BitMEX has announced that its exchange will cease operations on September 23, 2026 at 04:00 UTC. New account registrations have already stopped. The platform is urging users to close open positions and withdraw funds before operations end.

From August 26, BitMEX will apply restrictions that prevent users from opening new positions. Existing positions can only be reduced, and remaining contracts will be progressively force-closed. After the final shutdown, users will retain access to account balances, transaction history and withdrawals of assets left on the platform.

Owner HDR Global Trading made the decision after a strategic review of the business and the broader crypto market, but did not provide one specific cause. The closure matters beyond current customers. BitMEX was one of the platforms that shaped the modern perpetual crypto derivatives market. Its exit shows how strongly liquidity and users have moved toward larger centralized exchanges and newer decentralized venues.