What HTX (formerly Huobi Global) is
Huobi, founded in China in 2013 by Leon Li and financed in its early days by ZhenFund and Sequoia, was for years one of the largest Asian exchanges, with its base moved to Singapore and then to the Seychelles after the Chinese ban. In October 2022 Li sold his entire majority stake to About Capital, a Hong Kong vehicle attributable to the influence of Justin Sun (founder of TRON), who has since effectively led the platform in the formal role of advisor. On 13 September 2023, for its tenth anniversary, the exchange renamed itself HTX ("H" for Huobi, "T" for TRON, "X" for exchange). It remains among the largest global exchanges by volume, but its recent trajectory has been marked by hacks, internal controversies and, for Europe, a complete exit from the market. (Verified: September 2026)
Regulation and licences
- MiCA: NO. HTX does not appear in the ESMA register of authorised CASPs and has never announced a successful application. Ahead of the 01/07/2026 deadline it took the opposite path to its authorised competitors: it added all 27 EU member states to the jurisdictions excluded from every service in its user agreement. HTX cannot be used legally and no longer serves EU clients. (Verified: September 2026)
- EU restrictive measures: in 2026 the EU included HTX among the crypto-asset service providers hit by restrictions in the framework of sanctions linked to Russian circumvention, with a transaction ban reported as taking effect on 23 August 2026.
- The "global network of licences" in 12 countries claimed in the past belongs to the pre-2022 Huobi era and is no longer representative of the current setup. (Verified: September 2026)
Security
Two known incidents in the HTX era, both with a declared outcome: in September 2023 a hack of around 8 million dollars in ETH (users reimbursed; the funds were returned by the hacker in exchange for a "white hat" bounty); in November 2023 a combined attack on HTX and the Heco Chain bridge worth around 115 million dollars in total, with the platform stating that it would cover the losses. In February 2025 Justin Sun spoke publicly of a 30 million dollar "hole" discovered at the time of the acquisition, in the context of disputes with the previous ownership. (Verified: September 2026)
Alternatives (for EU users)
- OKX — a global exchange active in the European market
- Bybit — a regulated European entity in Vienna
- Kraken — full MiCA authorisation via Ireland
FAQ
Are Huobi and HTX the same thing? Yes: Huobi Global renamed itself HTX on 13 September 2023, after the 2022 change of ownership from the Leon Li era to the Justin Sun/About Capital orbit. (Verified: September 2026)
Can I use HTX from the EU? No. HTX has no MiCA licence and has excluded all EU countries from all of its services; in 2026 it also ended up in the European restrictive measures. Anyone still holding funds on the platform should consider transferring them to an authorised operator or a personal wallet. (Verified: September 2026)
Who is in charge at HTX today? Formally Justin Sun is an "advisor", but he has been the platform's leading figure since the 2022 acquisition; founder Leon Li no longer holds any role. (Verified: September 2026)
Verified sources
- https://bitcoinist.com/huobi-10-years-sparks-controversy-rebrand-to-htx/
- https://www.amlintelligence.com/2026/07/binance-mexc-and-htx-accessible-eu-users-mica-lice
- https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/23/htx-heco-chain-crypto-hack-115-million-stolen-so-far.html
- https://eutoday.net/crypto-exchange-htx-sanctions/
TEAM MEMBERS
LEADERSHIP
QUARTERS GENERAL OF HUOBI GLOBAL
10 Anson Rd, Singapore 079903
CONTACTS OF THE HUOBI GLOBAL
All images, branding and wording are copyright Huobi Global. All content on this page is used for informational purposes only. Spaziocrypto has no affiliation or relationship with the company mentioned on this page.
