From January 22, 2026, cryptocurrency exchange Bybit will cease serving residents of Japan due to pressure from local regulators, as reported by CoinPost Japan, citing an official statement from the platform.
“As part of Bybit’s active efforts to comply with Japanese regulatory requirements, we have decided to stop providing services to customers residing in Japan,” the company stated.
The restrictions will be enforced through IP address blocking. The exchange plans a “phased” withdrawal from the country.
If users are mistakenly identified as Japanese residents, they should update or complete the residency verification process.
Bybit has taken this step amid increasing pressure from the Financial Services Agency (FSA). In late October 2025, the exchange suspended new user registrations to comply with regulatory requirements.
Additionally, the company has received warnings from the FSA three times (in May 2021, March 2023, and November 2024) and has been gradually withdrawing from the Japanese market.
CoinPost noted that this move could be seen as an attempt to “re-enter” the licensed market in the country. In 2023, Binance took a similar approach: initially, the main division of the exchange left Japan, then Binance Japan was launched through the acquisition of Sakura Exchange Bitcoin, which held a local license.
In August, Japan’s Finance Minister, Katsunobu Kato, acknowledged that cryptocurrencies could be part of diversified investment portfolios.