BitMEX has been sued for claiming compensation of £20 million due to losses related to Bitcoin.

BitMEX卷入2000万英镑诉讼，英国工程师指控其非法向UK客户提供衍生品交易

加密货币交易所BitMEX被卷入一起由英国软件工程师刘易斯·巴伯（Lewis Barber）提起的2000万英镑诉讼。巴伯指控该公司在2018年至2022年间，未经授权向英国客户提供了受监管的衍生品交易服务。

诉讼核心：缺乏金融行为监管局授权

据《卫报》10月14日报道，巴伯已在伦敦高等法院对BitMEX的运营公司——总部位于塞舌尔的HDR Global Trading Limited提起诉讼。巴伯要求返还其在交易加密货币衍生品期间损失的比特币，或提供等值赔偿。

巴伯的律师指出，BitMEX在向英国客户提供相关投资服务时，未获得英国金融行为监管局（FCA）的必要授权。该索赔主要依据《2000年金融服务和市场法》（Financial Services and Markets Act 2000），特别是关于公司从事受监管活动却缺乏必要许可的规定。

根据该立法，涉及未经授权受监管活动的某些协议可能被视为不可执行。在特定条件下，受影响客户有权追回通过此类协议转移的资金或财产。巴伯的律师认为，这些条款适用于他的加密货币交易，但目前法院尚未裁定BitMEX是否违反了适用规则，也未确定投资者是否有权追回损失。

营销行为与监管警告

The lawsuit also addresses the issue of how BitMEX promoted its trading services to potential customers. Barber’s lawyers claim that BitMEX conducted promotional activities across international markets, without excluding the UK from these efforts. The indictment specifically refers to an advertisement published in the Times on January 3, 2019.

The legal team argues that although BitMEX allegedly lacked certain regulatory licenses required for certain derivatives products, its promotional efforts were aimed at attracting British customers. The indictment cites a warning issued by the FCA on March 3, 2020. It was reported that regulators warned that BitMEX might be engaging in regulated investment activities in the UK without proper authorization.

However, the FCA warning cited in the indictment does not constitute a ruling by the court declaring the contract illegal. Gareth Keillor, a partner at Seladore Legal representing Barber, said, “This is a significant claim involving losses incurred by Lewis over several years.” He added that other British customers may have entered into similar agreements with BitMEX, but the value of any individual claims would depend on each person’s trading history and specific circumstances.

BitMEX responded by stating that the claims had not yet been officially filed.

It is worth noting that several weeks after this legal action became public, BitMEX ceased its cryptocurrency exchange operations. The platform voluntarily closed on September 23, 2026, ending its trading services. However, this did not prevent legal actions against its operating company.

Regarding the lawsuit mentioned in the report, a spokesperson for BitMEX stated, “No such claims have been officially filed against HDR Global Trading Limited.” This statement only addressed the formal process of filing claims, without providing any detailed response to the accusations related to British regulatory authorization. In legal proceedings, the initiation of proceedings and the official service of documents to the defendant are separate steps; serving documents typically notifies the defendant of the case and gives them time to respond within the applicable court schedule. As of October 14th, no response, hearing dates, or judgment results have been reported regarding the Barber case.

Previous punishments in the United States and their implications

This case follows up on previous enforcement actions taken against BitMEX and its founder in the United States. In July 2024, HDR Global Trading Limited pleaded guilty to violating the Bank Secrecy Act, as federal prosecutors alleged that the exchange failed to maintain proper anti-money laundering measures. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed this guilty plea, stating that the company did not implement sufficient customer identification and compliance procedures when conducting cryptocurrency derivatives business.

In January 2025, the Department of Justice announced a fine of $100 million for BitMEX, along with a two-year suspended sentence. BitMEX’s co-founders, Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed, had already pleaded guilty to related charges in 2022 and were fined, rather than imprisoned. In March 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump pardoned these three founders.

The previous legal proceedings in the United States primarily involved compliance issues related to anti-money laundering regulations and requirements for customer identification. Barber’s lawsuit, on the other hand, focused on the authorization procedures necessary for offering certain financial products in the UK. Meanwhile, BitMEX is also facing another civil lawsuit in New York. Investors accuse the exchange of Bitcoin theft and insider trading activities. The company has denied these allegations.

Additionally, Ben Deleon, one of BitMEX’s co-founders, has drawn attention in British politics after donating £36 million to the UK Reform Party. He stated that this donation was intended to support what he called fair competition. Currently, Barber’s appeal to the Supreme Court is still underway. BitMEX insists that the legal proceedings have not yet officially reached their operating company.