15.05.2026 18:10
23 global cryptocurrency exchanges that violated the Capital Markets Board's Turkish language support ban and are still operating have been identified. KCEX, one of the exchanges previously blocked, bypassed the restriction by dropping the banned ".com" extension and switching to a ".io" domain to continue its activities. Here are the details…
With the Law No. 7518 that came into effect in July 2024, the CMB explicitly prohibited crypto platforms based abroad from offering Turkish language support. Global exchanges such as Binance, OKX, Bybit, Gate, KuCoin, MEXC, and Bitget were seen to have removed Turkish language support in compliance with CMB regulations. Through CMB decisions dated December 2024 and March 2026, access bans were imposed on dozens of platforms like HTX and Bitmart that did not comply with this ban. However, access bans were not sufficient to halt their activities. The cryptocurrency exchange named KCEX, which received an access ban, continues to offer services with Turkish language support by changing its domain name.
THEY BYPASS THE ACCESS BAN BY CHANGING THE DOMAIN NAME
KCEX, against which the CMB issued an access ban decision in December 2024, switched to the domain name kcex.io after the kcex.com address was blocked, continuing to offer services to Turkish users with Turkish language support. The platform continued to keep its Turkish interface, leveraged trading products, and the referral system conducted with Turkish influencers active through the new domain name. This move by KCEX concretely demonstrated how easily access bans, which are only applied on a domain name basis, can be circumvented.
23 GLOBAL EXCHANGES DETECTED VIOLATING THE BAN
Investigations identified 23 platforms found to continue violating the CMB's Turkish language support ban. All of these platforms are actively providing services to Turkish users through a Turkish interface.
- KCEX (kcex.io)
- CoinW (coinw.com)
- Toobit (toobit.com)
- Tapbit (tapbit.com)
- CoinEx (coinex.com)
- Ju.com (ju.com)
- Biconomy (biconomy.com)
- P2B (p2pb2b.com)
- OrangeX (orangex.com)
- Ourbit (ourbit.com)
- Bitrue (bitrue.com)
- Latoken (latoken.com)
- FameEX (fameex.com)
- C-Patex (c-patex.com)
- BigOne (bigone.com)
- Cryptology (tothemoon.com)
- BitStorage (bitstorage.finance)
- NonKYC (nonkyc.io)
- BCEX Korea (bcex.kr)
- Cryptonex (cryptonex)
- Bibox (bibox.com)
- StormGain (stormgain.com)
- B2Z Exchange (b2z.exchange)
It is observed that some of these platforms appeared on the CMB's previous access ban lists, while others have not yet been directly subject to sanctions. Experts state that the current legal status of all platforms on the list is the same. Within the scope of Law No. 7518, offering Turkish language support, advertising, or conducting any marketing activities targeting Turkish users is considered unauthorized crypto asset service provision. This offense carries a prison sentence of 3 to 5 years and a judicial fine of up to 10,000 days.
THE NEXT STEP COULD BE APP STORES
Experts emphasize that website access bans alone are not sufficient. As seen in the KCEX example, access bans can be easily bypassed by changing the domain name. Moreover, applications continue to reach Turkish users through the App Store and Google Play. Pointing out that South Korea and Japan had unlicensed foreign exchanges' applications removed from the Apple App Store and Google Play, experts stress that Turkey's current regulation provides a legal basis for this step and that the CMB needs to take additional enforcement measures covering app stores.