Crypto news

In July 2026, the cryptocurrency landscape once again confirmed its dynamism, and the HTX exchange demonstrated impressive results that deserve close attention. The key growth driver was the rapid expansion of the TradFi zone, which led to an all-time high in daily trading volume. This trend reflects the growing demand from investors for asset diversification and capital efficiency, where the ability to instantly respond to market opportunities is combined with a reliable set of products and services.

Record Volumes and Expansion of the TradFi Lineup

During the reporting period, the exchange continued to aggressively expand its presence in traditional finance, launching 56 new assets, including 51 popular stock contracts. The listings were focused on the four most in-demand sectors: commodities, precious metals, AI chips, and memory. I paid special attention to assets combining high growth potential with strong defensive characteristics. The dominant narratives of the month were AI and semiconductors: key assets from the memory and computing segments were launched, such as SKHYNIX and SKHY (SK Hynix), MU (Micron Technology), and SNDK (SanDisk).

The platform now supports 170 TradFi assets, covering individual US stocks, ETFs, and Pre-IPO, and holds a leading industry position in the coverage of individual US securities. Users can seamlessly trade key global assets in one place, without the need to switch between platforms. This became possible thanks to the completed adaptation of HTX Futures for TradFi: index sources and funding rates were optimized so that pricing of stock contracts more accurately reflects real market conditions. A separate TradFi navigation tab appeared in the web version, and the launch of the Stock Contract Rebase feature is scheduled for the third quarter, which will further enhance the trading experience.

The result was not long in coming: at the end of July, the daily trading volume in the TradFi zone reached an all-time high, increasing more than 10 times compared to the June daily average. The cumulative TradFi trading volume reached approximately $2.5 billion.

Copy Trading and Trading Bots Show Confident Growth

Despite recent pressure on the crypto market, two areas of automated futures trading on HTX, contrary to the market trend, demonstrated confident growth. Copy trading volume in July jumped by 184%, trading volume through futures bots grew by 9%, and the average daily value of positions on the platform increased by 7%.

The growth of copy trading is driven by the development of the trader ecosystem. The platform continuously optimized the ranking mechanism, attracting and retaining quality traders, which allowed the talent pool to steadily expand. This provided users with a more diverse and professional choice for copy trading, increasing both profitability and trust. As for grid trading tools, in July the trailing grid function was officially launched, allowing grid intervals to be dynamically adjusted to market movements. This helps users more intelligently capitalize on volatility in unstable markets. The initial order placement mechanism for the futures grid was improved to a limit order, effectively reducing slippage losses and increasing the long-term profitability of grid bots.

A number of trading experience optimizations were also implemented for high-frequency usage scenarios. The one-click close function for opposite positions on the same trading pair allows users to close positions with a single click in fast-moving markets. Risk control models and trigger rules were optimized, further enhancing protection against negative balances in extreme market conditions. The recently launched Futures Events Center consolidates entry points for various futures events on one page, eliminating the need to switch between multiple tabs.

Earn and Lending: New Records and Innovations

Capital efficiency remains one of the top priorities for long-term holders. In July, nearly 28,000 users participated in HTX Earn, with total subscription volume exceeding $290 million. Stablecoins remained the most popular choice among clients. Flexible Earn products for USDT, USDD, and USDC attracted more than 20,000 participants thanks to consistently competitive yields, with subscription volume of about $250 million. For Prime 5 and above clients, the BTC VIP Flexible Earn product was launched with an annual percentage yield (APY) of 1%. Combined with the previously launched USDT VIP Flexible Earn product, large clients gained broader opportunities for long-term asset allocation.

Innovative mechanisms appeared in lending services. The Collateral Swap service launched an on-chain TRX energy arbitrage function. Users stake BTC, ETH, or USDT to borrow TRX, place it in TRON Stake 2.0 to generate and rent out energy, and receive high annual returns. At the same time, limited-time low-interest loans were offered for popular assets, including XAUT, HYPE, ONDO, and AAVE, further reducing the cost of financing for holders. Liquidity Boost on HTX continued to provide large-scale lending services to leading global market makers and institutional clients. Supporting multiple assets such as TRX and USDT, it offers customized solutions for clients with ultra-large volumes, featuring higher TVL and softer liquidation terms.

Ecosystem, Hackathon, and Development Strategy

The FIFA 2026 World Cup became the most popular event in the world in July. Capitalizing on this trend, HTX launched a World Cup prediction campaign with a total prize pool of 500,000 USDT, covering predictions for the champion, match outcomes, and the number of goals scored. The campaign attracted nearly 13,000 registered participants, who made more than 180,000 predictions, generating trading volumes approaching $170 million. Additionally, HTX brought SVIP clients directly to the World Cup arena, organizing an exclusive VIP tour during the quarterfinals and providing stadium VIP boxes and customized itineraries.

In July, the Genesis hackathon, jointly organized by HTX DAO and B.AI, was successfully completed. Dedicated to AI and Web3 directions, it attracted more than 200 developer teams to build high-quality projects in AI agents, AI trading, AI payments, AI wallets, and DeFi. It brought together developers, investment institutions, and ecosystem partners from around the world to continuously enrich the HTX DAO innovation ecosystem.

HTX also launched its first TradFi event, "Trade and Earn." Users not only traded TradFi contracts with negative fees but also saw 100% of their trading fees directed toward the buyback and burn of HTX, supporting the long-term stability of the token's value. In the first round, trading volume exceeded 63 million USDT, and users received fee rebates worth more than 1.8 billion HTX. The second round is currently underway.

Analyst's View

The rapid growth of the TradFi direction is not just a one-off campaign but a strategic vector toward the convergence of traditional and decentralized finance. HTX's success in this niche, backed by record volumes and product lineup expansion, indicates that tokenized stocks are becoming a full-fledged asset class. Ahead of the platform's 13th anniversary, which has weathered numerous market cycles, further surprises and the strengthening of the "User First" principle can be expected. In my view, it is precisely such hybrid platforms, combining the best practices of TradFi and DeFi, that will define the future of digital finance.