Malta is fast becoming a hub for some of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchanges. OKEx Technology Co., the fourth largest cryptocurrency exchange by traded value, has “decided to make Malta a foundation” for its growth, according to a statement issued on its website today.
The Hong Kong-based company is the second major cryptocurrency exchange to announce plans to move its operations to Malta in recent weeks. Binance, the world’s largest crypto exchange, announced plans to base itself out of Malta last month.
In contrast to regulatory crackdowns occurring in other countries across the globe, Malta is gearing towards positioning itself as a “natural destination” for digital-asset companies.
“We look forward to working with the Malta government as it is forward thinking and shares many of our same values: the most important of which are protection of traders and the general public, compliance with Anti Money Laundering and Know Your Customer standards, and recognition of the innovation and importance of continued development in the Blockchain ecosystem.”
Chris Lee, CEO of OKEx
“Malta’s Virtual Financial Asset Act is a solid foundation for the industry and the government to work together in fostering the nascent blockchain/digital asset industry. More specifically, Malta’s sound risk-based approach will help cultivate a responsible, compliant, an–d healthy ecosystem.”
Tim Byun, Chief Risk Officer and Head of Government Relations of OKEx
The OKEx announcement is a certificate of trust in Malta, according to Maltese Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation, Silvio Schembri, who stated “The fact that Malta is at the forefront in launching a regulatory framework that regulates this sector by means of setting up an authority, in itself has attracted the interest of global companies such as Binance and OKEx”. He added that this would be merely the beginning, and expressed his belief that other companies would soon follow.
Corrieri Cilia is a leading law firm based in Malta specializing in the areas of international business and taxation. If you have any questions regarding blockchain or cryptocurrencies or need assistance in this field, please contact us on [email protected] to find out how we can help you.