From ’13 Years’ to ‘Resilient Future’: HTX Brand Lead Donny on Long-Termism in Crypto
TREE NEWS reports: In a sector where the average project lifespan is measured in months, HTX (formerly Huobi) has just marked its 13th anniversary. The exchange’s brand lead, Donny, recently sat down for the VIP Guardian Program interview series to unpack the thinking behind the anniversary theme ‘Resilient Future’ (韧见未来) and what it takes to survive—and build—across multiple boom-bust cycles.
Resilience as the Core Narrative
Donny explained that the choice of ‘resilience’ was almost immediate consensus within the team. Since 2013, HTX has weathered extreme market volatility, regulatory shifts, and even infrastructure attacks. For Donny, simply surviving is a testament to institutional grit. But the theme is also forward-looking: ‘We don’t just need resilience for the past and present; we must maintain it for the future.’ The crypto industry itself is transitioning from a niche innovation to a component of global finance, requiring continuous adaptation rather than sprinting in any single phase.
User-First Design Philosophy
The anniversary activities reflect HTX’s stated ‘user first’ principle. Rather than erecting high barriers, HTX designed 13 growth tasks that integrate spot, derivatives, earn, and fiat on-ramps. Users unlock tiered rewards by completing 3, 6, 9, 11, or all 13 tasks through natural platform usage. Donny emphasized that these tasks are built on direct feedback from social media and community channels—a cycle of listening, designing, and iterating that he believes forms genuine long-term competitiveness.
Security and Trust in Practice
When asked about a recent DDoS attack that briefly affected the platform, Donny was direct: technical teams resolved it quickly, and user funds were never at risk. For him, security is not abstract—it is the cumulative result of technical investment, risk controls, and incident response. In a high-noise environment, he argues, ‘time itself is the answer.’ Trust is not built by marketing slogans but by consistent action: improving products, responding to crises, and continuing to build even when attention fades.
The People Behind the Platform
Donny attributes HTX’s longevity to three factors: team resilience, user-centricity, and sincerity. A platform ultimately runs on its people—from product and engineering to operations and support—who maintain coordination through good times and bad. In an industry where information travels fast and trust is fragile, he believes that openly communicating, explaining facts, and then delivering on promises is the only sustainable relationship model. ‘We want to tell users: we are still here, and we are still building.’
As the exchange enters its 14th year, the message is clear: resilience is not just a historical footnote but a strategic posture for navigating whatever the next cycle brings.
