OKX and HashKey invest in new Vietnam exchange ahead of crypto licensing push
The partnership will help the exchange meet Vietnam's $380 million capital requirement to enter a government pilot program aimed at licensing local platforms and curbing offshore trading.
By Sam Reynolds, AI Boost Apr 10, 2026, 2:35 a.m. Make preferred on
What to know:
- OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital are investing in Vietnam Prosperity Crypto Asset Exchange (CAEX), positioning it as a key player in Vietnam's emerging regulated crypto market.
- The funding lifts CAEX's capital base to about $380 million, meeting the threshold to join a government pilot program for licensed crypto trading under Resolution 05/2025.
- Vietnam's new Digital Technology Industry Law and stricter anti-money laundering rules aim to shift crypto activity onshore, repair the country's financial reputation and attract compliant global players like OKX and HashKey.
OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital are backing a new Vietnam-based crypto exchange as Hanoi accelerates efforts to bring one of the world's most active retail crypto markets under formal regulation.
Vietnam Prosperity Crypto Asset Exchange (CAEX) said Friday that the two firms have agreed to invest and become strategic partners alongside founding shareholders VPBank Securities and digital-identity firm LynkiD.
The funding will bring CAEX's capital base to VND 10 trillion — roughly $380 million — the minimum needed to enter a government pilot program for regulated crypto trading under Resolution 05/2025.
The deal lands as Vietnam's Digital Technology Industry Law, which took effect in January, formally recognized crypto assets and laid the legal groundwork for licensing, oversight, and industry incentives. Now regulators are pushing to shift activity onshore through a pilot program expected to grant licenses to a handful of domestic exchanges, part of a broader effort to restrict offshore trading and tighten control over capital flows.
That combination — legal recognition paired with controlled market access — has triggered a race among local financial institutions and global crypto firms to lock in early positioning. Vietnamese users moved an estimated $200 billion in digital assets in the year through mid-2025, placing the country among the top crypto-adoption markets globally.
Under the partnership, OKX Ventures and HashKey will work with CAEX on infrastructure, security, compliance, and liquidity. The exchange sits within the VPBank ecosystem, drawing on VPBankS for financial backing and governance and LynkiD for core technology and digital identity.
Vietnam was added to the Financial Action Task Force grey list in 2023 for weak anti-money laundering controls, particularly regarding virtual assets. That designation has been a major motivator behind the regulatory push.
The new framework requires crypto firms to obtain licenses, verify user identities, monitor transactions and file reports — measures designed to bring Vietnam closer to global compliance standards.
For Hanoi, the bet is that a regulated crypto market can help repair the country's financial reputation. For OKX and HashKey, the calculus is simpler: get in early, meet the compliance bar, and grow with the market while the rules are still being written..
AI Disclaimer: Parts of this article were generated with the assistance from AI tools and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and adherence to our standards. For more information, see CoinDesk's full AI Policy.More For You
Encryption Supremacy: Zcash and Privacy in the Age of Scale
By CoinDesk ResearchMar 31, 2026
Commissioned byGenZcash
Most crypto privacy models weaken as blockchain data grows. Encryption-based models like Zcash strengthen. CoinDesk Research maps the five privacy approaches and examines the widening gap.
Why it matters:
As blockchain adoption scales, the metadata available to machine learning models scales with it. Obfuscation-based privacy approaches are structurally degrading as a result. This report provides a comprehensive comparison of all five major crypto privacy architectures and a framework for evaluating which models remain durable as AI capabilities improve.
View Full ReportMore For You
Mythos AI threat prompts Bessent, Powell to convene bank CEOs for urgent talks
By Omkar Godbole, AI Boost56 minutes ago
Mythos can rapidly spot software flaws and craft sophisticated exploits, raising fears of systemic risks in the banking system.
What to know:
- U.S. regulators and top Wall Street bank chiefs held an urgent meeting to assess cybersecurity risks from Anthropic’s AI model Mythos.
- Mythos can rapidly spot software flaws and craft sophisticated exploits, raising fears of systemic risks in the banking system.
- Its ability to uncover and weaponize zero‑day vulnerabilities has spooked...
Mythos AI threat prompts Bessent, Powell to convene bank CEOs for urgent talks
56 minutes ago
Bitcoin tops $72,000, but Circle and Bullish drop sharply after downgrades
5 hours ago
These 3 crypto stocks could actually beat bitcoin ETFs, says TD Cowen
6 hours ago
Kalshi now controls 89% of the U.S. prediction market as regulated trading takes over
8 hours ago
Securitize names ex-SEC official Brett Redfearn as president ahead of public listing
9 hours ago
Potential buyers are circling Winklevoss-backed crypto exchange Gemini
9 hours agoTop Stories
Bitcoin shoots above $72,000 as optimism grows over Middle East ceasefire
10 hours ago
Trump's World Liberty Financial borrowed millions from a protocol its own advisor co-founded
12 hours ago
Mike Novogratz spotlights Helios as $15 billion powerhouse in Galaxy Digital annual report
13 hours ago
U.S. Treasury to loop in crypto sector on hacker warnings shared with traditional firms
9 hours ago
Tom Lee's Bitmine uplists to NYSE, expands buyback authorization to $4 billion
12 hours ago
