In the context of increasingly stringent global regulatory environments, market access and information security have become core issues for the development of the cryptocurrency industry. OKX is undoubtedly one of the industry leaders in compliance, continuously obtaining global authoritative regulatory licenses and building a financial-grade security system, setting a new benchmark for industry development.

From the EU MiCA to Singapore's MPI, from Dubai's VASP to the EU MiFID II, behind each heavyweight license is OKX's deep understanding and proactive embrace of regulatory frameworks; from ISO 27001 to SOC 2 Type II, every security certification obtained confirms OKX's firm commitment to safeguarding user assets beyond industry standards.

This article will systematically review the compliance licenses and security certifications obtained by OKX globally, leading everyone to understand OKX's leading technological strength and compliance capabilities, as well as its long-term vision for promoting healthy industry development—building a safe, reliable, and transparent digital asset ecosystem for global institutions and individual traders.

1. EU MiFID II License

In March 2025, cryptocurrency exchange OKX successfully obtained the European Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) license. This development represents OKX's achievement of regulatory standards for traditional financial institutions as a cryptocurrency exchange, paving the way for its expansion of institutional derivatives business in the European Economic Area (EEA).

MiFID II, as the gold standard for EU financial market regulation, is a comprehensive regulatory framework established by the EU to regulate financial markets and enhance investor protection. Its main objectives are twofold: to prevent financial companies from defrauding investors and to mitigate the occurrence of future financial crises. It sets strict standards for many financial products, including derivatives, and covers a wide range of regulatory areas. This standard serves as a guiding document for the EU financial market, and the 27 member states of the EU must formulate corresponding regulatory regulations for their financial derivatives markets based on MiFID II.

The acquisition of the MiFID II license means that OKX can provide regulated derivatives products and services to institutional clients in the European Economic Area (EEA). At the same time, it also signifies that its risk control system, operational standards, and information disclosure mechanisms have all met the highest requirements of EU regulatory authorities.

2. EU MiCA Certification

In February 2025, OKX became one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges authorized under MiCA to provide services in Europe. With this approval, OKX can offer regulated localized cryptocurrency products and services to over 400 million Europeans across 28 EEA member countries from its hub in Malta.

The EU Markets in Crypto Assets regulation bill (MiCA), which will come into full effect by the end of 2024, is the EU's first comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto assets.

This bill clarifies the regulatory scope of crypto assets, categorizing them into three types: asset-referenced tokens (ART), electronic money tokens (EMT), and other crypto assets that are not ART or EMT as defined by the MiCA bill. Additionally, this bill imposes regulatory requirements on crypto asset service providers and includes specific rules and content for protecting investors.

Legal entities or other legitimate businesses that obtain formal authorization under MiCA are classified as licensed crypto asset service providers (CASP) and can provide cross-border crypto asset services throughout the EU jurisdiction. After the implementation of MiCA, unlicensed entities will face withdrawal, making compliance licenses a prerequisite for continued operation.

MiCA focuses on regulating crypto assets that are not classified as financial instruments, while MiFID II regulates traditional financial instruments. By obtaining both certifications, OKX has a unique advantage in bridging the gap between traditional financial markets and the evolving cryptocurrency industry. With this, OKX can now serve institutional traders seeking regulated cryptocurrency derivatives, potentially bringing more participants into the cryptocurrency market.

3. Dubai VASP License

On January 16, 2024, OKX's Middle East affiliate (OKX Middle East) officially received the Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license issued by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), marking OKX as one of the compliant digital asset platforms in the Middle East. The VASP license represents the highest level of recognition and trust for virtual asset operations in the Dubai region.

The Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) is one of the strictest regulatory bodies for virtual assets, having defined eight different regulated virtual asset (VA) activities, such as virtual asset consulting services, brokerage services, custody services, trading services, etc. Only platforms authorized by VARA can participate in the construction of a compliant digital asset ecosystem in the Middle East, and any entity wishing to conduct regulated virtual asset business in Dubai or the UAE must obtain a VASP license.

With the VASP license, OKX Middle East will be able to provide spot trading services to institutional and qualified retail clients through the official OKX trading platform and app. More importantly, operating under VARA's strict regulatory framework, OKX will ensure that all business activities comply with regulatory requirements for transparency and compliance, providing strong institutional guarantees for the security of user assets.

4. Singapore MPI License

On September 2, 2024, OKX obtained the Major Payment Institution (MPI) license issued by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), becoming one of the compliant digital asset service providers operating under the Payment Services Act 2019 (PS Act). This license represents a significant compliance breakthrough in the Asia-Pacific region, facilitating banking cooperation and the establishment of funding channels. Additionally, OKX appointed former MAS official Gracie Lin as the CEO of its Singapore regional branch.

As a global fintech hub, Singapore's regulatory framework is known for its rigor and innovation. After revisions in early 2020, it incorporated new digital payment services, particularly concerning the regulation of electronic money (E-money) and digital payment tokens (Digital Payment Token), providing clear guidance for the compliant development of the cryptocurrency industry.

The Major Payment Institution License (MPI) is one of the licenses under Singapore's regulatory system that involves payment service providers. It is suitable for payment technology companies with broad business coverage, large transaction volumes, and plans for long-term development. Payment institutions with an MPI license can offer various payment services without any restrictions on transaction volume.

After obtaining the MPI license, OKX SG will be able to provide comprehensive digital payment token services to local users, including cryptocurrency spot trading and cross-border remittances. This breakthrough will significantly enhance OKX's market competitiveness in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region. For users, this means a safer and more convenient digital asset trading experience.

In addition to its investments and efforts in market access and compliance qualifications, OKX also places great importance on the security construction of the platform itself, using international standards as its requirements, improving technology and risk prevention systems, building a secure platform environment, and engaging leading security institutions in the industry for auditing and review, ensuring that it maintains high security standards in the industry’s compliance areas.

1. SOC (System and Organization Controls) Type II

OKX continuously obtained the Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type II audit in September 2023 and July 2024, demonstrating that OKX's long-term processes for managing company services, handling sensitive data, and protecting data privacy meet the highest global standards.

SOC 2 is an auditing standard established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) to ensure that organizations implement controls regarding data security, availability, and processing integrity. These controls include the systems used by service organizations to process user data and the confidentiality and privacy of the information processed by these systems, which has become the gold standard for many regulated industries. The SOC 2 security framework covers how companies should handle customer data stored in the cloud, preventing risks such as data breaches and ransomware attacks, particularly suitable for cloud-dependent enterprises like OKX.

This standard defines the criteria for managing customer data based on five principles—security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.

• Security: Protecting system resources from unauthorized access;

• Availability: The accessibility of systems, products, or services as specified in contracts or service level agreements (SLA);

• Processing Integrity: Whether the system achieves its intended purpose (i.e., providing the correct data at the right time and at the right price). Therefore, data processing must be complete, valid, accurate, timely, and authorized;

• Confidentiality: Data is considered confidential if access and disclosure are limited to specific individuals or organizations.

• Privacy: The system collects, uses, retains, discloses, and disposes of personal information according to the organization's privacy statement and the Generally Accepted Privacy Principles (GAPP) established by the AICPA.

Additionally, SOC certification is divided into Type I (at a specific point in time) and Type II (over a period of 6-12 months). The SOC 2 report assesses the operational effectiveness of these controls over a period, making it more challenging.

Completing this certification reflects OKX's core operational philosophy and commitment to security, transparency, and trust, and also confirms that OKX's infrastructure standards, service availability, and robustness meet strict criteria. Furthermore, this certification can help OKX demonstrate its system and data processing capabilities when collaborating with large institutions or enterprises or providing API services, meeting corporate clients' expectations for compliance and data security.

2. ISO 27001 (Information Security Management System)

In May 2025, OKX obtained ISO 27001 certification, which is the authoritative guide for global information security management, widely applied in various fields such as fintech, SaaS, cloud services, healthcare, and government agencies. This is particularly significant for companies handling sensitive information such as user identities, transactions, and KYC, like Stripe, Revolut, PayPal, and VISA, indicating that OKX's operational standards are comparable to those of tech giants and traditional financial service companies.

ISO 27001 is an international standard for information security management systems (ISMS) jointly developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), aimed at helping organizations systematically identify, assess, and control information security risks, ensuring that the organization's information assets are not disclosed, altered, or destroyed.

ISO 27001 requires organizations to establish an information security management system (ISMS) that covers policies, processes, personnel, and technical controls to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information. Through risk assessment and control plans, the security governance system is continuously optimized. This certification is internationally recognized, especially valued in the EU and Asia-Pacific markets.

Its core principles mainly revolve around:

• Confidentiality: Ensuring that only authorized personnel can access specific information, preventing information leakage;

• Integrity: Ensuring the accuracy and consistency of information content, preventing tampering;

• Availability: Ensuring that information can be timely accessed and used by authorized personnel when needed;

The standard is suitable for institutions and organizations including fintech companies (such as virtual asset trading platforms, lending, payments), SaaS and B2B service platforms involving sensitive data, and technology companies participating in government or financial institution projects (compliance requirements). When collaborating with traditional financial institutions (such as banks, payment gateways), ISO 27001 is often used as an entry threshold.

The ISO 27001 certification represents OKX's systematic information security capabilities, proving OKX's level of systematic identification and response to threats such as data breaches and hacking attacks; it also reflects OKX's long-term efforts to meet global regulations/industry supervision and enhance employee awareness of data risks and compliance.

3. Top Industry Security Audits

Since 2023, OKX has engaged in a long-term comprehensive collaboration with SlowMist, conducting security testing and audits in various areas such as private key security, wallet modules, and AA smart contract accounts. SlowMist, a well-known blockchain security company in the industry, has accumulated years of experience in security vulnerability detection, security standard setting, and solutions. This collaboration provides continuous, comprehensive security assurance for OKX's various businesses, empowering OKX to explore more comprehensive security standards and solutions.

Additionally, starting from January 2025, OKX's POR report will be independently verified by the globally renowned cybersecurity company Hacken. Since 2017, Hacken has focused on the blockchain security field, consistently striving to set excellent security standards for the industry. This collaboration will further enhance the transparency of OKX's funds, providing users with a higher level of asset protection and continuously strengthening the platform's industry-leading position in security credibility.

Conclusion

By simultaneously obtaining the most representative financial and technological compliance licenses in Europe, the United States, and the Asia-Pacific region, OKX demonstrates to global users and institutional partners its high-standard capabilities in system security, data governance, and privacy protection, while taking practical actions to build a compliance bridge connecting traditional finance and digital assets.

The strategy of integrating multiple licenses shows OKX's long-term strategic vision for building a globally trusted infrastructure, providing a solid compliance foundation for future business expansion, institutional collaboration, and asset tokenization.

Disclaimer:

This article is for reference only. It represents the author's views and does not reflect OKX's position. This article does not intend to provide (i) investment advice or recommendations; (ii) offers or solicitations to buy, sell, or hold digital assets; (iii) financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of such information. Holding digital assets (including stablecoins and NFTs) involves high risks and may fluctuate significantly. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital assets is suitable for you based on your financial situation. Please consult your legal/tax/investment professionals regarding your specific circumstances. You are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable local laws and regulations.

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