Slippage on Bybit around major news releases and quiet overnight hours

Slippage is not constant. The same order on the same Bybit pair can fill cleanly at one moment and noticeably worse an hour later. Two situations are particularly prone to it. The first is the minutes around major scheduled news, such as interest rate decisions or inflation data, when market makers pull back their quotes and prices jump. The second is quiet periods, such as late night in Italy, when fewer participants are active and order books are thinner. Recognising these windows lets you plan trades for calmer moments or adjust order types when you must act. This guide describes what tends to happen in each case and practical ways to reduce the cost, without suggesting any market will behave the same way every time.

What happens to the book around news

In the moments before an important announcement, many liquidity providers widen their prices or cancel orders entirely to avoid being caught by a sudden move. The visible book thins, and the gap between best bid and best ask grows. When the news lands, prices may jump several levels at once. A market order sent at that moment can fill far from the last price you saw. Stops can trigger and execute at worse levels than their trigger prices. Knowing the economic calendar helps you avoid placing routine orders during these windows.

Thin books in quiet hours

Outside the busiest trading sessions, fewer participants are active, especially on less popular pairs. Spreads may look acceptable at first glance, but the quantity available at each level can be small. A modest market order can then sweep through several levels. Before trading at unusual hours, look at the depth on the side you will trade against and compare it with your order size. If your order would consume several levels, consider waiting for a busier period or using a limit order instead.

Order choices that limit the damage

A limit order caps the price you accept, removing the risk of an extreme fill, though it may not fill if the market runs away. For stops, consider a stop-limit with a sensible buffer when a guaranteed fill matters less than price control, and accept that it might not execute in a gap. Splitting larger orders into smaller pieces spaced over a few minutes gives the book time to refill. Remember that resting orders and orders that remove liquidity are charged differently; check the official Bybit fee page for your tier.

Keep a slippage diary

For a few weeks, note each trade's pair, time, size, intended price and average fill price. Mark whether it happened near a news release or in a quiet period. Patterns emerge quickly: you will see which pairs and hours cost you most. Use that diary to set personal rules, such as avoiding market orders in the fifteen minutes around major releases or trading certain pairs only during busy hours. Personal evidence beats general advice because it reflects how you actually trade.

Risk boundary: Bybit Italy Guide

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Scenario checkpoint

• Check the economic calendar and avoid routine market orders in the minutes around major scheduled releases.
• Compare visible depth with your order size before trading Bybit pairs during quiet overnight hours.
• Use limit or stop-limit orders with a sensible buffer when price control matters more than a certain fill.
• Log each trade's time, intended price and average fill to discover which hours and pairs cost you most.