HTX dust attacks Kraken as 12,000 transfers collide with EU sanctions
Nearly 12,000 unsolicited crypto transfers slammed into addresses linked to Kraken over just eight days in August, triggering a wave of account freezes and reviving a thorny question for the entire exchange industry: what happens when sanctioned money shows up in your wallet without anyone asking for it. The episode, first reported by Bloomberg, has turned into a case study on how exchanges police crypto flows tied to sanctioned entities, with attribution to HTX remaining disputed.
Key takeaways
- Nearly 12,000 unsolicited transfers reached Kraken-linked addresses between August 17 and 24, 2026, according to Bloomberg.
- Kraken temporarily restricted affected accounts, then restored access while keeping the disputed funds held separately.
- Arkham Intelligence tied the sending wallet to HTX, but that labeling does not prove HTX controlled the transfers.
- HTX denied initiating the transactions and is investigating possible misattribution or third-party misuse of its wallets.
- EU sanctions against HTXโs Huobi Global entity took effect on August 23, 2026, right in the middle of the transfer window.
Kraken Experiences Nearly 12,000 Unsolicited Crypto Transfers
Kraken temporarily locked down customer accounts after a flood of small, unrequested deposits hit addresses connected to the exchange, and the scale of the incident is what set it apart from routine spam transfers.
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