How EU sanctions quietly cut Russian traders off from HTX months ago

HTX added Russia to its banned list back on 19 September after the EU’s 21st sanctions package, forcing the exchange to bar all services for users linked to the country. The move was not voluntary but a direct compliance requirement.

The platform defines a Russian user by residence or physical location for individuals, and by registration or main business address for companies. The list can be updated without notice.

Bitget and MEXC soon followed with their own restrictions: Bitget gave Russian and Kazakh clients five days to exit positions, while MEXC stopped serving users from Russia and Belarus. Both rank among the top ten exchanges by volume and acted to avoid the same regulatory hit.

The fallout reached further. European platforms started blocking transfers to HTX wallets, and even the decentralized Hyperliquid began rejecting addresses connected to the exchange. The chain reaction traces back to 26 May, when the UK first sanctioned Huobi Global S.A.

Based on information from cryptonews.net