Crypto exchange MEXC has confirmed that it does not hold authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, known as MiCA, as it winds down services in the Netherlands. The disclosure puts fresh attention on the platform’s regulatory position and the deadlines facing affected customers.
The exchange’s published notices contain different dates for the Dutch withdrawal. A detailed account closure schedule lists October 31, 2026, as the completion date for the final group of users, while a separate country guide refers to November 16. The difference matters because some account restrictions began before either date.
MEXC Confirms It Has No MiCA Authorization
According to its country restrictions guide, MEXC does not have authorization to provide crypto-asset services under MiCA across the EU and European Economic Area. That disclosure is especially important for Dutch customers, whose accounts are being closed through a phased process.
The Netherlands withdrawal follows an earlier warning from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets, or AFM. On September 24, 2025, the regulator said MEXC was providing crypto services in the country without the required license.
The AFM also raised concerns about the exchange’s legal structure. It said MEXC was no longer registered in a trade register, leaving uncertainty over where the entity was based. The regulator warned that the platform offered high-risk products that could expose consumers to large losses.
These concerns place the current wind-down in a longer regulatory context. MEXC’s latest disclosure does not mark the start of the Dutch licensing dispute. Instead, it confirms the exchange’s position as its withdrawal moves toward completion.
Netherlands Customers Face Different Published Deadlines
The most pressing issue for affected users is the account closure timetable.
MEXC’s detailed wind-down announcement divides Netherlands-linked accounts into four groups. Each group has an action deadline, a date when restrictions begin, and a scheduled completion date. For the final group, the notice lists:
- October 23, 2026: Deadline for customers to take action.
- October 24, 2026: Account restrictions begin.
- October 31, 2026: Offboarding is scheduled to finish.
A separate MEXC country guide, however, identifies November 16 as the final offboarding date. That guide also tells Dutch users to treat October 31 as their working deadline rather than waiting until November.
The published dates have not been clearly reconciled. As a result, customers should not assume that November 16 gives them unrestricted access until then. Account-specific instructions may set earlier limits, including deadlines that have already passed.
What Happens to Open Positions and Remaining Assets?
MEXC’s withdrawal involves more than stopping new registrations. Its notices describe a process for handling open positions, outstanding liabilities, and assets left in affected accounts.
For the final account group, the exchange warned that remaining positions and liabilities could be processed after restrictions began on October 24. That process may create fees or losses. Its notice also states that remaining assets will be transferred to a regulated custodian.
Those details make the difference between an action deadline and an offboarding date important. A customer’s opportunity to manage positions directly may end before the overall account closure process finishes.
MEXC had already reduced its services for Netherlands residents earlier in the year. In March 2026, it suspended fiat-related services, including bank transfers, peer-to-peer transactions, fiat deposits, and third-party payments. The account closures represent a further step in that withdrawal.
Russia and Belarus Restrictions Follow a Separate Process
MEXC is also ending services for users in Russia and Belarus, but those restrictions should not be confused with the Dutch exit.
The exchange announced the decision on October 20, saying affected customers would receive individual notices with instructions for closing positions and withdrawing funds. It did not establish one shared deadline for every account.
MEXC said users who had not received a termination notice could continue using the platform, subject to its existing terms. It also stated that customer assets remained safe, although that assurance is the exchange’s own statement rather than an independent assessment.
The company has not identified a specific sanctions designation or government order behind the latest Russia and Belarus restrictions. They therefore should not be described as the same regulatory action driving its Netherlands withdrawal.
MEXC’s Restricted-Market Rules Extend Further
Beyond these service exits, MEXC’s October 13 User Agreement lists 13 prohibited jurisdictions. They include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories, with the territories counted as one entry.
The exchange also applies exclusions linked to comprehensive EU or U.S. sanctions and the Financial Action Task Force’s high-risk call-for-action list. Under its terms, misrepresenting a customer’s location may lead to account termination and the liquidation of open positions.
MEXC states that using a virtual private network does not override restrictions based on a user’s actual jurisdiction. Its country guide also distinguishes outright prohibited markets from locations where regulatory action or app availability limits access.
Account Notices Remain Crucial as the Exit Nears
For Netherlands-linked customers, the immediate issue is not simply MEXC’s lack of a MiCA license. It is how that status affects access to funds, open trades, and withdrawal arrangements during the wind-down.
The detailed schedule shows that restrictions for the final group began on October 24, ahead of the October 31 completion date. The separate November 16 reference does not remove those earlier account-level deadlines.
Affected users should therefore follow their official account notices rather than rely on a general date shared online. MEXC has also warned customers that its staff will never request passwords, seed phrases, payments, or asset transfers through private messages—an important caution as withdrawal notices reach users across several markets.
