MEXC to exit Russia, Belarus as crypto exchange tightens compliance
Crypto exchange MEXC has announced plans to discontinue services for users in Russia and Belarus, with affected customers set to receive individual instructions for closing positions and withdrawing their funds.
- MEXC has announced plans to discontinue services for users located in Russia and Belarus.
- Affected customers will receive individual instructions for closing trading positions and withdrawing their assets.
- The exchange has not published a common withdrawal deadline or disclosed how many accounts are affected.
- Bitget updated its restricted-jurisdiction list on October 16 to include Russia and Belarus.
- MEXC had already restricted selected futures trading pairs in both countries in May 2026.
In an announcement on October 20, MEXC attributed the decision to its global compliance efforts and said users who have not received a notification can continue trading under its existing terms of service.
JUST IN: MEXC to exit Russia and Belarus
— crypto.news (@cryptodotnews) October 20, 2026
The exchange will stop serving users in both countries, giving affected account holders individual deadlines to close positions and withdraw their funds. pic.twitter.com/LLq5tOXQ2b
MEXC to notify affected users about account closures
The exchange has not established a public deadline for completing withdrawals or closing positions. Instead, account holders subject to the restrictions will receive notices explaining the procedures and timelines that apply to them.
MEXC said customer assets remain protected during the process, although its announcement did not specify how many accounts are affected or when the service discontinuation will be completed.
“Your assets remain safe and secure,” the exchange stated.
Customers who receive no termination notice may continue accessing its trading services, provided they comply with the platform’s terms. The announcement does not establish that every registered customer in Russia and Belarus will lose access immediately.
The company directed users with questions about their account status to its customer service team. It warned customers against phishing links and impersonation attempts, saying its representatives will never request passwords, seed phrases, payments or asset transfers through private messages.
No specific regulatory order was identified in the notice. MEXC did not name a particular government agency, sanctions designation or licensing decision as the reason for the withdrawal.
Russia and Belarus faced MEXC futures restrictions in May
The October announcement follows trading limitations introduced by the company five months ago.
On May 15, MEXC announced restrictions on selected futures pairs for customers in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Belarus. Those restrictions took effect on May 18 at 07:00 UTC.
Under the May arrangements, users in the affected jurisdictions could no longer open new positions in the listed futures contracts through market or limit orders.
Pending trigger orders and trailing stops designed to open new positions were no longer executable for those contracts. Customers could still manage and close existing positions, adjust leverage and margin, and use other futures markets outside the specified list.
The October decision covers a different scope. MEXC has now announced the discontinuation of services for users in Russia and Belarus, subject to individualized account notifications. Ukraine and Armenia were not named in the latest service update.
The company has made other changes to its compliance operations this year. In July, it appointed Robert MacDonald as chief compliance officer to oversee its regulatory strategy and governance.
That appointment followed its announced collaboration with LSEG Risk Intelligence to incorporate World-Check screening tools into its compliance systems, as detailed in a July 29 company announcement.
Neither announcement identified the October service restrictions as a planned consequence of those compliance initiatives.
Bitget has imposed similar restrictions on Russian and Belarusian users
MEXC’s decision follows a separate account-access change by Bitget, which updated its terms of use on October 16.
Bitget’s revised user agreement identifies Russia and Belarus among jurisdictions where its services are prohibited. Kazakhstan appears on the same list, along with several other countries and territories.
As crypto.news reported on October 18, Bitget began notifying selected customers about the termination of their services following the policy update.
Its October 17 communication described the account terminations as a measure affecting certain users. Customers receiving official notices were given instructions addressing account access, position closures and withdrawals.
Some Bitget customers faced October 21 deadlines, although the exchange did not establish that date as a universal deadline for all users. MEXC has not published an equivalent timetable.
Bitget’s agreement defines restricted persons to include individuals and entities residing, established or operating in prohibited jurisdictions. MEXC’s October notice uses the wording “users in Russia or Belarus” without publishing comparable eligibility definitions in the announcement.
Crypto exchanges face tighter sanctions-related transaction controls
International cryptocurrency platforms have faced restrictions involving Russian-linked entities during 2026, with some measures directed at particular exchanges and others affecting customer eligibility.
In August, Binance announced restrictions on transactions involving HTX and 10 other listed cryptocurrency services, following sanctions-related developments.
The Binance policy concerned transfers involving named platforms, while the MEXC announcement addresses access to its services for users in two countries. The measures involve different categories of restrictions.
MEXC has not publicly established whether its October decision resulted from a particular sanctions rule, a regulatory instruction or an internal assessment of compliance requirements.
In its service notice, the exchange instructed customers to rely on its official website, mobile application, announcement center and verified social channels for updates. It said affected users would receive the procedures governing their remaining positions and asset withdrawals through individual notifications.