Bitget Exits Japan Amid Tightening Regulation
Bitget, the world's fifth-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, has announced its staged exit from Japan. The decision comes after a tightening web of regulation made it riskier to stay in the market.
The timeline for Bitget's Japan exit is as follows: new account sign-ups were frozen on August 3, 2026; close-only mode will begin on November 1, 2026, restricting access to spot trading and other services; and any positions still open by December 31, 2026, will be forcibly liquidated at market prices.
The regulatory changes driving Bitget's exit include the reclassification of Bitcoin and 104 other cryptocurrencies as financial instruments under Japan's Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. The law raises fines to ¥10 million and prison terms to ten years for operating an unregistered exchange.