HTX Exchange Review: OG Score & Community Audit

HTX, formerly Huobi, is a Seychelles-registered exchange linked to Tron founder Justin Sun. Since August 23, 2026, EU sanctions have banned transactions between EU persons and HTX (Huobi Global SA) and its record includes several hacks in 2023.

Platform Background & Leadership

HTX was founded in 2013 as Huobi by Leon Li. In October 2022, About Capital Management acquired the exchange and Justin Sun became its public face, officially as an adviser. Huobi rebranded to HTX in September 2023 and the exchange is registered in Seychelles. Earlier reserve reports showed a high share of TRX and related assets, which analysts flagged as a concentration risk.

The SEC lawsuit filed against Justin Sun in March 2023 ended in March 2026, when the SEC dropped its claims and one of his companies paid a $10 million fine without admitting or denying the allegations.

In May 2026, the UK sanctioned Huobi Global S.A. over suspected financial services to A7, a Russia-linked payments company. On July 23, 2026, the EU added "HTX (Huobi Global SA)" to its 21st Russia sanctions package, with a ban on transactions from August 23, 2026 (The Block: EU Sanctions HTX). There is no full asset freeze: according to The Block, eligible EU nationals and residents can seek authorization to withdraw funds or close accounts, but must apply within three months of the ban taking effect. HTX told The Block that Huobi Global S.A. is separate from HTX.

HTX Security Track Record

HTX and platforms linked to Justin Sun had several breaches in late 2023. HTX lost about $8 million in ETH from a hot wallet in September 2023 (CoinDesk Report) and about $30 million in a second hot wallet hack in November 2023. In the same month, the HECO Chain bridge, a separate network linked to HTX, was exploited for about $85 million and Poloniex, another Sun-linked exchange, lost about $120 million (Cointelegraph: 4 Hacks in 2 Months). Justin Sun said HTX would cover user losses from the exchange hacks.

In mid-2023, Huobi also fixed a data exposure that had leaked the contact details of about 4,960 users. The HT-to-HTX token conversion in January 2024 was controversial and some HECO Chain users found their tokens stranded.

With 10 verified reviews, HTX holds an OG Score of 26.8. The number of hacks, the concentrated reserves and the 2026 sanctions all weigh on the score.

HTX Fees & Fee Structure

HTX spot fees are 0.20% maker and 0.20% taker and futures fees are 0.02% maker and 0.06% taker. Holding or paying with the HTX token gives fee discounts.

HTX Staking & Earn Products

HTX offers flexible and fixed savings and has run high-yield promotions for limited periods. Promotional rates usually come with caps and short time limits, so the terms matter more than the headline rate.

Trading Experience & Platform Features

HTX offers spot, margin, futures and options trading. Its liquidity and market share have fallen since Huobi's peak years. Users and companies in the EU are affected by the transaction ban that started on August 23, 2026.

HTX FAQ

Can EU users still use HTX? Since August 23, 2026, EU sanctions have banned transactions with HTX (Huobi Global SA). Eligible EU users can apply for authorization to withdraw funds or close accounts within three months of that date.

Who owns HTX? About Capital Management acquired Huobi in October 2022. Justin Sun is the exchange's public face and officially an adviser.

Has HTX been hacked? Yes. HTX lost about $8 million in September 2023 and about $30 million in November 2023 from hot wallets and the linked HECO Chain bridge lost about $85 million.

We compiled this HTX analysis using publicly available data, including the HTX Official Website, HTX X (Twitter) Account. The OGAudit community shares this for educational purposes only, so please do not treat it as financial or legal advice. Spot an error or an outdated fact? Let us know via our contact form so we can fix it.