Is HTX Legit?
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- Best for Deep liquidity
- Best for Altcoin selection
- Best for Perpetual futures
- Best for APAC & LATAM
- Min deposit
- $0
- Spread from
- 0.20% / 0.20%
- Max leverage
- 1:200
- Regulation
- Lithuania VASP · Dubai VARA (provisional)
Quick answer
HTX is a legitimate exchange. It has operated continuously since 2013 as Huobi, serves over 47 million registered users and has published independent monthly reserve audits for more than three years, each confirming it holds more assets than it owes clients. Its licences cover smaller jurisdictions, not the major Western regulators. The UK placed its operating company under sanctions in May 2026.
Is HTX legit and regulated?
HTX has operated continuously since 2013, initially as Huobi and rebranded in September 2023. With 47 million registered users and top-10 global liquidity, it is a real exchange with a 12-year track record.
I opened a live funded account and tested withdrawals, identity checks and support in 2026.
The exchange holds four regulatory registrations:
- Lithuania VASP: a Virtual Asset Service Provider registration under the EU financial intelligence unit; routes European Economic Area accounts under pre-MiCA (EU crypto-market regulation framework) rules
- Dubai VARA: Initial Approval status from Dubai’s virtual-asset regulator; a provisional stage that precedes a full operational licence
- British Virgin Islands SIBA: a custodian and investment-exchange operator licence under the Securities and Investment Business Act
- Gibraltar DLT: a Distributed Ledger Technology licence from 2018, used for institutional and direct off-exchange trading flow
None of these are major Western authorisations. No UK, Australian, Canadian or US registration exists.
⚠️ Two facts add weight to that gap. In May 2026, the UK designated Huobi Global S.A., the HTX operating entity, under Russia sanctions.
British residents cannot legally hold funds on the platform. The Seychelles Financial Services Authority also published an alert: HTX holds no Seychelles licence despite operating from that jurisdiction.
Governance is a second concern. Justin Sun, the founder of the TRON blockchain, has controlled HTX since 2022.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission filed fraud and market-manipulation charges against him in 2023. That case remains open.
The counterweight is a long, public transparency record. HTX has published independent proof-of-reserves audits (confirming the exchange holds at least as many assets as it owes clients) every month for 43 consecutive months.
Each report confirms the exchange holds at least 100% of all client funds across Bitcoin, Ether and USDT. That means every client balance is fully covered by on-chain (recorded directly on a public blockchain) assets.
In my testing, USDT TRC-20 (USDT sent on the TRON blockchain) withdrawals confirmed in 3-7 minutes at a 1 USDT fee across five cycles. BTC withdrawals averaged 25-45 minutes.
The bottom line: HTX is not a scam, and it is not regulated by a major authority. It is a real exchange with real compliance and governance risks that deserve careful consideration.
Read the full HTX review for the 6.2/10 score and complete test data.
Key facts
| Detail | HTX |
|---|---|
| Regulation | Lithuania VASP, Dubai VARA (provisional), BVI SIBA, Gibraltar DLT |
| License | Lithuania FNTT (Lithuania’s financial intelligence unit) register, VARA Initial Approval, BVI FSC (BVI Financial Services Commission), Gibraltar GFSC (Gibraltar’s financial regulator) |
| Deposit protection | None |
| Founded | 2013 (as Huobi; rebranded HTX September 2023) |
| Headquarters | Victoria, Seychelles |
Should you trade with HTX?
HTX suits active spot (buying and selling actual coins at the current market price) and perpetual-futures (contracts that let you bet on price direction without an expiry date) traders in the European Union, Latin America, the Gulf and Asia-Pacific who want deep altcoin liquidity and competitive fees. Its 0.02% perpetual maker fee (a maker fee is charged when you add liquidity by placing a limit order) is among the lowest in my tests of offshore exchanges, and the 700-coin catalogue exceeds most peers.
US and UK residents cannot use HTX legally. For those markets, Kraken, Coinbase and Gemini are regulated alternatives.
Two steps before opening an account: confirm your country is on the accepted list in the HTX review, and decide the maximum balance you will keep on the platform. Long-term savings belong on a venue with a major financial-authority authorisation.
For a comparison of fully licensed alternatives, see the best crypto exchanges guide.
Frequently asked questions
Which HTX entity will hold my account?
Your account sits under Huobi Global S.A., incorporated in the Seychelles. Residents in the European Economic Area may route through the Lithuanian entity, which holds a formal Virtual Asset Service Provider registration under the EU financial intelligence unit. Residents in the United Arab Emirates route through the Dubai provisional licence. The Seychelles entity offers no depositor-protection scheme. The other two carry only thin regulatory cover.
Does HTX protect client funds?
HTX keeps client funds in segregated accounts (accounts that hold your money separately from the company's own cash, not available for HTX's business expenses). There is no statutory compensation fund. The UK compensation scheme covers up to £85,000 per person, but it requires authorisation by the UK financial regulator, a status HTX does not hold. The European Union's investor fund covers up to €20,000, under the same requirement.
Is HTX a scam?
No. HTX is a real exchange with a 12-year operating history, 47 million registered users and 43 consecutive monthly reserve audits confirming it holds all client funds. The genuine concerns are governance and compliance: its operating entity was UK-sanctioned in May 2026, and its controller faces ongoing US regulatory charges. For the full safety breakdown, see [Is HTX Safe?](/htx-is-htx-safe/).
What is the minimum deposit for HTX?
Crypto deposits have no minimum floor; the blockchain network fee applies. In my testing, USDT TRC-20 (USDT sent on the TRON blockchain) withdrawals confirmed in 3-7 minutes at a 1 USDT fee.
Is HTX available in the USA or UK?
No. HTX blocks US signups and holds no US financial registration. UK residents are legally required to exit the platform following the May 2026 sanctions designation on the operating entity. Alternative exchanges available in both countries include Coinbase, Kraken and Gemini, each authorised by their respective national financial regulators.