MEXC will discontinue services for users in Russia and Belarus as part of its global compliance efforts, the cryptocurrency exchange announced on October 20. The decision will affect customers through individual account notices rather than a single public shutdown deadline. Users who receive no notice can continue trading under existing terms.
Meanwhile, the exchange says it will provide affected customers with instructions for closing positions and withdrawing assets.
MEXC Sets Individual Withdrawal Procedures
MEXC has not published a common date for users to complete withdrawals or close open positions. Instead, the exchange will explain each affected account's procedures and timeline in a direct notification. It has not disclosed how many customers face the restrictions.
The company says customer assets remain secure throughout the process. It has also directed account holders to customer support for questions about their status. Users without termination notices can continue accessing services if they follow the platform's terms.
Which customers must leave the exchange, and when? MEXC's October announcement offers no public eligibility criteria or final completion date. As a result, individual notices will determine the practical steps for affected customers. This approach leaves customers dependent on individual notices for deadlines that the public announcement does not provide.
The exchange also warned about phishing and impersonation attempts. It said legitimate representatives never seek passwords, seed phrases, payments or asset transfers through private messages. For updates, customers should use its official website, app, announcement center, and verified social channels.
October Decision Follows May Futures Restrictions
The service change follows an earlier round of limits on derivatives trading. On May 15, MEXC announced restrictions on selected futures contracts for customers in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Belarus. Those limits began on May 18 at 07:00 UTC.
The May measures blocked new market and limit orders in the specified contracts. They also prevented pending trigger orders and trailing stops from opening new positions. However, customers could manage existing positions and adjust leverage or margin.
They could also trade futures contracts outside the restricted list. In contrast, the October notice concerns broader service discontinuation for users in Russia and Belarus. The exchange did not name Ukraine or Armenia in its latest update.
MEXC also changed its compliance leadership in July, appointing Robert MacDonald as chief compliance officer. A July 29 announcement described its collaboration with LSEG Risk Intelligence to add World-Check screening tools. Neither announcement linked those developments directly to the October decision.
Read More: South Korea Blocks 27 Crypto Sites: KuCoin, MEXC Hit
Bitget Policy Changes Add Industry Context
Separately, Bitget updated its terms of use on October 16. Its user agreement lists Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan among places where it prohibits services. The revised document also identifies other restricted countries and territories.
Bitget began contacting selected customers about service terminations after that change, according Its October 17 communication outlined steps involving account access, withdrawals, and closing positions. Some recipients faced October 21 deadlines, but Bitget did not apply that date to every customer.
The two exchanges have described their restrictions differently. Bitget defines restricted persons to include people and businesses residing, established, or operating in prohibited jurisdictions. MEXC refers to users in Russia or Belarus without publishing equivalent definitions in its October announcement.
Other platforms have introduced separate measures involving Russian-linked cryptocurrency services. In August, Binance announced limits on transactions involving HTX and 10 other named platforms following sanctions-related developments. Those limits concerned transfers involving listed services, not a general countrywide account shutdown.
MEXC identified no specific government order, sanctions designation or licensing decision behind its latest policy. It has not established whether a particular legal requirement or internal compliance assessment prompted the move. For now, its official account notifications remain the stated source of withdrawal and position-closing instructions.
Conclusion
MEXC's service withdrawal affects users in Russia and Belarus, but the exchange has not announced a universal deadline. Affected customers will receive individual instructions for managing positions and withdrawing assets. The move follows earlier futures restrictions and similar changes at Bitget. Customers should check official notifications to confirm their account status.