Belarus has blocked access to several major crypto exchanges — including Bitget, Bybit, OKX, BingX, Weex and Gate.com — after authorities flagged “inappropriate advertising” under the country’s Mass Media Law.
Advertising Violations Cited
The websites of several global cryptocurrency platforms, including Bitget, Bybit and OKX, have been blocked in Belarus, effective Dec. 10, following a decision by the Ministry of Information. The restriction, confirmed by data from the Republican Unitary Enterprise for Supervision of Telecommunications (BelGIE), also targets exchanges BingX, Weex and Gate.com.
Belarus’s sudden blockade of several global cryptocurrency exchange platforms, including Bybit and OKX, comes just a few months after President Aleksandr Lukashenko publicly aired his frustration that residents were using these platforms to spirit capital out of the country. To combat this, Lukashenko urged officials to recalibrate the regulatory framework to ensure only “legitimate” platforms would be allowed to operate in the country.
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Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information the decision to restrict access was made on Dec. 9, 2025, and was based on a notification from the Minsk City Executive Committee. The committee identified “inappropriate advertising” on the internet resources, prompting the Ministry to act under Article 51-1 of the Law on Mass Media.
According to a local , users attempting to access the blacklisted sites received a standard notification stating: “Access to this information resource is restricted based on a decision by the authorized body of the Republic of Belarus.”
Path to Resolution and User Risks
The Ministry of Information clarified that detailed information regarding the nature of the advertising violations will be provided exclusively to the owners of the affected platforms.
For the exchanges to resume access, they must follow the procedure outlined in Article 51-2 of the Law on Mass Media. This requires the owner to submit an application after eliminating the alleged violations of legislation that led to the restriction decision, as well as addressing any other legal violations.
While some users have reported being able to access the resources using a virtual private network (VPN), doing so . Bypassing geographic restrictions may violate the terms of service of the individual exchanges and could lead to account blocking, as these services often detect login attempts from restricted jurisdictions or masked IP addresses.
FAQ ❓
- Why were crypto exchange websites blocked in Belarus? They were restricted after authorities flagged “inappropriate advertising” under Article 51‑1 of the Mass Media Law.
- Which platforms are affected? Bitget, Bybit, OKX, BingX, Weex, and Gate.com were all added to the national blocklist.
- How can exchanges restore access? Platform owners must remove the alleged violations and formally apply for reinstatement under Article 51‑2.
- Can users bypass the block with a VPN? Using a VPN is risky, as exchanges may detect restricted‑region logins and block user accounts.
Author: Terence Zimwara
Source: Bitcoin
Reviewed By: Editorial Team
