Linc01612 inhibits oncogenic behaviors both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, Linc01612 exerts tumor suppressive effect by regulating miR-494/ATF3/p53 axis in p53 expressing HCC cells, and by promoting ubiquitin-mediated degradation of YBX1 in both p53 expressing and p53 defective HCC cells. Here, ATF3 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.