History and Brand Rebranding
HTX, formerly known as Huobi Global (HTX), was founded in China in September 2013 by Li Lin and Du Jun. Following changes in China’s regulatory environment in 2017, the platform relocated its headquarters to Singapore and gradually expanded globally, establishing offices in multiple countries and regions.In October 2022, Justin Sun (Justin Sun) joined as an advisor, further boosting the platform’s market visibility. To commemorate its 10th anniversary, Huobi Global officially rebranded as HTX on September 13, 2023, a move aimed at strengthening its global brand image and Web3 ecosystem strategy.
Market Position and User Base
HTX has carved out a niche in the global cryptocurrency trading market. According to data from the BitDegree exchange tracker, HTX consistently ranks among the top 20 platforms globally by trading volume; as of this writing, it is ranked around 15th.In terms of user base, HTX claims to have had between 45 million and 47 million users from more than 160 countries and regions as of 2025, and by the end of March 2026, its total number of registered users had exceeded 59 million.
In terms of trading volume, HTX has also demonstrated significant market activity. As of July 29, 2026, HTX’s spot trading volume over the past 24 hours was approximately $399 million.Historical data shows that in the second quarter of 2025, HTX ranked first globally on CoinGecko in terms of spot trading volume growth and second globally in terms of market share growth.Additionally, according to DeFiLlama data, as of March 2026, HTX had risen to sixth place globally in the “net assets” (excluding platform tokens) rankings. However, some analytics websites have pointed out that there may be discrepancies between the trading volume reported by HTX and the “actual” trading volume, suggesting that the market may be subject to volume manipulation.
Compliance and Security Challenges
HTX holds operating licenses in several jurisdictions worldwide, including Thailand, Japan, Gibraltar, and Hong Kong (asset management). However, the platform has also experienced security incidents.In September and November 2023, HTX experienced security incidents including a hot wallet breach (involving approximately $7.9 million) and an HECO/HTX breach (involving approximately $100 million), but the platform stated that it had fully compensated affected users.
Recently, HTX has faced significant international regulatory challenges. In May 2026, the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on the entity Huobi Global SA, accusing it of providing financial services to entities linked to the Russian financial system.Subsequently, on July 23, 2026, the European Union included HTX (the Huobi Global SA entity) on the trading ban list as part of its 21st round of sanctions against Russia, prohibiting EU entities from conducting transactions with the exchange on the grounds that it was suspected of assisting in the circumvention of sanctions.
HTX Token (HT)
As part of its platform ecosystem, HTX issued its platform token, HT.As of July 21, 2026, the real-time price of HT was approximately $0.080752, with a market capitalization of approximately $8.69 million, ranking 1,191st on CoinGecko. Its circulating supply is approximately 109 million tokens, with a total supply of 500 million.
Industry and User Reviews
HTX enjoys widespread recognition within the crypto community and is regarded as offering deep liquidity, hundreds of assets, and high-leverage derivatives.Industry analysis firms such as Bitcoin.com listed it as one of the “Top 10 Global Crypto Exchanges” in 2025 and praised its progress in user trust, technical architecture, and product diversity. Reports from CoinGecko and CoinDesk have also highlighted HTX’s strong performance in trading volume growth and market share.
However, user reviews are polarized.While many users praise its streamlined interface and extensive asset coverage, the HTX app on Google Play has a rating of 3.6, with numerous users criticizing slow customer support responses and difficulties in resolving issues. On platforms such as Trustpilot, HTX also receives relatively low ratings, with users citing problems such as delayed withdrawals and inefficient support.
