UK regulator secures court-backed restrictions on crypto exchange HTX

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has secured a court-backed agreement requiring cryptocurrency exchange HTX, formerly known as Huobi, to stop knowingly promoting its cryptoasset services unlawfully to UK customers, according to a statement by the regulator.

The FCA had sued HTX in October 2025 over alleged unlawful financial promotions. The exchange, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency platforms, does not hold regulatory authorisation to operate in the UK.

Under the settlement, HTX has agreed not to target, solicit or actively seek to engage UK consumers. The regulator said the company had taken steps to exit the UK market following the commencement of legal proceedings.

The FCA’s action marks its first court case against a cryptocurrency firm over marketing to UK customers and signals increased regulatory scrutiny of unauthorised offshore crypto platforms. Legal experts said the outcome could serve as a precedent for future enforcement actions against overseas exchanges targeting UK consumers.