One Bybit has found himself shocked and confused when she found herself temporarily locked out of her Bybit account after several failed attempts to login using her Apple face-ID authentication.

Confused, the user posted her problem online, hoping to get help from online netizens.

Luckily, her call for help was quickily picked up by a Chinese influencer, who managed to link her up with executive from Bybit to quickily resolve the issue.

Executive-Led Response to Isolated KYC Issue

On May 18, Bybit’s China team confirmed that the user had encountered withdrawal restrictions stemming from a KYC verification anomaly during Apple ID login.

The exchange launched an immediate, multi-departmental effort involving Chief Operating Officer Helen Liu, along with leaders from customer service, risk control, product management, technical support, and its Chinese-language division. The team worked directly with the affected user to investigate and resolve the issue.

Following an internal review, Bybit confirmed that the problem was isolated to a single user and was not indicative of a broader systemic issue.

The exchange also clarified that the user’s KYC data remained intact and unaltered throughout the incident.

Crucially, Bybit emphasized that the user’s assets—approximately $100,000—remained completely secure during the temporary glitch.

A Call For Influencer Advocacy

Although the case was isolated, it gained widespread attention due to the intervention of Chinese-speaking crypto influencer EnHeng, who noticed the issue in a group chat. After verifying the details, he escalated the matter to Bybit directly.

Bybit responded quickly, and the user regained full access to her $100,000 in crypto.

In an X post, EnHeng reflected on the real-world impact of digital influence.

“This incident really made me feel the value of having influence.”

EnHeng also noted a deeper issue of how retail investors often face hurdles resolving account-related problems with exchanges because of the bridge of communication between these two parties is usually broken.

He explained that this makes the role of influencers even more important, as they can become this bridge of communication and accelerate resolutions by using their voice to shine light on urgent cases—something individual users may struggle to do on their own.

"In this market, retail investors often lack a voice and are vulnerable. When we have more resources and a bigger voice, we should use them to speak up for retail investors."

A Common Exchange Safeguard

Temporary account freezes and withdrawal blocks are common in the crypto space. These measures are often implemented as a security precaution during suspicious activity, compliance reviews, or technical anomalies.

Recent examples include Phemex and Mudrex, which temporarily suspended withdrawals due to security concerns and regulatory updates.

In some cases, centralized exchanges may freeze assets at the request of law enforcement or in response to sanctions—such as with OKX and wallets linked to Tornado Cash.

These situations echo a familiar lesson in crypto circles: “Not your keys, not your coins.”

While centralized exchanges like Bybit can act swiftly—especially when prompted by vocal community members—users are reminded that true control over assets ultimately lies in self-custody.