OKX backs Vietnam crypto pilot

OKX Ventures has invested in Vietnam’s CAEX exchange to help it qualify for the country’s new pilot for regulated crypto trading. (okx.com) OKX said on April 9 that it would contribute capital in April alongside other shareholders so CAEX can meet Vietnam’s minimum capital requirement of 10 trillion Vietnamese dong, or about $380 million. HashKey Capital is investing too, alongside founding shareholders VPBank Securities and LynkiD. (okx.com) CAEX said the money is tied to Vietnam’s pilot program under Resolution No. 05/2025/NQ-CP, which set up a five-year framework for licensed crypto-asset trading venues. The company said OKX Ventures and HashKey Capital will also work on infrastructure, security, compliance, risk management, and liquidity connectivity. (technode.global) Vietnam only began accepting license applications for crypto trading platforms on January 20, 2026, when the Ministry of Finance issued Decision No. 96/QD-BTC. That decision created the first formal application process for operating a crypto-asset trading market in the country. (tilleke.com) The rules are tight. The Ministry of Finance reviews applications, the State Securities Commission receives them, and other agencies including the State Bank of Vietnam and the Ministry of Public Security weigh in on anti-money-laundering, cybersecurity, system safety, and risk controls. (tilleke.com) The pilot is moving from paperwork to launch. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung told the National Assembly on April 9 that Vietnam will start pilot trading platforms for crypto and digital assets in the second quarter of 2026, and VnEconomy reported that the Ministry of Finance had received seven license applications, five of them valid and complete. (en.vneconomy.vn) CAEX is starting from a small base and trying to scale fast. TechNode reported that its initial charter capital was 25 billion Vietnamese dong when it was established in September 2025, far below the 10 trillion dong threshold now required for the pilot. (technode.global) For OKX, the bet is on regulated local markets rather than offshore trading. The company said the CAEX deal fits its broader strategy of building licensed businesses and bringing compliance and consumer-protection systems into new jurisdictions. (okx.com) The next test is whether CAEX turns this backing into one of Vietnam’s first operating licenses. The government has opened the gate, and the applicants now have to clear it. (en.vneconomy.vn)