Crypto markets have matured not quietly, however decisively. In keeping with Lennix, World Chief Industrial Officer at OKX, the defining shift isn’t about new devices or sooner rails. It’s about what merchants basically count on from the platforms they use.
“In the present day’s merchants are much less excited by headline yields and much more centered on whether or not the platforms they use are regulated, clear and constructed to final,” Lennix tells CoinGape in an unique Block of fame dialog. “Three to 5 years in the past, a number of circulate chased offshore leverage and memes; at this time, extra of it’s migrating towards licensed venues, proof-of-reserves and institutional-grade custody.”
Resolution to CEX vs DEX Debate
Perpetual DEXs could also be surging, however Lennix rejects the concept customers are selecting sides.
“We don’t suppose by way of DEX versus CEX,” he says. “We expect by way of a spectrum that the identical person needs to maneuver alongside based mostly on their wants.”
Because the centralized trade which not too long ago got here up with its personal DEX Byreal, OKX information reveals that each Web3 and DEX exercise are rising multiples sooner than CEX, whereas centralized volumes proceed to edge greater.
“That tells you customers need each onchain entry and mature centralized infrastructure,” Lennix notes.
The answer is architectural. “Our reply is a CeDeFi method: one pockets and onchain stack that plug natively into our centralized venue,” he says. “For many customers, the perfect journey is to start out with CEX-like simplicity after which graduate into DEX sophistication inside the identical ecosystem.”
Toekn Listings Are Getting into a Public-Markets Period
Token listings, lengthy considered as opaque and nonetheless debatable, are actually underneath regulatory scrutiny and Lennix sees that as overdue.
“We’re clearly shifting right into a world the place itemizing requirements need to look extra like public-markets requirements,” he says.
Which means transparency by default. “Public itemizing standards, impartial smart-contract audits, and ongoing disclosure about tokenomics, giant holders and any materials regulatory points.”
Regulation is accelerating this convergence. “Frameworks like MiCA and people rising in APAC and MENA are pushing everybody towards the identical baseline,” Lennix notes. “Asset segregation, onchain transparency and stablecoin high quality are now not non-compulsory.”
For exchanges, working with regulators early is the one sustainable path. “The simplest method is to carry regulators into the dialog early,” he says. “Proof-of-reserves, segregated custody and clear danger disclosures are areas the place person safety and regulatory expectations align naturally.”
Pace doesn’t need to disappear both. “In case you mix that with pilots and phased rollouts, you may nonetheless transfer quick — however inside a framework that’s resilient when markets are burdened.”
What In the present day’s Crypto Merchants Need
As somebody who heads a world crypto trade, Lennix explains that the shift in crypto dealer’s priorities is obvious in product demand. The place customers as soon as optimized for leverage and pace alone, at this time’s focus is on infrastructure, liquidity, and clean CeDeFi connectivity.
“High of the listing {that merchants need} are deep liquidity, easy however strong danger controls, and CeDeFi-style connectivity that lets them transfer easily between CEX, DeFi and custody,” Lennix says.
Additional, in an ever unstable setting, merchants more and more need consolidation, not fragmentation.
“Merchants more and more need a single setting the place they’ll go from spot to perps to staking and onchain with out juggling a number of wallets or seed phrases.”
AI-driven instruments, as soon as a “good to have,” have now turn out to be anticipated. “Individuals are mainly asking for fewer tabs, much less friction and extra intelligence within the core buying and selling display,” Lennix provides.
Regional Diversification of Merchants
Regional behaviour is diverging however maturing. “In APAC we see a way more mature combine than within the final cycle,” he says. “Customers comply with narratives, however most exercise continues to be anchored in spot, perps and yield quite than pure meme buying and selling – and the area now accounts for a big share of our volumes”.
In MENA and LATAM, structural demand dominates.
“There’s stronger demand for stablecoins and cost rails, pushed by cross-border flows and inflation issues.
Our technique is depth over breadth, so we’re centered on deepening in a small variety of excessive‑conviction, regulated markets like Australia, Singapore, the UAE, the EEA underneath MiCA and, more and more, the US. These are the jurisdictions the place clear rulebooks and robust native companions allow us to construct for the long run.”
Advise for Merchants
Leverage stays certainly one of crypto’s most persistent dangers, however Lennix presents options which can be sensible. “The message from customers is that they want clearer guardrails,” Lennix says. “Pre-trade danger budgets must be customary, so each leveraged order clearly reveals what share of whole capital is in danger earlier than you hit verify.”
He additionally factors to structural defaults. “Obligatory stop-loss entry for leveraged positions, plus built-in position-size calculators, would already take away a number of ‘unintentional’ over-exposure.”
Longer-term, entry itself must be earned. “Greater leverage tiers must be tied to training and expertise assessments, quite than being the default.”
For retail merchants navigating ongoing macro volatility, Lennix’s recommendation is disciplined. “Measurement positions so {that a} single commerce contains much less of your capital,” he says. “Use leverage sparingly and intentionally – prioritise remoted margin and make stop-losses a part of your preliminary order.”
Third, do your homework on the venue degree: commerce on regulated platforms, test for proof‑of‑reserves the place it’s accessible, and perceive how your property are custodied and segregated earlier than you concentrate on chasing yield. In a macro setting that may shift rapidly, your danger course of is commonly extra necessary than your view on the following worth transfer.
The Playbook for 2026
Wanting forward, Lennix sees three forces reshaping the aggressive panorama of crypto exchanges.
“First, institutional-grade custody might be a key differentiator,” he says. “Second, CeDeFi rails that allow customers transfer throughout spot, perps, staking and onchain liquidity from a single interface will turn out to be the default expectation.”
“The third is already seen. AI-native tooling will more and more outline the person expertise – from execution and routing to danger monitoring and assist.”
Beneath all of it sits an extended arc. “Tokenization is a long-duration theme that can steadily reshape how conventional property are issued, traded and held.”
On the ecosystem degree, Lennix ties all of it again to at least one precept. “Belief is the actual foreign money on this market — and our job is to maintain strengthening that throughout each centralized and onchain layers.”
Funding disclaimer: The content material displays the creator’s private views and present market circumstances. Please conduct your individual analysis earlier than investing in cryptocurrencies, as neither the creator nor the publication is answerable for any monetary losses.
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