BitMEX is removing 65 derivative and spot markets in July before its Sept. 23 closure. Users face position limits from Aug. 26 and fees on unwithdrawn balances.
BitMEX will remove 65 derivative contracts and spot trading pairs this month as the crypto exchange winds down operations ahead of a Sept. 23 closure.
The removals include 21 derivatives on July 2 and nine spot pairs on July 16. Another 35 derivatives are scheduled for early settlement on July 30, the exchange said.
BitMEX attributed the first two rounds to insufficient trading interest. The July 2 batch covered contracts tied to Apple, Amazon, Avalanche, BMEX, Meta and Near Protocol. Two weeks later, the exchange removed spot markets for UNI, APE, ATOM, AXS, BONK, LINK, POL, Sonic and TRX.
The final July round will remove 35 derivatives at 12:00 UTC on July 30. BitMEX linked that decision to weak trading interest and the exchange closure. The list includes crypto, foreign exchange, commodities and equity-linked products such as AAVEUSDT, COINUSDT, GOOGLUSDT, MSTRUSDT, NVDAUSDT, TSLAUSDT and WTIUSDT.
Trading will continue until 04:00 UTC on July 30. BitMEX will stop new funding calculations and cancel open orders. Positions will be settled at stated prices. The exchange will not charge settlement fees. Profit and loss from each expired contract will move to the user's Bitcoin or Tether balance.
BitMEX said it will close the exchange at 04:00 UTC on Sept. 23 after a strategic review of the business and the broader crypto industry. HDR Global Trading Limited, the platform's owner and operator, stopped accepting new account registrations when it announced the shutdown.
The exchange will apply new risk limits from 04:00 UTC on Aug. 26. Users will no longer be able to open positions after that point, although they can reduce existing exposure. BitMEX may force-close positions during the wind-down period and will close any positions still open when exchange services end.
Users will keep account access after the closure date. They can view balances and request withdrawals. They can also review transaction records. BitMEX also unstaked BMEX tokens held through the platform. The company urged customers to close positions and withdraw funds before Sept. 23.
Verified users who leave assets on the platform after the deadline will face a fee. BitMEX set the charge at $50 or 1% per year, whichever is higher, billed monthly. It warned that withdrawal reviews and blockchain limits could cause delays during heavy demand.
BitMEX launched in 2014 and created the perpetual swap in 2016. The contract later spread across centralized and decentralized trading venues.
The exchange entered its final months after corporate changes. In June, BitMEX appointed former chief operating officer and general counsel Peter Wilkinson as chief executive after removing Stephan Lutz and two other senior leaders. The changes followed reports that the company had sought a buyer.
Crypto.news reported in February 2025 that BitMEX had hired Broadhaven Capital Partners to assist with a potential sale. BitMEX did not mention that process in its closure statement. It also did not provide financial results, trading-volume data or a direct cause beyond its strategic review.
BitMEX said withdrawals will remain open after exchange services stop. It also stated that its assets exceed customer liabilities, referring users to its proof-of-reserves and liabilities page. The company warned customers to ignore messages promising priority withdrawals because it does not offer such a service.
Additional checks may slow processing. Bitcoin withdrawals may take longer when network confirmations or the platform's fixed pool of withdrawal addresses create a queue. Customers can monitor requests marked "Processing" until BitMEX sends them to the blockchain.
The closure differs from some recent exchange wind-downs. AscendEX warned that some users might not recover full balances after financial and regulatory pressure forced it to close. BitMEX says customer assets remain covered, although that statement comes from the exchange.
The July schedule now forms the first major stage of the shutdown. BitMEX will settle 35 more contracts on July 30 and restrict new positions on Aug. 26. Exchange services end on Sept. 23. Users can still withdraw afterward. Fees will apply to qualifying balances left past the closure time.
The shutdown adds to a period of consolidation among crypto exchanges.
Drafted by a large language model from the source reporting linked above, then screened by automated publishing checks. It is not read by a journalist before publication. Some articles cite our Alpha Score. Verify prices and figures against the original source. Educational coverage, not personalized advice.