BitMEX said it will shut down on September 23, 2026 at 04:00 UTC after HDR Global Trading Limited approved the closure. Trading stays normal until August 26, after which traders can only reduce positions. Any remaining positions will be closed ahead of the deadline or automatically at shutdown, and withdrawals will remain available after closure.

BitMEX has closed its doors, marking the end of the crypto derivatives venue that pioneered the perpetual swap. The product it popularized has since become a market mainstay, now dominated by larger rivals.

UPDATE: The crypto market saw three separate exploits in a single day, with combined losses estimated at $35.55 million. AFX_XYZ accounted for $24.15 million, VerusCoin for $7.55 million, and BSquaredNetwork for $3.86 million.

BMEX, the exchange token issued by BitMEX, sank as low as $0.001112 on Wednesday, according to market data. The token is down 92.05% over the past 24 hours and was last trading at $0.004757. BitMEX previously said it will shut down its exchange on Sept. 23 and has already stopped accepting new user registrations.

Odaily Planet Daily reports that prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket handled more than $44 billion in combined trading volume in 2025. As of April 2026, their combined monthly volume climbed to $24 billion, exceeding the average monthly wagering volume seen on regulated U.S. sports-betting platforms. Kalshi generated $263.5 million in fee revenue last year, and its annualized revenue rate has now surpassed $1.5 billion. Prediction markets typically run a binary contract exchange model: the platform matches buyers and sellers but does not place bets itself, hold directional positions, or take event-outcome risk. Revenue is primarily driven by transaction fees, with additional contributions from data licensing, API access for institutional traders, and market-creation fees on some venues. In the U.S., Kalshi operates as a designated contract market (DCM) registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Polymarket returned to the U.S. market at the end of 2025 after acquiring QCEX, a CFTC-regulated entity, for $1.12 billion. Some states still treat prediction-market contracts as gambling, and related federal and state litigation remains ongoing. In the EU, the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) does not explicitly define the legal status of prediction-market contracts, resulting in different classifications across member states. Platforms that use crypto settlement and offer custody or transfer services to EU users must obtain a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) license.

Crypto derivatives exchange BitMEX will fully wind down and cease operations on September 23, 2026, ending a run that began in 2014. New account registrations have already been suspended, and the platform is urging customers to withdraw funds as soon as possible. HDR Global Trading Limited’s board made the decision after a strategic review of the business and broader crypto market conditions. The company said the choice was difficult. In its announcement, BitMEX pointed to its early role in the sector, saying it launched in 2014 with the goal of broadening access to professional-grade crypto derivatives and that it created the 100x-leverage perpetual swap, a product that became one of the industry’s most actively traded. BitMEX also stated that, across more than a decade of operations, it has never lost user funds due to a hack. Wind-down timeline - New accounts: registration is no longer available. - Starting August 26: users will be unable to open new positions and may only reduce existing positions. - Through the shutdown date: BitMEX will progressively force-close open positions to ensure an orderly end to trading. - At the moment operations cease: any remaining open positions will be force-closed. After September 23, trading will be disabled. Users will still be able to log in, review transaction history, and withdraw funds. Custody fee after closure for KYC’d users BitMEX warned that users who have completed KYC but do not withdraw by the closure date will be charged a custody fee, billed monthly, equal to $50 or 1% per year, whichever is higher. Scam warning The exchange cautioned clients about phishing attempts and scam messages claiming to offer "expedited withdrawals," saying there are no special withdrawal procedures. BitMEX closed its statement by thanking users for their support over the years and encouraging them to continue trading on other platforms. The shutdown announcement came the same week Movement Labs filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. following last year’s scandal involving the MOVE token.

PANews, July 23 — CertiK's report, "Hack3D: Wrench Attacks in the First Half of 2026," shows a sharp rise in so-called wrench attacks. The firm confirmed 52 incidents in the first half of 2026, up 33.3% from 39 over the same period in 2025. Recorded financial losses tied to these attacks totaled about $124.1 million, compared with $10.5 million a year earlier. The geographic distribution was heavily concentrated in Europe. Of the 52 confirmed cases, 39 occurred in Europe, including 33 in France, making it the most prominent country in the dataset. CertiK also highlighted a notable strategic shift: crypto-related burglaries surged from one publicly reported case in H1 2025 to 20 cases in H1 2026.

Breaking: Cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX said it will shut down all operations.

Crypto derivatives venue BitMEX will cease operations after HDR Global Trading Limited, its owner and operator, completed a strategic review of the business. The company said trading will end on Sept. 23, 2026, and urged customers to close open positions and withdraw funds ahead of the shutdown. BitMEX said client assets will remain secure and accessible throughout the wind-down. Founded in 2014 by Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo and Samuel Reed, BitMEX became one of the most influential early platforms in crypto derivatives and helped popularize leveraged trading. In May 2016, it introduced the XBTUSD perpetual swap, enabling traders to take leveraged exposure to Bitcoin without managing a contract expiry. Perpetual swaps later became one of the most actively traded instruments in crypto markets. BitMEX also pointed to its security track record, saying no customer cryptocurrency was lost to hacking over its 11-year run. The exchange's history was also marked by regulatory scrutiny. In 2021, BitMEX entities agreed to pay a $100 million civil penalty to settle charges from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. HDR Global Trading was fined an additional $100 million in January 2025 after pleading guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act for failing to maintain an adequate anti-money-laundering program. Customers now have roughly two months to settle accounts, close positions and transfer remaining assets off the platform.