Bitget Abandons Japan Amid Regulatory Pressure

Bitget has announced its exit from Japan, following a warning from the country's Financial Services Agency (FSA) in November 2024. The cryptocurrency exchange will no longer accept new registrations from Japanese residents and will begin a phased shutdown of existing accounts.

The shutdown timeline starts on August 3, 2026, when Bitget will block new account registrations for Japanese residents. On November 1, 2026, the restrictions will get more stringent, with Japanese resident accounts switching to 'close-only' mode, allowing users to sell their assets but not buy anything new.

After December 31, 2026, any open positions on Bitget will be forcibly liquidated. The exchange is advising its Japanese users to withdraw their assets promptly and has suggested completing Level 2 KYC verification before the November deadline to potentially avoid automatic classification as a Japanese resident under the new restrictions.