Huobi HBUS - Exchange Review

Huobi HBUS launched in mid-2018 as the US-facing platform linked to Huobi Global. It aimed to deliver familiar features to American traders under regulatory compliance. However, it struggled from the beginning and was officially shut down by December 2019.

1. Platform and Timeline

HBUS provided spot, perpetual, and futures trading with a Huobi-branded interface. Despite the technical polish, its market activity remained extremely limited. Within 18 months, low liquidity and regional constraints made the model unsustainable. The exchange was permanently closed in 2019.

2. Volume and Activity

Daily volume rarely crossed $1 million
Compared to major exchanges, activity lagged by a factor of 100 or more
Coin tracking platforms mark it as inactive, with no recent trading history
No public reserves or on-chain balances available since closure

Since its shutdown, HBUS has shown no sign of reactivation or migration.

3. Regulatory Barriers

HBUS launched to cater to US traders but faced multiple state-level restrictions
Unable to offer full nationwide coverage due to licensing issues
Regulatory complexity eventually made operations unviable
Parent company Huobi Global chose to wind down the venture

Its shutdown marked an early lesson in cross-jurisdiction exchange deployment.

4. Pros and Cons

Pros:

Familiar trading experience for users of Huobi Global
Access to futures and perpetuals (historically)
Attempted regulatory compliance

Cons:

Minimal volume throughout its existence
Limited user acquisition in the US market
Closed entirely by end of 2019
No accessible customer service or asset recovery after shutdown

5. Intended Audience

Originally aimed at US retail and institutional traders, HBUS never gained enough traction. Today, it serves no active audience. Former users may still find historical data or account remnants, but no operations or withdrawals are possible.

6. Technical Snapshot

Simple Table

Metric	Status
Launch date	Mid-2018
Shutdown date	December 2019
Trading types	Spot, futures, perpetuals
Daily volume (historic)	< $1 million
Current volume	Zero
Reserve transparency	None
Regulatory footprint	US-restricted, now fully closed

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7. Final Verdict

Huobi HBUS is no longer operational and hasn’t been since 2019. Despite initial ambitions, it was quickly overwhelmed by regulatory friction and lack of user interest. What remains is simply an archived chapter in Huobi’s expansion history.

Anyone searching for a live platform should look toward active, licensed US exchanges. HBUS belongs to the past - and there it stays.