MEXC is our top pick over HTX for active traders outside both platforms' prohibited regions in this comparison: 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot against HTX's flat 0.20% at the entry tier, plus aMEXC is our top pick over HTX for active traders outside both platforms' prohibited regions in this comparison: 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot against HTX's flat 0.20% at the entry tier, plus a
MEXC vs HTX (Formerly Huobi): Who Shows You Their Reserves, and Who Still Charges 0.20% on Every Spot Trade?
MEXC is our top pick over HTX for active traders outside both platforms' prohibited regions in this comparison: 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot against HTX's flat 0.20% at the entry tier, plus a monthly proof-of-reserves report audited by Hacken.
Neither exchange serves the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore or Hong Kong under its own terms, and HTX's operating entity was designated under UK sanctions on May 26, 2026, so readers in those markets should treat this article as information only.
Key Takeaways
- MEXC is our top pick over HTX in this comparison for active traders outside both platforms' prohibited regions, on cost, breadth and audited reserve reporting.
- MEXC charges 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot against HTX's 0.20% on both sides at Prime 0, a gap of $875 a month on $500,000 of evenly split volume.
- MEXC's monthly proof of reserves is audited by Hacken and showed BTC at 288% in August 2026, while HTX's self-published June 2026 report showed BTC at 103% across eight assets.
- Huobi Global S.A., which the UK lists under the HTX name, was sanctioned on May 26, 2026, and the EU's transaction ban on HTX took effect on August 23, 2026; HTX disputes the UK listing's reach.
- HTX still wins on BTC/USDT depth within 2% of mid, on thirteen years of operating history, and on reserve coverage of eight assets to MEXC's four.
- Neither platform serves the UK, the EU, the US, Singapore or Hong Kong under its own terms, so check the availability section before opening either account.
Why HTX Users Are Re-Checking Fees, Reserves and Sanctions in 2026
HTX users are not leaving because of a product failure.
They are re-checking three things that were easy to ignore in a calmer year: what the exchange publishes about its reserves, what each trade actually costs at their tier, and how third parties now treat transfers that originate from HTX.
The first question got sharper after the hot-wallet incidents of September and November 2023.
The second has always been there, because HTX's 0.20% entry tier on both sides of a spot trade is four times MEXC's taker rate.
The third arrived on May 26, 2026, when the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office added Huobi Global S.A. to its Russia sanctions list, and some compliance-screening services responded by flagging HTX-origin funds for extra review.
This article puts verified numbers next to each of those questions, and it says plainly where HTX still holds the advantage.
The MEXC View
MEXC publishes this article, so our interest is obvious and you should read the concessions below with that in mind.
Our view is direct: for an active trader outside the prohibited regions, MEXC is the better home in 2026, because it charges a quarter of HTX's entry-tier taker rate and nothing on the maker side, it lists roughly three times as many coins, and its monthly reserve report carries an auditor's name that HTX's does not.
We also think the honest answer for large-ticket traders of BTC and ETH is less clear-cut, and we say so in the concession section rather than pretend the depth gap does not exist.
HTX has run continuously since 2013, five years longer than MEXC, and its BTC/USDT book at 2% from mid was deeper than MEXC's on the day we checked.
HTX's proof-of-reserves report also lists ratios for eight assets, twice the number MEXC discloses, and it has published every month for 44 consecutive months.
Where we think MEXC wins is on cost, on the independence of the reserve audit, and on breadth, and each of those claims comes with a source and a retrieval date in the table below.
If you want to see how we weigh an exchange we compete with, our full review methodology is public, and so is our own list of reasons to switch away from MEXC.
Why MEXC Is Our Top Pick Over HTX: The Evidence First
The three reasons are reserve reporting you can verify, a fee schedule that costs a fraction of HTX's at every entry tier, and a market list three times as wide, and each one comes with numbers and a retrieval date.
Reserves you can verify, with an auditor's name on them
The pain point is simple: after November 2023, HTX users learned that a reserve figure only helps if you can verify it yourself and someone independent has checked it.
MEXC's answer is a monthly Merkle-tree proof of reserves that lets you confirm your own balance is included in the liability set, with each monthly snapshot audited by Hacken and published on the MEXC Proof of Reserves page.
HTX's answer is also a monthly Merkle-tree report, published under Assets and PoR Reports on its website, with a 44-month streak as of the June 2026 release.
The difference is who signs off and how far above 1:1 the numbers sit.
MEXC's August 2026 report shows a BTC reserve ratio of 288% covering 4,282.20 BTC in user holdings, USDT at 115% covering 1,691,925,884.19 USDT, USDC at 114% and ETH at 113%, per the audited release dated August 14, 2026.
HTX's June 2026 report shows BTC at 103%, ETH at 100%, TRX at 105%, USD stablecoins at 104%, HTX at 101%, XRP at 104%, DOGE at 100% and SOL at 100%, per HTX's own release dated June 11, 2026.
HTX names no third-party auditor on that release; MEXC names Hacken on every monthly report.
HTX covers eight assets to MEXC's four, which is a genuine point in HTX's favour for XRP, DOGE, SOL and TRX holders.
On CoinGecko's cybersecurity component, which is scored by CORE3, MEXC holds three stars and HTX holds one, and neither exchange has a recorded incident in the past twelve months.
MEXC also discloses a futures insurance fund and a Guardian Fund in the same monthly releases, with balances stated by MEXC rather than by the auditor, and we could not verify a comparable fund balance for HTX on an open page during this review.
Here is the five-minute check you can run on either platform: open the proof-of-reserves page, find the snapshot date, confirm the liability side is a Merkle tree you can search with your own account, and look for the auditor's name.
On MEXC all four items are present; on HTX the auditor's name is the one that is missing.
The ratios themselves tell the same story in one picture.
Fees: the effective total cost of moving volume
The cost gap is the easiest thing in this comparison to measure, so we measured it at the tier most readers actually sit in.
MEXC's standard spot schedule is 0% maker and 0.05% taker, and paying fees with MX cuts the taker side to 0.04%.
HTX's Prime 0 tier, which applies below $30,000 of 30-day spot volume, $300,000 of futures volume, $5,000 in assets or $1,000 in HTX tokens, charges 0.20% on both sides, and paying fees in HTX or TRX brings that to 0.15%.
Prime 1 lowers HTX's spot rate to 0.16% maker and 0.17% taker, which is still more than three times MEXC's taker rate, and MEXC's maker rate is zero.
Take $500,000 of monthly spot volume split evenly between limit and market orders.
On HTX at Prime 0 that costs $1,000 a month, or $750 with the token discount.
On MEXC it costs $125, or $100 with the MX deduction, and $0 if every trade lands on one of the 600 or more spot pairs priced at 0% on both sides.
Over a year the gap between the two undiscounted schedules is $10,500.
Futures are closer, but MEXC still leads at the standard tier: 0.010% maker and 0.040% taker on MEXC against 0.020% and 0.060% on HTX, which is $125 against $200 on the same $500,000 of evenly split monthly volume.
BTCUSDT on MEXC carries a Special Rate of 0.000% maker and 0.020% taker, which cuts that $125 to $50, and 336 of MEXC's roughly 1,000 USDT-M pairs were priced at 0% on both sides when we counted them on August 20, 2026.
One honest boundary: orders sent through MEXC's API on futures follow a separate schedule of 0.06% maker and 0.08% taker effective June 1, 2026, which works out to $350 on that same volume, so an API-driven futures desk pays less on HTX at Prime 0.
HTX's Prime ladder does reach negative maker rates at Prime 9 and above, but the volume thresholds sit in the hundreds of millions of dollars and are not relevant to an entry-tier comparison.
Put those rates against a real month of volume and the difference stops being abstract.
Stretch the same calculation across a year and three volume levels and the gap ranges from $210 to $10,500.
Coins, listings and derivatives
MEXC listed 1,641 coins across 2,032 spot pairs on CoinGecko on September 3, 2026, against 563 coins and 576 pairs for HTX.
That gap is the reason most breadth-first traders leave HTX in the first place, and it widens on the derivatives side, where MEXC ran roughly 1,000 USDT-M perpetual pairs at our August 20 count against 336 perpetual pairs tracked for HTX.
Leverage tops out at 500x on BTCUSDT and ETHUSDT on MEXC, with 250x on SOLUSDT, XRPUSDT, DOGEUSDT and ADAUSDT, under an announcement from April 23, 2025 that also lists the countries excluded from the tier.
HTX's USDT-margined contract rules state a 1x to 200x range, and HTX cut ZENUSDT and SPACEUSDT from 20x to 10x on April 30, 2026 for risk-management reasons, per its own announcement.
HTX also lists perpetuals on traditional-asset references, including S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, gold and oil contracts, which macro traders will value, and MEXC lists US stock perpetuals of its own.
High leverage cuts both ways, and both platforms publish liquidation and maintenance-margin rules that you should read before sizing a position; MEXC's are summarised in its futures trading risks guide.
MEXC does not serve residents of the UK, the US, the EEA, Singapore or Hong Kong, so the button below is for readers outside those regions.
MEXC vs HTX at a Glance: Six Dimensions, Verified
Dimension | MEXC | HTX |
Spot fees, entry tier | 0.00% maker, 0.05% taker; 20% off with MX deduction; 600 or more spot pairs at 0% on both sides (counted August 20, 2026) | 0.20% maker, 0.20% taker at Prime 0; 25% off when fees are paid in HTX or TRX; Prime 1 at 0.16% and 0.17% |
Futures fees, entry tier (web and app) | 0.010% maker, 0.040% taker on standard USDT-M pairs; BTCUSDT Special Rate 0.000% maker, 0.020% taker; API orders 0.06% maker, 0.08% taker from June 1, 2026 | 0.020% maker, 0.060% taker on USDT-M at Prime 0; 0.018% and 0.055% at Prime 1 |
Coins and spot pairs (CoinGecko, September 3, 2026) | 1,641 coins, 2,032 pairs; Trust Score 10 out of 10 | 563 coins, 576 pairs; Trust Score 6 out of 10 |
Derivatives | Roughly 1,000 USDT-M perpetual pairs (counted August 20, 2026); up to 500x on BTCUSDT and ETHUSDT, 250x on SOL, XRP, DOGE and ADA | 336 perpetual pairs on CoinGecko; USDT-M leverage 1x to 200x under HTX's trading rules; some pairs cut to 10x in April 2026 |
Transparency | Monthly Merkle-tree proof of reserves audited by Hacken; August 2026 ratios BTC 288%, USDT 115%, USDC 114%, ETH 113% | Monthly Merkle-tree proof of reserves, self-published for 44 months; June 2026 ratios BTC 103%, ETH 100%, TRX 105%, USDs 104%, HTX 101%, XRP 104%, DOGE 100%, SOL 100% |
Availability under own terms | Prohibits the US, Canada, the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China and sanctioned territories; no MiCA authorisation for the EEA | Prohibits the US, the UK, all EU member states, Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, Myanmar and sanctioned territories; UK sanctions designation since May 26, 2026 |
Data verified as of September 3, 2026 against each platform's official fee schedule, help centre and terms, and against CoinGecko's exchange pages. Entry retail tiers only.
MEXC Wins on Cost and Disclosure, HTX Keeps the Asian Order Books
The table above gives MEXC the cost, breadth and derivatives rows and leaves transparency split, and the split maps cleanly onto trader types.
Choose MEXC if you trade often, you trade beyond the top twenty coins, and you want a reserve report that someone other than the exchange has checked.
Choose HTX if your volume sits in BTC, ETH and TRX, you value a thirteen-year track record, and you already qualify for a Prime tier that brings your spot rate under 0.10%.
Readers in the UK, the EU, the US, Singapore or Hong Kong cannot open either account under the platforms' current terms, and UK residents have legal obligations toward HTX that we cover in the timeline section.
Where HTX Is Stronger
HTX's BTC/USDT book showed $13.57 million of bids and $8.62 million of asks within 2% of mid on CoinGecko on September 3, 2026, against $8.23 million and $7.32 million on MEXC's BTC/USDT pair.
HTX's ETH/USDT book was similarly deep at $11.13 million and $10.07 million.
For a trader moving six-figure tickets in BTC or ETH, that depth is worth more than the fee difference on a single trade.
HTX's Prime programme also rewards scale more aggressively than MEXC's public schedule, with maker rebates at the top tiers.
HTX lists fiat deposit channels in USD, GBP, TRY and EUR on its CoinGecko profile, and its thirteen-year history spans more market cycles than MEXC's eight.
Finally, HTX's proof-of-reserves coverage of eight assets and its 44-month publication streak are both longer than MEXC's, even though the audit independence question cuts the other way.
HTX Hacks, the FCA Case, and UK and EU Sanctions: The 2023 to 2026 Timeline
We list the public record for both platforms in date order, using regulator and mainstream-media sources and quoting the exchanges' own statements as plain text.
- September 24, 2023: roughly 4,999 ETH, about $8 million at the time, left an HTX hot wallet; the attacker returned the funds the following month.
- November 22, 2023: HTX confirmed a hot-wallet breach that an HTX representative put at about $30 million, on the same day the HECO bridge lost about $87 million; deposits and withdrawals were suspended and resumed on November 25, and Justin Sun pledged full compensation, as reported by CoinDesk.
- December 2023: DefiLlama data cited by Bloomberg and crypto.news showed net outflows of about $258 million from HTX between November 25 and December 10.
- October 21, 2025: the UK Financial Conduct Authority issued High Court proceedings against Huobi Global S.A. and persons unknown behind HTX over financial promotions to UK consumers, which the FCA announced on February 10, 2026.
- May 26, 2026: the UK designated Huobi Global S.A., listed with HTX and HTX Exchange as name variations, under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, imposing an asset freeze and payment-processing prohibitions on UK persons, as reported by CoinDesk; the same day HTX stated that the listed entity is distinct from the online exchange, that the designation arrived without prior notice or supporting evidence, and that user funds are safe.
- May 29, 2026: the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation added FAQ 186 stating that it considers the HTX exchange itself subject to the designation because Huobi Global S.A. holds more than 50% of it.
- July 23, 2026: the Council of the EU adopted its 21st Russia sanctions package, which lists HTX (Huobi Global SA) among crypto platforms subject to a transaction ban from August 23, 2026; the measure stops short of a full designation and carries no asset freeze, and eligible EU, EEA and Swiss residents may seek authorisation to withdraw funds or close accounts, as reported by Reuters and The Block.
- August 13, 2026: Reuters reported that the FCA and HTX had entered settlement talks and that the High Court had paused the promotions case until late August; no outcome had been published when we checked on September 3, 2026.
- August 31, 2026: Justin Sun, an adviser to HTX, wrote on X that HTX had been hit by a DDoS attack, that user assets were not affected, and that services had resumed.
MEXC's record over the same window shows no security incident in CoinGecko's twelve-month incident field, and its regulatory record is also public: MEXC holds no tier-one licence, appears on ESMA's list of non-compliant entities, received a formal decision from the Dutch AFM in September 2025, and is listed by Japan's FSA as an unregistered operator.
CoinGecko's regulation field records only an international crypto licence in Comoros for MEXC, which CoinGecko itself classifies as a defined but unproven framework.
What the UK designation means in practice depends on where you live.
EU persons are barred from transacting with HTX since August 23, 2026 under the transaction ban, and should check the authorisation route with their national competent authority before moving funds.
UK persons are subject to asset-freeze obligations toward Huobi Global S.A. and, per OFSI's FAQ 186, HTX, and UK financial institutions are barred from correspondent banking and payment processing for them, so read OFSI's guidance or take legal advice; nothing in this article is a suggestion to route around that.
Outside the UK, the practical change is that some third-party services began applying extra checks to funds that had passed through HTX, which is worth knowing before you move assets between platforms.
Availability: Who Can Legally Use Which
Both user agreements now exclude the same core group of markets, and HTX's list is longer.
HTX's platform user agreement prohibits all services for residents of mainland China, the United States, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Myanmar, the occupied regions of Ukraine and every EU member state, and it bars derivatives trading for Taiwan, Israel, Iraq, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan and New Zealand.
MEXC's user agreement prohibits the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, mainland China, North Korea, Cuba, Iran, Sudan and the Russian-controlled regions of Ukraine, and MEXC said it would stop serving EEA users after the July 1, 2026 MiCA transition deadline; the full list is in our restricted countries guide.
Japan sits in a grey zone for MEXC: the website is reachable, the app is not in Japanese app stores, and the Financial Services Agency lists MEXC among unregistered operators.
Who Should Choose MEXC, and Who Should Stay on HTX
Pick MEXC if you are an active trader outside the prohibited regions, you trade altcoins or new listings, and you want a reserve report with an auditor's name on it: your next step is to compare your last month's HTX fee statement against the $125 figure above, then read the MEXC Review 2026 for the catch we disclose there.
Stay on HTX if you trade large tickets in BTC, ETH or TRX, you sit at Prime 3 or above, or you hold assets like XRP and DOGE whose reserve ratios HTX discloses and MEXC does not.
Consider neither if you live in the UK, the EU, the US, Singapore or Hong Kong, where a licensed local platform is the only option that both platforms' own terms leave open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HTX the same as Huobi?
Yes, Huobi rebranded as HTX in September 2023 and the operating entity is Huobi Global S.A.
The UK's May 26, 2026 sanctions listing names both Huobi Global S.A. and HTX as the same designated party.
Is MEXC cheaper than HTX?
At the entry tier, yes: MEXC charges 0% maker and 0.05% taker on spot against HTX's 0.20% on both sides.
HTX is cheaper only for API-routed futures orders, where MEXC charges 0.06% and 0.08%.
Is HTX sanctioned?
The UK designated Huobi Global S.A. under its Russia sanctions regime on May 26, 2026, and OFSI has said it considers the HTX exchange subject to that designation.
HTX disputes the UK listing's reach, and the EU added HTX to its Russia sanctions regime on July 23, 2026 as a transaction ban that took effect on August 23, 2026, without an asset freeze; we found no US designation when we checked.
Does HTX publish proof of reserves?
Yes, HTX publishes a monthly Merkle-tree report covering eight assets, with a 44-month streak as of June 2026.
The report is self-published and does not name a third-party auditor.
Does MEXC publish proof of reserves?
Yes, MEXC publishes a monthly Merkle-tree report for BTC, ETH, USDT and USDC that is audited by Hacken.
The August 2026 report showed every ratio above 100%, with BTC at 288%.
Can UK residents use HTX or MEXC?
No, both platforms list the United Kingdom as a prohibited jurisdiction in their user agreements.
UK persons are additionally barred from transacting with HTX under the May 2026 sanctions designation.
How do I move assets from HTX to MEXC?
Withdraw from HTX to a MEXC deposit address on a network both platforms support, and confirm the memo or tag field for assets such as XRP before sending.
Check MEXC's deposit rules for your region first, because some third-party services apply extra checks to HTX-origin funds.
Risk and Compliance Disclosure
MEXC publishes this comparison and has a commercial interest in your choice.
MEXC holds no tier-one licence and is not authorised in the EEA, the UK, the US, Singapore or Hong Kong.
Leveraged futures can lose more than your initial margin, and small-cap tokens can lose most of their value in a single session.
Sanctions obligations are a matter of law in your own jurisdiction, and nothing here is legal advice.
All figures carry the retrieval date stated in the table and may have changed since.
MEXC does not serve residents of the UK, the US, the EEA, Singapore or Hong Kong, and the button below is for readers elsewhere.
Market Opportunity
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This article is provided by Sarah Chen for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets involve significant risk. Please conduct independent research or consult a qualified professional before making any investment decisions. The views expressed do not necessarily represent those of MEXC or its affiliates.
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