OKX, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges, has appointed Linda Racewell as the new Chief Legal Officer. This decision is in line with the company’s strategy to accelerate global expansion.
This appointment will replace Mauricio Beugelmans and strengthen OKX’s commitment to improving legal presence and regulatory compliance in key markets, including Europe and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
OKX has named Linda Lacewell as the new CLO
Linda Lacewell joined OKX’s board of directors in 2024. She previously oversaw the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), where she modernized the cryptocurrency licensing framework and led groundbreaking initiatives in cybersecurity and financial crime investigation.
This strategic move occurs as OKX expands into highly regulated regions. It highlights the important role of new CLOs in shaping the future of OKX on the global stage.
“Linda’s deep regulatory expertise is invaluable as it ensures that we take these next steps and meet and exceed the highest compliance standards in the world,” OKX announced.
In recent years, OKX has achieved great success by expanding its market presence. The company secured licenses in major jurisdictions, including Dubai and Singapore in 2022, and introduced Singapore Dollar (SGD) deposit and withdrawal services in November 2024.
In early 2025, OKX acquired a MICA (Crypto-Assets Market) license. This made it one of the first cryptocurrency exchanges allowed to provide services across Europe.
Despite its success, OKX faces regulatory challenges in some major markets. Due to strict compliance requirements, we have not yet entered the US, UK, Canada and other restricted regions. In 2023, OKX withdrew its Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) license application in Hong Kong. This set-off highlighted the difficulty of meeting regulatory requirements in a particular jurisdiction.
Top cryptocurrency spot exchange. Source: CoinMarketCap.
CoinMarketCap ranks OKX as the fifth largest exchange worldwide, with daily trading volumes of over $2.3 billion. OKX’s user base also has skyrocketed, growing from 20 million in 2023 to 50 million in 2024. This is an impressive 150% increase.
