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📋 How We Review: We score exchanges on fees (30%), security (25%), coin selection (20%), user experience (15%), and customer support (10%). Fee data from official HTX schedules. We don’t take payment to change verdicts.
HTX (formerly Huobi) is one of the world’s oldest crypto exchanges, founded in 2013 in Beijing by Leon Li. After China’s crypto crackdown forced a 2021 relocation to Seychelles, the platform rebranded to HTX in September 2023. It serves 50 million+ registered users across 170+ countries with 700+ coins and ranks 6th globally in spot trading volume. HTX’s turbulent security history — a $87M HECO Chain hack in November 2023, multiple internal employee breaches, a Dutch court Kyrrex money-laundering investigation (November 2025), and a UK FCA High Court civil action (October 2025) — sits alongside genuine strengths: a 20,000 BTC security reserve, 98% cold storage, Forbes 2025 “Most Trustworthy Exchange” recognition, and Proof of Reserves.
⚡ TL;DR — HTX (formerly Huobi)
One of the oldest crypto exchanges (2013). 50M+ users, 170+ countries. Largest security reserve fund (20,000 BTC) of any major exchange — needed given its history.
- ⭐ Rating: 3/5 — established platform with large coin selection; security history is the key concern
- 💰 Spot fee: 0.20% maker/taker — above industry average; HTX token discounts available
- 📈 Futures: Up to 200x leverage · 230+ contracts
- 🪙 Coins: 700+ · strong Asian altcoin pipeline
- 🔐 Security reserve: 20,000 BTC (~$1.6B+) insurance fund · 98% cold storage
- ⚠️ Security history: $87M HECO hack (Nov 2023, all covered) · multiple employee breaches (2021–2023)
- ⚖️ Legal 2025–2026: UK FCA High Court civil action (Oct 2025) · Dutch court Kyrrex investigation (Nov 2025)
- 🚫 Not available: US, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK
HTX Score Card
| Category | Weight | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | 30% | 3/5 | 0.2% spot — above industry average; HTX token gives discounts |
| Security & Regulation | 25% | 2/5 | $87M HECO hack (2023) · employee breaches · UK FCA claim · Dutch court investigation |
| Coin Selection | 20% | 4/5 | 700+ coins · strong Asian altcoin access · 660+ trading pairs |
| User Experience | 15% | 3.5/5 | Strong Asian market UI · 15 languages · 100+ fiat deposit methods |
| Customer Support | 10% | 3/5 | 24/7 available · VIP users get dedicated managers · bot-first for retail |
| Overall: 3/5 — Established exchange with large Asian user base; security history and legal actions are meaningful concerns | |||
⚠️ Security and Legal Concerns — Full Timeline: (1) Sept 2023: ~$8M hot wallet hack via private key leak — covered by exchange. (2) Nov 2023: $86.6M HECO Chain bridge + $12M HTX hot wallets = ~$100M total stolen — covered; HECO Chain discontinued Jan 2025. (3) 2021–2023: Three ex-employees planted trojans in wallets; another stole user funds; AWS credentials exposed for two years. (4) Oct 2025: UK FCA filed High Court civil action against Huobi Global for unlawful promotions. (5) Nov 2025: Dutch court investigation revealed HTX hosted wallets for “Kyrrex,” a shell exchange used to launder stolen funds. All user losses from hacks were covered by exchange reserves.
What Is HTX?
HTX (the “H” for Huobi, “T” for TRON, “X” for exchange) is headquartered in Seychelles with operational presence across Asia. It was founded in 2013 by Leon Li (former Oracle engineer), making it one of the oldest functioning crypto exchanges. Justin Sun (TRON founder) joined as an advisory board member and strategic partner following a 2022 acquisition stake. The platform offers spot, futures (up to 200x leverage), margin trading, copy trading, earn products, trading bots, and a non-custodial HTX wallet. 100+ fiat deposit currencies are supported — a genuine strength for users in emerging markets.
Security
Despite its hack history, HTX has significant security infrastructure. The 20,000 BTC Security Reserve (analogous to Binance’s SAFU fund) holds a reserve worth hundreds of millions to cover user losses from security incidents — and it has been used. 98% cold storage in multi-signature cold wallets — only ~2% kept in hot wallets for withdrawals. The exchange publishes Proof of Reserves for major assets. Additional security tools: anti-phishing code, 2FA (Google Authenticator preferred over SMS), passkeys, withdrawal whitelisting, IP-based login notifications. Forbes 2025 recognized HTX as a “Most Trustworthy Crypto Exchange” — a counterpoint to the breach history, though the FCA and Kyrrex proceedings are more recent signals.
HTX Features
700+ coins including early Asian altcoins and meme coins not yet on Western exchanges. Futures trading: 230+ contracts, up to 200x leverage. Copy trading: Follow experienced traders — strong for passive exposure without managing positions. HTX Earn: Flexible savings, staking, liquidity mining. P2P trading: 100+ fiat currencies for local market deposit and withdrawal. HTX Token (HTX): Provides fee discounts, governance rights, and exclusive access to new token launches via HTX DAO. No-KYC basic trading: Users can trade and withdraw up to 5 BTC/day without KYC — higher limits require verification.
HTX Fees
| Fee Type | Standard Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spot Maker/Taker | 0.20% | Above industry average · HTX token gives discounts |
| Futures Maker | 0.02% | Competitive at entry level · 200x leverage available |
| Futures Taker | 0.06% | Standard tier; drops with volume and HTX stake |
| Deposit (crypto) | Free | 100+ fiat currencies for P2P purchases |
| Visa/Mastercard | Varies | Instant crypto purchases available |
💡 Expert Tip: HTX’s 0.2% spot fee is double the industry standard of 0.1%. If you’re primarily a spot trader, Gate.io (0.1%) or KuCoin (0.1%) offer comparable coin breadth at half the spot trading cost. HTX’s edge over these alternatives is specifically its P2P fiat deposit coverage in 100+ currencies and its early listing pipeline for Asian altcoins and meme coins.
Who Should Use HTX?
HTX is a good fit if you:
- Need P2P fiat deposits in one of 100+ currencies — strong for emerging markets across Asia, Africa, and Latin America
- Want early access to Asian altcoin listings before they reach Western exchanges
- Use copy trading or automated bots as passive income tools
- Want basic anonymous trading (up to 5 BTC/day without KYC)
This exchange probably isn’t right if you:
- Are in the US, UK, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong, or Singapore — HTX is not available there
- Have significant security concerns — the pattern of hacks and the UK FCA + Dutch court proceedings make this the most legally active major exchange in 2025–2026
- Want the lowest spot fees — Gate.io (0.1%) and KuCoin (0.1%) are half the cost at base
Pros and Cons
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| Founded 2013 — one of oldest crypto exchanges | $87M+ HECO Chain hack (Nov 2023) |
| 700+ coins · strong Asian altcoin listing pipeline | Multiple internal employee security breaches (2021–2023) |
| 50M+ users · ranks 6th globally in spot volume | UK FCA High Court civil action (Oct 2025) |
| 20,000 BTC security reserve · 98% cold storage | Dutch court Kyrrex money laundering investigation (Nov 2025) |
| 100+ fiat currencies for P2P deposits | 0.2% spot fee — double the industry standard |
| 200x futures leverage · copy trading · bots · PoR published | Not available in US, UK, China, Germany, Italy, Japan |
| Forbes 2025 “Most Trustworthy Exchange” recognition | No-KYC only up to 5 BTC/day; higher limits need verification |
HTX vs Established Alternatives
| Feature | HTX | Gate.io | KuCoin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2013 ✅ (oldest) | 2013 | 2017 |
| Spot Fee (base) | 0.20% | 0.10% ✅ | 0.10% ✅ |
| Coins listed | 700+ | 4,500+ ✅ | 700+ |
| Security reserve | 20,000 BTC ✅ | 125% PoR | 105% PoR |
| Legal actions (2025–2026) | UK FCA + Dutch court | None | $297M DOJ settlement |
| US Available | ❌ No | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Review | This article | Click here | Click here |
FAQs
What is the difference between Huobi and HTX?
Huobi Global and HTX are the same platform — HTX is the rebranded name adopted in September 2023 to mark the exchange’s 10-year anniversary and reflect its partnership with TRON founder Justin Sun. The rebrand also marked a broader strategic shift toward an international audience. All user accounts, funds, and trading history transferred seamlessly.
Is HTX safe to use?
HTX’s security record is one of the most concerning among major exchanges — a pattern of hacks in 2023, multiple internal employee theft incidents, and active legal proceedings in the UK and Netherlands as of 2025–2026. The exchange does maintain a 20,000 BTC security reserve, 98% cold storage, and Proof of Reserves. It has covered all user losses from security incidents. If you use HTX, keep only what you’re actively trading on the exchange — withdraw the rest to a hardware wallet.
What happened to the HECO Chain?
HTX’s HECO Chain — its own Layer 2 network — was exploited in November 2023 for ~$87 million. HTX covered all losses. The HECO Chain was officially discontinued in January 2025. The HTX exchange itself continues to operate normally.
Bottom Line: HTX is a 12-year-old exchange with 50M+ users, 700+ coins, and deep Asian market roots — a significant platform by any measure. The security picture is concerning: a $87M HECO Chain hack in 2023, multiple internal employee breaches, and active UK FCA and Dutch court legal proceedings in 2025–2026. Spot fees at 0.2% are double the industry standard. For users in emerging markets who need the 100+ P2P fiat currency options and early Asian altcoin access: HTX has genuine strengths. For users where Gate.io or KuCoin are available: those exchanges offer comparable breadth at half the spot trading cost with cleaner recent legal records.
📋 Related Reviews: Gate.io Review | KuCoin Review | OKX Review
📊 Comparisons: HTX vs Binance | HTX vs KuCoin
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