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The mobile application of another international centralized crypto exchange Bybit is no longer available for download on the Google Play Store for users in the Philippines.
This development marks the latest escalation in the Philippine government’s ongoing crackdown against unregistered offshore trading platforms.
Mobile App Missing on Google Play Store
As of late evening on March 18, 2026, searches for the Bybit mobile app on the Philippine Google Play Store yielded no official results for the platform. Subsequent checks the following morning confirmed the app’s continued absence.
When searching for “Bybit,” the Google Play Store instead displays competing cryptocurrency and trading applications, including a sponsored listing from Coins.ph.
Consequently, the top search results bearing the exchange’s name are third-party utility apps, such as “ProfitTradingApp for Bybit” and “AI Trading Bot for Bybit,” rather than the official centralized exchange application.
What Led to the Blocking?
While Philippine regulators have not issued a specific public confirmation regarding a request to Google to remove the Bybit app, the disappearance aligns with a series of enforcement actions that began late last year.
In Q3 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) flagged Bybit—alongside nine other international exchanges—for operating without the necessary licenses. The SEC warned that it would pursue further enforcement measures, including website blocking.
Worth Reading: SEC Flags 10 Unregistered Crypto Exchanges, Eyes Website Blocking
Days after the SEC’s advisory, the websites of the flagged exchanges became inaccessible. Telecommunications providers, starting with PLDT and Globe Telecom, confirmed the block was executed following orders from the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).
Worth Reading: PLDT Block Websites of Unregistered Crypto Exchanges Flagged by SEC
Before the end of 2025, Bybit officially halted new user registrations originating from the Philippines, signaling its compliance with the local regulatory environment.
Full Details: Bybit Halts New User Registrations in the Philippines
Binance became the first major exchange to have its mobile app removed from the Google Play Store in the Philippines, an action executed in February 2026.
This article is published on BitPinas: International Crypto Exchange No Longer Available on Google Play Store in the Philippines
H/T to BitPinas readers Rudolf Nolasco and KEEM for sharing the news tip
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