had not. Nearly two years after the sector was legally opened up, most major crypto companies were still hard to reach through Nigerian networks, and the NCC had received no new instruction to lift the block.

What "blocked" usually means

A network-level block stops your phone or computer from reaching a website through that network. It does not touch the exchange itself, your account or your coins. That is why reports in 2024 described apps continuing to work for some users while websites did not load, and why access could differ from one network to another.

So if bybit.com does not open on your connection, the likely explanation is a network restriction rather than a problem with your account. Check Bybit's official channels for any notice before assuming anything else.

What happens to your coins

Your coins stay on the exchange. A block does not delete them, freeze your account or move them.

The real risk is timing. You might be unable to trade, sell or withdraw at the moment you need to. A price can move a long way while you wait, and an emergency is the worst time to discover you cannot get your money out. In my experience, that kind of risk is easy to ignore on a calm day and very expensive on a bad one.

Preparing before you need to

The simplest step is to keep only what you are actively using on the exchange. Coins you plan to hold for a long time can go to a wallet you control, once you understand recovery phrases and networks. Crypto Wallets Explained is the place to start.

Have a second route as well. Know how you would sell through another platform if one became hard to reach, and set it up before you need it, not during a scramble.

Back up your two-factor authentication. If you change phones or networks in a hurry, you do not want to be locked out as well. Keep records too: trade history, deposit addresses and receipts, saved outside the exchange.

And follow official sources, such as the SEC and the NCC, rather than rumours in group chats. Group chats are fast, but they are often wrong.

A VPN can make a connection look as if it comes from elsewhere. Using one to get around a block may break the exchange's terms, which could put your account at risk.

If a platform is not reachable through normal means, treat that as a reason to reduce what you keep there, not to work around it.

Where that leaves you

Access to foreign exchanges from Nigeria has been uncertain since 2024 and could change in either direction. That uncertainty is one more reason to keep balances small and have a plan for getting your money out. If you still decide to use Bybit, How to Use Bybit in Nigeria walks through the basics. For the wider picture, including the 2025 hack and the regulatory position, read Is Bybit Safe in Nigeria?.