What HTX does

HTX, formerly Huobi, is a cryptocurrency exchange platform founded in 2013 and rebranded in September 2023 under the operating entity Huobi Global S.A., registered in Panama. The platform offers spot trading (276+ tradable pairs), derivatives (200+ futures pairs), copy trading (Copy Trading 4.0), peer-to-peer trading, and earning products across 300+ assets to a global user base of 59 million registered users spanning 160+ countries. Core infrastructure includes multi-chain integration, 42 consecutive months of Merkle Tree Proof of Reserves disclosures with reserve ratios above 100% for BTC, ETH, and TRX, and an emerging TradFi Trading Zone covering 75 traditional financial assets including US stock futures, commodities, and sector indices with 24/7 availability.

HTX generates revenue through trading fees on spot and derivatives (with $3.3 trillion annual trading volume in 2025), new asset listing fees (166 assets listed in 2025), yield product margins from HTX Earn (300+ assets, 390+ products, ~600,000 users), and the utility of its native $HTX ecosystem token. The company employs a product-led growth model with aggressive user acquisition via trading competitions ($1.5M+ prize pools), promotional airdrops, and entry-level features like $1 margin trading with loss-guaranteed trial terms; community-led engagement through active social media, AMAs, and influencer partnerships; and direct-to-consumer delivery via web platform, iOS/Android apps, and P2P services. Justin Sun is identified as an advisor to HTX, and the company operates an HTX DAO governance mechanism and HTX Ventures fund that invests across Web3, DeFi, AI, and RWA sectors.

The company faces material regulatory headwinds that materially shape its risk profile: UK OFSI sanctions were imposed in May 2026 over alleged A7 network ties to Russian financial flows (with allegations of channeling $1.5 billion to Russia via previously sanctioned entities); the UK FCA filed High Court proceedings in October 2025 for illegal financial promotions, marking the regulator's first such enforcement action against a crypto firm; the EU proposed transaction bans as part of its 21st Russia sanctions package; and the Philippines SEC issued warnings regarding unregistered securities offerings. Conversely, the company has secured licensed VASP status in Pakistan (PVARA NOC, December 2025) and AUSTRAC-compliant OTC services in Australia (HBGL partnership, January 2026), and maintains aggressive product expansion in Asia-Pacific and emerging markets where regulatory pathways remain accessible.

Name

HTX

Legal name

Huobi Global S.A.

Website

https://huobi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

HTX is a cryptocurrency exchange (formerly Huobi) founded in 2013 serving 59 million users across 160+ countries with spot trading, derivatives, yield products, copy trading, and 24/7 traditional asset futures.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cryptocurrency Exchange

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Securities and Commodity Exchanges (523210)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro primary industry

Centralized Crypto Exchanges (CEX) (FSAPADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Spot Crypto Exchanges (Order-Book & Matching Engine) (FSADAAAA), Copy Trading, Social Trading & Automated Trading Platforms (FSADAAAK), Crypto Custody & Exchange Wallet Services (Integrated) (FSADAAAG), Staking, Restaking & Liquid Staking Finance (LST/LRT, validator markets) (FSAPAEAH), Fiat On/Off-Ramps & Payment Rails (Exchange-Operated) (FSADAAAF)

Keywords

• Cryptocurrency exchange
• Spot trading
• Derivatives trading
• Digital asset staking
• Blockchain financial services

Headquarters

HQ city

Beijing

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Trading Fees (Spot and Derivatives): HTX charges transaction fees on spot and derivatives trading executed on its platform. The exchange offers competitive fee structures and has run zero-fee trading promotions in select periods.
2. New Asset Listing Fees: Revenue generated from listing new cryptocurrency tokens and projects. HTX listed 166 new assets in 2025 and continues aggressive new asset acquisition with selective listing strategy.
3. HTX Earn Products: Yield products including flexible savings, staking, and VIP flexible offerings generating fees from liquidity provision and lending operations. Products like VIP Flexible offer up to 9% APY on USDT for high-net-worth users.
4. Token Trading Ecosystem: Revenue from ecosystem token ($HTX) utility including trading volume incentives, holder rewards, and promotional campaigns driving engagement with the native token.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HTX is a global cryptocurrency exchange platform offering spot trading, derivatives, earning/yield products, copy trading, P2P services, and TradFi (traditional finance) asset futures for retail and institutional crypto users. The platform lists and trades digital assets on its proprietary exchange infrastructure, providing 300+ earning products and 24/7 access to 75+ traditional financial assets including US stock futures, ETFs, commodities, and sector indices.

Product overview

HTX is a comprehensive cryptocurrency exchange ecosystem offering unified platform services across core trading (spot and derivatives), earning products (HTX Earn with 300+ assets, VIP Flexible with up to 9% APY), copy trading (Copy Trading 4.0), staking, and Web3 features. The platform has expanded into traditional finance through its TradFi Zone offering 75+ traditional asset futures, introduced HTX Select for multi-sector investment opportunities, and integrated AI capabilities via AINFT Web3 AI Gateway for access to Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini models. HTX serves 59 million users across 170+ countries with $3.3 trillion in annual trading volume, operating since 2013 under Panama headquarters with advisory ties to Justin Sun and Tron network ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HTX Spot Trading

Quantifiable outcome

• 42 consecutive months of Proof of Reserves with zero security incidents
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration14 records

AI capability13 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SunPump EcosystemminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 January 2026Ongoing collaboration including SunPump Ecosystem Trading Competition Round 2 with 10,000 USDT prize pool covering designated tokens including TRX, SUN, BTT, JST, STEEM, WIN, NFT, SUNDOG, and SUNCAT.
• HBGLcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2026Partnership with HBGL for Australian OTC services via AUSTRAC compliance framework, providing HTX with regulatory pathway for licensed operations in Australia under Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing oversight.
• Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 December 2025HTX received No Objection Certificate from Pakistan's PVARA to establish licensed local subsidiary for virtual asset operations in South Asia, enabling legal operations in Pakistan's regulated crypto market serving approximately 17.5 million Pakistanis holding nearly $5 billion in virtual assets.
• SunPerpminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025$200 million co-creation fund with SunPerp, a decentralized perpetual futures exchange on TRON, supporting crypto traders with improved market depth and user benefit programs.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• KuCoin:

Direct peers

• Binance: World's largest centralized crypto exchange by trading volume, offering spot, derivatives, earning products, and copy/grid trading. Directly comparable to HTX on core product breadth, global user base, and exchange-operating model; HTX is often benchmarked against Binance on market-share growth and capital inflows.
• OKX: Top-tier global CEX with spot, derivatives (perpetual swaps, options), copy trading, and Earn/staking products. Closely comparable to HTX on product mix and target user base, including AI-powered trading tools and TradFi-style asset expansion.
• Bybit: Derivatives-heavy global CEX with deep perpetual futures liquidity and copy trading. Direct peer on futures product emphasis and global retail targeting; among the exchanges that have tightened HTX transfer scrutiny post-sanctions.
• Bitget: Global CEX known for leading copy trading product and derivatives focus. Strongly comparable to HTX's Copy Trading 4.0 strategy; also among exchanges tightening HTX transfer scrutiny post-UK sanctions.
• Gate.io: Long-running global CEX with broad altcoin listings, derivatives, and earning products. Comparable to HTX on long operating history (similar to HTX's 13-year track record) and breadth of listed assets.
• MEXC: Global CEX with strong altcoin-listing strategy and derivatives focus. Closely comparable to HTX's selective new-asset listing thesis (HTX claims #1 ranking for 20%+ 7-day listing performance); direct competitor in retail-driven altcoin trading segment.

Broad incumbents

• Coinbase: U.S.-listed, regulated CEX and broader crypto financial services platform. Comparable to HTX on spot trading, staking, and Earn offerings, but serves primarily U.S./institutional customers under tighter regulatory regime; provides a benchmark for regulatory-compliant CEX model.
• Kraken: Established, compliance-focused global CEX offering spot, derivatives, and staking. Comparable to HTX on exchange product breadth but with much stronger Western regulatory standing; useful benchmark for valuation under heightened compliance.
• Crypto.com: Global CEX with integrated card, Earn, and staking products. Comparable to HTX on multi-product crypto ecosystem strategy targeting retail and high-net-worth users.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/huobi_korea
• Facebookfacebook.com/htxglobalofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/htxglobalofficial

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments39 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HTX