TL;DR:
- Bybit warned its users about transactions with addresses linked to HTX following new sanctions issued by the United Kingdom.
- The British government sanctioned the operating entity of Huobi Global for facilitating more than $1.5 billion in transfers to Russia.
- Operations involving HTX addresses may be blocked until users prove the origin of their funds.
Bybit, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world, issued a formal warning to its clients about transfers linked to HTX addresses.
Bybit announced through its social media channels that this type of transaction could trigger additional anti-money laundering controls, compliance and risk management procedures, and that certain features, including withdrawals, would be suspended until users prove the origin of their funds and submit the corresponding transaction history.
Important Notice Regarding Deposits and Withdrawals Related to HTX
In light of the latest regulatory actions concerning HTX, transfers to or from HTX-linked addresses may trigger additional AML, compliance, or risk-control checks.
Users are advised to avoid using HTX-related…
— Bybit (@Bybit_Official) May 27, 2026
The Reasons Behind Bybit’s Warning
Bybit’s statement comes in response to the new restrictions announced by the United Kingdom government, which included 18 individuals and organizations within a package of measures aimed at dismantling financial and crypto networks used by actors linked to Moscow. Among those designated is the Panama-incorporated entity that operates Huobi Global, the platform behind HTX. According to the British Foreign Office, HTX facilitated more than $1.5 billion in transfers to Russia in evasion of sanctions imposed following the invasion of Ukraine, partly through other sanctioned exchanges and through operations linked to the A7A5 stablecoin.
Attempts to List A7A5
The sanctions package also reached other crypto service providers, such as Exmo, Bitpapa, Rapira, Arvix and Aifory, as well as the A7 payment system, registered in Kyrgyzstan with Russian roots, identified as the alleged creator of A7A5, the largest ruble-pegged stablecoin outside the US dollar ecosystem.
HTX responded by stating that Huobi Global does not participate in the platform’s current operations and that the sanctions affect only the legal entity, not the exchange. It also acknowledged that the issuer of A7A5 requested to list the stablecoin on its platform, but that the request was rejected following an internal review. The CEO of Old Vector, Oleg Ogienko, the Kyrgyz entity that issues the token, confirmed that they also attempted to list the asset on other top-tier exchanges, with identical results. According to his statements, the rejections were driven by concerns related to sanctions.
