HTX Russia restrictions have added another international cryptocurrency exchange to the list of those limiting services for Russian users. The move follows decisions by Bitget and MEXC to discontinue services in Russia and Belarus during October 2026, reducing access to several international platforms for customers across the region.
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According to Russian business media outlet RBC, HTX has included Russia in its restricted-jurisdiction list under its user agreement. The policy covers individuals residing in Russia, as well as companies registered in or primarily operating there. The agreement gives HTX authority to restrict services, suspend withdrawals, or close affected accounts.
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HTX Russia Restrictions Expand Account Limits
HTX has not publicly specified when the Russia restrictions took effect or whether affected accounts have already been suspended. The contract grants the exchange the right to alter the list of restricted jurisdictions depending on changing legal requirements and offered services without individual notification of each user. It is up to the customers to check the relevant terms and their eligibility.
Together with Russia, several other jurisdictions are currently restricted by HTX, such as the US, the UK, EU states, Singapore, Hong Kong, Iran, and Syria. Some locations also have the restrictions concerning derivatives. These limitations are caused by the geographical access policy of the exchange, but the contract itself does not determine the exact grounds for inclusion of Russia into this list.
It is important to make a difference between trading restrictions and withdrawal suspensions, since the first one restricts the use of exchange products, whereas the latter affects the right to withdraw money from the account. Although HTX is allowed to take such actions according to the contract, there is no information about applying these restrictions to all Russian accounts.
Bitget and MEXC Discontinue Russian Services
The actions by HTX are similar to those made by Bitget regarding Russia and Belarus along with Kazakhstan as prohibited jurisdictions. The Bitget actions involved restriction of access to trading and products starting from October 18. All users whose accounts had been limited were advised to withdraw their assets by October 26.
On October 20, MEXC declared that it would stop serving clients from Russia and Belarus. It was indicated in its official announcement that all affected users would be notified individually about the deadlines when they have to close their positions and withdraw cryptocurrencies.
These decisions differ depending on the exchange where an account is held and the deadlines. It should be stressed that it is crucial to look through the official notices to understand what procedures to follow. It becomes especially clear how important it is to know withdrawal rules before using any international exchange service.
Sanctions and Compliance Concerns Add Context
These restrictions follow broader investigations into cryptocurrency services associated with Russia. HTX was listed among the services subjected to EU sanctions measures regarding Russia in July 2026 based on accusations that the service had enabled Russian users to bypass sanctions. These measures had also prohibited EU companies from carrying out transactions on the exchange, as per media reports.
While these accusations are relevant to understand the context surrounding HTX’s decision to update its terms of service agreement, these alone cannot be used to determine the underlying reasons behind the inclusion of Russia into HTX’s list of restricted jurisdictions. HTX has not provided any official information about the link between the two cases.
According to Nikita Zuborev, the senior analyst at cryptocurrency service comparison website BestChange, the threat of secondary sanctions and the growing cost of compliance have been making Russian users increasingly undesirable for foreign exchanges.
Russian Crypto Rules and Market Impact
Russia too has amended its local digital-asset regulations with respect to licensing of cryptocurrency trading platforms under new legislation that became effective September 1. The Central Bank of Russia licensed Sberbank for cryptocurrency exchange under the local digital-asset regulations of Russia. All these changes represent a changing landscape for cryptocurrencies services operating in Russia.
The first question that arises in regard to Russian clients is whether they still have access to their accounts, trading services, and withdrawals. In addition, firms doing business in Russia are now facing additional uncertainty in regard to the fact that the restrictions by HTX apply not only to the clients of the service but also to companies registered or operating mainly in Russia.
The next thing is obtaining clarification from HTX concerning implementation date, accounts management, and withdrawal rules. Customers need to check out exchange communications and read the terms of their accounts prior to any deadlines. Reports available at this moment do not show that additional international exchanges plan to restrict Russian clients.
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