The European Union has included Justin Sun-linked crypto exchange HTX among crypto companies accused of helping Russian users evade financial sanctions, adding the platform to the bloc’s latest package of Russia-related restrictive measures.

According to Reuters, the EU published the list on Friday after adopting the new restrictions on Thursday. The action places HTX, formerly known as Huobi, under transaction restrictions, but it does not include an EU asset freeze.

HTX did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the EU decision. The exchange was founded in China in 2013. Sun acquired a controlling stake in 2022, although HTX describes the Tron founder as an adviser.

EU authorities added the crypto companies as part of the bloc’s 21st sanctions package against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The broader measures target banks, crypto networks, oil traders, energy revenue channels and vessels suspected of operating within Russia’s shadow fleet.

Reuters reported that 18 companies offering crypto services appeared on the published list. Separately, the Council of the European Union said it had extended transaction restrictions to 14 crypto-related platforms operating from Georgia, Panama, the United Arab Emirates, the Marshall Islands, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus.

The difference reflects how the measures count companies and the platforms they operate. According to the Council, the 14 services were targeted because EU authorities linked them to financial channels used by Russia to bypass existing restrictions.

HTX faces transaction restrictions, not an EU asset freeze

The EU measure against HTX differs from a full sanctions designation because it does not require the exchange’s assets to be frozen, Reuters reported. Instead, HTX has been placed within the group of crypto businesses covered by transaction controls in the new package. In EU sanctions practice, that distinction matters because transaction bans can restrict business dealings by EU operators without necessarily triggering the asset-freeze obligations that apply to listed persons or entities.

For the first time, the sanctions package also gives the EU a mechanism to prohibit dealings with crypto providers in third countries when authorities determine that those services are helping Russia evade sanctions. The Council described the tool as a deterrent for jurisdictions that host such platforms.

HTX had already been targeted by sanctions in the United Kingdom. On May 26, British authorities sanctioned Huobi Global S.A., the Panama-based company behind HTX, over alleged financial services involving A7 and Garantex, two entities previously sanctioned over links to Russia.

The UK Foreign Office alleged that HTX provided services to A7, a payments network backed by Russian state-controlled Promsvyazbank, and to Garantex, a Moscow-based crypto exchange. The British restrictions included an asset freeze and barred UK companies from processing payments or maintaining financial relationships with the designated entities.

In response to the UK action, an HTX spokesperson rejected suggestions that the exchange disregarded regulatory obligations.

“Regulatory compliance remains our absolute top priority at HTX. We proactively monitor and strictly adhere to regulatory frameworks in all jurisdictions where we operate globally, including the UK,” the spokesperson told Reuters.

HTX has not issued a corresponding response to the EU restrictions. Its earlier statement addressed only the British allegations and did not comment on the findings behind the EU sanctions package.

Outside the crypto sector, the Council imposed asset freezes and funding restrictions on 94 banks and major financial institutions. Transaction bans were also extended to another 33 Russian credit and financial institutions, one Kyrgyz bank connected to Russia’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages, and three other non-Russian banks accused of helping circumvent sanctions.

EU crypto controls expand to ownership and management

Adopted on July 23, the package contains 218 individual listings, comprising 48 people and 170 entities. The Council described it as the EU’s largest batch of new listings in four years, covering financial services, energy companies, military suppliers and organizations accused of supporting sanctions evasion.

EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said the measures cover more than 100 banks and crypto operators, over 40 vessels tied to Russia’s shadow fleet, and several refineries in Russia and Belarus. According to Kallas, more than 50 listings involve Russia’s military-industrial sector, including businesses connected to long-range drone production.

Separate restrictions adopted through Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1847 will also affect Belarusian participation in the EU crypto industry. Beginning Aug. 25, Belarusian nationals and residents will be prohibited from owning, controlling or managing crypto-asset service providers regulated under the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework.

Previous restrictions focused on companies offering crypto wallets, accounts and custody services. The amended rules extend the ban to every service category defined under MiCA, including operating trading platforms, exchanging crypto assets, executing client orders, processing transfers, placing tokens, providing investment advice and managing portfolios.

The Belarus measure entered into force on July 24, one day after its adoption, although the crypto ownership and management provisions have a one-month implementation period. The measure follows the end of MiCA’s transition window on July 1, after which unauthorized crypto firms were required to stop operating or face enforcement measures.

Taken together, the two decisions place foreign crypto platforms and ownership roles inside regulated EU firms under separate sanctions controls. HTX now faces transaction restrictions tied to alleged Russian activity, while Belarusian nationals and residents will face direct limits on their participation in MiCA-authorized businesses.