'Clear momentum': OKX plots full-scale US comeback

Scott Melker

Fri, May 23, 2025, 12:32 PM 2 min read

Crypto exchange giant OKX is making a return to U.S. soil with its full brand behind the push, this time under the leadership of Roshan Robert, a seasoned TradFi and crypto executive who joined in September 2024 to spearhead the U.S. expansion.

“I joined OKX in September of 2024 with the mandate to build out the franchise here in the [U.S.],” Robert said in an interview with Scott Melker, host of TheStreet Roundtable and The Wolf of All Streets podcast. “Amongst the roles straddling both TradFi and crypto, I'd like to highlight two... I was at Barclays at a time when the Dodd-Frank regulations were being implemented... [and] was part of the founding team [at Hidden Road] and took on the dual responsibilities of Groups COO and Groups ECO.”

Now, he’s bringing that dual-background discipline to OKX’s U.S. strategy.

“Robust risk management, strong compliance, focus on client money controls and cybersecurity,” he said.

Melker noted the significance of this relaunch. “OKX's previous presence was with OKCoin... It seems like this is a bit different... Is that an accurate assessment?”

“Absolutely,” Robert confirmed. “It is one single brand and we are coming to the US with a better product.”

That “better product” includes a centralized spot exchange and a Web3 wallet built specifically for U.S. users.

“Right now what we're doing is we're bringing on a centralized exchange for spot markets,” Robert said. “We're not looking at perps right now because we don't have a DCM... As of now, we plan to really expand our spot market, launch the centralized exchange, have the full wallet tailored for US users.”

Robert remains optimistic. “There is a clear momentum as far as regulatory infrastructure is concerned... Over time we will definitely look to expand the market and expand across multiple areas and multiple products.”

On April 16, OKX officially announced its expansion into the United States, marking a significant milestone for the company as it brings its full-scale platform to U.S. users. The exchange launched trading operations across 46 states and Washington, D.C., and simultaneously named Roshan Robert as the new CEO of OKX U.S. Robert, a veteran of Barclays and PricewaterhouseCoopers, will lead the charge from the company’s newly established headquarters in San Jose, California.

As part of this relaunch, OKX introduced a new self-custody wallet supporting over 130 blockchains and offering features such as token swaps, cross-chain transfers, NFT access, and Web3 dApp integration.

'Clear momentum': OKX plots full-scale US comeback first appeared on TheStreet on May 23, 2025