Shorting Bitcoin is now restricted owing to strict regulations and limited platform support.
Platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood have removed crypto margin and shorting features.
Rising Bitcoin prices and market risks make shorting both dangerous and inaccessible.
Bitcoin recently crossed $108,000 and briefly touched $110,300 in early July 2025. Many analysts believe the price will continue to rise. One well-known crypto analyst CrediBull Crypto recently said it is now "illegal to short Bitcoin." He did not mean it in a legal sense. Instead, he used the word "illegal" to explain that shorting Bitcoin right now is a terrible idea because the price keeps going up.
Shorting Bitcoin at this stage is like betting against a fast-moving train. The market has strong momentum, and it does not favor downward bets. This idea has started discussions among traders and investors. Many now question whether this should be allowed at all. Some believe it should face legal restrictions to protect retail investors and market stability.
In the United States, shorting Bitcoin has become extremely difficult for the average person. The Commodity Exchange Act requires anyone trading crypto with borrowed money, also known as margin, to meet specific rules. To qualify, a person must have at least $10 million in assets. This rule limits margin of trading and shorting to only large institutions or extremely wealthy individuals.
Most people do not meet this requirement. As a result, they cannot access shorting features even if they want to. Platforms like Coinbase and Robinhood no longer offer shorting or margin trading for crypto. They removed these options to follow US regulations and avoid legal trouble. This situation has made shorting Bitcoin nearly impossible for regular American users.
Even outside the US, many popular crypto platforms have limited shorting. Exchanges that once offered high leverage are now reducing these options. They are doing this for pressure from global regulators and concerns about market crashes. In countries like the UK, crypto platforms cannot offer margin or derivatives to retail traders. That includes the tools needed to short Bitcoin.
In India, crypto trading is legal but not fully regulated. Most Indian exchanges do not offer shorting tools because of unclear laws and the lack of proper financial support systems. Meanwhile, countries like China, Algeria, and Bangladesh have completely banned all forms of crypto trading. In those countries, shorting Bitcoin is not only unavailable, but it is also illegal.
Also Read - What Is the Future of Bitcoin?
Shorting has been restricted in traditional finance for years. Governments worldwide have banned short-selling during significant financial crises. They did it in the Great Depression of the 30’s, the 2008 financial crisis, and even in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. These bans did help avoid panic and big losses on the stock market.
Shorting means traders can profit when prices decline. If numerous individuals begin shorting simultaneously, it can trigger a downward spiral. Prices descend quickly, inducing panic and driving the market down. Regulators fear this might happen in crypto. Bitcoin and other cryptos are highly volatile. Tiny moves can spark massive sell-offs, particularly if leveraged short positions get liquidated. Which is one reason why so many regulators now discourage or block shorting in crypto.
The Bitcoin market has changed. This is why shorting is so perilous and constrained.
The risk-reward setup is overwhelmingly in favor of the bulls. It looks like Bitcoin is receiving robust purchasing support in the vicinity of $70,000. So that the downside is capped, and the upside is open. Bitcoin traders anticipate even more growth to, say, $120,000. Shorting, on the other hand, will just make investors lose time and money.
Crypto volatility compounds the risk. Bitcoin can make $10,000 a day. Short sellers often employ leverage to maximize returns, and in the face of such volatility, they are at a high risk of liquidation. Most exchanges have already limited or eliminated leverage options to mitigate this risk.
Regulators remain concerned about crime and market abuse in crypto. More than $40 billion in crypto will be streamed into illicit activities in 2024. That figure might increase still further as new information arises. For this reason, regulators are hesitant to permit hazardous trading implements such as shorting absent stringent regulations.
Recent market data backs up the shorting is dying thesis. Institutional trading in Bitcoin futures grew sharply in the second quarter of 2025. The bulk of that trading was long positions or sophisticated hedges. Open interest in bitcoin futures increased, demonstrating that investors are actively trading. The volume of liquidation events remained low. That implies traders aren’t making significant bets on shorting Bitcoin. They are risk-averse and like long plays.
It’s emblematic of a larger market trend. Institutions are coming in with more capital and sophistication. Retail investors, who once fueled near-term whipsaw, matter less. With shorting tools out of reach, the average investor isn’t betting against Bitcoin anymore.
Technically, very few countries have banned shorting bitcoin in the criminal law sense. The impact is identical. Legal rules, financial regulations, and platform restrictions have taken shorting options away from nearly everyone. In the US, retail investors aren’t allowed margin accounts. In many other countries, platforms don’t provide shorting whatsoever. In other countries, crypto is banned outright.
This gives us a worldwide landscape where shorting bitcoin is ‘illegal’ not just for law, but for multiple layers of limitations. Shorting is restricted to a privileged class of rich or professional investors. For the rest of us, it’s just not gonna happen.
Exchanges may bring back shorting tools again later, but with reduced leverage and more robust safeguards. Only accredited investors would get entry. The crypto market is growing more professional, and shorting may come back in a safer format. For everyday investors, it’s nearly impossible to short Bitcoin now. Regulations and platform rules, as well as market risk, have relegated shorting to the sidelines.
Shorting is illegal in some countries. In others, it is obstructed by legal and financial infrastructure. As Bitcoin continues to climb, shorting isn’t merely a terrible idea. It’s become a rare and limited move. This practice might even become illegal in the future!
Also Read - Why Institutional Demand Is Keeping Bitcoin Strong?