The impact of wax on the formation of hydrates has not yet been established due to the inherent complexity of oil–water (O/W) mixtures. The O/W system has not been as extensively studied. In light of the considerations above, the present study involved the preparation of O/W emulsions through the addition of Tween-80. The investigation encompasses the impact of wax on hydrate formation in the presence or absence of Tween-80 under the influence of varying wax contents. The coupling of Tween-80 and waxes facilitated nucleation because of the heterogeneous nucleation effect of the hydrates. The induction period of hydrates first increased and then decreased with increasing wax content. At low wax content, the emulsion was in an W/O/W state, and the wax crystals precipitated in the oil encapsulated some of the water droplets, leading to a reduction of water in the outer phase of the emulsion, which was unfavorable for hydrate nucleation. Differences in the contribution of waxes to hydrate formation in non-emulsified, water-dominated and oil-dominated systems were clarified in conjunction with our previous studies. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the effect of wax on hydrate formation