HTX denies involvement in address poisoning after Kraken freezes

Crypto exchange HTX has denied that the platform is involved in reported address poisoning attacks, in which scammers use almost identical wallet addresses to trick victims into sending money to the wrong address. The response was prompted by reports from users claiming that HTX-related addresses are involved in such attacks. At the same time, it has emerged that user funds worth up to $4.2 million have been frozen at Kraken for some time.

In brief:

• HTX says that after an internal investigation it found no official accounts involved in address poisoning.
• User funds at Kraken have been frozen in individual cases of up to $4.2 million, prompting some users to take action themselves.
• HTX set up a user group to bring affected parties together and put pressure on Kraken.

Internal investigation shows no official involvement

HTX says it immediately reviewed all internal accounts after reports of address poisoning emerged. No official activities were found. According to the platform, it is logically unlikely that HTX itself would be behind such transfers, as the exchange says it is on the verge of reaching a settlement with the United Kingdom and the regulatory climate is clearly improving.

The statement comes from an employee who posts under the account @HTX_Molly on X. She writes that HTX only cooperates with law enforcement agencies when freezing accounts involved in suspicious cases, and never does so without reason in the case of innocent users.

Frozen funds at Kraken prompt independent action

Research conducted by HTX in recent days shows that several users have been dealing with frozen balances at Kraken for some time. In the largest known cases, amounts run up to $4.2 million. According to HTX, this explains why some users are taking steps themselves to recover their money.

The platform emphasises that users have the right to make their own decisions about their balances and that HTX respects this principle. However, it urges that users’ voluntary actions should not be equated with official platform policy.

To help those affected, HTX set up a separate user group yesterday. The group is intended to consolidate cases and collectively put pressure on Kraken to resolve the freezes. How Kraken responds to these developments has not yet been announced.