Binance vs OKX: Founders, CEOs and History
Binance was founded in 2017 by Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Yi He and is led by Richard Teng. OKX was founded in 2017 by Star Xu and is led by Star Xu.
Company facts
Founders
Binance
Changpeng Zhao (CZ)
Changpeng Zhao founded Binance in 2017 after a BNB token sale that raised about $15 million.
Yi He
Yi He co-founded Binance with Changpeng Zhao in 2017 and became co-CEO alongside Richard Teng on December 3, 2025.
OKX
Star Xu
Star Xu founded Okcoin in Beijing in 2013 and OKEx in 2017, renaming it OKX in 2022. He is the company's CEO and controlling founder.
CEOs and their tenures
Binance
- Changpeng Zhao2017–2023
Founder & CEO
Zhao studied computer science at McGill University and built trading systems for the Tokyo Stock Exchange and Bloomberg Tradebook before crypto. He served four months in a US prison in 2024 and was pardoned on October 23, 2025.
Source - Richard Teng2023–present
CEO (Co-CEO since December 2025)
Teng spent three decades in financial regulation, including as CEO of the Financial Services Regulatory Authority at Abu Dhabi Global Market, chief regulatory officer of Singapore Exchange and a director at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Source - Yi He2025–present
Co-Founder & Co-CEO
Before Binance she was a television host and a vice president at OKCoin, where she hired Changpeng Zhao as CTO in 2014.
Source
OKX
- Star Xu2017–present
Founder & CEO
A physics graduate from University of Science and Technology Beijing, Xu is one of the earliest blockchain pioneers in Asia, building high-throughput financial architectures.
Source - Haider Rafique2022–present
Global Managing Partner & CMO
Led the OKX rebrand and sports partnerships; public spokesperson on the 2026 ICE deal.
Source - Roshan Robert2025–present
CEO, OKX US
Former Barclays executive appointed in April 2025 to run the relaunched US exchange and wallet from San Jose.
Source
Timeline: Binance and OKX side by side
2013Binance
Changpeng Zhao is introduced to Bitcoin in Shanghai and joins Blockchain.info's early team.
2013OKX
Star Xu founds Okcoin in Beijing.
2014Binance
CZ sells his Shanghai apartment to buy Bitcoin and becomes CTO of OKCoin, hired by Yi He.
2017Binance
Binance raises about $15 million in a BNB token sale and launches on July 14; China's September ban pushes it offshore.
2017OKX
OKEx launches in Hong Kong as an international crypto exchange focused on derivatives.
2018Binance
Binance becomes the largest crypto exchange by volume in January and acquires Trust Wallet in July.
2019Binance
Hackers steal 7,000 BTC in May, covered by the SAFU fund; Binance Futures and the separate Binance.US launch in September.
2020Binance
Binance buys CoinMarketCap for a reported $400 million and launches Binance Smart Chain, now BNB Chain.
2020OKX
October-November: OKEx suspends withdrawals for about five weeks while its founder cooperates with a police investigation.
2021Binance
Binance handles about $7.7 trillion of trading as BNB passes $600; the UK FCA orders it to halt regulated activity.
2021OKX
October: OKEx confirms it will stop serving mainland Chinese users.
2022Binance
Binance walks away from rescuing FTX, publishes Merkle-tree proof of reserves and buys Japan's Sakura Exchange BitCoin.
2022OKX
January: rebrands from OKEx to OKX; signs Manchester City and McLaren F1 partnerships; July: provisional Dubai licence.
2023Binance
Binance pleads guilty in the US and agrees to pay about $4.3 billion; CZ steps down and Richard Teng becomes CEO.
2024Binance
CZ serves a four-month US prison sentence; Binance ends the year with about 250 million registered users.
2025Binance
MGX invests $2 billion (March), the SEC drops its case (May), Trump pardons CZ (October) and Yi He becomes co-CEO as users pass 300 million (December).
2025OKX
January 27: OKX Europe receives a MiCA licence from Malta's MFSA.
2025OKX
February 24: pleads guilty in the US and agrees to pay more than $504 million in penalties.
2025OKX
April: relaunches in the US with a San Jose regional headquarters and US CEO Roshan Robert.
2025OKX
August: OKB becomes the sole native gas token of X Layer.
2026Binance
The main platform starts operating under ADGM supervision (January), US stock trading launches (June) and most EU services are suspended after the MiCA deadline (July).
2026OKX
March 5: Intercontinental Exchange invests at a valuation of about $25 billion and takes a board seat.
2026OKX
May: OKX Ventures agrees to buy a 19.6% stake in Korea's Coinone for about $53 million.
Acquisitions
Binance
- Sakura Exchange BitCoin (SEBC)2022Undisclosed
- CoinMarketCap2020$400M
- Swipe2020Undisclosed
- Trust Wallet2018Undisclosed
Questions about Binance vs OKX
Who is the CEO of Binance and OKX?
Binance is led by Richard Teng and OKX is led by Star Xu. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Binance founded vs OKX?
Both Binance and OKX were founded in 2017, making them the same age.
How many employees does Binance have compared to OKX?
Binance employs approximately 5,000 people. A verified employee count for OKX is not currently available.
Where are Binance and OKX headquartered?
Binance is headquartered in Cayman Islands and OKX is headquartered in Seychelles. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded Binance and OKX?
Binance was founded by Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Yi He. OKX was founded by Star Xu.
Which company has a longer operating history — Binance or OKX?
Binance has been operating for approximately 9 years, making it the more established of the two companies. OKX has been in operation for around 9 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Binance vs OKX overview