Setting the Standard for Regulated Digital-Asset Markets in Europe

At OKX, we believe regulation and innovation must evolve together if digital assets are to reach institutional scale. Europe is leading that evolution — and MiCA is the framework making it possible.

Our MiCA authorisation, granted by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), represents one of the broadest approvals available to a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the new European regime.

It covers nine of the ten MiCA-authorised services, including custody, execution, exchange operations, transfers, and settlement.

This authorisation is passportable across all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) member states, enabling institutional clients to access OKX’s regulated infrastructure under a single supervisory framework.

For OKX, this is not simply a compliance milestone — it’s about establishing the foundation for transparent, trustworthy, and institutionally aligned digital-asset markets in Europe.

A Market Structure Designed for Integrity

MiCA defines clear standards for how crypto-asset trading venues must operate.OKX is authorised to operate as a trading platform for crypto-assets — functioning as a neutral market venue, not a market participant.

That structure matters. True market integrity requires separation between market operation and market participation.

For OKX Europe, this means:

• Transparent order matching with no internalisation or proprietary trading.

• Direct market access for institutional clients, without routing or intermediation.

• Independent governance separating trading operations from liquidity provision.

This approach mirrors the same principles that underpin traditional European exchanges — fairness, transparency, and operational independence.

Building Europe’s Cleanest Liquidity Pool

OKX operates a fully MiCA-licensed, regulator-supervised European order book designed specifically for EEA participants.This ensures that:

• EEA trades are matched exclusively with other EEA participants, reducing cross-border and jurisdictional risk.

• Order flow remains ring-fenced from sanctioned or higher-risk jurisdictions.

• Liquidity stays within a transparent, regulator-supervised pool institutions can trust.

By concentrating liquidity inside this compliant perimeter, OKX supports the development of an institutional-grade digital-asset market that aligns with European market-integrity standards.

Custody and Settlement Under MiCA

Under MiCA Article 75(9), only authorised CASPs may provide custody and administration of crypto-assets. OKX’s authorisation includes this capability, giving institutions two options for managing assets:

• Custody directly through OKX Wallet, providing an integrated and regulated on-exchange custody solution.

• Custody off-exchange via selected regulated partners such as Standard Chartered Bank (SCB).

This dual model gives institutions flexibility — enabling them to retain existing custodial relationships or centralise operations on OKX, while remaining fully MiCA-compliant. All assets are managed and settled within the EU’s regulatory perimeter under transparent supervision.

Operational Resilience and Governance

Regulation is only as strong as the infrastructure behind it.Alongside MiCA authorisation, OKX Europe aligns with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which defines EU standards for cybersecurity, continuity, and governance.

This ensures that the infrastructure supporting OKX’s European exchange meets the same expectations as other regulated market operators — resilient, auditable, and transparent.

Aligning Digital Assets With Europe’s Market Standards

Europe now leads globally in setting clear, harmonised rules for digital-asset markets.

For OKX, MiCA is more than a licence — it is a framework that embeds traditional market discipline into a new asset class.

By grounding our European operations in transparency, market integrity, and operational resilience, we are enabling institutions to participate in digital-asset markets with the same confidence and control they expect in traditional finance.

Europe’s digital-asset ecosystem is becoming regulated, transparent, and institutionally scalable — and OKX is proud to help lead that transition.

Contact the Institutional OKX Europe team here.