Cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX is closing down and will cease operations on September 23. Today, it also stated on X that user assets remain safe and under their control, but users should withdraw them as soon as possible. The exchange’s founders previously pleaded guilty to breaking the law, but U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned them.
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End of crypto derivatives pioneer: BitMEX exchange shuts down after years of legal battles and Trump pardons
BitMEX is among the pioneers of cryptocurrency derivatives trading. When the exchange was founded in 2014, it was one of the first platforms to allow professional traders to speculate on bitcoin price movements using so-called perpetual contracts, derivatives without an expiration date. Today, it is no longer among the largest cryptocurrency exchanges. The exchange’s owner and operator, HDR Global Trading, made the decision to cease operations as part of a strategic business review, the exchange stated. It was initially based in Hong Kong, but later moved its legal headquarters to the Seychelles.
BitMEX co-founders Benjamin Delo, Arthur Hayes, and Samuel Reed pleaded guilty in 2022 to failing to establish an anti-money laundering program as required by the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act. President Trump, however, granted them pardons in early last year as part of his administration’s policy aimed at lighter cryptocurrency regulation. U.S. prosecutors charged BitMEX and its founders with willfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act from 2015 to 2020 by failing to implement anti-money laundering programs and Know Your Customer (KYC) rules.
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BitMEX closes its doors amid crypto slump: Bitcoin has lost half its value and market suffers ETF outflows
BitMEX provides institutional and professional derivatives traders with a trading platform. According to its website, the platform has more than two million traders. The shutdown comes at a time when cryptocurrency markets are struggling. Bitcoin has given back most of last year’s gains following Trump’s election as U.S. president for a second term. Bitcoin was trading at around $65,650 (1.39 million CZK) around noon today. This represents a decline of nearly 50 percent from its all-time high of $126,223.18, which bitcoin reached in October last year, Reuters reported.
Cryptocurrency markets this year face challenges due to increased price volatility and persistent outflows from exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track these assets. Trump, who courted donors from the cryptocurrency sector during his election campaign, promised to support cryptocurrency companies in his second term. However, slow progress in adopting cryptocurrency legislation in the U.S. and concerns that companies holding digital assets in their reserves will start selling bitcoins have negatively affected investor sentiment.
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Source: ČTK
