BitMEX Announces Permanent Closure for September 2026
BitMEX, a pioneering cryptocurrency derivatives platform, has announced its permanent closure on September 23, 2026. Established in 2014 by co-founders Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed, BitMEX once dominated the crypto derivatives landscape.
The exchange was forced to remove 65 derivative instruments and trading pairs from its offerings in July 2026 alone due to 'inadequate trading volume.' Trading activity will persist for several more weeks, but August 26 marks the cutoff for initiating new positions. Any contracts still open at that time will be automatically closed ahead of the final shutdown.
Account holders who fail to withdraw their holdings by the shutdown date will incur automatic charges. BitMEX will impose either a $50 monthly account maintenance charge or a 1% annual levy on dormant balances, depending on which fee structure is relevant.