KuCoin
Company History
KuCoin History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 2017 in Victoria, Seychelles
When was KuCoin founded?
KuCoin was founded in 2017 in Victoria, Seychelles by Michael Gan, Eric Tang and Johnny Lyu, making it 9 years old.
- Founded
- 2017
- Founding place
- Victoria, Seychelles
- Founders
- Michael Gan, Eric Tang and Johnny Lyu
- Headquarters today
- Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
- Milestones documented
- 8 (2017–2026)
- Current CEO
- BC Wong
- Acquisitions
- 1
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2017 | KuCoin launches in September after a token sale that raised about 5,500 BTC (around $27.5 |
| 2018 | Raises a $20 million Series A led by IDG Capital, Matrix Partners and NEO Global Capital; |
| 2020 | KuGroup formed with Michael Gan as chairman and Johnny Lyu as KuCoin Global CEO; September |
| 2022 | Raises $150 million Series B led by Jump Crypto at a $10 billion valuation; publishes Merk |
| 2023 | $22 Million New York Settlement |
| 2024 | US Indictment of KuCoin and Founders |
| 2025 | BC Wong becomes CEO (January); Peken Global pleads guilty and agrees to pay about $297 mil |
| 2026 | Austria's FMA restricts new KuCoin EU business (February); CFTC settlement makes the US ba |
- Where was KuCoin founded?
- KuCoin was founded in Victoria, Seychelles in 2017.
- Who founded KuCoin?
- KuCoin was founded by Michael Gan, Eric Tang and Johnny Lyu.
- When did KuCoin start?
- KuCoin was founded in 2017.
- How old is KuCoin?
- KuCoin is 9 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
KuCoin launched in September 2017, at the peak of the ICO boom, after its founders raised about 5,500 BTC through a token sale of KuCoin Shares (now KuCoin Token, KCS). The team, led by Chun 'Michael' Gan with co-founders Ke 'Eric' Tang and Johnny Lyu, pitched a fast exchange for ordinary traders that would list emerging tokens and share part of its fee income with KCS holders.
Founders
Michael Gan
Chun 'Michael' Gan co-founded KuCoin in 2017 and was its first CEO before becoming KuGroup chairman in 2020. Under a January 2025 deferred prosecution agreement with US prosecutors he forfeited $2.7 million and stepped away from KuCoin's management. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Eric Tang
Eric Tang co-founded KuCoin in 2017. As the lead technical architect, he designed the highly scalable exchange engine capable of processing millions of transactions per second, ensuring the platform could list hundreds of highly speculative altcoins simultaneously without crashing during massive bull market spikes. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Johnny Lyu
Johnny Lyu co-founded KuCoin and served as CEO of KuCoin Global from March 2020 until BC Wong's appointment in January 2025, steering the exchange through the 2020 hack and the 2022 $10 billion funding round. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
KuCoin launches in September after a token sale that raised about 5,500 BTC (around $27.5
KuCoin launches in September after a token sale that raised about 5,500 BTC (around $27.5 million).
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRaises a $20 million Series A led by IDG Capital, Matrix Partners and NEO Global Capital;
Raises a $20 million Series A led by IDG Capital, Matrix Partners and NEO Global Capital; invests $3 million in Bitcoin Australia.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgKuGroup formed with Michael Gan as chairman and Johnny Lyu as KuCoin Global CEO; September
KuGroup formed with Michael Gan as chairman and Johnny Lyu as KuCoin Global CEO; September hack drains about $281 million.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRaises $150 million Series B led by Jump Crypto at a $10 billion valuation; publishes Merk
Raises $150 million Series B led by Jump Crypto at a $10 billion valuation; publishes Merkle-tree proof of reserves after FTX collapses.
Source: en.wikipedia.org$22 Million New York Settlement
Pays $22 million to settle with the New York Attorney General and exits New York.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgUS Indictment of KuCoin and Founders
US prosecutors indict KuCoin and co-founders Chun Gan and Ke Tang in March.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgBC Wong becomes CEO (January); Peken Global pleads guilty and agrees to pay about $297 mil
BC Wong becomes CEO (January); Peken Global pleads guilty and agrees to pay about $297 million; KuCoin Thailand launches; FINTRAC fines ~$14 million (C$19.5 million); MiCA licence in Austria and AUSTRAC registration (November).
Source: justice.govAustria's FMA restricts new KuCoin EU business (February); CFTC settlement makes the US ba
Austria's FMA restricts new KuCoin EU business (February); CFTC settlement makes the US ban permanent (March); admitted to Nigeria SEC's ARIP (July).
Source: coincentral.comMajor Acquisitions
ERX (KuCoin Thailand)
2025Thailand-based digital token exchange license.
Keep researching KuCoin
KuCoin Company History FAQ
When was KuCoin founded?
KuCoin launched public trading in September 2017, funded by a token sale that raised about 5,500 BTC.
When did KuCoin raise its Series A?
In November 2018 it raised $20 million led by IDG Capital, Matrix Partners and NEO Global Capital.
What happened in the September 2020 hack?
About $281 million was stolen from hot wallets; KuCoin recovered 84% with partners and law enforcement and covered 16% from its insurance fund.
When did KuCoin reach a $10 billion valuation?
In May 2022, with a $150 million Series B led by Jump Crypto.
When did KuCoin leave the US market?
Its January 2025 plea required at least two years out of the US; a March 2026 CFTC order made the ban permanent.
What has KuCoin done since 2025?
It appointed BC Wong as CEO, launched KuCoin Thailand, registered with AUSTRAC, obtained a MiCA licence in Austria and joined Nigeria's SEC incubation programme.
How did KuCoin start?
KuCoin was launched in September 2017 by a group of tech enthusiasts including Michael Gan and Johnny Lyu. They heavily branded it as the "People's Exchange." While massive exchanges like Coinbase were incredibly strict about which tokens they allowed, KuCoin aggressively captured the global market by instantly listing hundreds of highly obscure, hyper-volatile "altcoins," attracting millions of risk-tolerant day traders.
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