EU Imposes Transaction Ban on Crypto Platform HTX Under Russia Sanctions

An EU transaction ban will take effect on Aug. 23 against the entity listed as “HTX (HUOBI GLOBAL SA),” giving people and businesses subject to the bloc's Russia sanctions regime a deadline to establish whether that company is involved in their dealings with the online exchange.

The restriction follows the jurisdictional reach of Regulation 833/2014. It covers conduct in EU territory, transactions by member-state nationals and entities constituted under member-state law wherever they operate, and activities of legal entities conducting business wholly or partly within the bloc.

The new measure adds HTX's combined label to Annex XLV Part A, whose named third-country entities are subject to restrictions on direct and indirect transactions. The Council of the EU said the package extends transaction bans to 14 crypto-related service platforms.

Why the entity dispute matters

HTX addressed a separate UK designation in a May 27 statement, saying Huobi Global S.A. was distinct from its online platform and that the UK action should not affect the exchange. The statement predates the EU regulation and does not state whether HTX takes the same position on the later European listing.

That account conflicts with allegations in UK proceedings. The Financial Conduct Authority's particulars of claim alleged and inferred that Huobi Global S.A. became HTX's owner, operator, and controller after a Seychelles predecessor was struck off. The regulator also pleaded alternatives against unknown owners and operators because, it said, HTX had not disclosed their identities.

A separate June interim decision by the High Court described Huobi Global S.A. as the company believed to own HTX and the exchange as believed to hold bitcoin traced in a fraud case. The defendants did not appear, and the ruling left ownership and custody for a later decision on the merits.

HTX's user agreement, updated June 18, defines “HTX Operators” as a changing group without naming a specific legal person, while saying customer crypto is held custodially by “us.” The terms also say users from every EU member state are ineligible for all services. That published restriction shifts the immediate question toward legacy balances and EU-scope counterparties rather than new account access.

For any account where Huobi Global S.A. is the counterparty or custodian, transactions within the regulation's scope must cease Aug. 23 unless an exception or authorization applies. The combined label alone leaves that corporate relationship unresolved for htx.com customers.

The regulation offers a case-by-case exit path for EU, EEA, and Swiss nationals, as well as holders of qualifying temporary or permanent residence permits. A member-state authority may authorize transactions strictly necessary to withdraw funds and close an account when the customer is ending the relationship and applies no later than three months after Aug. 23. Funds must go to an EU-incorporated credit or financial institution, or a third-country institution owned or controlled by one incorporated under member-state law. Each authorization may last up to three months. The text provides no equivalent corporate withdrawal route on its face.