Global crypto exchange OKX has agreed to pay $505 million in penalties after pleading guilty to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business in violation of U.S. Anti-Money Laundering laws.
The settlement follows an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, which found that certain U.S. customers had traded on OKX’s global platform despite the company’s official policy prohibiting U.S. users since 2017. The compliance violations covered in this settlement took place between 2018 and the beginning of 2024.
According to OKX’s official announcement, the penalty includes an $84 million fine and the forfeiture of $421 million in fees earned from U.S. customers, the majority of whom were institutional clients.
OKX’s parent company, Aux Cayes FinTech Co. Ltd., acknowledged compliance failures but emphasized that no allegations of customer harm were made, and no company employees were charged.
OKX stated that it had voluntarily hired a compliance consultant to strengthen its regulatory practices before the settlement and will continue working with the consultant to enhance its global compliance framework.
Citing investments in Know Your Customer procedures, AML instruments, transaction monitoring, and financial crime investigations, the company further emphasized its dedication to regulatory compliance.
In a Feb. 24 X post, OKX CEO Star Xi reiterated the company’s dedication to regulatory transparency, saying that the company’s objective is to establish OKX as the industry standard for compliance in international markets.
“We will continue to mature our compliance operations and continue to work closely with global regulators. Our vision is to make OKX the gold standard of global compliance at scale across different markets and their respective regulatory bodies. I am proud of our company.”
– Star Xi, OKX CEO
The settlement is a landmark for the cryptocurrency sector as regulators around the world tighten their scrutiny of exchanges that operate in several jurisdictions.
