KuCoin has announced the immediate discontinuation of all services for users in Russia and Belarus, citing compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements. The exchange made the announcement on October 29, 2026, stating that the termination covers all KuCoin products, services, and features in both countries.
Affected customers will receive individual notifications outlining their specific deadlines for closing positions and withdrawing assets. KuCoin has committed to an orderly termination process, but the official notice does not publish a single universal withdrawal deadline nor disclose the number of affected accounts or the total value of their holdings.
The announcement marks the third major exchange to restrict services in these markets within October 2026. MEXC announced on October 20 that it would end services in Russia and Belarus as part of its global compliance efforts, while Bitget updated its access rules on October 16 to list Russia and Belarus among prohibited jurisdictions. Bitget described its account closures as "a one-off exercise for certain users only."
The departures follow European measures targeting cryptocurrency services connected to Russian sanctions evasion. On July 23, 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted its 21st sanctions package, extending transaction bans to 14 crypto-related service platforms based in Georgia, Panama, the United Arab Emirates, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. The package introduced the possibility of a full third-country ban on crypto-asset services.
KuCoin's announcement does not cite the EU sanctions package or identify any specific regulatory order as the trigger for its decision. The exchange simply states the move is in line with "applicable legal and regulatory requirements."
This is not KuCoin's first market exit prompted by regulatory pressure. Its operating company, Peken Global Limited, pleaded guilty on January 27, 2025, to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in the United States. The US Justice Department required Peken to pay more than $297 million and withdraw KuCoin from the US market for at least two years. The settlement included $184.5 million in criminal forfeiture and a criminal fine of approximately $112.9 million. Co-founders Chun Gan and Ke Tang agreed to have no further role in KuCoin's management or operations.
KuCoin has warned affected users to remain vigilant against phishing attempts and to communicate only through official KuCoin channels, as fraudsters may attempt to exploit the transition period.
