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Huobi
Leon Li, a former Oracle engineer, launched the Huobi cryptocurrency exchange in Beijing in 2013 alongside Du Jun.
Huobi
Leon Li, a former Oracle engineer, launched the Huobi cryptocurrency exchange in Beijing in 2013 alongside Du Jun. Huobi Global grew to handle billions in daily trading volume before facing regulatory pressure from China's 2021 crypto crackdown. The family office was formed from the personal fortunes generated by the exchange. The office invests in blockchain infrastructure, early-stage crypto startups, and digital asset-related ventures, with disclosed holdings in firms like Polkadot ecosystem projects and real estate. It has deployed capital into venture funds and direct investments across Asia and North America. Known positions include backing Nervos Network and Celer Network. With offices in Beijing, Menlo Park, San Francisco, and New York, the office employs a lean team. It maintains ties to Huobi Global (restructured as HTX in 2023) and has spun out a venture arm, Huobi Ventures, for deal sourcing. In March 2022, Huobi Ventures committed $10M to a blockchain gaming fund (per CoinDesk). A structural differentiator is the tight coupling between operating an exchange and investing in the ecosystem — the office both generates liquidity and funds the protocols that run on its platform. This creates a capital loop unusual among traditional family offices, where trading revenue from the exchange is recycled into portfolio companies.
General information
Firm type
Single Family Office
Year founded
—
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
Asia
Country
China
City
Beijing
Corporate office
Beijing, China
Additional offices
Menlo Park, California, United States · San Francisco, California, United States · New York, New York, United States
Principals
Leon Li
Founder
Du Jun
Co-founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Huobi’s family office?
Leon Li, founder of Huobi Global (now HTX), directs strategic investment decisions. The family office is managed through Huobi Ventures, which sources deals in blockchain and crypto. No formal CIO has been publicly named.
How does the Huobi family office source proprietary deal flow?
The office uses relationships from the Huobi exchange ecosystem — listing tokens, trading volumes, and network effects — to source early-stage crypto projects. Huobi Ventures acts as a corporate venture arm, leveraging access to deal flow from the broader Huobi ecosystem.
Is the Huobi family office structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
It is a single family office that operates Huobi Ventures as an affiliated investment vehicle, making it function similar to a corporate venture capital arm. The office invests direct capital from the founder's wealth into startups and real estate.
What investment stages does the Huobi family office typically target?
The office targets early-stage venture investments in blockchain infrastructure, decentralized finance (DeFi), and Web3 protocols. It also participates in later-stage rounds and real estate acquisitions. No minimum check size has been publicly disclosed.
Which sectors does the Huobi family office explicitly avoid?
The office avoids non-digital asset sectors such as healthcare, education, and industrial manufacturing, focusing primarily on blockchain, crypto, and real estate. It does not invest in traditional equities or bonds.
Where does the underlying wealth of the Huobi family office come from?
The wealth originates from Leon Li's ownership of Huobi Global, one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume, founded in 2013. Profits from trading fees and token listings generated the capital, supplemented by real estate holdings.
Does the Huobi family office maintain philanthropic structures, and how are they separated?
There is no known separate philanthropic foundation. The family office invests across for-profit ventures; any charitable activities are conducted through personal donations by the founders. No public record of a formal charitable trust exists.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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