HTX Affiliate Program Review (formerly Huobi)

If you have been in crypto affiliate marketing for a while, you probably remember it as the Huobi affiliate program. Huobi rebranded to HTX, and the program came along with it — same exchange, new name, new domain at htx.com. People still search for “Huobi affiliate”, and plenty of old blog posts still quote the Huobi-era headline of “up to 40%”. That number is out of date in your favour: the current HTX affiliate levels go up to 50% on spot and 60% on futures.

The catch is that HTX makes you earn those levels every quarter, and several practical terms — payout timing, minimum, duration — are not published. Here is how the program works and where to push for clarity.

How the HTX affiliate commission levels work

HTX’s affiliate recruitment announcements publish a three-level table. Your level depends on how many new traders you bring in and how much they trade, measured over each quarter.

Two things stand out. First, futures pay more than spot at every level, and futures hit their 60% ceiling already at Level 2. If your audience trades perpetual futuresFutures Contracts that let traders bet on a coin's price, often with leverage, without owning the coin. They create high volume and high risk. More, Level 3 adds nothing on those fees — the extra 5% only applies to spot. Second, the thresholds count new traders, not sign-ups. Level 3 asks for 500 new users, but the volume target is measured on your new traders, of whom you need at least 80.

To see what the level gap is worth, take a simple illustration: if your referred traders pay 2,000 USDT in futures fees in a quarter, Level 1 earns you 1,000 USDT and Level 2 earns you 1,200 USDT. On 2,000 USDT of spot fees the same jump is worth only 100 USDT (800 vs 900). The levels matter most for futures-heavy audiences, and that is exactly who produces the volume to reach them.

HTX also published a separate support announcement for affiliates headlined “up to 60% commission rebates”, which described a base of 40% on spot and 60% on futures after the promotional period ended. That fits the level table above for most mid-sized affiliates, but it shows that HTX adjusts rates through campaigns. Your dashboard is the final word on your current rate.

Quarterly reassessment and the HT extension

HTX reassesses every affiliate’s level every three months, counted from your first rate adjustment. Miss the threshold for your level and you drop to the one below for the next quarter.

There is one safety valve. A Level 2 or Level 3 affiliate who gets downgraded can keep the current level for one more quarter by holding a daily average of at least 500 HT — the exchange’s native token — over the last 30 days. You get this extension once per level, not every quarter. Since the token itself was renamed alongside the exchange, ask your manager exactly which token balance counts before you rely on it.

The practical effect: HTX rewards consistency. A single viral video that brings 60 traders in one month lifts you to Level 2, but you need that kind of month every quarter to stay there. Plan a content calendar, not a one-off push.

Limited-time campaigns: 66% and 72%

HTX runs boosted campaigns more often than most exchanges. Past examples include an affiliate margin special advertising up to 66% commission, and a global partner recruitment for KOLs (key opinion leaders, meaning larger influencers) advertising up to 72%. These are real, but they are campaigns with end dates and their own eligibility rules. Never put “72% commission” in evergreen content — when the campaign ends, your claim becomes wrong and your readers’ trust goes with it.

How to apply to the HTX affiliate program

1. Confirm your audience is outside restricted regions. HTX does not serve the United States. If a large share of your traffic is American, this program will underperform.
2. Create an HTX account. You apply with a regular HTX account, and your referral stats live inside it.
3. Prepare proof of reach. HTX asks for 5,000+ followers on a social platform or a trading community with 500+ members. Have links and screenshots of member counts ready.
4. Submit the application. Fill in the form at htx.com/affiliate-to-list. HTX reviews applications manually.
5. Meet your account manager. Approved affiliates get a dedicated manager and invitations to HTX Live. Use the first conversation to confirm your starting level and payout terms.
6. Generate referral links. Links and [[referral-code|referral codes]] are created inside your HTX account, where you also track sign-ups and commissions.

What HTX does not publish — and what to ask

HTX is clear about levels and vague about money movement. Cookie length, commission duration, payout frequency, minimum payout and payout currency are all undisclosed for the affiliate program. Referrals are bound through the link generated in your account, so cookie lengthCookie life How long after a click the program still credits you if the visitor signs up or buys. A 30-day cookie gives the user 30 days to convert. More matters less than on a classic web-tracked program, but duration matters a lot: does an invitee earn you commission for life, or for a fixed window?

For reference, HTX’s Broker program — a separate track for platforms that route trades via API — settles commissions daily on T+1, in USDT by default, or in HTX tokens when the user paid fees with a token discount. It is plausible that affiliate commissions follow the same mechanics, but that is not stated, so confirm it.

Questions worth sending your manager in writing:

• Is my commission lifetime, or does it expire per invitee?
• When are commissions settled, in which currency, and is there a minimum?
• Is my rate the same on margin trading as on spot?
• Can I bring sub-affiliatesSub-affiliate An affiliate you recruit into a program. You earn an extra commission on what they bring in, on top of your own direct referrals. More under me, and at what rate?
• Which traffic sources are banned — in particular, paid search on HTX or Huobi brand terms?

That last question matters because HTX does not publish an affiliate code of conduct. Almost every large exchange bans brand biddingBrand bidding Buying search ads on a brand's own name, such as 'Bitget login'. Most crypto programs ban it and can void your commissions. More, and the rebrand creates an obvious temptation to bid on “Huobi login” or “Huobi app”. Assume it is banned until your manager says otherwise in writing. Our crypto traffic sources guide explains which channels hold up under typical exchange rules.

HTX Invite Friends vs the affiliate program

Every HTX user can join Invite Friends. It pays a 30% rebate on invitees’ fees, including futures, with no requirements. That makes it a sensible starting point if you are below the 5,000-follower bar: you earn from day one and build a track record you can show HTX when you apply.

The affiliate program pays 10 to 30 percentage points more, depending on level and product, plus a manager and access to campaigns. Once you can realistically bring 10 trading users a quarter, the affiliate track is worth the application.

Who should promote HTX

HTX suits futures-focused communities outside the US, especially Telegram groups and Discord servers where members trade actively. The 50–60% futures share is competitive with the top of the market, and futures volume is what moves you through the levels.

It suits beginner-education sites less well. The quarterly targets assume trading users, and spot-only buyers rarely produce 100,000 USDT of volume each per quarter. If that is your audience, look for programs that pay from day one with no volume gate, or for CPACPA A fixed one-time payment you earn when a referred user completes a set action, such as passing KYC or making a first deposit. More offers that pay per qualified sign-up — our CPA vs revenue share guide helps you decide which model fits.

Tips to convert HTX referrals

Address the name change up front. A share of your audience still knows the exchange as Huobi, and some will hesitate at an unfamiliar brand. One line — “HTX is the former Huobi” — removes that friction.

Lean into product content that produces volume: futures walkthroughs, margin explainers, strategy breakdowns. Time it with HTX’s boosted campaigns, but keep the rate claims in your evergreen content to the standard levels. And track your quarterly numbers yourself. Knowing you are seven traders short of keeping Level 2 three weeks before the assessment gives you time to act.

HTX affiliate alternatives compared

How HTX’s numbers stack up against similar exchanges in our directory:

• KuCoin’s affiliate program has the same 5,000-follower / 500-member bar and pays up to 60% for life, with quarterly reviews of 5 valid invitees or 500,000 USDT to keep Level 1 — a lower bar than HTX’s 10 traders and 1,000,000 USDT.
• MEXC’s affiliate program advertises up to 70% lifetime with daily settlement and accepts creators from 500 followers.
• Gate’s affiliate program covers more products but publishes no tier table at all.
• Phemex’s Collaborator program ties 30–60% to token holdings instead of volume.

See the full crypto exchange affiliate programs list for more options.

Verdict on the HTX affiliate program

HTX — the former Huobi — publishes a clear level table with 50–60% on futures, which is near the top of the market for active trading communities. The quarterly reassessment keeps you working for your rate, and the missing payout and duration terms mean your onboarding call has to fill in the gaps. Apply if you can bring 10+ trading users a quarter outside the US; start with Invite Friends if you can’t yet.