TRM Labs says the UK-sanctioned exchange has rotated hot wallets across blockchains, leaving address-list screening struggling to keep pace.
TRM Labs says HTX rotates wallets across four blockchains after UK sanctions, while the exchange calls the changes routine security steps.
Huobi HTX listed several new assets during the week of July 6 to July 12, with tokens tied to AI and DeFi narratives posting the strongest performances among the batch, and one standout asset rising by nearly 100%.
HTX remains in the compliance spotlight after UK OFSI sanctions records and TRM analysis flagged Huobi Global S.A. under Russia-related measures.
The UK has designated HTX under Russia-related sanctions rules, with TRM Labs linking the exchange to alleged flows connected to sanctioned entities.
Government overreach is now an active risk that crypto users must acknowledge like exploits.
ZachXBT said UK sanctions on HTX have made crypto risk scores less reliable by creating overly broad sanctions exposure labels. FixedFloat now suspends Huobi-originating funds for additional verification, while users with past Huobi or HTX contact may face compliance friction.
Blockchain researchers have warned that UK sanctions against an HTX-linked entity have disrupted compliance practices across the crypto sector, with one report identifying more than $21 billion in high-risk transaction flows connected to the exchange between 2021 and May 2026.
The UK's sanctions against an HTX-linked entity have triggered compliance restrictions across the crypto industry, prompting blockchain investigator ZachXBT to criticize the measures after users reported frozen funds and blocked transactions.
The blockchain investigator ZachXBT called the UK's recent sanctions against HTX (formerly Huobi) excessive, arguing that tainting on-chain addresses tied to the exchange is causing collateral damage to regular crypto users.
HTX has delisted the Trump family-backed stablecoin USD1 after accusing World Liberty Financial (WLFI) of freezing exchange-linked blockchain addresses.
HTX delisted USD1 after World Liberty froze exchange-linked wallets, escalating Justin Sun's dispute with the Trump-linked crypto firm.