“Going Deep Earlier than Going Vast”: Erald Ghoos Explains OKX’s Market Priorities

On June 16, 2025, OKX hosted a landmark occasion in Poland to formally mark the start of its operations within the nation. Held in Warsaw, the occasion gathered crypto fans, monetary professionals, and media representatives, showcasing OKX’s dedication to increasing inside the European Union below the not too long ago enforced MiCA framework.

With Poland acknowledged as certainly one of Europe’s fastest-growing crypto markets, the occasion served not solely as a launchpad for OKX’s native actions but in addition as a broader assertion of intent: to turn into a key participant in shaping regulated, user-centric crypto ecosystems throughout Europe.

Through the occasion, BeInCrypto had the chance to sit down down with Erald Ghoos, CEO at OKX Europe, for an in-depth dialog in regards to the firm’s strategic priorities. The dialogue touched on OKX’s tailor-made strategy to the Polish market, its dedication to compliance and safety, and the way native insights gasoline its world ambitions.

Ghoos shared unique updates on upcoming integrations, together with partnerships with Polish digital ID suppliers and fee platforms like BLIK, and supplied a broader imaginative and prescient of how OKX is constructing the inspiration for long-term, sustainable development all through Europe.

First Impressions and the Pulse of Poland

Jakub Dziadkowiec (BeInCrypto): Good to satisfy you Erald. Welcome to Poland. How do you discover the nation up to now?

Erald Ghoos (CEO, OKX Europe): Thanks, Jakub. It’s nice to be right here. I need to say, I’ve all the time had a smooth spot for Poland. I’ve visited many occasions earlier than, and each time I come again, I’m reminded of how dynamic and welcoming the nation is. The folks listed below are implausible—pleasant, pushed, and really conscious of what’s happening on the planet. There’s a sure vitality within the air, one thing alive in regards to the vibe right here.

Simply a few days in the past, once I was flying in, I stumbled upon a captivating financial statistic. It talked about how Poland’s financial system is at present booming. What caught my eye was a comparability: in the event you take a number of neighboring nations—excluding Germany—and mix their financial outputs, Poland nonetheless comes out stronger. That claims rather a lot. It positions Poland not solely as a rising European financial system however as a number one gentle within the former Japanese Bloc.

From our perspective at OKX, that sort of momentum is thrilling. It makes Poland a chief marketplace for innovation, particularly in fintech and crypto. The expansion, the curiosity, and the readiness of the folks to interact with new monetary instruments—it’s all right here.

Strategic Priorities: Why Poland is One in every of OKX’s High 5 European Markets

Jakub: You talked about throughout your presentation that Poland has turn into certainly one of your high 5 markets in Europe. Are you able to elaborate on that? Why the robust focus right here?

Erald Ghoos: Positive. After we checked out our European technique, we needed to be sensible. The European Financial Space consists of 30 nations. It’s simply not possible to launch concurrently with equal depth in all of them. So, we recognized 5 key markets the place we’d begin with full pressure: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Poland.

Why Poland? For a number of causes. First, it’s a big and quickly rising financial system. Second, the extent of crypto adoption is extraordinarily spectacular. Latest information exhibits that round 11.7% of the Polish inhabitants holds crypto property. That places Poland among the many high three nations in Europe, alongside the Netherlands and Slovenia.

However that’s not all. Consciousness can also be sky-high—95% of the Polish inhabitants has heard about cryptocurrencies. That’s a number one statistic in Europe. For us, it indicators two essential issues: one, that crypto is already a part of the general public discourse; and two, that individuals listed below are financially curious and digitally literate.

These are crucial components for market success. And once you mix this with a proactive authorities angle in the direction of digital transformation, Poland stands out as a pure alternative for us to spend money on.

MICA and MiFID: The Regulatory Spine of OKX’s Growth

Jakub: You talked about the MICA license earlier. This regulation appears to be a cornerstone of your strategy. What does it allow you to do in Poland and throughout Europe? And the way does it provide you with an edge in comparison with different exchanges?

Erald Ghoos: That’s a fantastic level. Regulation is totally central to our technique. We have been one of many first world exchanges to safe a MICA license. We obtained it on January twenty seventh, and only a few days later, we efficiently passported it throughout your complete EU.

With the MICA license, we’re approved to supply core providers like spot buying and selling—shopping for, promoting, and holding cryptocurrencies. This already opens up a variety of economic providers.

However we didn’t cease there. To cater to extra superior merchants who’re fascinated about leveraging their positions or participating in futures buying and selling, we additionally pursued a MiFID license (Markets in Monetary Devices Directive). That license permits us to legally supply regulated derivatives—an space that’s usually murky in crypto.

We acquired the MiFID license in Malta and at the moment are finalizing the final steps when it comes to paperwork and operational approvals. As soon as that’s full, OKX will probably be among the many only a few exchanges able to providing absolutely regulated spinoff buying and selling all through Europe.

This dual-licensing framework units us aside. A lot of our opponents are nonetheless navigating the regulatory maze. And as MICA enforcement tightens, some might not even qualify to proceed working in markets like Poland. That provides us a definite first-mover benefit.

Transparency, Safety, and the Significance of Proof-of-Reserves

Jakub: That’s a robust regulatory basis. However how else are you totally different? What do crypto customers get from OKX that they won’t get elsewhere?

Erald Ghoos: Transparency and safety are on the coronary heart of every thing we do. Our first differentiator is compliance—we’re meticulous about following the principles. It’s a part of our DNA. For instance, we have been the primary world trade in Europe to totally adjust to the Journey Rule.

For these unfamiliar, the Journey Rule is a world regulation established by the FATF (Monetary Motion Activity Pressure). It requires exchanges to share sender and receiver info throughout crypto transfers. Meaning nameless transfers are not permitted between licensed exchanges. We applied this rule forward of others, which exhibits our proactive angle in the direction of world compliance.

Our second pillar is Proof-of-Reserves. Each month, we publish cryptographically verifiable information to show that the property customers see of their accounts are literally held by us—1:1. No fractional reserve practices. No humorous enterprise. This degree of transparency is one thing we’re very happy with.

Evaluate this to conventional banks, the place fractional reserve lending is the norm. You deposit your cash, however most of it’s loaned out or invested. Within the crypto world, we noticed what occurred with FTX. They have been utilizing buyer funds for inner investments, which finally led to their collapse.

That’s why our month-to-month Proof-of-Reserves is not only a characteristic—it’s a necessity for constructing belief on this area.

Constructing Native Groups with World Attain

Jakub: You additionally touched in your “world however native” technique. That resonates rather a lot with us at BeInCrypto—we even have native groups in over 25 nations. Why is that this strategy so essential for OKX?

Erald Ghoos: As a result of each market is exclusive. Monetary wants differ dramatically from nation to nation. What works within the Netherlands might not work in Greece, Luxembourg, or Poland.

That’s why we spend money on constructing native groups. These groups know the market inside out. They have interaction with the neighborhood, attend native occasions, and hearken to what folks need.

In Poland, for example, I realized from our group right here that fee strategies like BLIK and Zen are important. In Malta, the place I’m primarily based, I had no concept what BLIK was till my Polish colleagues defined it. That’s the worth of native data.

We intention to duplicate this mannequin in each market we enter. Native groups assist us adapt—not solely our product choices, but in addition our communication model, customer support, and even compliance workflows.

Digital Identification, E-Governance, and Reducing the Barrier to Entry

Jakub: That’s very forward-thinking. Talking of native adaptation, Poland is superior in digital id and e-governance. Are you planning to combine with any of our e-ID techniques?

Erald Ghoos: Sure, completely. We’re already in discussions with two Polish distributors. One in every of them is EID Inventive, and the opposite’s identify escapes me, however it’s a Polish-based answer as properly. We’re within the superior phases of integrating these digital ID techniques into our onboarding course of.

It is a win-win. It reduces friction for customers and makes the compliance course of smoother. As a substitute of importing paperwork and ready days for approval, customers can confirm their id in seconds utilizing a system they already belief.

It’s particularly interesting for youthful, tech-savvy customers. In Poland, round 10 million folks have already enrolled in e-ID platforms. That’s an enormous demographic, and it aligns completely with our audience.

The Way forward for Funds: BLIK, Stablecoins, and OKX Pay

Jakub: One final native suggestion: BLIK is very large right here. If customers may purchase crypto instantly with BLIK, I believe you’d win a variety of hearts.

Erald Ghoos: I fully agree—and we’re already engaged on it. The truth is, I can verify that we’ll be asserting one thing in that space within the coming weeks. BLIK is a trusted model in Poland. Individuals use it for e-commerce, banking, and even peer-to-peer transactions.

It’s the identical dynamic we see in different nations. Within the Netherlands, there’s iDEAL. In Belgium, it’s Bancontact. For those who don’t help these fee strategies, folks merely gained’t belief your platform.

That’s why we’re prioritizing this integration. As soon as it’s dwell, shopping for crypto in Poland will probably be as simple as shopping for a espresso.

European Unity By way of MICA

Jakub: Let’s speak about MICA extra broadly. Do you assume it’s making an actual distinction throughout the EU?

Erald Ghoos: It already has. Earlier than MICA, the European crypto panorama was fragmented. Some nations had crypto-friendly laws. Others have been hostile. In lots of instances, we confronted overlapping necessities—totally different authorized disclaimers, native information safety officers, separate licenses, banners on each web page… It was a maze.

MICA modifications all of that. It creates a harmonized framework that applies to your complete EU. It reduces pink tape, lowers operational prices, and provides firms like ours the boldness to scale.

Even conventional banks are responding positively. They now know precisely what’s allowed and what isn’t. That readability is what institutional gamers have been ready for.

It additionally helps us with fiat companions. Earlier than, banks noticed crypto firms as high-risk. They charged additional charges or refused service. Now, with a MICA license, we’re handled like EMIs or fee establishments. We’re not thought of dangerous. We get higher pricing, higher help, and higher infrastructure.

Increasing Horizons: Future Plans and the DeFi Imaginative and prescient

Jakub: What’s subsequent for OKX in Europe? Any plans for brand new markets within the subsequent 6 to 12 months?

Erald Ghoos: Our focus now could be on making our 5 key markets profitable. As our President, Hong Fang, says, “Go deep earlier than you go broad.” We need to refine our strategy, take a look at what works, after which replicate that success elsewhere.

That mentioned, we’re additionally getting ready to relaunch our Web3 and DeFi merchandise. OKX DeFi was already one of many stronger platforms within the area, and now we’re constructing on that.

We’re additionally introducing OKX Pay—a peer-to-peer fee system constructed on stablecoins. With Tether not compliant in Europe below MICA, there’s a possibility to supply a regulated, Euro-friendly various.

OKX Pay is impressed by Satoshi Nakamoto’s unique imaginative and prescient—a peer-to-peer monetary system. It is going to permit customers to ship stablecoin funds instantly, immediately, and with minimal charges. We see this as a serious step ahead in crypto utility.

IPO: A Thought, Not a Plan—But

Jakub: Remaining query—do you ever take into consideration going public, like Coinbase or Circle?

Erald Ghoos: After all, it’s one thing we take into consideration now and again. We’ve the dimensions. We’ve the regulatory construction. We’re financially secure. However for the time being, there aren’t any concrete plans. It’s an concept that stays within the background, one thing we’ll revisit when the timing feels proper.

Jakub: Erald, thanks for this insightful and complete dialog. Welcome once more to Poland. I hope you get pleasure from your keep.

Erald Ghoos: Thanks very a lot, Jakub. It was a pleasure speaking with you and sharing our imaginative and prescient for OKX in Poland and throughout Europe.