KuCoin
Founders
Michael Gan, Eric Tang, Johnny Lyu · Founded 2017 · HQ today: Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles
KuCoin was founded by Michael Gan, Eric Tang, Johnny Lyu in 2017. It is now led by BC Wong.
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.
Chinese technology entrepreneur; detailed education history is not publicly confirmed.
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).
Software engineer and blockchain architect.
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).
Crypto executive focused on operations and community growth; formal education is not publicly confirmed.
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).
BC Wong
CEO
Repositioned KuCoin around licensing and compliance.
Johnny Lyu
CEO, KuCoin Global
Public face of KuCoin through its fastest growth and its early regulatory troubles.
Michael Gan
Co-founder & CEO
Built the founding team and exchange; left management in January 2025 under a deferred prosecution agreement.
Chun 'Michael' Gan, Ke 'Eric' Tang and Johnny Lyu founded KuCoin in 2017.
Gan and Tang agreed in January 2025 to leave KuCoin's management and operations under two-year deferred prosecution agreements, each forfeiting $2.7 million. Johnny Lyu was succeeded as CEO by BC Wong.
Through a 2017 token sale of KuCoin Shares (now KCS) that raised about 5,500 BTC, followed by a $20 million Series A in 2018.
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