Bitget exits Japan, will forcibly close all remaining positions after December 31

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 poten...