Bithumb Fires Back at Zero-Fee Frenzy with Bitcoin Rewards Worth 13% a Year

Bithumb has launched a new rewards program called Plus Club to celebrate its 13th anniversary. Starting on January 5, 2027, members who join the program will earn bitcoin daily at a rate equivalent to 13% a year, based on their average daily asset holdings.

The program targets new sign-ups and users with no trading history this year. Payouts are capped at 14,000 won a day, 420,000 won a month, and up to 5 million won a year for Won-based trading customers who qualify once cumulative monthly volume reaches 50 million won or more.

This move is seen as a response to the zero-fee policies announced by Digital X and Coinone. Bithumb offered a 10% annualized benefit at its 12th anniversary event, and it widened the margin this year.

The competition among exchanges has caught fire, with Coinone handing out 30,000 won worth of bitcoin free to new sign-ups this month. Users who access Korea Investment & Securities' domestic stock trading service through the Coinone app pay no fees at all, including related institutional costs.