In Q1 2026, amid macroeconomic uncertainty and structural industry transformation, the crypto market entered a “repricing” phase. User behavior became increasingly rational, and competition among trading platforms shifted from traffic acquisition to a comprehensive contest centered on product excellence, asset quality, and compliance capabilities.
As a leader in industry infrastructure, HTX (formerly Huobi) leveraged trading as its core engine, security and compliance as its foundation, and product innovation and globalization as key breakthroughs—achieving synergistic evolution across multiple business lines. Recently, HTX partnered with several media outlets to release the “2026 Digital Asset Trends White Paper”, setting direction for the industry. As of end-March 2026, HTX’s cumulative registered user base officially surpassed 59 million, while total Q1 exposure exceeded 53.55 million. From frequent spot trading hits to explosive growth in TradFi-linked derivatives, HTX is defining a new era for crypto in 2026 with an “all-around excellence” performance record.

Spot & OTC: Capturing the 2026 “Wealth Effect”; “Zero-Freeze” Selection Platform Builds a Trust Moat

In the volatile 2026 market environment, HTX upheld its security moat—leveraging sharp market intuition and rapid response to consistently capture alpha returns for users. New asset launches achieved breakout success on a quarterly basis, with spot trading volume surging to the $3 billion level.

During Q1, HTX listed 39 new projects, 53.85% of which were first listings on the platform. Among them, assets such as ELSA, Laozi, and Wo Ta Ma Lai Le delivered standout performance, peaking at gains of 620%, 572.73%, and 411.81%, respectively. BTW, BNKR, and RIVER followed closely—BTW being an HTX-exclusive first listing, and RIVER achieving significant post-listing appreciation. Capitalizing on top-tier industry events like Blockchain Forum 2026, HTX launched a “spot trading fee cashback program” targeting high-net-worth users, driving cumulative transaction volume among participating users past $3 billion USDT.

In 2026, security remains paramount for deposits and withdrawals. HTX’s Select Platform maintains its “zero-freeze” security moat, reducing average dispute resolution time to under three minutes—setting an industry benchmark for secure fiat on/off-ramps. Building on this foundation, HTX’s OTC business accelerated its global expansion. With swift entry into regulated markets including Australia and Pakistan (PKR), HTX’s global compliance footprint now extends into more emerging, high-frequency use cases. Looking ahead, HTX OTC will deepen engagement with premium clients to continuously enhance platform stickiness and user experience, while fully advancing its “going global” strategy—actively expanding cooperative channels and extending efficient fiat on/off-ramp services across broader ecosystem contexts.

HTX has just published its April Proof of Reserve (PoR), marking 42 consecutive months of regularly disclosed Merkle-tree-based reserve proofs. Reserve ratios for major assets remain above 100%; BTC and ETH reserves grew by a net 142 and 538 coins respectively, while TRX reserves increased by over 91.78 million tokens. This month, HTX also upgraded its stablecoin asset display—introducing USDs abstraction to unify mainstream USD-pegged stablecoins (e.g., USDT, USDC) under a single category, thereby enhancing transparency and user comprehension. Overall, the platform’s capital structure is becoming clearer and more resilient.

Futures & Earn: The $300 Billion TradFi Ambition—and Steady Returns

2026 marks a year of deep transformation for derivatives. Through its “full-category, one-stop” strategy, HTX has effectively erased boundaries between traditional finance and crypto assets.

This quarter, HTX Futures’ TradFi section launched over 22 distinctive assets—including gold, silver, crude oil, U.S. equities, and indices—propelling quarterly trading volume toward $300 billion. The platform now offers over 276 tradable futures pairs per quarter, with market share continuing to expand alongside growing user numbers. Meanwhile, HTX Earn’s “Surplus Token Savings” product delivered a peak daily APY of 7.21% in Q1, with an average daily APY of 2.68%. Featuring zero entry barriers, no lock-up requirements, daily payout distribution, and full compatibility with normal futures trading, its average annualized yield continues to lead the industry.

With the launch of Product Version 4.0 and intelligent copy-trading functionality, Q1 trading volume rose by 50%, copy-trading users doubled, and liquidation amounts dropped sharply by 61%. While significantly improving the trading experience, HTX is using technology to meaningfully reduce risk and safeguard followers’ interests.

HTX Earn launched its VIP demand-deposit product in Q1—tailored exclusively for Prime 5+ tier users. The inaugural offering, denominated in USDT, delivers up to 9% APY with a per-user cap of $100,000. For stablecoin demand deposits, HTX maintains industry-leading yields across USDT, USDC, USDD, U, and USD1—with platform-subsidized tiered APYs reaching up to 15%. HTX also introduced new demand-deposit products for USDE and USAT, along with related campaigns, attracting over $110 million in participation. Additionally, six new token earn campaigns launched in Q1, generating cumulative subscription volume exceeding $10 million.

Product Evolution & Industry Influence: Deep Integration of AI Assistants and Web3 Ecosystems

In 2026, HTX fully embraced AI—championing AI-powered trading and evolving into an intelligent financial terminal.

During Q1, HTX officially launched its AI Assistant in beta, supporting deep market analysis and precise recommendation of Earn products. Its community publisher was upgraded with interactive features—including “topic tags” and “bullish/bearish sentiment indicators”—to help users make efficient decisions amid information overload. HTX Private membership benefits and the desktop client were also rolled out, while native upgrades were implemented for leveraged position management and Earn order pages. Whether comparing pre- and post-trade balance sheets or executing “one-click close, transfer, or repay,” HTX’s operational experience has reached industry-leading standards. On the Web3 front, HTX launched an on-chain USDe wealth management product, enabling users to directly mint and redeem on-chain tokens within the CEX—significantly lowering the barrier to Web3 exploration.

For ecosystem development, HTX DAO continued expanding its scope: on-chain staking functionality went live, $HTX successfully listed on a European-regulated exchange, and user co-creation initiatives—including the “People’s Experience Officer” program—were launched to further boost community engagement and governance activity. Notably, the quarterly $HTX token burn is scheduled for mid-April.

Meanwhile, HTX Ventures kept delivering insightful industry analysis: In January, it released the “2025 Annual Review” report, systematically mapping key pathways toward mainstream crypto adoption; and actively participated in global premier conferences—including Consensus HK and ETHDenver—while providing weekly market recaps to deliver high-quality decision support and strengthen HTX’s thought leadership and brand recognition in the industry.

Brand & Public Welfare: From “Winter Wonderland” to “Marching Toward Spring”—Human-Centered Brand Warmth

HTX advanced both brand influence and global outreach in tandem during Q1.

HTX Ventures and HTX DAO appeared at top-tier events including the Hong Kong Wealth Management Summit and the 12th “Hong Kong Stock 100” Awards Ceremony, as well as Consensus Hong Kong. Concurrently, HTX DAO collaborated with Golden Finance to launch a blockchain-themed variety show, achieving over 1.55 million cumulative views across all platforms. Offline, from the January “HTX DAO Winter Wonderland” VIP client event to the March “Marching Toward Spring” salon, HTX cultivated a cohesive elite community through private dinners and immersive learning experiences—including a campus tour at Sun Yuchen’s alma mater.

In public welfare, HTX’s presence extended across Bijie in Guizhou Province, Tibetan regions, and Yunnan during Q1—supporting children with autism and providing targeted scholarships to underprivileged students. Leveraging tech-for-good, HTX is giving back to communities worldwide.

Looking Ahead to Q2: AI and Compliance Drive the Next Growth Wave

The strong Q1 2026 results reflect HTX’s four strategic pillars: global compliance, ecosystem development, wealth effect, and security compliance.

Looking ahead to Q2, with the launch of third-party custodian Ceffu and the rollout of Phase II of the “Myriad Transfer” initiative, HTX will further streamline asset mobility and capital efficiency—solidifying its role as a steadfast builder of crypto financial infrastructure. In an increasingly mature crypto market, true competition is no longer about winning short-term volatility battles—it’s about accumulating and delivering long-term capability. HTX is steadily walking that path.

About HTX

Founded in 2013, HTX (formerly Huobi) has evolved over 13 years from a cryptocurrency exchange into a comprehensive blockchain business ecosystem—encompassing digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investment, incubation, and more.

As a leading global Web3 gateway, HTX pursues a development strategy focused on global expansion, ecosystem prosperity, wealth creation, and security compliance—providing comprehensive, secure, and reliable value and services to crypto enthusiasts worldwide.

For more information about HTX, please visit https://www.htx.com/ or HTX Square, and follow us on X, Telegram, and Discord. For further inquiries, please contact [email protected].