Crypto exchange HTX (formerly Huobi) has added Russia to its list of prohibited jurisdictions. Under the platform's Terms of Service, the restrictions apply to individuals residing in or physically located in Russia, as well as businesses registered or primarily operating there.
The policy attracted widespread media attention on October 23, 2026. Reports also emerged of HTX emails instructing Russian customers to close their positions and withdraw their assets within seven business days.
However, HTX has not published a universal withdrawal deadline for all Russian users. Here's what the restrictions mean for account access, withdrawals, open futures positions, and traders preparing to move to another exchange.
HTX Restricts Russian Users: What We Know
Russia is explicitly listed among the prohibited jurisdictions in HTX's Terms of Service. Users covered by the restriction are barred from accessing the platform's services.
This is broader than a ban on specific trading products. The policy concerns access to the exchange itself, rather than individual futures contracts, P2P trading, or ruble transactions.
The timeline matters: the available version of the agreement is dated September 19, 2026. The October 23 reports brought the restrictions into the spotlight, but they do not establish when the policy was first introduced or enforced.
Eligibility depends primarily on residency and physical location. Holding a Russian passport does not automatically place someone permanently living abroad under the same territorial restriction. Their account must still satisfy HTX's identity verification, sanctions screening, and other eligibility requirements.
HTX reserves the right to update its restricted-jurisdictions list without prior notice, limit account activity, and terminate accounts that breach its terms.
The policy gives HTX grounds to restrict affected accounts. It does not establish that every Russian account has already been frozen or closed.
How Long Do Russian Users Have to Withdraw Funds from HTX?
Reports from Russian crypto communities describe emails instructing customers to withdraw their assets within seven business days. Some reportedly warn of possible withdrawal restrictions and subsequent account closure.
The available information does not establish how many users received these notices or whether the same deadline applies to everyone.
There is no basis for starting a seven-business-day countdown from October 23 for every Russian customer. Traders who receive an official notice should follow the deadline and instructions specified for their own account.
Those who have not received an email should check their account notifications and contact official HTX support to confirm which operations remain available.
The absence of a personal notice does not override the exchange's restricted-jurisdiction policy.
Can HTX freeze customer funds? Its terms allow the platform to restrict withdrawals and close accounts. However, as of October 24, there is no public confirmation of a blanket freeze affecting all Russian customers.
Futures traders face an additional complication. Even if HTX allows withdrawals of available USDT, margin committed to existing positions may remain tied up. Releasing it may require adjusting or closing those positions.
Before moving funds, traders therefore need to account for both their available balances and outstanding obligations.
Why HTX Came Under UK and EU Sanctions
The changes to HTX's access policy followed several months of international regulatory pressure.
On May 26, 2026, the United Kingdom designated Huobi Global S.A. under its Russia sanctions regime, listing HTX and HTX Exchange among its alternative names. UK authorities cited alleged financial services provided to A7, an organization linked to Russia's financial sector.
HTX representatives disputed treating Huobi Global S.A. and the exchange as the same legal entity. The UK designation nevertheless explicitly identifies HTX and lists the platform's website.
On July 23, the European Union listed HTX (Huobi Global S.A.) among entities subject to transaction restrictions. Those restrictions took effect on August 23.
The legal mechanisms differ. The UK designation includes asset-freeze measures applicable under UK sanctions law. The EU action prohibits certain transactions involving the listed platform but does not impose a general asset freeze on HTX.
Neither development automatically means that every HTX customer worldwide has had their assets frozen.
The restrictions can still affect users indirectly. Regulated exchanges and financial intermediaries screen transactions involving sanctioned entities. A receiving platform may request source-of-funds documentation, delay crediting a deposit during a compliance review, or reject a transaction where legally required.
An on-chain transfer can be confirmed without the receiving centralized exchange immediately crediting the funds.
That distinction matters when moving substantial balances, especially between platforms with different sanctions and compliance obligations.
How to Withdraw Funds from HTX and Prepare to Move
If your HTX account still allows transactions, the priority is to retain control over your assets and avoid leaving open positions unmanaged.
A practical process involves five steps:
- Check official HTX notices. Review your account messages and registered email. If an individual withdrawal deadline has been issued, save the notice and verify the instructions through official channels.
- Review open positions and obligations. Check futures positions, leverage, margin, outstanding loans, pending orders, and DCA entries. Identify what must be settled before funds become available for withdrawal.
- Export your account history. Save trade records, fees, deposits, withdrawals, and PnL reports. These may be needed for accounting or source-of-funds checks.
- Confirm the receiving platform's requirements. Make sure it supports the asset and blockchain network. Check whether deposits connected to HTX may be subject to additional compliance restrictions.
- Verify the transfer. Where permitted and appropriate, consider a small test transaction. Confirm that the receiving wallet or exchange has credited the assets, not merely that the blockchain transaction has been finalized.
If withdrawals are already restricted, contact HTX support and request the official account-resolution procedure.
Do not use false identity documents, misrepresent your residency, or attempt to conceal the origin of funds. Such actions can complicate compliance reviews and access to your assets.
What Happens to Trading Bots and Open Futures Positions?
Regional restrictions can be particularly disruptive for automated trading. A bot may remain connected to an exchange while losing permission to execute parts of its strategy.
Suppose a bot opens a Short after a sharp pump and waits for another signal to add to the position. If the exchange disables new orders, the planned DCA entry cannot execute. The existing position, however, remains exposed to market movements.
The same problem can affect strategies managing Long and Short positions independently. Forced closure of one side changes the strategy's total exposure and can disrupt its intended risk management.
A working API connection does not guarantee that a trading strategy is executing as intended.
Before migrating an automated strategy, traders should review all open positions, active orders, and the operations still permitted on the original exchange.
The strategy can then be configured on a new platform, taking into account differences in available contracts, liquidity, minimum order sizes, fees, and execution conditions.
An open HTX futures contract cannot be transferred directly to Bybit or another independent exchange. It must be settled on HTX, with a replacement position opened separately if appropriate.
Migrating a strategy and transferring trading capital are separate tasks. Completing one does not automatically resolve the other.
Bybit as an Alternative to HTX: Trading with Crypto Resources
Following the restrictions affecting HTX, MEXC, and Bitget, many traders are reviewing their options for spot, futures, and automated trading.
Bybit remains an option for users who meet its eligibility requirements. As of October 24, 2026, Russia is not listed among the exchange's generally excluded jurisdictions.
Access to individual products and payment methods still depends on residency, identity verification, sanctions screening, and applicable exchange policies. Traders should confirm their eligibility before registering or transferring funds.
Crypto Resources users have a practical advantage: ST Bot, Spot Bot, and Trap Radar Bot already support Bybit through its API. There is no need to build a new trading system from scratch. Existing strategies can be configured for Bybit and tested before live deployment.
Funds remain in the user's exchange account, while the API key is granted the necessary trading permissions without withdrawal access.
New users can register on Bybit through the Crypto Resources referral link.
Eligible partners receive additional Crypto Resources benefits: free PRO screeners with Telegram alerts, one free Trap Radar PRO, increased usage limits, and trading bot fees reduced from 25% to 20% of profits.
To qualify, users must register through the partner link, connect their Bybit UID to Crypto Resources, and maintain more than $500 in trading volume over the previous 30 days.
The reduced fee applies to Crypto Resources trading bots, not to Bybit's exchange trading fees.
Before going live, traders can test their configuration using Bybit Demo. The setup process is covered in our guide, How to Connect a Trading Bot to Bybit via API.
Partner registration does not override Bybit's regional restrictions or guarantee continued access to its services.
What the HTX Restrictions Mean for Other Crypto Exchanges
In October 2026, Bitget and MEXC announced restrictions affecting Russian users. HTX is another example of reduced exchange access, although its relevant Terms of Service were dated earlier.
Legal experts have also warned that OKX, KuCoin, and Bybit could eventually limit services for Russian customers. Potential restrictions, however, should not be presented as confirmed exchange decisions.
The reasons vary between platforms, including sanctions compliance, foreign regulatory requirements, licensing, and internal customer verification policies.
For traders, predicting which exchange might restrict access next is less useful than monitoring their own trading infrastructure.
Changes to eligibility rules, withdrawal availability, and permission to place new orders can directly affect capital management. These are the developments that should guide operational decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has HTX Really Banned Users in Russia?
Russia is included in the prohibited jurisdictions listed in HTX's Terms of Service. The policy covers individuals residing in or physically located in Russia. Enforcement and account-resolution procedures may differ between users.
Is HTX Giving Russian Users Seven Business Days to Withdraw?
That deadline appears in reports from users who say they received notices. HTX has not published a universal withdrawal schedule covering every Russian account. Customers should verify their individual deadlines through official exchange channels.
Can HTX Freeze Customer Funds?
Its Terms of Service allow withdrawal restrictions and account closures. This does not establish that all Russian customers' assets have been frozen. Anyone affected should request an official resolution procedure from HTX support.
Can I Transfer Crypto from HTX to Bybit?
That depends on whether withdrawals are available on HTX, whether the chosen asset and network are supported, and whether the receiving platform permits the deposit. Bybit may conduct compliance and source-of-funds checks. Open futures positions cannot be transferred directly between exchanges.
Can I Run Crypto Resources Trading Bots on Bybit?
Yes. ST Bot, Spot Bot, and Trap Radar Bot support the Bybit API. Withdrawal permissions are not required. Strategies can be tested in Bybit Demo before configuring a separate live trading connection.
Bottom Line
HTX has listed Russia among its prohibited jurisdictions, but no universal withdrawal deadline has been confirmed for all Russian users.
Alongside UK and EU sanctions, the exchange's access restrictions raise practical concerns for crypto holdings, open futures positions, and automated trading.
Spot holders need to verify withdrawal availability and the receiving platform's requirements. Futures traders must also review their positions, margin commitments, and whether their trading systems can continue operating correctly.
Bybit may be an alternative for eligible users. Its existing integration with Crypto Resources allows traders to retain their strategy logic while configuring execution on a different exchange.
A backup API connection helps, but the immediate priority is maintaining control over funds and positions before account-level restrictions take effect.
Last updated: October 24, 2026. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment or legal advice. Exchange policies may change, and cryptocurrency and futures trading involve the risk of capital loss.