Key Takeaways:
OKX Ventures and HashKey are backing crypto platform CAEX in its bid to qualify for Vietnam’s new digital asset exchange pilot, a program requiring a minimum charter capital of 10 trillion dong ($380 million).
"The investment would enable CAEX to meet the capital requirements to pursue entry into Vietnam's regulated crypto pilot program," an OKX spokesperson told Cointelegraph, though the size of the investment was not disclosed.
The move comes as Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance prepares to license no more than five exchanges under a strict five-year pilot program that opened its application window on Jan. 20. The framework caps foreign ownership at 49 percent and requires institutional shareholders to hold at least 65 percent of the capital.
With authorities signaling they may block access to unlicensed overseas platforms, the investment by OKX and HashKey represents a critical step for gaining compliant access to a market that Chainalysis ranked fourth globally for crypto adoption in 2025. CAEX, which is part of the ecosystem of one of Vietnam’s largest private lenders, VPBank, is now positioned to be a front-runner for one of the few available licenses.
As strategic partners, OKX and HashKey will work with other shareholders like VPBank Securities to provide technical and financial support to CAEX. This collaboration aims to ensure the platform meets local regulatory standards in areas like technical infrastructure, security, and compliance, according to the OKX spokesperson.
Vietnam's crypto market has seen rapid growth but has also been affected by high-profile fraud cases, prompting regulators to tighten controls and establish a clear legal framework. The pilot program is seen as a constructive step toward legitimizing the industry within the country.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
