Bitget officially disabled XRP withdrawals on September 26, 2026, in response to the movement of 27 million stolen XRP tokens through various on-chain addresses. The exchange took this preventative measure after blockchain intelligence indicated that the hackers were attempting to route the stolen assets through centralized liquidity hubs. By halting outflows, Bitget aims to prevent the stolen funds from being laundered or sold on the spot market, which could negatively impact the token’s price stability.
Blockchain tracing data from Bitquery shows that while the 27 million tokens are currently in motion, they have not yet been successfully off-ramped or converted into other assets. The hackers appear to be using a series of intermediary wallets to obfuscate the origin of the funds, a common tactic used to bypass automated anti-money laundering (AML) filters. Bitget’s security team is reportedly working with external forensic firms to blacklist the involved addresses and monitor the tokens' trajectory in real-time.
This incident highlights the ongoing regulatory pressure on centralized exchanges (CEXs) in 2026 to maintain strict security protocols. US regulators have recently increased their oversight of cross-border token transfers, demanding that exchanges act as gatekeepers against illicit finance. Bitget’s decision to freeze withdrawals reflects a broader industry trend where platforms prioritize compliance and market integrity over immediate user accessibility during active security threats.
For XRP holders and Bitget users, this freeze creates temporary liquidity friction but protects the broader ecosystem from a massive, coordinated dump. Investors should closely monitor Bitget’s official social media channels for updates on when withdrawal services will resume. Furthermore, the ability of the XRP Ledger to flag these transactions could determine whether the funds are eventually recovered or remain trapped in the hackers' wallets.