Binance Cuts Off HTX, EXMO and 15 Other Crypto Platforms Over Sanctions Compliance

Binance is systematically cutting off transactions with 17 crypto-asset platforms, and the list now includes two names big enough to matter: HTX and EXMO.

The world's largest crypto exchange announced Friday it will stop processing transactions tied to a growing roster of platforms, rolling the restrictions out in three waves this month, according to Crypto Briefing. Shelbit and Aban Tether Exchange got cut off starting Aug. 7. A7 Nigeria, A7 Africa and PilotFinance followed on Aug. 13. The big wave hits Aug. 23: Rapira, Aifory Pro, ABCeX, WhiteBird, NoOnecrypto, Tradex, Monease, BitPapa, Exnode/Exnode Pay, HTX (Huobi Global SA) and EXMO Ltd.

Binance says any transaction attempted with a listed platform on or after its cutoff date can trigger a compliance hold on the associated wallet, and that continuing to transact with these entities may violate its Terms of Use, according to Coinpedia.

Why HTX and EXMO stand out

Most of the names on this list are small, regional operators most crypto users have never heard of. HTX is not. Formerly known as Huobi, it's one of the larger exchanges globally by trading volume, according to Coinpedia. EXMO is a longstanding European-facing exchange. Their inclusion marks a real escalation from earlier rounds that mostly hit smaller regional players.

Binance has not named the specific regulator or sanctions regime driving the move, saying only that it's responding to "recent regulatory developments" and its obligation to comply with rules in the jurisdictions where it operates, according to Coinpedia. But several of the affected platforms, including Shelbit and Africa-focused payment networks, have previously come up in reporting on sanctions-evasion networks tied to Iran and Russia, per Coinpedia's reporting.

ChainCatcher's coverage adds a detail the other outlets don't: HTX itself responded. A company spokesperson said HTX has "always strictly complied with the relevant laws and regulations of its operating location," and specifically addressed sanctions tied to the EU and UK, saying the platform is "actively communicating and has made good progress" with regulators. HTX also said it does not currently operate in the EU and has no EU customers, telling users they need not "worry excessively."

That's a meaningful data point missing from the other reports reviewed here. Crypto Briefing and The Crypto Basic both cover the mechanics of the restrictions but don't include HTX's side. If HTX's account is accurate, the sanctions concern is specifically EU- and UK-linked, not a broader global freeze, and HTX says it's in active talks to resolve it rather than facing a settled finding of wrongdoing. No regulator has been named publicly in these reports as having charged or sanctioned HTX outright, and no charges or fines have been disclosed here. This is Binance getting ahead of a regulatory relationship it says exists, not a confirmed enforcement action against HTX.

The bigger pattern

Binance has been under real pressure over its sanctions-compliance record. Coinpedia notes the exchange has faced sustained scrutiny in recent months over how it handles transactions linked to sanctioned entities, and that Binance has pushed back, claiming its sanctions-related exposure fell 96.8% between January 2024 and July 2025.

Read against that backdrop, this rolling blacklist looks like Binance trying to build a paper trail of proactive compliance moves rather than waiting to get hit with another enforcement action. Getting caught facilitating transactions with sanctioned-adjacent platforms again would be a serious problem for a company already facing sustained scrutiny over its compliance practices.

Separately, a related legal fight

CoinGape reports that RedotPay, a Hong Kong-based stablecoin payments company, has pushed its planned U.S. IPO beyond 2026, partly while defending a nearly $473 million lawsuit filed by Binance-linked entities in Hong Kong. The complaint alleges RedotPay founders improperly diverted more than 470,000 card customers. These are allegations in a filed lawsuit, not proven claims, and RedotPay has rejected the accusations, saying it will "vigorously defend all claims." RedotPay reported 8.5 million users in the second quarter of 2026 and holds a U.S. money transmitter license, according to CoinGape. Whether that IPO delay is driven mainly by the lawsuit, by broader regulatory approval timelines, or both is not fully resolved in current reporting.

The immediate open question is what happens Aug. 23, when the HTX and EXMO restrictions actually take effect. Whether HTX's negotiations with EU and UK regulators resolve before then, and whether Binance names the underlying sanctions regime it's responding to, remain unanswered.