UK FCA and HTX Enter Settlement Talks Over Crypto Marketing Lawsuit

The UK's Financial Conduct Authority and the cryptocurrency exchange HTX have entered settlement negotiations to resolve a lawsuit alleging the platform illegally marketed its services to British consumers. London's High Court has paused proceedings until late August to allow the two sides to reach a deal, according to court filings.

The lawsuit, filed in October 2025, marked the first time the FCA had sued a crypto exchange over its marketing practices. The regulator's claim targets Huobi Global S.A., a company incorporated in Panama, along with several categories of "persons unknown" who operate or control the exchange. The FCA alleges HTX breached UK financial promotion rules that took effect in October 2023, which require firms marketing crypto assets to British consumers to register with the regulator, pass anti-money laundering checks, and include risk warnings in their advertisements.

The FCA's case asserts that HTX ads appeared on major platforms including X, Telegram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and LinkedIn. To demonstrate the exchange's accessibility, an FCA employee conducted a test purchase from a UK IP address, successfully buying crypto assets and executing futures...