What OKX is
Founded in 2017 (as OKEx, rebranded to OKX in 2022) by Chinese entrepreneur Star Xu, OKX is one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges by volume. It offers spot, derivatives, earn products and one of the most widely used self-custody wallets, with hundreds of trading pairs for retail and institutional users. In recent years it has bet decisively on regulation: a European hub in Malta with a MiCA licence, regulated entry into the US market in 2025 after the agreement with the Department of Justice, licences in several Asian and Middle Eastern jurisdictions. Born in Hong Kong, the company today has a multinational structure, with its European hub in Malta (Verified: September 2026).
Regulation and licences
(Verified: September 2026)
- MiCA: YES — OKX Europe Ltd has held CASP authorisation from the Maltese MFSA since 27 January 2025 (pre-authorisation on 22 January), among the first for a global exchange. It covers 9 of the 10 MiCA services and is passported across the 30 EEA countries; it appears in the ESMA register. OKX can operate legally even after the expiry of the transitional regime (01/07/2026).
- On 17 February 2026 OKX also obtained a payment institution licence in Malta, to broaden fiat ramps and related services in the EEA.
- United States: in February 2025 the entity Aux Cayes FinTech Co. pleaded guilty to operating as an unlicensed money transmitter (2018-early 2024), paying around 505 million dollars in fines and forfeitures; the agreement provides for an external compliance consultant until February 2027. After the settlement, OKX began regulated operations in the US.
Security
There are no significant breaches of customer funds in the exchange's history. OKX publishes monthly proof of reserves with on-chain verification. The most serious precedent is regulatory, not technical: the 2025 DOJ affair described above, closed with a penalty and strengthened compliance obligations — an element that anyone assessing the platform should know, alongside the licensing path taken since.
Alternatives
FAQ
Is OKX legal in the EU? Yes: it serves EEA clients through OKX Europe Ltd, CASP-authorised by the Maltese MFSA since January 2025, with passporting valid across the EU (Verified: September 2026).
What happened with the US justice system? In February 2025 the exchange's parent company settled with the DOJ for around 505 million dollars for serving US clients without a licence between 2018 and early 2024. The affair concerned the US market and was closed with the agreement and compliance obligations (Verified: September 2026).
Who leads OKX? Founder Star Xu is CEO; Hong Fang is President and Lennix Lai is Chief Commercial Officer. Jay Hao, CEO in the OKEx era and in OKX's early years, left the role in 2023 (Verified: September 2026).
Verified sources
- https://casptracker.eu/exchange/okx/
- https://www.okx.com/en-eu/learn/our-hub-for-europe
- https://www.amlintelligence.com/2025/02/news-okx-to-pay-505m-after-us-aml-breaches/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OKX
TEAM MEMBERS
LEADERSHIP
HQ OF THE OKX
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
CONTACTS OF THE OKX
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