Viewpoint: The successive shutdowns of BitMEX and BitMart reflect intense competition among centralized exchanges (CEXs) under the compliance trend, marking an active reshuffle in the sector.

In response to the successive closures of BitMEX and BitMart, crypto researcher Haotian stated that this is not a simple case of centralized exchange (CEX) implosions signaling a bull market, but rather an active reshuffle driven by fierce competition among CEXs under the global compliance trend. Haotian pointed out that CEXs’ competition has shifted to compliance requirements such as licensing, proof of reserves, and KYC/AML, while actively expanding TradFi (Traditional Finance) assets like tokenized US stocks to open up new revenue streams—but this also means the gradual erosion of pricing power in traditional crypto trading. "Small and medium-sized exchanges must find a differentiated positioning to survive: either deepening regional licensing and localized services to exploit regulatory arbitrage, focusing on specific niche products such as TradFi assets, perpetual contracts (Perps), and RWAFi (Real-World Assets Finance), or fully embracing crypto-native innovation narratives—including DeFi, the Agentic Economy, and MEMEs—with the support of crypto-native communities to weather market cycles. In any case, continuing homogeneous cutthroat competition will only accelerate the elimination wave, though it’s not all bad to clear out some less competitive players."