Free crypto trading competition
A lot of things are called a trading competition. Before you join one, it is worth knowing what makes the ranking fair and what free actually covers. Then here is how RingSide runs its rounds.
What to look for
Five questions to ask any competition.
- Does everyone start with the same capital, and is it fixed for the round?
- Do all participants see and trade the same price at the same second, or does a faster feed win?
- Is there one close for everyone, valued at the price of that exact moment?
- Are there simulated fees or spreads that change the ranking, and who benefits from them?
- Does free mean no deposit and no payment details, or only a free trial?
How RingSide answers those
Same capital
Every player in a round trades 1,000 virtual USDT, whatever the round size or duration. The entry stake in chips is separate and depends only on duration, from 5 chips for 1 minute to 160 chips for 1 week.
Same price, same second
RingSide publishes one price snapshot per second and every trade in every round fills at that snapshot, never at a fresher live tick. A player with a faster connection sees the chart sooner, but trades at the same price as everyone else.
No fees, no spread
Every fill is at the mid price. RingSide removed the simulated spread in September 2026 after seeing that on 100× leverage a 5 basis point spread cost 5 percent of the stake per trade, and the winner of several rounds was the person who did not trade at all. Now only performance counts.
One close
At the close all positions are valued at the historical price for that moment. If no verifiable price exists, the round is voided and all stakes returned. Roughly the top third of the field is paid from the pot of chips, and the platform keeps 5 percent of that pot in chips.
Free
No payment details, no deposit, no identity check. 500 chips at sign-up, a daily top-up to 100 if you run low, and a daily bonus ladder from 10 to 75 chips for consecutive days. Chips cannot be bought, deposited or withdrawn.
Formats
Open rounds in 21 modes, 2, 5 or 10 players across 7 durations. Private rounds with an invite code. Scheduled 30-minute sessions at the London and New York open with no seat limit. And a weekly league with divisions of eight, one 15-minute duel per day, 3 points for a win and 1 for a draw, promotion for the top two and relegation for the bottom two.
Frequently asked
What does free mean on RingSide?
No payment details, no deposit, no subscription. You get 500 chips at sign-up, and if you fall below 100 you are topped back up to 100 once a day. Chips have no monetary value and cannot be bought or withdrawn.
Can I win real money in a RingSide competition?
No. The pot of a round is made of chips, and chips are play money. There is no payout in money. Real-money rounds are not available, and if that ever changes it will be announced clearly and will not switch on quietly.
How long does a competition last?
A round runs 1, 5 or 15 minutes, 1 or 4 hours, 1 day or 1 week. Scheduled sessions at the London and New York open run 30 minutes. A league season is one week with one 15-minute duel per day.
What stops someone from just not trading?
Nothing, and that is fine. Ranking is by return at the close, so a player who sits at zero percent beats everyone who lost and loses to everyone who gained. There are no fees that punish trading and no spread that rewards sitting still.
Is a crypto trading competition gambling?
Not on RingSide. It is a game of skill played with play money. The outcome comes from trading decisions against live prices, not from chance, and no real money is involved.
Play money, no deposits, no investment advice.
RingSide chips have no monetary value and cannot be bought, deposited or withdrawn. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy or sell anything. What the platform is and is not stands in the risk notice.