FTX payouts in Belarus: why Step 8 is blocked and what you can do

Is Belarus on FTX's restricted list?

Yes. FTX's support page "General Information on Distribution Service Providers" (updated 2 October 2026) says: "As of October 1, 2026, the following jurisdictions are not eligible for distributions and creditors resident in those jurisdictions cannot select Distribution Service Providers in the FTX Customer Portal." Belarus is one of the 44 jurisdictions on that list. FTX adds: "The FTX Debtors are continuing to assess eligible jurisdictions."

In practice, Step 8 of the portal offers no provider to a resident of Belarus. Keep your KYC and the tax form (Step 7) complete, so nothing else holds the claim back if a route opens.

Belarus was also among the 49 jurisdictions named in Exhibit B to the FTX Recovery Trust's motion of 2 July 2025 on "potentially restricted foreign jurisdictions" (D.I. 31148). The Trust withdrew that motion without prejudice on 3 November 2025 (D.I. 33439), so it can be filed again.

And in the Bahamas (PwC) process?

Belarus is restricted there too. PwC's page "Potentially Restricted Foreign Jurisdictions" for FTX Digital Markets (last modified 15 October 2026) lists 46 jurisdictions: FTX's 44 plus Pakistan and Zimbabwe. PwC says it is "unable to provide any details on timelines or likely outcomes at this stage".

Why payouts to Belarus are blocked

FTX publishes no reasons for any country on its list. What is on record:

• None of FTX's three distribution service providers can be selected by a resident of Belarus in the portal.
• Kraken's Global Terms (last updated 19 October 2026) do not allow residents of Belarus to use Kraken.
• Payoneer told Belarus residents that their accounts would be closed on 11 September 2026, "due to changes on the part of its banking partners" (Nasha Niva, 24 August 2026).

Our reading: with all three providers out, Belarus is unlikely to leave FTX's list soon. We would plan around January 2027 rather than wait for a change.

What happens if you do nothing

• Deferral. FTX: "If a Distribution Service Provider is unable to service your jurisdiction, your distribution will be deferred to a later date."
• The six-month rule.
• FTX's Distributions Dashboard FAQ (updated 13 September 2026) says a holder of an allowed claim who does not complete onboarding with a provider within six months from the 31 July 2026 distribution date may forfeit their right to receive distributions on that claim.
• Six months from that date is about 31 January 2027. That is our calculation; your own FTX notice gives the date that applies to you.
• FTX has not said how this rule applies when a country is blocked.

FTX Step 8 deadline

• Step 7. The tax form must be completed within 90 days of FTX's first notice after each record date; otherwise that distribution is permanently forfeited.
• No court route today. The 2025 motion on restricted jurisdictions was withdrawn and can be filed again.

Your options

1. Wait.

• Keep KYC and Step 7 complete, and check Step 8 every month.
• It costs nothing and can suit small claims.
• The risk is the six-month rule around January 2027.

2. Update your residence, only if you have genuinely moved abroad.

• FTX: "Email KYC-Support@ftx.com to request an update to your jurisdiction information"; "the FTX Recovery Trust will evaluate and update your jurisdiction as appropriate."
• FTX looks at your country of residence, not your passport. Many Belarusians now live in Poland, Lithuania or Georgia; if that is your genuine residence and your KYC shows it, the Belarus restriction does not apply to you.
• The provider's country must match your KYC country, and the provider runs its own checks. A temporary or borrowed address will fail them.

3. Sell the claim to Paxtibi.

• We buy the claim and file the transfer with the US court under Bankruptcy Rule 3001(e).
• You are paid at signing.
• After the 21-day notice period, future distributions go to us.

4. Payment processing.

• If you want to keep the value of future distributions, you transfer the claim to Paxtibi under a written agreement.
• When FTX pays, we forward the funds to you.
• We charge a success fee on the recovered amount; if FTX does not pay, we earn nothing.

You choose between options 3 and 4; we explain both before you decide.

What not to do:

• pay anyone who promises to "unblock" your country;
• share your FTX portal login, seed phrases or private keys;
• use someone else's address or documents for KYC.

Living in Russia? See FTX payouts in Russia.

Rules in Belarus to know

General information, not legal or tax advice.

1. Tokens are legal for individuals.

• Decree No. 8 "On the Development of the Digital Economy" (21 December 2017) allows individuals to mine tokens, store them in virtual wallets, exchange them for other tokens, and buy and sell them for Belarusian rubles, foreign currency or e-money.
• It also allows individuals to give tokens as gifts and to leave them by will.
• Source: the official legal portal Etalonline.

2. Buying and selling only through Hi-Tech Park platforms.

• Decree No. 367 "On the Circulation of Digital Tokens" (17 September 2024) says individuals may buy and sell tokens only through crypto platform and crypto exchange operators and other residents of the Hi-Tech Park.
• Money from selling tokens may come only from Belarusian crypto platforms and exchangers.
• Deals that break these rules are unlawful (neg.by, 19 September 2024).
• Deals on foreign platforms settled through organisations that are not Hi-Tech Park residents, and direct deals between individuals, are unlawful for people who are in Belarus or pay from Belarusian bank accounts (MTBank, 2025 guide to crypto rules).

3. Tax on token income (Article 202-1 of the Tax Code, per MTBank's 2025 guide):

• profit from deals with Belarusian crypto companies that are Hi-Tech Park residents is exempt;
• other token income is generally taxed at 13%;
• a higher rate of 26% applies when token income is not substantiated.

4. Income from illegal token deals. For income from illegal or prohibited token operations, the tax base is set with a special profitability coefficient. This comes from Decree No. 166 of 23 April 2025, in force from 26 April 2025 (Baranovichi State University tax guide).

5. Payoneer no longer serves Belarus. Payoneer closed the accounts of Belarus residents on 11 September 2026, citing changes at its banking partners (Nasha Niva, 24 August 2026).

6. An FTX claim is not a token. It is a claim in a US bankruptcy case. Ask a tax adviser how a sale of the claim is taxed in your case.

FAQ

Can residents of Belarus receive FTX distributions in 2026?

Not directly. As of 1 October 2026, Belarus is on FTX's list of jurisdictions that are not eligible for distributions, so Step 8 of the portal offers no provider. The claim itself remains; FTX says the distribution is deferred.

Does Payoneer still work for FTX payouts in Belarus?

No. Belarus is on FTX's list, so no provider can be selected in the portal. Payoneer also closed the accounts of Belarus residents on 11 September 2026, citing changes at its banking partners.

What is the deadline for FTX creditors in Belarus?

FTX's FAQ says a holder who does not complete Step 8 within six months from the 31 July 2026 distribution date may forfeit their right to receive distributions on the claim. That is about 31 January 2027. FTX has not said how this applies when a country is blocked.

I am a Belarusian citizen living in the EU. Am I restricted?

FTX looks at your country of residence in KYC, not your passport. If you genuinely live in the EU and your KYC shows it, FTX's restriction for Belarus does not apply to you. The provider still runs its own checks.

Can I sell an FTX claim from Belarus?

Yes. Paxtibi buys claims from residents of Belarus. The transfer is filed with the US court under Bankruptcy Rule 3001(e), and you are paid at signing. If you prefer to keep the value of future distributions, payment processing is the alternative.

Sources

• FTX, General Information on Distribution Service Providers (updated 2 October 2026)
• FTX, Distributions Dashboard FAQs (updated 13 September 2026)
• PwC, Potentially Restricted Foreign Jurisdictions, FTX Digital Markets (modified 15 October 2026)
• FTX Recovery Trust motion, Exhibit B (D.I. 31148, 2 July 2025)
• Notice of withdrawal (D.I. 33439, 3 November 2025)
• Kraken, Global Terms of Service (last updated 19 October 2026)
• Nasha Niva, "Payoneer closes accounts for Belarusians" (24 August 2026)
• Decree No. 8 of 21 December 2017 (Etalonline)
• neg.by on Decree No. 367 (19 September 2024)
• MTBank, crypto rules for individuals (2025 guide)
• Baranovichi State University, taxation of token income under Decree No. 166 (2025)

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Paxtibi buys FTX claims and offers payment processing, so we have a commercial interest in the options described.