21 October 2019 08:35, UTC
Bittrex cryptocurrency exchange ceases operations in 31 countries, including Venezuela and Zimbabwe. The trading platform substantiated its decision, referring to the regulatory uncertainty in these jurisdictions.
Bittrex International informed customers residing in these countries that they would no longer be able to use its services:
“All trading and account access for these impacted customers will be halted on Tuesday, October 29 date at 19:00 UTC/21:00 CEST.”
Users were asked to withdraw their coins and tokens from the platform before the deadline. The exchange also warns traders that they will not be able to withdraw cryptocurrency from their balance if it is below a certain threshold. Users can find additional withdrawal instructions in the FAQ section.
Bittrex’s decision to suspend operations is mainly for customers in developing countries. Many of these markets are in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Pakistan, affected by the crisis. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the only European jurisdiction on the list. Crypto traders from Venezuela are also among those who will not be able to use its services in the future.