Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have obtained growing attention due to their potential effects as novel regulators in various tumors. This study aimed to investigate the expression and roles of lncRNA LINC01139 (LINC01139) in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that LINC01139 was over-expressed in HCC specimens and cell lines, and its upregulation was observed to be associated with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and poor clinical prognosis of HCC patients. Multivariate analyses confirmed that LINC01139 expression was an independent poor prognostic factor for HCC patients. Functionally, the knockdown of LINC01139 suppressed cell proliferation, clone formation and metastasis of HCC cells. Moreover, luciferase assays and rescue experiments revealed that LINC01139/miR-30/MYBL2 established the ceRNA network involved in the modulation of cell proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. Overall, LINC01139 may exhibit an oncogenic function in HCC via acting as a sponge for miR-30 to upregulate MYBL2, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target and a prognostic biomarker for HCC patients. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.