1 hour ago
14
Bitget is done with Japan. The cryptocurrency exchange has announced it will stop accepting new registrations from Japanese residents and begin a phased shutdown of existing accounts, culminating in the forced liquidation of all open positions after December 31, 2026.
The exit follows a November 2024 warning from Japan’s Financial Services Agency, which flagged Bitget as an unregistered exchange operating in the country. Rather than pursue the costly and complex registration process, Bitget chose the door.
The shutdown timeline
Here’s how the exit unfolds. Starting August 3, 2026, Bitget will block new account registrations from anyone identified as a Japanese resident.
On November 1, 2026, the restrictions get real. Accounts belonging to Japanese residents will switch to “close-only” mode. In English: you can sell what you have, but you can’t buy anything new.
After December 31, 2026, any positions still open get forcibly liquidated. That’s the hard cutoff. No extensions, no exceptions.
Bitget is advising its Japanese users to withdraw their assets promptly. The exchange has also suggested that users complete Level 2 KYC verification before the November deadline, which could potentially help avoid automatic classification as a Japanese resident under the new restrictions.
Japan’s regulatory wall keeps getting taller
Japan runs one of the strictest crypto regulatory regimes on the planet. Any exchange serving Japanese customers needs formal registration with the FSA, a process that involves extensive compliance requirements, capital reserves, and ongoing oversight.
The FSA’s November 2024 warning didn’t single out Bitget alone. The regulator also flagged Bybit, KuCoin, and MEXC as unregistered platforms operating in Japan.
Japan has been aggressive about crypto regulation since the Mt. Gox collapse in 2014 and the Coincheck hack in 2018, both of which happened on Japanese soil. The country is expected to further reclassify digital assets under financial instruments rules by 2026.
Japan isn’t hostile to crypto. It’s hostile to unregulated crypto. Domestic exchanges like bitFlyer, Coincheck (now under new ownership), and GMO Coin all operate with FSA registration and continue to serve the market.
What this means for traders and the broader market
For Japanese Bitget users, the immediate priority is straightforward: get your assets out. The phased timeline gives several months of runway, but waiting until the last minute risks complications. Forced liquidation rarely happens at favorable prices, and the December 31 deadline is a hard stop.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
English (US) ·