HTX said the recent UK sanctions designation does not affect the online HTX exchange, stating that the sanctioned entity, Huobi Global S.A., is separate from HTX’s exchange operations. HTX said it was not given prior notice or supporting evidence by UK authorities and added that Huobi Global S.A. will engage with relevant authorities to address the matter. The exchange said its global operations remain unaffected and user funds are safe.

HTX is aware of the recent developments regarding the UK sanctions designations. The HTX exchange is committed to full compliance with all applicable laws and to cooperation with law-enforcement agencies worldwide. The UK’s designation arrived today without prior notice or any supporting evidence shared with us. To clarify, the listed entity Huobi Global S. A. is distinct from the online HTX exchange. While Huobi Global S.A. will work with relevant UK authorities to understand the basis for the action and to address any concerns promptly, the designation does not and should not have any impact on the online HTX exchange. HTX's global operations remain unaffected, and all user funds are safe. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as necessary.

Yesterday, our industry witnessed something unprecedented. In the past, when a CEX faced negative news, users could still freely move their assets to another platform. But this time, many users discovered something alarming: They were not unable to leave HTX — they suddenly had nowhere to go. Following the UK sanctions-related concerns around HTX, some third-party risk-control systems broadly labeled wallets interacting with HTX as “high risk.” As a result, many normal users experienced: restricted transfers, blocked transactions, and in some extreme cases, frozen accounts on other platforms simply for depositing funds from HTX. This level of large-scale, indiscriminate risk control against ordinary users is unprecedented in crypto history. What makes this even more troubling is: HTX itself is operating normally. Trading, deposits, withdrawals, and OTC services are all functioning as usual. But somehow, the users became the problem. And that is something the entire industry should reflect on. Because the people being affected are not “HTX users” alone. They also trade on Binance, OKX, Bybit, Coinbase, and many others. They belong to the crypto industry as a whole. If concerns exist around a platform, then measures should target the platform itself — not ordinary users through broad collateral damage. At the moment, HTX withdrawals remain fully operational. Users can still move assets on-chain. But if users eventually feel safer keeping funds only on-chain, or exiting entirely through OTC markets, then this is no longer an HTX issue. It becomes a crisis of trust for all centralized exchanges. And in a market already struggling with weak confidence, this could cause lasting damage to the entire industry. To put it simply: Crypto can survive without HTX. But crypto cannot survive without user trust. We want to clearly state: HTX fully supports compliance efforts and is actively cooperating with all relevant parties to resolve misunderstandings as quickly as possible. We respect the need for exchanges to follow compliance requirements. But we also believe ordinary users should not become victims of flawed or overly broad risk-control systems. Therefore, we sincerely call on all exchanges and industry partners to: 1️⃣ Work together with third-party security and compliance providers to address the current situation affecting users, and improve industry-wide risk-control standards. 2️⃣ Implement more precise review mechanisms for normal users interacting with HTX, so legitimate funds and users are not unfairly impacted. HTX is fully willing to cooperate throughout this process. Finally, to everyone who still trusts HTX and continues to keep assets on our platform: Thank you. HTX will not run away. We will stay here, face the situation directly, and continue working until these issues are fully resolved.

To everyone in the HTX community concerned about the recent news, I’d like to clarify the situation and reduce unnecessary panic and misinformation. First, this is a relatively common compliance review process. We are actively communicating with all relevant parties to resolve misunderstandings as quickly as possible. HTX also sees this as an opportunity to further strengthen our compliance and risk-control systems, helping the platform become even more resilient. At present: Platform operations are normal User assets remain secure Deposits, withdrawals, and trading are functioning normally There is no need for excessive concern. For users asking what they should do right now, there are two options: 1️⃣ Do nothing You may simply wait while we complete communications with relevant parties and resolve the situation. HTX has operated for 13 years and has weathered multiple market cycles and industry challenges. We remain fully committed to protecting user assets and platform security. Our support team and I will continue to be available 24/7 to assist users. 2️⃣ If you still feel uncomfortable, you may temporarily withdraw assets on-chain Deposits and withdrawals are currently operating normally, and users are free to make their own decisions. ⸻ What happened? On May 26, the UK Foreign Office announced a new round of Russia-related sanctions under The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The list included 18 crypto-related entities and individuals, including a company named “Huobi Global S.A.” According to the UK statement, this entity allegedly provided financial services and technical support to the Russian exchange Garantex and the A7 crypto payment network. However, there is one very important point many people misunderstand: “Huobi Global S.A.” is not the same thing as the HTX exchange platform used by global users today. Many people equate a brand name with a legal operating entity, but global businesses often operate through multiple legal entities across different jurisdictions for compliance purposes. So: Sharing a similar brand name does NOT mean sharing the same legal entity, operational structure, or asset system. The HTX platform used by users today operates independently under its own structure. ⸻ Why users should not panic 1️⃣ The sanctions target a specific legal entity This is not a “brand-wide sanction.” The UK sanctions apply to a specific listed entity and do not automatically extend to all businesses using similar branding. The practical impact is also mainly limited to the UK financial and regulatory system. ⸻ 2️⃣ The sanctions mainly affect relationships inside the UK financial system This may include: Restrictions involving UK financial institutions Suspension of payment or intermediary relationships Asset-related measures within UK jurisdiction But this does NOT mean: Global user assets are frozen HTX has stopped operating Users cannot trade or withdraw funds At this time, the platform continues to operate normally. ⸻ Why did the situation escalate so quickly? Some third-party blockchain security providers applied broad risk labels to related wallet addresses in a “one-size-fits-all” manner. This affected certain normal user transactions and created unnecessary panic and speculation. Our compliance, security, and legal teams are already communicating with the relevant parties, and we expect the issue to be resolved soon. We understand the community’s concerns and will continue to communicate transparently. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us or our support team anytime.

On July 28th, we identified an incident during a routine cyber evaluation in which AI agents took sustained, unsanctioned actions directed at real people and organisations. The behaviour came mostly from one model (Anthropic's Mythos 5), with a small number of events from another (OpenAI's GPT-5.6-Sol). In the most serious case, an agent used social engineering to try and get malicious code into an open-source project. As was standard in our cyber testing, we had intentionally permitted internet access, and model-provider cyber classifiers were deliberately disabled - conditions that do not reflect how frontier models are made available to the public. Even under test conditions, this incident is significant: it is the first time we have seen risks around autonomy and deception manifest this clearly in the real world. We are taking this incident seriously and working with labs, involved parties, and others to improve evaluation standards and best practice for disclosure - and sharing this openly so others can learn. You can read the incident report and full technical document here: