---
title: "Bitget Closes Access to Services for Residents of Russia and Belarus: What Is Being Shut Down and When"
description: "Crypto exchange Bitget added Russia and Belarus to its list of restricted countries starting October 16 and began a phased shutdown of services. Restrictions take effect on October 18–21, 2026."
date: 2026-10-18T09:37:59.459Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/bitget-closes-access-services-russia-belarus
tags: [bitget, cryptocurrency, russia, belarus, crypto-exchange, hack]
author: "Andrey Kosynko, Darya Fomina"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Bitget Closes Access to Services for Residents of Russia and Belarus: What Is Being Shut Down and When

![A gold bitcoin coin lies against the background of a black screen with green cryptocurrency trading charts](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/18/bitget-zakryla-dostup-k-servisam-rossii-i-belarusi/bitget-zakryla-dostup-k-servisam-rossii-i-belarusi-1.webp)

## Key Points

- On October 16, 2026, Bitget added Russia and Belarus to the list of "restricted countries" in its user agreement.
- On October 18 at 10:00 MSK, the acceptance of trading orders, position opening, and staking for these users ceases.
- By 10:00 MSK on October 21, users must independently close positions and withdraw assets, otherwise closure will be forced; account access will be restricted starting 19:00 MSK on October 21.
- The list of restricted countries also includes Kazakhstan, Austria, Germany, the USA, Japan, and others.
- The decision was made against the backdrop of the September hot wallet hack on Bitget, with estimated losses ranging from ~$351.6 million to ~$388 million.

On October 16, 2026, crypto exchange Bitget updated its user agreement, adding Russia and Belarus to the list of "restricted countries" whose residents are blocked from accessing the platform's services. This was reported by the Kod.ru resource, citing notifications sent to users. The decision means that Russian and Belarusian traders are losing the ability to use the exchange's services in full, and the transition to the new conditions is taking place not instantly, but in stages over several days.

### Phased Shutdown: Timeline of Restrictions

According to the notification, on October 18 at 10:00 MSK, Bitget will stop accepting orders for the purchase and sale of cryptocurrency from users in the specified countries. Simultaneously, the ability to open new positions and participate in staking — passive earnings through holding crypto coins — will be disabled. Users have until 10:00 MSK on October 21 to independently close open positions and withdraw assets; after this, the exchange will forcefully close positions. Restrictions on access to the accounts themselves will come into effect on October 21 at 19:00 MSK. Those who fail to withdraw funds within the established deadlines will have to contact Bitget support.

### Wider Than Just Russia and Belarus

It is worth noting that the list of "restricted countries" in the updated agreement is not limited to these two states. It also includes, in particular, Kazakhstan, Austria, Germany, the USA, Japan, and a number of other jurisdictions. This indicates that the blocking of Russians and Belarusians is part of a broader policy to comply with local regulatory requirements rather than an isolated decision.

### Context: A Hack Worth Hundreds of Millions of Dollars

The decision to restrict access was made against the backdrop of a recent security incident. Last month, crypto exchange Bitget, headquartered in Singapore and registered in the Seychelles, suffered a hacker attack resulting in a large amount of cryptocurrency being stolen from hot wallet accounts. According to various publications, the amount of losses is estimated differently — from approximately $351.6 million to around $388 million. The investigation is ongoing, and at the time of the agreement update, it had not been definitively established which hacker group is behind the attack.

### What This Means for Users

For existing traders from Russia and Belarus, adhering to the timeline is crucial: before 10:00 MSK on October 21, it is necessary to independently close positions and withdraw assets to avoid forced closure and subsequent appeals to support. After 19:00 MSK on the same day, access to accounts will be restricted. Users are advised to check the state of their portfolio in advance and ensure that withdrawal channels are working correctly before the deadline.

## Accounts differ

### Amount of funds stolen during the September Bitget hack

- **3DNews (article basis):** Cryptocurrency worth about $388 million was stolen from hot wallets. ([3dnews.ru](https://3dnews.ru/1150084/kriptobirga-bitget-zakrila-dostup-k-servisam-gitelyam-rossii-i-belarusi))
- **RBC:** The exchange announced a hack and the theft of $351.6 million in cryptocurrency. ([rbc.ru](https://www.rbc.ru/finances/25/09/2026/6ab620ce5f5aac44c1be9472))
- **Expert.ru:** Bitget reported unauthorized transfers of approximately $351.6 million. ([expert.ru](https://expert.ru/news/kriptobirzha-bitget-soobschila-o-vyvode-aktivov-na-3516-mln-v-rezultate-vzloma))

*Where they agree:* The hot wallet breach occurred and funds were stolen — this is acknowledged by all sources.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Криптобиржа Bitget закрыла доступ к сервисам жителям России и Беларуси window-new](https://3dnews.ru/1150084/kriptobirga-bitget-zakrila-dostup-k-servisam-gitelyam-rossii-i-belarusi) - Main source: agreement update on 16.10, shutdown timeline 18–21.10, list of countries, mention of ~$388M hack.
- [Биржа Bitget заявила о взломе и краже криптовалюты на $351,6 млн](https://www.rbc.ru/finances/25/09/2026/6ab620ce5f5aac44c1be9472) - Confirms the fact of the hack; losses stated as $351.6M, mentions attribution to North Korean hackers.
- [Новости по теме NVIDIA Tegra 3](https://3dnews.ru/subjects/NVIDIA%20Tegra%203) - Основной источник: обновление соглашения 16.10, таймлайн отключения 18–21.10, список стран, упоминание взлома на ~$388 млн.
- [Криптобиржа Bitget сообщила о выводе активов на $351,6 млн в результате взлома](https://expert.ru/news/kriptobirzha-bitget-soobschila-o-vyvode-aktivov-na-3516-mln-v-rezultate-vzloma) - Confirms unauthorized transfers of ~$351.6M detected on September 24 and the temporary suspension of withdrawals.

## FAQ

### When will Bitget completely restrict access to accounts for Russians and Belarusians?

Account access restriction will take effect on October 21, 2026, at 19:00 MSK. Before that, on October 18 at 10:00 MSK, the acceptance of trading orders, position opening, and staking will cease.

### What do users need to do before the deadline?

By 10:00 MSK on October 21, it is necessary to independently close open positions and withdraw assets. If this is not done, positions will be forced closed, and you will have to contact support for fund withdrawal.

### Are only Russia and Belarus affected by the blocking?

No. The list of "restricted countries" also includes Kazakhstan, Austria, Germany, the USA, Japan, and a number of other jurisdictions.

### Is the decision related to the exchange hack?

The decision was made against the backdrop of the September hack of Bitget hot wallets, resulting in the theft of cryptocurrency estimated by various publications from approximately $351.6 million to around $388 million. No direct cause-and-effect link is stated in the notifications.