- HTX, a crypto exchange linked to Justin Sun, delisted USD1 in retaliation for World Liberty Finance freezing its wallet addresses.
The war of words between TRON (TRX) founder Justin Sun and Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has been going on in the past few months, which eventually led to lawsuits from both sides. Now, HTX (formerly Houbi), a crypto exchange linked to or may even be owned by Sun, has struck back by delisting the company’s USD1 stablecoin from its platform.
HTX Delists USD1
It hadn’t been long since HTX forged a partnership with World Liberty Financial. In May 2025, the crypto exchange listed the stablecoin immediately upon the Trump-backed company’s launch and even announced support for the USD1 Points Program in August, allowing users of the asset to earn loyalty points.
Fast-forward to June 5, HTX suspended all trading activities connected to USD1 to supposedly safeguard users’ assets, preserve market fairness, and mitigate potential systemic risks. It followed World Liberty Financial’s decision to unilaterally freeze on-chain addresses linked to the exchange due to sanctions compliance reviews.
Additionally, HTX informed users that it will convert all their USD1 assets to their equivalent value in USDT. The platform stated that it will release more details about the subject in a separate announcement.
HTX Distances Itself From Houbi Global
HTX highlighted that it’s distinct from Houbi Global S.A., which has been the subject of compliance violations and international sanctions overseas. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) notably slapped Houbi Global, a Panama-registered entity behind HTX, with an enforcement action in February for offering unregistered crypto services. After that, the regulator released a list of entities found to be aiding Russia evade sanctions, which again included the company.
The crypto exchange alleged that World Liberty Financial unilaterally froze its addresses without prior communication, adequate legal grounds, transparent disclosure, and due process. It claimed that the aforementioned factors infringed the rights and interests of its users and their assets.
HTX called upon the management of World Liberty Financial to clarify its legal basis for the freeze. Moreover, it demanded that the company disclose the scope of control of the sanctioned activities and the parties responsible. Likewise, it asked the company to unfreeze its users’ assets.
Furthermore, HTX emphasized that WLFI assets continue to appear in HTX users’ accounts. It vowed to protect its users’ asset rights and to continue seeking accountability from the people behind the World Liberty Financial team.
