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Service closed. Bittrex closed its US operations on 30 April 2023, and on 8 May 2023 the US company Bittrex Inc. filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware; the international subsidiary Bittrex Global disabled trading on 4 December 2023 (The Block). Since April 2024 the two Bittrex Global companies, in Liechtenstein and Bermuda, have been in liquidation: customers of Bittrex Global GmbH (Liechtenstein) can still withdraw from the platform, but since 1 September 2026 the liquidator ALPS Trust has been deducting 5.5% of each asset left in the account every month, with a minimum of 175 dollars. For Bittrex Global (Bermuda) Ltd. the final dividend window closed on 7 April 2025; for US customers the reference point is the Chapter 11 proceedings opened in Delaware. Updated 26 October 2026.
What Bittrex is
Bittrex was a cryptocurrency exchange founded in Seattle in 2014 by three former security specialists (Bill Shihara, Richie Lai and Rami Kawach, with backgrounds at Microsoft and Amazon). For years among the most used platforms in the United States, it was known for its broad listing and its emphasis on security. Today it is no longer operational: US activities ceased on 30 April 2023 and the international subsidiary Bittrex Global disabled trading on 4 December 2023. Anyone finding references to Bittrex in old guides should know that the platform is closed. (Verified: October 2026)
Regulation and licences
- MiCA: NOT APPLICABLE — company no longer operational. (Verified: September 2026)
- Timeline of the closure: in October 2022 Bittrex settled with OFAC and FinCEN (around 29 million dollars in total) for sanctions and anti-money-laundering violations. In April 2023 the SEC charged Bittrex Inc., Bittrex Global and co-founder William Shihara with operating as an unregistered exchange, broker and clearing agency; US operations closed on 30 April 2023 and on 8 May 2023 came the Chapter 11 filing in Delaware. In August 2023 a settlement with the SEC worth 24 million dollars. On 20 November 2023 Bittrex Global (Liechtenstein) announced its voluntary liquidation: trading disabled from 4 December 2023, with customers urged to withdraw their funds.
- Since April 2024 both Bittrex Global companies, in Liechtenstein and Bermuda, have been in liquidation. Customers of Bittrex Global GmbH (Liechtenstein) can still withdraw from the platform, but the liquidator ALPS Trust applies monthly fees to remaining balances: since 1 September 2026, 5.5% per month on each asset, with a minimum of 175 dollars. For Bittrex Global (Bermuda) Ltd. the final dividend distribution window closed on 7 April 2025: undistributed assets are converted and transferred to the Accountant General of Bermuda. (Verified: October 2026)
- The plan for a "Bittrex Malta Ltd." with a Maltese licence never materialised into regulated operations in the EU.
- Unlike FTX, Bittrex's closure was a regulatory surrender, not a collapse. Withdrawals were, however, suspended in two phases: for US customers after the Chapter 11 filing, until the Delaware court authorised them from 15 June 2023; for customers of Bittrex Global GmbH (Liechtenstein) with the start of the liquidation in 2024, until the liquidator reactivated them.
Security
Its historic strength: founded by security engineers, the platform suffered no significant breaches of customer funds during its operating history. The end came through regulation, not a hack. (Verified: September 2026)
Headquarters and contacts
- Bittrex Global GmbH (Liechtenstein) and Bittrex Global (Bermuda) Ltd. are in liquidation; the liquidator of the Liechtenstein company is ALPS Trust Ltd. (Bittrex Global liquidation website, October 2026).
- Bittrex Inc., the US company, filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware in May 2023.
- No link to the exchange's website, which is closed. Updates on the two liquidations are published on bittrexglobal.com.
Alternatives
For those looking for Bittrex and wanting an exchange authorised in the EU today:
- Kraken — full MiCA via the Central Bank of Ireland
- Bitstamp — MiCA via Luxembourg, today part of Robinhood
- Crypto.com — MiCA via Malta
FAQ
- Is Bittrex still active? No. US operations have been closed since 30 April 2023 (with a Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May) and Bittrex Global switched off trading on 4 December 2023.
- What happened to customer funds? Customers were invited to withdraw them during the orderly wind-down. For those who had an international account, what matters today are the Bittrex Global liquidations. At the Liechtenstein entity, withdrawals from the platform are still possible, but since 1 September 2026 the liquidator has been deducting 5.5% of each asset left in the account every month, with a minimum of 175 dollars. At the Bermuda entity the final distribution closed on 7 April 2025. For US customers the reference point is the Chapter 11 proceedings opened in Delaware in 2023. (Verified: October 2026)
- Why did it close? Because of the weight of US regulatory actions: settlements with OFAC/FinCEN (2022) and with the SEC (24 million dollars, 2023) after being charged with operating as an unregistered exchange.
Verified sources
- https://www.sec.gov/enforcement-litigation/litigation-releases/lr-25817
- https://bittrexglobal.com/
- https://www.coindesk.com/business/2023/11/21/crypto-exchange-bittrex-global-to-shut-down
- https://www.theblock.co/post/263875/bittrex-global-to-wind-down-operations-urges-customers
- https://fortune.com/2023/05/08/bittrex-bankruptcy-us-filing-crypto-platform
- https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2023/06/14/bankrupt-crypto-exchange-bittrex-us-set-to-allo
