HTX Escalates Dispute With WLFI After Address Freeze

HTX has suspended trading of WLFI and USD1 assets after the World Liberty Financial team froze user tokens on HTX-linked addresses, escalating tensions over issuer control in crypto.

The exchange acted swiftly on June 5, 2026, at 13:00 UTC to protect users amid the unilateral freeze.

HTX Suspends WLFI and USD1 Trading After Asset Freeze

The WLFI project team restricted on-chain circulation of specific WLFI tokens in HTX-related addresses, citing an ongoing UK sanctions compliance review.

HTX stated these are not assets of any sanctioned entity or the exchange itself, they belong to individual users who legally purchased them.

“These are assets legally purchased and owned by individual users… To date, we have received no clear explanation regarding the legal basis, scope, standards, or resolution process behind this action,” HTX spokesperson stated.

HTX’s Decisive Response

To safeguard user assets, preserve market fairness, and reduce systemic risks, HTX immediately suspended these trading pairs:

• WLFI/USDT
• USD1/USDT
• BTC/USD1
• ETH/USD1

The exchange suspended USD1 deposits and withdrawals. All user USD1 holdings were automatically converted to USDT at a strict 1:1 ratio.

WLFI tokens remain safe on-chain, with withdrawals expected to resume once the freeze is lifted. HTX has formally requested WLFI to restore access.