In May, Surge Season 14 brings forward three key initiatives to deepen trading engagement and attract new participants to dYdX:
- Zero Maker & Taker Fees on BTC and BONK perpetual markets
- Liquidation Rebates for traders liquidated on non-BTC pairs
- BONK RWA Trading Competition
dYdX Surge Season 14 Details
CryptoLearningClub (CLC) presents the program details for dYdX Surge Season 14, designed to drive sustainable trading activity and broaden participation on the platform throughout May.
This season will run from 00:00 UTC on May 1, 2026, until 23:59 UTC on May 31, 2026. This marks the fourth month of the six-month Surge renewal cycle, which commenced in January.
Trade BTC & BONK Perpetuals for Zero Maker and Taker fees on dYdX
The incentives for May continue to feature a 100% discount on maker and taker fees for BTC and BONK perpetual markets.
As approved by the dYdX community, BTC and BONK perpetuals will remain fee-free for all traders throughout May. Please note that other costs, including gas fees, bridging costs, slippage, and any applicable third-party fees, are unaffected. Any continuation or modification of fee discounts beyond this period will remain subject to governance approval.
Up To $1M Liquidation Rebate Program
Launched in December 2025 with its own leaderboard, the Liquidation Rebate Program introduced a gamified incentive system to support perpetual traders who incur losses on dYdX due to liquidations.
In May, the program will continue to provide rebates on a portion of losses incurred from liquidations, specifically in non-BTC perpetual markets. Additional details, including historical performance data, can be found here
.
Before May 1, 2026, eligible traders can claim rebates for the period from March 1 to March 30, 2026. Once the dYdX community approves a new governance proposal for the Surge Season 13 rewards distribution, traders who qualify can then claim rebates for the period from April 1 to April 30, 2026.
BONK RWA Trading Competition
The BONK RWA Trading Competition returns for May, offering traders three consecutive weekly P&L-based competitions on bonk.trade.
With the first sprint starting May 4, each competition runs for one week and focuses on a specific market:
- Week 1: Crude Awakening
- Week 2: Gold Rush
- Week 3: Silver Rush
Competition Overview
- Format: P&L-based trading competition
- Duration: 1 week per sprint
- Start Date: May 4, 2026
- Eligibility:
- Non-API traders
- Traders using the bonk.trade UI powered by dYdX
- Prize Pool: $10,000 USDC per event (awarded to the top 10 traders by P&L)
Prize Distribution:
- 1st: $3,000
- 2nd: $2,000
- 3rd: $1,000
- 4th–5th: $750 each
- 6th–10th: $500 each
The prize pool for the BONK RWA Trading Competition is funded by dYdX Labs as part of their ecosystem growth initiatives and will be distributed by CLC on their behalf. No Community Treasury funds are requested or used for this program.
Season 14 gives traders multiple entry points into the Surge program across May: from fee-free markets to liquidation protection and competitive trading events. CryptoLearningClub, in coordination with dYdX Labs, will oversee reward calculations and publish a full distribution proposal once the season concludes. We look forward to Season 14 and to advancing the next chapter of Surge.