Bitget Exits Japan Amid Strict Licensing Regime
Bitget, a global cryptocurrency exchange and one of the world's top five exchanges according to CoinGecko, has announced it will be exiting the Japanese market. This decision comes as Japan continues to crack down on unregistered crypto service providers with criminal penalties up to 10 years in prison or fines around $62,800.
As part of a phased wind-down, Bitget is halting all new user registrations immediately and restricting trading activity for existing users from November 1. Any open positions after this date will be forcibly closed by December 31.
The exit is not voluntary; Japan's tightening licensing regime has made it unviable for Bitget to continue operating in the country. The exchange had been issued multiple warnings by the Financial Services Agency (FSA) for allegedly serving Japanese residents without registration, with a third warning given in June 2025.