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Exchange record

AscendEX

Material concerns / known unknowns

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Regulatory record
Material regulatory or registration-related record present
Withdrawal / service restriction
Material restriction event recorded
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Exchange record

AscendEX

Global centralized cryptocurrency exchange launched under the BitMax name in July 2018 and later rebranded as AscendEX. The exchange ceased operations effective July 1, 2026 after citing its lack of MiCA authorization and broader regulatory, financial, and operational considerations; limited account access remains for wind-down and offboarding purposes.

CEXDeadUnknown

Registry sequence

Previous
No previous entry in this side.

Key facts

Launch date
2018-07-01
Death date
2026-07-01
Years
2018–2026
Origin
Singapore
Confidence
high
Last verified
2026-08-04

URL handling

Preferred action
Use current URL handling based on status below.
URL status
Live verified
Archived URL

Summary

Global centralized cryptocurrency exchange launched under the BitMax name in July 2018 and later rebranded as AscendEX. The exchange ceased operations effective July 1, 2026 after citing its lack of MiCA authorization and broader regulatory, financial, and operational considerations; limited account access remains for wind-down and offboarding purposes.

Timeline

BitMax launched in July 2018
2018-07-01launchedmedium

The centralized exchange later known as AscendEX launched under the BitMax name in July 2018.

AscendEX hot wallets were breached
2021-12-11hackhigh

AscendEX identified unauthorized transfers from hot-wallet infrastructure across several networks on December 11, 2021 and temporarily suspended deposits and withdrawals while rebuilding affected infrastructure.

AscendEX ceased operations
2026-07-01shutdown_effectivecritical

AscendEX stated that it ceased operations effective July 1, 2026. New account opening, deposits, trading, swaps, staking, lending, referrals, promotions, and other crypto-asset services ended, leaving only limited wind-down and offboarding access subject to platform and legal constraints.

Evidence

AscendEX2026-04-07official_statementmedium reliabilityentityarchive
AscendEX2021-11-05official_statementhigh reliabilitylaunch_datearchive
CoinGeckodatabase_referencemedium reliabilitylaunch_datearchive
AscendEX2021-12-16official_statementhigh reliabilityeventarchive
ForkLog2021-12-13news_articlemedium reliabilityeventarchive
AscendEXofficial_statementhigh reliabilitystatusarchive
AscendEX2026-07-06official_statementhigh reliabilityeventarchive
The Block2026-07-09news_articlehigh reliabilityeventarchive

Related records

Notes and record state

Record note
Official company material establishes the July 2018 BitMax launch and later AscendEX identity. AscendEX stated that operations ceased effective 2026-07-01. New accounts, deposits, trading, swaps, staking, lending, referrals, and promotional services are no longer available. From 2026-07-06, automated withdrawals were paused and all withdrawal requests became subject to manual review, with no assurance on timing or amounts. HEI uses death_reason unknown because the official notice cites MiCA authorization, broader regulatory, financial, and operational considerations, and a failed strategic transaction without establishing a single confirmed terminal cause or a formal insolvency proceeding.
Revision state
Records may be incomplete, approximate, contested, or revised as better evidence becomes available.
This record may be incomplete or revised. Dead-side entries prefer archived URLs over original domains. Dates, causes, and classifications may change when stronger evidence becomes available. Contact / corrections

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