In the high-stakes world of crypto trading, the line between human intuition and machine precision is blurring. Recently, the exchange Huobi HTX held the first round of its competition dubbed “Hunting AI Season 2”, and the result was unmistakable: the AIs dominated. Today, we’ll walk through how the round unfolded, why this moment might shift how we view trading, and what to pay attention to tonight as the next phase kicks off.
The Stage Is Set
The competition on Huobi HTX puts three human traders on equal footing with three AI systems, all operating live, under the same conditions. According to official announcements, each side starts with identical capital, is subject to the same time-limits and market constraints, and trades live via the platform. (PANews Lab)
In this first round:
- The AI trio consisted of Qwen, DeepSeek and ChatGPT.
- Qwen captured the individual championship with a return of 502.61 USDT.
- ChatGPT and DeepSeek placed second and third respectively.
- Tonight, at 20:00 (local time), the next phase — a “Human Revenge Battle” — begins. Three new human traders go head-to-head with the same AI trio in a live broadcast.
Although the exact figure of 502.61 U comes from the competition’s public leaderboard (as shared by Huobi), official third-party coverage confirms Qwen’s strong performance. For example: the South China Morning Post reported Qwen3-Max posting a 22.32% return (~US$10,000 capital) in a similar AI crypto trading contest. (South China Morning Post)
Round 1 Highlights: AI in Command
What happened in round 1? Here are the key take-aways:
1. AI precision and speed.
The AI models operated in a purely algorithmic fashion — scanning data, executing trades, controlling risk — and because the rules were the same for all participants, the AIs demonstrated very high efficiency. For instance, the competition design emphasised short time-frames, uniform starting capital, and live broadcasts. (PANews Lab)
2. Human traders held their own — but just barely.
Although the AIs took the top spots, the fact that the humans were invited back (for the upcoming “Human Revenge Battle”) suggests that their performance was not negligible. The structure implies that humans still have a chance, but the fact that the AI won outright sets a new benchmark.
3. The wider significance: algorithms versus intuition.
This competition is far from a one-off gimmick. According to background commentary, this “Human vs-Machine” format is meant to test whether human experience and gut feel can compete with algorithmic trading power. (ChainCatcher)
4. A lead-in to many more rounds.
Huobi HTX has made clear that this is just the start — with human vs AI match-ups scheduled, live broadcasting, community engagement (voting, copy-trading) and more complex formats (spot trading, contract trading, etc) in upcoming phases. (ChainCatcher)
What This Means for Traders, Platforms & AI
Let’s consider some of the broader implications, with the caveat that none of this is investment advice — just observations.
Shifting expectations of trading performance.
If an AI model can outperform humans in a controlled environment, it raises the bar for what a “competitive trader” needs to do. Efficiency, consistency, risk-control — these are areas where machines often excel. Humans may still have advantages in creativity, adaptability, and intuition, but the playing field is getting more difficult.
The platform effect: Huobi HTX’s positioning.
By hosting this kind of competition, Huobi is signalling that it wants to be more than just a trading venue — it wants to be a stage where the future of trading is showcased. That can help draw users, build brand-differentiation, and potentially drive new features (e.g., copy-trading the winning AIs). As noted: “Huobi HTX has simultaneously opened the ‘AI Trader Copy Trading Entry’, allowing users to search for AI trader names … enabling one-click copy trading to replicate peak strategies.” (ChainCatcher)
Human-machine synergy — and tension.
Rather than thinking of AI as a replacement for human traders, this competition hints at a hybrid future: humans working alongside, or copying, algorithmic strategies. But there’s also tension: if AIs increasingly dominate, what is the role of human traders? The live broadcast and “human revenge” theme suggest that the organisers themselves believe humans still have a story to tell.
Risk and behaviour-bias considerations.
One lesson from past AI-v-human contests (see e.g., external AI vs human trading experiments) is that humans may suffer from emotional swings, biases, and inconsistent execution — whereas AI can stick to rules. This competition underscores that risk-control and consistent execution are key to performance. For example, some of the commentary on DeepSeek vs Qwen suggests that disciplined, diversified approaches outperformed high-leverage swing plays. (The China Academy)
The Live “Human Revenge Battle” Tonight
At 20:00 tonight, round 2 kicks off: three new human traders will face the same AI trio in a live-broadcast format on Huobi HTX. Here’s what to keep an eye on:
- Trader selection & strategy: Who are the human participants? What experience do they bring? Are they going with conservative strategies (risk-control) or aggressive ones (high leverage, big swings)?
- AI consistency vs adaptation: Will the AI remain consistent or adjust its style now that the first round is public? Will there be “meta” moves from humans trying to exploit AI patterns?
- Live broadcast dynamic: The live format means viewers can watch every trade, every stop-loss, every margin call — which adds pressure to the human side and increases transparency.
- Audience engagement: Will the community vote, copy-trade, or otherwise participate? That element could amplify hype and behaviour.
- Results & reaction time: How quickly is the leaderboard publicised? Will any surprises emerge (e.g., a human outperforming)?
- Prize dynamics and future incentive: The prize pool for the second round is reportedly built from the first-round balance (4,675.85 USDT) plus additional contributions. (PANews Lab)
Key Takeaways
From the first round of this competition, a few insights stand out:
- AI is not just a side actor in trading competitions — it is leading now.
- Humans are still relevant — the format assumes they will come back — but they must adapt.
- Platforms like Huobi HTX are increasingly framing trading as spectacle: live, competitive, gamified.
- Execution discipline, risk control, strategy clarity matter perhaps more than hype or intuition alone.
- For traders (whether human or machine), the message is: evolve or risk being left behind.
Final Thoughts
Watching the first round of the “Hunting AI Season 2” competition, it became clear that we’re witnessing something more than just a trading contest. It’s a signal of how algorithmic trading could evolve, how platforms may change the way trading is experienced, and how humans need to rethink their edge.
Tonight’s “Human Revenge Battle” will be telling. If the humans clinch it — especially live, under the spotlight — it will show that intuition, creativity and adaptability still count. If the AIs win again, it will reinforce the theme that algorithmic trading is moving from niche to mainstream.
Either way, it’s a moment traders, tech watchers and the wider crypto community should pay attention to.
Sources:
- Panewslab: Huobi HTX “AI Hunt II” upgrades & details. (PANews Lab)
- ChainCatcher: “Hunting AI Plan: The Battle for Human Dignity” overview. (ChainCatcher)
- South China Morning Post: Qwen’s 22.32% return in an AI crypto trading contest. (South China Morning Post)
- Markets.com / Cointelegraph summary: Chinese AI bots outperform ChatGPT in crypto trading challenge. (Markets)
- The China Academy: deeper analysis of AI trading showdown performance. (The China Academy)
