HTX review
HTX is a centralized cryptocurrency exchange founded in 2013 by Leon Li as Huobi Global, rebranded HTX in September 2023. It offers spot, margin and futures trading, copy trading, Earn yield products, P2P and OTC services across 560+ cryptocurrencies and 580+ trading pairs. The exchange is registered in Seychelles, holds a transitory VASP registration in Australia, and received a 2025 Notice of Compliance from Pakistan's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, but no major-market regulator authorization. It blocks users in mainland China, the US, Hong Kong and Singapore. Justin Sun holds the title Global Advisor after an About Capital Management-led buyout, though multiple outlets report substantial influence despite his denying direct ownership. HTX suffered two 2023 security incidents totaling roughly $123 million.
HTX key facts
- Website: www.htx.com
- Category: Centralized cryptocurrency exchange (CEX)
- Founded: 2013 as Huobi Global, by Leon Li; rebranded HTX in September 2023
- Headquarters: Seychelles (registered); offices reported in Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and the US
- Regulatory status: VASP-registered in Australia (transitory AML framework); 2025 Pakistan VARA Notice of Compliance; no major-market regulator authorization identified
- Leadership: Justin Sun holds the title Global Advisor after an About Capital Management buyout; widely reported to hold substantial influence
- Products: Spot, margin, futures, copy trading, HTX Earn, P2P, OTC, TradFi Zone (2026)
- Trading fees: Base spot maker/taker fee around 0.2%, reducible via HT/TRX token deductions
- Security incidents: Sept 2023: $8M hot-wallet hack. Nov 2023: ~$115M combined exploit across HTX (~$30M) and Heco Chain (~$85M)
- FYI Score: 82.1/100 (ranked #16 of the 48 crypto exchanges we track)
Trading fees
- Base spot trading fee around 0.2% maker/taker, per CoinMarketCap's exchange data
- Fee reductions available by paying with HT or TRX tokens
- Margin trading interest calculated hourly, with leverage reported up to 5x
Supported assets
- 560+ cryptocurrencies across 580+ trading pairs, per CoinGecko's exchange listing
- HTX's own site cites 700+ supported cryptocurrency categories
- CoinGecko records an overall exchange trust score of 7/10
Products
- Spot and margin trading, plus coin-margined and USDT-margined futures with leverage reported up to 200x
- Copy trading and HTX Earn (Flexible, Fixed, Shark Fin and Auto-Invest yield products)
- P2P trading, OTC desk services, and a TradFi Zone bridging traditional and crypto finance launched in 2026
Security & regulation
- Registered as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Australia under a transitory, AML-focused framework, per CoinGecko
- Received a Notice of Compliance from Pakistan's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) in 2025, described by HTX as an early step toward eventual licensing, not a full license
- Blocks users from mainland China, the US, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Hong Kong and Singapore from all services, with additional derivatives restrictions in 11 further jurisdictions
- Suffered a hot-wallet hack of roughly $8 million (5,000 ETH) in September 2023, which HTX said it fully covered, and a combined roughly $115 million exploit across HTX (~$30M) and the affiliated Heco Chain (~$85M) in November 2023, which triggered a temporary withdrawal suspension
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Who HTX is for
HTX suits traders wanting an established exchange with a wide product range and high leverage on futures, but it is unavailable to users in the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and mainland China, and its 2023 hack history is worth weighing against its scale and liquidity.
Pros
- One of the longest-operating major exchanges, tracing back to 2013 as Huobi Global, with deep trading history and liquidity
- Broad product suite in one account: spot, margin, futures up to 200x, copy trading, Earn products, P2P, OTC and a 2026 TradFi Zone
- Incremental regulatory progress in some jurisdictions, including an Australian VASP registration and a 2025 Pakistan compliance notice
- Publishes Proof of Reserves data, a practice it adopted in December 2022
Cons
- Two security incidents in 2023: an $8 million hot-wallet hack in September and a combined roughly $115 million exploit across HTX and the affiliated Heco Chain in November, which forced a temporary withdrawal suspension
- Registered offshore in Seychelles; regulatory footprint is limited to a transitory Australian VASP registration and an early-stage Pakistan compliance notice, not authorization from a major market regulator such as the US SEC/CFTC or UK FCA
- Blocked or restricted for users in mainland China, the US, Hong Kong, Singapore and several sanctioned countries, with further derivatives restrictions in 11 other jurisdictions
- Governance is not fully transparent: Justin Sun's official role is Global Advisor, but multiple outlets report he exercises substantial influence through About Capital Management's majority stake, despite denying direct ownership or control
HTX FAQ
Is HTX regulated?
Partially. HTX is registered as a Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in Australia under a transitory, anti-money-laundering-focused framework, and received a Notice of Compliance from Pakistan's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority in 2025, which HTX itself describes as an early step toward eventual licensing rather than a full license. No authorization from a major market regulator, such as the US SEC/CFTC or UK FCA, has been identified, and HTX is registered offshore in Seychelles.
Has HTX been hacked?
Yes. In September 2023, a compromised hot wallet lost roughly $8 million (5,000 ETH); HTX said it fully covered the losses and offered the attacker a white-hat bounty. In November 2023, HTX and its affiliated Heco Chain suffered a combined exploit of roughly $115 million (about $30 million from HTX and $85 million from Heco Chain), which triggered a temporary withdrawal suspension while the incident was investigated.
Who owns and runs HTX?
HTX was founded in 2013 by Leon Li as Huobi Global and rebranded to HTX in September 2023. Justin Sun holds the official title of Global Advisor following a buyout led by About Capital Management, which became the majority stakeholder. Multiple outlets report that Sun exercises substantial influence over the exchange despite publicly denying direct ownership or control.
What are HTX's trading fees?
HTX's base spot trading fee is around 0.2% for both maker and taker orders, per CoinMarketCap's exchange data, with reductions available by paying fees in HT or TRX tokens. Margin trading interest is calculated hourly, and futures leverage is reported up to 200x depending on the contract.
Compare HTX with other crypto exchanges
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