Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget has announced it will cease providing services to residents of Japan. New account registrations from Japanese users stopped immediately, with existing accounts facing progressive restrictions that culminate in the forced closure of any open positions by December 31, 2026.

The company framed the decision as part of its commitment to regulatory compliance in the country. Affected users will receive email instructions on procedures for managing and withdrawing assets.

Phased Restrictions and Key Deadlines

Accounts identified as belonging to Japan residents will enter close-only mode beginning November 1. In this status, users cannot open new positions or add to existing ones. Access to spot trading, futures, peer-to-peer services, convert functions, earn products, card services, copy trading and trading bots will end. Limited deposits and withdrawals will remain available.

Any positions still open on December 31 will be closed automatically by the exchange. Card services will also be suspended at that point, though asset withdrawals can continue afterward.

Users who believe their accounts have been incorrectly classified as Japanese must complete Level 2 identity verification, including proof of address, by the November 1 deadline. Failure to do so results in permanent classification as a Japan resident and application of the restriction timeline.

Background of Regulatory Warnings

Japan requires cryptocurrency service providers serving local residents to register with the Financial Services Agency under the Payment Services Act. Unregistered platforms face enforcement measures that include warnings, app-store removals and potential penalties.

The agency issued its first formal warning against Bitget Limited on March 31, 2023, for operating an unregistered crypto exchange business. A second joint warning followed on November 28, 2024, naming Bitget alongside several other offshore platforms. In February 2025, regulators requested that Apple and Google remove Bitget’s application, along with those of other named exchanges, from Japanese app stores. Existing installs and browser access were unaffected at the time.

In June 2025, the Kanto Local Finance Bureau, a regional arm of Japan’s Ministry of Finance, issued an additional warning to BTG Technology Holdings Limited, identified as operating under the Bitget name, for soliciting online over-the-counter derivatives transactions without registration.

Recent legislation approved by Japan’s parliament in mid-July reclassified cryptocurrencies as financial instruments. The updated rules, expected to take effect next year, introduce fines of approximately $62,800 and prison sentences of up to 10 years for unregistered operations.

Similar Moves by Other Platforms

Bitget’s exit follows a comparable path taken by Bybit, which earlier implemented a registration freeze, verification deadline and eventual full account restrictions for Japanese users. Both platforms moved from partial measures to complete service withdrawal within roughly a year of the 2025 app-store actions.

Bitget, registered in the Seychelles and ranked among the larger global exchanges by trading volume, already restricts access in markets including the United States and Singapore. The company has not indicated plans to pursue local registration in Japan or to return under a licensed entity.

Japanese residents using the platform retain a window until the end of the year to close positions and withdraw funds through official channels. Further operational guidance is expected via email as the November and December deadlines approach.