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Magyar29 Oct 2026
HTX, formerly Huobi, has settled the UK Financial Conduct Authority's first enforcement case over illegal crypto marketing. The exchange has promised the High Court it will not knowingly run unlawful promotions in the UK until October 21, 2031, and already blocks UK deposits and new sign-ups.
Regulation TradeReviewed News Desk
HTX has agreed to stop unlawfully promoting its crypto services to UK consumers, closing the Financial Conduct Authority’s first enforcement action against a crypto firm over illegal marketing. The settlement was reported on Thursday by Cointelegraph, citing the FCA.
What HTX promised the High Court
Huobi Global S.A., the company behind HTX, gave an undertaking to the High Court that it will not knowingly run illegal financial promotions in the UK, including through its website, apps or social media accounts. The promise runs until October 21, 2031. According to the FCA, the exchange no longer accepts deposits from UK customers and does not let new UK users open accounts.
The settlement agreement is dated October 16 and was recorded in a court order on Tuesday. Its terms are confidential, and Huobi Global did not admit liability or wrongdoing.
A case that started in 2025
The FCA filed the case in October 2025 and made it public in February. Since October 2023, UK rules have required crypto firms that market to British consumers to have their promotions approved by an authorised firm or be registered with the regulator.
Sanctions pressure in the UK and EU
The settlement comes on top of wider pressure on HTX in Europe. The UK sanctioned Huobi Global on May 26, freezing its assets over suspected support for the Russian government. HTX argued that the company was separate from the exchange, but UK authorities said the platform was covered because Huobi Global owned it. The EU followed on July 23 with a transaction ban on HTX that took effect on August 23.
What it means for traders
For UK and EU users, HTX is effectively closed: no new accounts, no deposits and, inside the EU, a ban on transactions. Anyone with funds still on the platform should check withdrawal options carefully and avoid adding new money. The bigger lesson is that offshore exchanges that market aggressively without local approval can lose access to whole regions overnight. Before picking a platform, compare licences, fees and security in our crypto exchange comparison, see how we test exchanges, and read our reviews of BingX (our number 1) and OKX (number 2).
This article is for information only and is not investment advice.
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