After weeks of little information, digital asset withdrawals remain closed at OKEx while the entity denies rumours of its leader’s arrest
After closing digital asset recalls in mid-October, the Malta-based OKEx exchange still remains silent on an unspecified ongoing investigation.
OKEx claims that the detention talks are simply rumours, although customers still have no access to withdrawals at the company, even after three weeks, without hearing any palatable details around the scene.
„Allegations that an interested party related to OKEx is under criminal arrest have been refuted – we can confirm that they are rumours,“ OKEx said in a public update today.
The Cointelegraph has contacted OKEx for further details but has received no response at the time of publication. This article will be updated if there is a response.
„Currently, the party in question is, as stipulated by law, actively cooperating with a public security service in an investigation,“ the statement said, adding: „OKEx has sought legal support and guidance and, through this process, made contact with the interested party. „
OKEx closed the door to asset withdrawals on 16 October. The exchange maintains of Bitcoin System are a number of entities responsible for managing its private asset keys.
On the day the withdrawal was suspended, the exchange announced the cooperation of one of these managers with the authorities as part of an investigation. It is not yet clear whether the recently mentioned „interested party“ is the holder of the private key of the 16 October statement.
Shortly after the news of the withdrawal’s closure in October, reports emerged that police questioned OKEx founder Star Xu as part of an investigation a few days before the withdrawal was suspended.
The most recent OKEx update did not provide specific details of the situation, but reaffirmed to the public its focus on legal compliance and looked at customers‘ assets as currently safe. „There has been no asset exit from OKEx in any way since the suspension of the withdrawals on 16 October,“ the statement said:
„At the same time, we can assure our users that 100 per cent of their funds can be withdrawn once OKEx withdraws have resumed. Currently, our business operations are stable and operating normally.“
Regulatory interest in the industry has increased in 2020, especially evident in the recent US lawsuit against the exchange of BitMEX encryption derivatives.