Binance Blocks HTX Transfers Amid Russia Sanctions

Binance has announced that it will block transfers to and from HTX, effective August 23, 2026. This move is a result of expanded UK and EU sanctions linked to HTX, its founder Justin Sun, and connections to Russia.

The restrictions don't just target HTX, but also ten other platforms, including Rapira and EXMO. These exchanges have been caught in the crosshairs of the EU's 21st Russia sanctions package, which expanded the scope of entities that regulated exchanges must distance themselves from.

Liquidity providers are pulling back from HTX's books in anticipation of the August 23 cutoff, causing a thinning of the ETH trading book on HTX. This could lead to dramatic price movements and potentially divergent price dynamics between HTX and other major exchanges.