Crypto exchange CoinEx has decided to stop its operations and close its platform on December 22, 2026. The company said it will follow an orderly shutdown plan after a review of the crypto market, its business conditions and rules across major markets.
The exchange made the announcement on September 15, 2026. Its decision means that CoinEx will not continue as a normal crypto trading platform after the final withdrawal date.
CoinEx said the wider crypto market has faced a long period of weakness. It also pointed to a major fall in overall trading volume and liquidity across the industry. At the same time, regulatory demands have continued to rise in major markets.
The company said the cost of compliance and the uncertainty around future operations had moved beyond what it saw as a reasonable level. Based on these factors, CoinEx decided to close rather than continue its business.
CoinEx will stop services in several stages. New user registration has already stopped, while other products will close over the next few weeks. Users will still have access to withdrawals until December 22, 2026.
Nine Years After Its Launch
CoinEx is set to close almost exactly nine years after its launch.
The exchange began operations in 2017 and will formally close on December 22, 2026. CoinEx founder and CEO Haipo Yang said the company chose a clean end instead of a sale.
That decision means the exchange will not transfer its business to another operator. Instead, CoinEx will slowly end its services, allow users to remove their assets and then shut the platform.
The closure adds CoinEx to a wider list of crypto exchanges that have ended or plan to end their operations in 2026. Decrypt reported that BitMEX and BitMart have also faced exchange closure developments this year.
The CoinEx case is different from a sudden halt. The company has provided users with a clear timetable and several months to remove their assets.
New User Registration Has Stopped
The first major step took place on September 15, 2026.
CoinEx stopped all new user registration on that date. It also stopped referral rebates and reward payments.
Its futures contracts moved to reduce-only mode. In simple terms, users can reduce existing futures positions, but they cannot create new positions in the normal way.
CoinEx also stopped new subscriptions and orders for several other products. These include fiat services, margin trading, loans, Earn, staking and strategy trading.
This first stage is designed to reduce the amount of new activity on the platform before the exchange moves toward a full shutdown.
Users who already have assets on CoinEx still have access to withdrawal services. The company has told users to remove their funds before the final deadline.
More Services Will Stop on September 22
The next major date is September 22, 2026.
On this date, CoinEx will stop all services outside spot trading. It will also stop on-chain deposit services.
There is one exception for CET deposits, which will remain available until September 29.
CoinEx has advised users not to send new digital assets to the exchange unless they need to complete a necessary transaction before the relevant deadline.
This is important because a deposit made close to the shutdown dates could face delays due to blockchain congestion, network confirmation times or other technical issues.
Users who want to withdraw their assets in their original form must pay close attention to the September 29 deadline for non-USDT assets.
Spot Trading Ends on September 29
The biggest change will come on September 29, 2026.
CoinEx will end all spot trading services on that date. Spot trading is the normal form of crypto buying and selling where users exchange one asset for another at the current market price.
After September 29, users will no longer be able to use CoinEx as a normal spot exchange.
The company will also process non-USDT assets at this stage. Users who want to withdraw these assets in their original form must complete the required action before 10:00 UTC+8 on September 29.
CoinEx has warned users to complete withdrawals early rather than wait until the final hours. Blockchain networks can become busy, which can lead to longer confirmation times or higher fees.
The exchange will also stop the operation of CoinEx Smart Chain, or CSC, and OneSwap on September 29.
What Happens to CET Tokens?
CoinEx has also announced a specific plan for its native CET token.
The company will buy back all remaining CET at a fixed price of 0.005 USDT per CET. There will be no limit on the amount that can be sold under the buyback plan.
From September 15 through September 29, CoinEx will place buy orders for CET/USDT at 0.005 USDT per CET. Users can sell their CET through this process, and the exchange will not charge a trading fee for the CET buyback window.
After September 29, the process will change.
Any CET left in a user’s account will be bought back by CoinEx automatically at the same 0.005 USDT price. Users will not need to take a separate action for this automatic buyback.
The USDT received from the buyback will go to the user’s spot account.
After that point, CoinEx will end the CET buyback process. The company said there will be no later buyback or redemption arrangement for CET.
CoinEx Smart Chain and OneSwap Will Also Close
The shutdown is not limited to the main exchange.
CoinEx Smart Chain, or CSC, and OneSwap will stop operations on September 29.
Users who hold assets through CSC or related services must complete the required steps before the shutdown.
The cross-chain bridge redemption window will also close when CSC stops. CoinEx has advised users to complete any asset redemption before that date.
CET deposits will also end as part of this process.
Users who hold CET on a blockchain outside the exchange need to allow enough time for the transaction and deposit confirmation. A last-minute transaction could face network delays.
CoinEx Says User Assets Are Fully Covered
One of the biggest concerns during any exchange closure is whether users can recover their assets.
CoinEx says its asset reserve ratio is above 100%. The company states that all user assets are fully backed and available for withdrawal.
This is an important statement from the exchange, although users should still take the company’s deadline seriously.
CoinEx has kept withdrawals open from the start of the shutdown process. Users do not have to wait until the final date to remove their funds.
The exchange has also published proof-of-reserves information for users who want to review its stated asset backing.
December 22 Is the Final Deadline
The final date is December 22, 2026.
CoinEx will keep its withdrawal service open until 10:00 UTC+8 on December 22. After that point, the platform will close.
Users should not confuse this date with the September 29 deadline.
September 29 is important for users who want to withdraw non-USDT assets in their original form. It is also the date when spot trading, CSC and OneSwap will end.
December 22 is the final date for withdrawals before the exchange shuts down.
CoinEx has asked users to remove all assets before this date.
Why Is CoinEx Closing?
CoinEx gave several reasons for the decision.
The company cited a long period of weakness in the crypto market, along with a significant decline in industry-wide trading volume and liquidity.
It also pointed to higher regulatory requirements across major jurisdictions. Crypto exchanges now face rules related to customer protection, identity checks, financial crime controls, reporting and other areas.
These requirements can create major costs for exchanges that operate across many countries.
CoinEx said its compliance costs and operational uncertainty had moved beyond a reasonable level. The company therefore decided that an orderly closure was the better path.
These are the reasons given by CoinEx itself in its official announcement.
What Users Need to Know
CoinEx users now have a clear set of dates to remember.
New registrations stopped on September 15. Non-spot services will stop on September 22. Spot trading will end on September 29. CoinEx Smart Chain and OneSwap will also stop on September 29.
The final withdrawal deadline is December 22, 2026.
The exchange has also set the CET buyback price at 0.005 USDT per CET.
CoinEx’s closure marks the end of a platform that operated for about nine years. Unlike a sudden exchange failure, the company has announced a planned shutdown with a defined schedule.
For users, the main issue is now time. The exchange will remain available for withdrawals for several months, but some services will end much sooner.
The shutdown also offers a wider view of the challenges faced by crypto businesses. Market conditions, liquidity, regulation and compliance costs can all affect the future of an exchange.
CoinEx has chosen to end its business through an orderly process. Its final day will come on December 22, 2026, when the withdrawal period ends and the platform closes after nine years of operation.
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