Leon Li

Founder, Huobi

Search every verified Leon Li interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Leon Li, founder and CEO of Huobi, discussed the regulatory environment for bitcoin exchanges in China during a May 2014 interview at the Global Bitcoin Summit in Beijing. He stated that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) had introduced policies in December 2013 and early 2014 that restricted third-party financial activities and bank account support for exchanges, though he noted that the PBOC still allowed trading activities. Li described Huobi's response to these regulations, including shifting payment methods from direct bank accounts to a peer-to-peer platform where users transact directly, and exploring expansion into overseas markets. Li also commented on the pace of regulatory change in China, saying that while the environment had become less flexible than the previous year, he understood the government's approach as a measure to prevent the industry from advancing faster than other countries. He added that the slowdown allowed financial institutions and regulators time to consider the implications of the technology.