Crypto exchange Bitget updated its Terms of Use on Oct. 16, 2026, adding Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan to the countries and territories whose residents may not use its platform. The restrictions matter because they also bar users in a range of other jurisdictions, including the US, France, Germany and Japan, from accessing Bitget’s services.

Countries and territories covered by the restrictions

In the “Prohibited countries” section of its Terms of Use, Bitget lists jurisdictions whose users cannot access its platform and services. Along with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, the list includes the US, Canada, France, Germany, Austria and Japan.

Bitget also prohibits users from Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Iraq and Libya, as well as Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions are also covered.

Other prohibited countries include Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia and South Sudan. The document states that Bitget may add other countries and territories to the list at its discretion.

Bitget’s terms also provide for a separate verification procedure for legal entities that may have ties to the US. The procedure is intended to determine whether those entities are subject to restrictions under US law.

Incrypted requested comment from Bitget representatives but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Terms updated after security incident

The change followed a major security incident at Bitget in late September 2026. The exchange confirmed an unauthorized withdrawal of assets worth approximately $351.6 million.

Bitget said its private keys were not compromised and that the losses were covered by a user protection fund holding more than $464 million.

Bitget CEO Gracy Chen and onchain analysts suggested that North Korean hackers may have been linked to the attack. The incident’s final attribution has not been confirmed.

After the attack, Chen also said Bitget was not abandoning its plans to go public in roughly three years.

Source: Incrypted