Dialogue with Huobi HTX spokesperson Molly: What does Huobi HTX really want to say by organizing a birthday party for Huobao?

On May 18, it is the birthday of Huobi HTX's brand IP, Huobao. On this day, the newly upgraded Huobao officially met users for the first time. Huobi HTX held a "Huobao Birthday Fantasy Carnival," transforming the venue into various game booths, where the "sisters of Huobi" who usually answer users' questions in live streams and communities were all present, acting as booth owners and engaging in face-to-face communication with users and KOLs.

Not long ago, Huobao just completed an important strategic upgrade, officially becoming Huobi HTX's "user emotional totem" and brand digital avatar. On top of this, Huobi HTX also launched the "Huobao Heavenly Team" with five major images, corresponding to five typical scenarios in the cryptocurrency world, and simultaneously released Huobao-themed T-shirt blind boxes.

Why do this now? What is the philosophy behind Huobao's upgrade? Taking advantage of the birthday party, we chatted with Huobi HTX's official spokesperson, Molly.

Q1: The upgrade of Huobao from a mascot to an "emotional totem" and "brand digital avatar" is quite significant. Why are we doing this?

Molly: This is a topic I really want to discuss.

To be honest, we feel that the term mascot is a bit inadequate for Huobao. We have noticed that many long-time users in the community use Huobao emojis in chats, create memes with Huobao, and even change their wallet nicknames to "XX Bao." At this point, defining it as a "mascot" feels a bit light. It is no longer just an image but a tacit understanding between users and Huobi HTX.

So, in this upgrade, we want to clarify this relationship. Huobao is Huobi HTX's brand digital avatar and also the emotional totem of users. Simply put, Huobao is not something Huobi HTX presents to users; it is something that Huobi HTX and users have nurtured together. The cryptocurrency industry itself is cold and rational enough. K-lines, contracts, on-chain data, all are numbers. What we want to do is to leave a bit more warmth for users beyond these numbers. Huobao is the embodiment of that warmth.

So this birthday is different for us. This is the first time the brand new Huobao officially stands in front of users. Rather than saying we are throwing a party, it is more of an upgrade in service to users.

Q2: Along with the birthday party, the "Huobao Heavenly Team" with five major images was also unveiled. Can you tell us about them?

Molly: I also want to introduce our Huobao Heavenly Team. These five designs were not created out of thin air; they were derived from our users.

First, let's talk about Ironhead Bao, also known as Diamond Bao. He represents the most stable group of users in the cryptocurrency world, who don't sell in bull markets or bear markets, no matter how much they are shaken. You see, he has a diamond on his head, his gaze is particularly firm, and there is a hint of disdain at the corner of his mouth, that expression says, "What are you panicking about?" The slogan we designed for him is "Don't look at the balance, always tearful with joy, always believe in HODL." I know some old HODLers who have held since 2017, and I understand that there are indeed people who live like this. This is a type of user we deeply respect.

Then there is my personal favorite, Contract Bao. He has a band-aid on his face, meaning this guy has been beaten by the market, but he doesn't care. He doesn't believe in trends, experts, KOLs, or even his last judgment; he only believes that "this time is different." His slogan is particularly clever: "Between bearish and bullish, I choose to be open-minded."

Next is Charge Bao, also known as P Little General, who is quick and bold, the type to go all in at the opening. We adapted an old meme from the cryptocurrency world for his slogan: "Got it, charge! Win and you get the club's young model, lose and you go work in the sea." Many opportunities in the cryptocurrency world are seized by this daring spirit.

The fourth is New Coin Bao, who is the curious baby of the cryptocurrency world, his eyes light up at new things, and his pupils shine with light. While others are still observing, he has already rushed in, but he rushes accurately, emphasizing that "luck is also a strength." Every time Huobi HTX launches a new coin, he is the first wave.

The last one is Wealth Management Bao, and I want to emphasize him. We have positioned him as "the biggest winner of Huobi HTX in 2025-2026." Wearing sunglasses, calm and composed, while others are chasing highs and lows in K-lines, he is enjoying peace in the earnings list. His slogan is "No matter how turbulent the market, Huobi earns coins steadily."

Why is he established as the "annual biggest winner"? There is actually an important judgment behind this, which I can elaborate on later.

In short, these five Huobao correspond to real user mindsets. We want to tell every user that no matter which type you are, Huobi HTX sees you. This is also why we made these five images into T-shirt blind boxes. We hope Huobao is not just an image on the screen but can truly be "worn" by users. Whichever one you draw is a label for your own cryptocurrency world.

Q3: You just mentioned Wealth Management Bao, establishing him as the "annual biggest winner." Does this mean that earning coins has become a key focus for Huobi HTX's business this year?

Molly: Yes. And it carries more weight than the outside world imagines.

I can share something that surprised us. Before this birthday party, we conducted research on user benefits and interviewed top clients. The most requested item turned out to be coin earning interest vouchers. Not contract fee reductions, not airdrops, but coin earning interest vouchers.

When this feedback came out, our team discussed it for a long time. In the past few years, when people mentioned exchanges, the first reaction was always contracts, leverage, and high-frequency trading. But now, including many top clients, users are changing the way they view assets, starting to prioritize "stable returns."

This point is also confirmed by our backend data. Huobi HTX's coin earning business has achieved positive user growth for five consecutive quarters; the scale of core stablecoins has also maintained double-digit growth for four consecutive quarters. User choices are the most authentic answers.

So, earning coins is the main focus of our promotion and investment this year. The image of Wealth Management Bao being established as the "annual biggest winner" is not designed out of thin air; he embodies this trend.

Q4: Can you give a specific example of a coin earning product? Help us understand more intuitively what Huobi HTX is doing in the coin earning space?

Molly: I want to talk about a recent case, which is the VIP flexible product. This product was launched at the end of March this year, specifically designed for high-net-worth users, currently mainly supporting USDT, with a maximum annualized return of up to 9%.

What does 9% mean? The mainstream ordinary flexible products in the market mostly have annualized returns between 1% and 2.5%. The returns offered by VIP flexible products are several times that of ordinary flexible products. And there is no lock-up; funds can be accessed anytime.

Another feature is that it is deeply integrated with our Prime membership system, available to users with Prime 5 and above. Behind this is an important idea: users of different sizes and needs should be matched with different products and return structures, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.

For a large USDT holder, this means they can "earn passively" in a volatile market and also use it as a buffer for funds that can be called upon at any time; for us, this is an extension of the Prime membership ecosystem and a differentiated positioning of coin earning products in the high-end market. Flexible products will definitely move towards personalization and stratification in the future. VIP flexible is a step we have taken in this direction.

Q5: Besides earning coins, what other key actions does Huobi HTX have this year in products and business that it wants users to see?

Molly: We have been pushing the contract line this year and will continue to do so.

The performance on the contract side has been good, and user feedback has also been positive. Feedback from frontline client managers, community responses, and voices from users at events all tell us one thing: Huobi HTX's contract experience is continuously improving.

Specifically, this year we have done a key thing on the contract line, which is to deepen our TradFi layout. Currently, Huobi HTX's contract TradFi section supports over 50 types of assets, which means users can go beyond cryptocurrency native assets to access a wider range of traditional financial products.

For users, contracts should not just be a leverage tool; they should be a larger asset allocation map. We hope Huobi HTX's contracts can provide users with this map.

So this year our focus is clear: earning coins and contracts, walking on two legs. One responds to stable needs, and the other responds to active trading needs. Together, these two lines can cover most users' real scenarios.

Q6: At this birthday party, all the "sisters of Huobi" transformed into booth owners to interact with users, which is quite rare in the exchange industry. Can you introduce the team of Huobi sisters?

Molly: The Huobi sisters are a special team at Huobi HTX. They were selected through the "Huobi Sister" competition, and they are not just our customer service team but also diligent industry builders. Each of them has their own main business segment and can directly help users solve problems in different scenarios.

Let me briefly introduce us. I am the official spokesperson for Huobi HTX; Gong Gong is a major client manager; Xia Xia is the live broadcast manager; Saki is the merchandise manager; Yiyi is the ambassador for P network; PP is the ambassador for Sun Wukong; Xiao Du is the ambassador for HTX DAO construction.

Each person corresponds to a business line and a user scenario. This birthday party allowed all the Huobi sisters to step out from behind the screen to the front, also to let everyone know that behind Huobi HTX is a group of real people. Our customer service not only has a ticketing system and AI assistants but also has people with names, personalities, warmth, and the ability to chat with you.

Q7: After the Huobao birthday party, what will Huobi HTX's next steps be in user service and brand building?

Molly: The upgrade of Huobao is a starting point, not an endpoint.

Our internal judgment is that as Web3 has come to this point, it has moved past the stage of purely competing on technology and speed. What is the next phase of competition? It is whether users can stay with you for the long term and whether a real trust and companionship can be established between the platform and users.

So you will see that Huobi HTX will move forward on two lines simultaneously: on the business side, solidifying coin earning and contracts, ensuring users' assets have a place, yield, and security; on the brand and service side, thickening the "warm" connections like Huobao, Huobi sisters, and offline activities, allowing users to form relationships with Huobi HTX that go beyond just platforms and accounts.

The more restless the industry is, the more we need to maintain warmth. The rest will be left to time.

Thank you.

About Huobi HTX

Huobi HTX was established in 2013 and has developed over 12 years from a cryptocurrency exchange into a comprehensive blockchain business ecosystem, covering digital asset trading, financial derivatives, research, investment, incubation, and other businesses.

As a leading global Web3 portal, Huobi HTX adheres to a development strategy of global expansion, ecological prosperity, wealth effect, and security compliance, providing comprehensive, safe, and reliable value and services for virtual currency enthusiasts worldwide.