OKX invests in VPBank-linked crypto-asset exchange CAEX

OKX, the world’s fourth-largest crypto exchange by trading volume, is investing in CAEX—the Vietnam Prosperity Asset Exchange Joint Stock Company (CAEX)—a crypto-asset company linked to VPBank, to help CAEX raise its charter capital to the required 10,000 billion VND (10 trillion VND).

OKX investment and timeline

Star Xu, CEO of OKX, said the company will join CAEX as a strategic partner alongside HashKey Capital, the venture arm of HashKey Group.

OKX said the capital injection is expected to be completed in April, together with other shareholders, to enable CAEX to meet the minimum charter capital requirement of 10,000 billion VND. The move is described as one of the conditions to establish a crypto asset exchange under Vietnam’s Resolution 5/2025, which pilots the crypto asset market in Vietnam.

Support for infrastructure, compliance and liquidity

Beyond the capital contribution, OKX said it will support CAEX with infrastructure, compliance, security, risk governance, and liquidity. Star Xu said the goal is to help CAEX expand sustainably within Vietnam’s legal framework, which he said is being finalized.

“We believe the future of digital assets will be built on trusted, locally managed platforms,” he said.

CAEX background and capital structure

CAEX was established in September last year with initial charter capital of 25 billion VND. In CAEX’s shareholder structure, VPBankS, a subsidiary of VPBank, contributed 2.75 billion VND, representing 11% of charter capital. The largest shareholder is LynkiD Joint Stock Company, which owns 50% of the capital.

LynkiD operates in e-commerce, loyalty points platforms, rewards redemption, and has been VPBank’s exclusive loyalty partner since 2022.

Capital increase plan to meet pilot requirements

In February, CAEX said it was finalizing a capital increase by 400 times to 10,000 billion VND to meet pilot licensing requirements. Management said the company had prepared sufficient technological and financial resources to participate in piloting crypto-asset exchange services in Vietnam.

Vietnam pilot framework and licensing process

Vietnam plans to pilot the crypto asset market for five years. The Ministry of Finance has begun accepting applications to license exchanges. It said about 10 securities firms and banks plan to participate, and the government expects more than one exchange to support competition, while limiting the number of licenses to control risk.

OKX regulatory and risk governance focus

OKX said cooperation with regulators is central to its global strategy and noted that it has obtained licenses in multiple regions, including the United States, Europe, and in Asia—particularly Singapore and Dubai. The company said it will invest heavily in AML, KYC, risk governance, and internal controls.

OKX, formerly OKEx, was founded in 2017 by Star Xu and offers services including spot trading, futures, options, margin lending, DeFi, and Web3 wallets. The company reports more than 50 million users in over 100 countries.