Three more exchanges weigh pulling out of Russia after Bitget and MEXC

Bitget and MEXC have already cut off Russian users in the past week. Analysts now flag OKX, KuCoin and Bybit as the next platforms most likely to follow.

OKX and KuCoin both hold EU licences yet are under active US compliance oversight after admitting anti-money-laundering breaches and agreeing to pay heavy fines to the Department of Justice in 2025.

Bybit faces the biggest potential loss: Russia accounts for 27 % of its traffic, or 3.3 million visits in September alone. The exchange has already begun removing Russian banks from payment options and is freezing accounts linked to sanctioned services.

Partner Yuri Brisov of Digital & Analogue Partners warns that a Bybit exit would strip the Russian market of its main trading venue. Smaller foreign platforms may linger longer, he says, but only if they obtain a local licence from the Bank of Russia.

Based on information from cryptonews.net