Crypto exchange OKX and HashKey Capital have invested in Vietnam Prosperity Crypto Asset Exchange Joint Stock Company (CAEX), a subsidiary of VPBank Securities, according to an announcement.
The capital injection is intended to help CAEX meet the Vietnamese government’s minimum capital requirement of 10 trillion dong ($380 million) for digital asset exchanges seeking to participate in its pilot crypto trading programme.
“We aim to support its development across infrastructure, compliance, security, risk management, and liquidity, helping it scale responsibly within Vietnam’s evolving regulatory framework,” said OKX Founder and CEO Star Xu, citing licences his company has secured or pursued across the US, Europe, Singapore and Dubai.
“This investment reflects a broader shift already underway across the industry. As regulatory clarity increases, liquidity is moving toward compliant venues,” Xu added.
He applauded Vietnam’s efforts to formalise oversight of the crypto market, expressing expectations that the broader Southeast Asian market will establish clear regulatory frameworks and licensing pathways for digital asset companies.
“This region is already one of the most important sources of global crypto liquidity. The next phase is about bringing that activity into trusted, regulated environments,” he said.
Vietnam has in recent years tightened its grip on domestic crypto activity following a series of high-profile fraud cases. Most recently, local police arrested ONUS exchange founder, who was alleged to have defrauded investors of billions of dollars. Before that, Nguyen Hoa Binh was arrested and charged in connection with a large-scale fraud linked to the AntEx digital asset project.
In 2025, Vietnam passed a resolution proposing a five-year pilot period during which crypto assets can be legally developed, traded and integrated within a controlled regulatory framework.
Domestic financial institutions have begun to seize the opportunity. Banks and brokerages including Techcombank, HDBank’s securities arm, Military Bank and SSI Inc have already established their crypto exchange joint ventures.
The close oversight of crypto trading is part of Vietnam’s bigger goal of setting international financial centres in the country, with its Ho Chi Minh City-based centre focusing on the capital markets, and another in Danang promoting green and digital infrastructure.
