Belarus Unblocks Crypto Exchange Websites After ’Inappropriate Ads’ Blackout - Regulatory Shift in Eastern Europe
Belarus just flipped the switch back on for crypto exchange websites—ending a controversial blackout over what authorities called 'inappropriate advertising.'
The Great Firewall Comes Down
For months, traders in Belarus faced digital barricades. Major crypto platforms vanished from local browsers, blocked by the country's Operational and Analytical Centre (OAC). The official reason? Ads that crossed a line. No specifics, just a blanket ban that left the crypto community in the dark.
Regulatory Whiplash
This move signals a sudden pivot. Belarus once positioned itself as a crypto haven with tax-free mining and trading until 2023. Now, it's dancing between encouragement and control—unblocking access while keeping a tight grip on the narrative. It's the classic regulatory two-step: one step forward, one step back, always watching where you step.
The New Normal
Exchanges are back online, but the rules of engagement have changed. The message is clear: operate here, but don't get flashy with your marketing. Belarus wants the innovation without the noise, the capital without the carnival. It's a delicate balance—trying to attract crypto investment while avoiding the speculative frenzy that makes central bankers break out in cold sweats.
Why This Matters Beyond Minsk
Watch Eastern Europe. Belarus's back-and-forth mirrors a regional struggle. Neighbors are grappling with the same dilemma: how to harness crypto's potential without unleashing its volatility. Some see digital assets as an economic lifeline; others view them as a threat to financial stability. Belarus just chose the middle path—access with conditions.
The cynical take? Another government realizes it can't stop the tide, so it's learning to tax the beach. The ads might be 'inappropriate,' but the revenue stream? Perfectly appropriate.
Access restored. Freedom? That's still trading at a discount.
Belarusians regain control over their crypto assets on foreign exchanges
Residents of Belarus, who recently lost access to their accounts on major international exchanges for digital currencies, can reach their assets again.
Some of the world’s largest coin trading venues, blocked by the nation’s Ministry of Information earlier this week, are now accessible, local media reported.
Bybit, Bitget and other platforms have been removed from the database of banned pages, the Belarusian business news portal Banki24 noticed first and shared the news on Telegram.
BingX and OKX were also among those previously added to the register, Tochka.by noted in a report, quoting the post. Late on Friday, the news outlet announced:
“These sites are no longer on the blacklist of BelGIE. The exchanges did indeed reopen in Belarus on the evening of December 12.”
BelGIE, or the Republican Unitary Enterprise for Supervision of Telecommunications, serves as the country’s telecom watchdog, which maintains the list of prohibited websites.
The positive development is good news for Belarusian traders as attempts to access their accounts via VPN may result in account suspensions by the exchanges themselves, Onliner.by warned.
‘Improper advertising’ cited as the main reason for the blocking
Access to the cryptocurrency exchanges was restricted on Wednesday, as reported by Cryptopolitan, initially without any proper explanation.
On Thursday, the Information Ministry published a short notice indicating it acted on a request from the Minsk City Executive Committee, the capital city’s main governing body.
The announcement cited the presence of “inappropriate advertising” on their websites as the main reason for the move. It also revealed that weex.com and gate.com had been blocked as well.
According to a report by RBC, Kucoin and MEXC were also temporarily inaccessible. The Russian economic news source noted, however, that Binance and KuCoin remained available.
The department remarked that it could provide more details only to the owners of the affected internet resources, noting it WOULD restore access once the violations were eliminated.
The platforms are among the world’s biggest crypto trading sites. Bybit, for example, is the leading crypto exchange in the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
CIS is the regional organization formed after the dissolution of the USSR to facilitate cooperation between its former republics. Nine of them, including Belarus, are still members of the Eurasian format.
Belarus leads the bunch in terms of crypto regulation
Belarus is an established leader among peers in its region when it comes to building a comprehensive regulatory framework for activities and transactions related to cryptocurrencies.
The Eastern European nation defined its legal status with a presidential decree “On the Development of the Digital Economy” signed by its long-term leader, Alexander Lukashenko, in 2017 and enforced the following year.
Its citizens can buy and sell what the document calls “digital tokens” on regulated platforms that have obtained the status of residents of the High-Tech Park (HTP) in Minsk. The latter provides a special legal regime and benefits for business in the IT sector, including the crypto industry.
It should be noted that in 2024, the authorities banned ordinary Belarusians, including those registered as individual entrepreneurs, from trading on non-domestic exchanges, amid concerns about capital flight from the sanctioned nation.
In September, Lukashenko called on officials and government institutions to update the rules, highlighting the increasing relevance of cryptocurrencies, particularly in payments under financial restrictions imposed by the West.
Russia, Belarus’s closest ally and the economic powerhouse of CIS, which has been the main target of international sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, has only recently started to seriously consider legalizing its crypto market. Officials in Moscow have now indicated they are going to introduce the necessary legislation in 2026.
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