Crypto exchange Bitget is exiting the Japanese market to comply with tightening local regulations. The company has stopped new registrations and will forcibly close all resident positions by Dec. 31, 2026. The move follows multiple warnings from Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) and new legislation reclassifying crypto as a financial instrument, which imposes steep penalties, including prison time, for unregistered platforms.
Bitget Japan exit
- ▪Bitget stopped accepting new user registrations from Japan prior to its announcement on August 3, 2026
- ▪All remaining positions for Japanese users will be forcibly closed on December 31, 2026
- ▪Crypto exchange Bitget will stop providing services to residents of Japan, citing efforts to comply with local regulations
Japan crypto regulation
- ▪New Japanese rules for crypto platforms include fines of about $62,800 and prison sentences up to 10 years for operating without registration
- ▪Japan requires crypto platforms serving its residents to register with and follow rules from the Financial Services Agency (FSA)
- ▪Japan passed legislation in mid-July 2026 reclassifying cryptocurrencies as financial instruments
User account restrictions
- ▪Users will still be able to withdraw assets after the December 31, 2026 closure date
- ▪In "close-only" mode, users cannot open new positions or use services like spot trading, futures, copy trading, or earn products
- ▪Users who believe they are misidentified as Japanese residents must complete Level-2 identity verification, including proof of address, by November 1, 2026
- ▪Starting November 1, 2026, accounts identified as Japanese will be placed into a "close-only" mode
FSA enforcement history
- ▪In 2023, Bitget, Bybit, BitForex, and MEXC also received warning letters for operating in Japan without proper registration
- ▪Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA) warned Bitget in March 2023 and again in November 2024 for operating without registration
- ▪In June 2025, Japan's Kanto Local Finance Bureau warned BTG Technology Holdings Limited, which it identified as operating under the Bitget name
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