Insiders: BitMEX's attempt to sell has failed, possibly due to the founder's ownership structure and business decline deterring buyers

According to CoinDesk citing informed sources, the cryptocurrency exchange BitMEX spent two years discussing potential sales with multiple buyers, including competitor exchanges and payment platform Exodus, before announcing its shutdown, but ultimately failed to reach a deal. Informed sources indicated that potential acquirers were deterred mainly by the holding structure led by the company's founder, the ongoing shrinking of the business, and lingering reputation issues.

Reports state that the company had hired investment bank Broadhaven to manage the sale process in early 2025. Informed sources said that although co-founders Arthur Hayes, Ben Delo, and Samuel Reed had already exited the business after facing U.S. criminal charges in 2020, the three still controlled the vast majority of the company's equity, which made some buyers uneasy and complicated negotiations, as buyers typically hope to secure management's retention post-transaction through partial acquisition consideration.

Additionally, during the sale process, BitMEX continued to lose market share as trading activity flowed to larger centralized exchanges and decentralized perpetual contract platforms, making potential acquirers reluctant to pay the revenue multiples typically offered to growth companies.