Sun Yuchao is going through a rough year

Just when he thought things were finally turning around—SEC dropped its lawsuit against him in March—everyone assumed he’d cleared the hurdle

But then came the UK’s FCA, swiftly filing a motion at the High Court of London to shut down HTX’s operations in the UK

Apple didn’t sit idle either; as soon as the FCA filed its complaint, it demanded that HTX’s app be removed from the UK App Store

From the U.S. to the UK, from courtrooms to app marketplaces, Sun Yuchao’s path is being systematically blocked

What exactly is the FCA charging HTX with?

Here’s the thing—you’ll notice the FCA’s lawsuit wasn’t an impromptu move—it’s been building since 2023

Back in 2023, the FCA explicitly warned UK users not to engage with HTX. Yet HTX ignored the warning and continued running targeted ads on TikTok, X, and its official website aimed directly at UK users

The FCA argues this violated the new crypto promotion regulations effective October 2023—requiring all crypto platforms to include clear risk warnings and conduct suitability assessments for users; failure to do so constitutes a criminal offense

HTX still ignored the red lines. In October 2025, the FCA formally initiated civil litigation at the High Court of London

On February 4, 2026, the court granted the FCA permission to serve legal documents overseas—meaning entities in Hong Kong and Singapore are now also legally exposed

Apple’s app removal isn’t just about blocking an app

The FCA’s actions go far beyond litigation

It has directly demanded social media platforms disable HTX’s UK accounts, while simultaneously instructing Apple and Google to delist HTX’s app from the UK App Stores

Think about it—this isn’t just about fines anymore. App removal means UK users can no longer access HTX through official channels

The FCA added a chilling statement: “The current restrictions HTX imposes on UK users have no ongoing assurance”

Put simply: you don’t play by the rules, and we’ll keep coming

In its public statement, the FCA outright labeled HTX as “extremely opaque,” noting they’ve repeatedly failed to establish contact with the company

Sun Yuchao, surrounded on all sides

Ultimately, Sun Yuchao only had one moment of relief this year—when SEC dropped the case in March. Since then, it’s been nothing but gloom

FCA litigation plus Apple’s app removal was bad enough—but on May 26, the UK government officially placed Huobi (HTX) on its sanctions list targeting Russia

Being on a sanctions list isn’t just about the exchange—it drags down partners, market makers, liquidity pools, and everyone connected

Meanwhile in Hong Kong, Sun Yuchao and HTX are still locked in litigation with Huobi founder Li Lin over $30 million in unpaid funds

The money hasn’t even been recovered, and now fresh legal troubles are piling up in the UK and US

One crisis after another—Sun Yuchao’s year of misfortune continues

Looking back now, the only positive moment this year may have been SEC dropping the case in March 2026

Every day since has been nothing but trouble