EU CRYPTO DERIVATIVES · OKX · LAST VERIFIED
Is OKX MiFID II-authorised for crypto derivatives in the European Union?
OKX's European derivatives entity (OKX Europe Markets Limited) is recorded as an authorised investment firm under Directive 2014/65/EU (MiFID II), authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA).
Verdict: OKX holds a MiFID II authorisation for crypto derivatives in the EEA.
| Authorised legal entity | OKX Europe Markets Limited |
|---|---|
| Home Member State | Malta |
| National Competent Authority | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) |
| Authorisation reference | OEML |
| Authorising statute | Investment Services Act (Chapter 370, Laws of Malta) implementing MiFID II |
| EEA product launch | |
| Products offered to EEA users | Crypto-asset based expiry futures (marketed as X-Perps - 5-year expiry, up to 10x leverage, BTC/ETH/ADA/DOGE/PEPE/LTC/PUMP/SOL/XRP/SUI launch pairs) |
Source: OKX Europe Markets Limited Terms of Service (issuer-published). Verified 29 June 2026.
What can OKX legally offer EEA derivatives users?
OKX Europe Markets Limited is authorised by the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) under MiFID II. The specific investment-service permissions held determine which products the firm can legally provide. Each permission is granted at the firm level by the national regulator.
Dealing on own account
The firm trades as principal against client orders, taking risk onto its own balance sheet. Under MiFID II Section A(3) of Annex I.
Execution of orders on behalf of clients
The firm executes orders for clients in financial instruments, typically against its own quotes or by routing to other venues. Under MiFID II Section A(2).
Trustee, custodian or nominee services
Holding financial instruments on behalf of clients in a fiduciary capacity, including safekeeping of crypto-asset based derivatives positions and related collateral. This is a Maltese national permission alongside MiFID II.
Ancillary services held
- Safekeeping and administration of financial instruments for the account of clients, including custodianship and related services such as cash, collateral management
What does this mean for me as a user of OKX?
If you use OKX for crypto derivatives in the EEA, you are contracting with OKX Europe Markets Limited, a Malta-authorised investment firm under MiFID II. That means the protections set out in Title II of MiFID II apply to your relationship: client-asset segregation under Article 16(8), a mandatory appropriateness assessment before complex products are offered to retail clients (Article 25(3)), and best-execution obligations (Article 27).
This is structurally different from the regulatory status of crypto derivatives offered globally on bybit.com, binance.com, or other non-EEA platforms. Those platforms operate under non-EEA legal entities and the MiFID II protections do not apply to your relationship with them.
What about OKX's spot crypto business?
OKX operates the spot crypto business through a separate legal entity: OKX Europe Ltd (MiCA + payment services authorisations). The MiCA authorisation covers spot trading, custody, fiat conversion, and the other crypto-asset services defined in Article 3(1)(16) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114. It does not cover derivatives.
See the full MiCA spot profile: OKX MiCA status →
Does OKX also issue a crypto card?
OKX is one of the brands in our card register. A crypto card is a separate product from derivatives: it is issued by an e-money or banking partner, not under MiFID II. We record who actually issues the OKX card, which regulator authorises that issuer, what protects your balance, and the issuer's own published fees with the exact source shown for each figure.
See the full card profile: Who issues the OKX card and what protects your money →
How does OKX compare to the other MiFID II-authorised crypto-derivative firms in our register?
As of , six firms in our v2 register hold MiFID II authorisations covering crypto derivatives in the EEA. Kraken, Coinbase, and OKX have verified live retail products; the other three hold the relevant licences with the live-status nuance explained on each profile page.
| Venue | Regulator | Authorised entity | Instruments | Live retail product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitpanda | Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) | Bitpanda Financial Services GmbH | Contracts for Difference (CFDs) on crypto assets, marketed by Bitpanda as Bitpanda Leverage, L-Token Long, L-Token Short, S-Token, A-Token Derivative. Bitpanda issues these products as own-account counterparty under the dealing-on-own-account leg of its licence. | Live |
| Bitstamp | Slovenian Securities Market Agency (Agencija za trg vrednostnih papirjev, ATVP) | Bitstamp Financial Services Ltd. (Slovenian: Bitstamp finančne storitve d.o.o.) | Crypto derivatives including perpetual swaps, traded on the Slovenian MTF. Per Bitstamp's October 2024 press release, this is described as 'the first time a fully MTF-regulated crypto derivatives platform will be available in the EU under MiFID II'. | Licence held, product not confirmed live |
| Coinbase | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd. | Crypto futures (BTC, ETH), Magnificent Seven equity-linked futures, and Crypto Equity Index futures. Up to 10x leverage. Offered via Coinbase Advanced across 26 EEA countries, margined in EUR or stablecoin. | Live |
| Crypto.com | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Foris Capital CY Ltd (formerly A.N. Allnew Investments Ltd, approved trade name 'Crypto.com') | All 10 MiFID Annex I Section C instrument categories per CySEC public register. Crypto.com publicly stated intent to offer 'securities, derivatives, contracts for difference (CFDs) and more' to EEA users under this licence. | Licence held, product not confirmed live |
| Kraken | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited | Crypto-asset perpetual contracts (USD-margined and crypto-collateralised) and fixed-maturity futures across major crypto-asset underlyings. Marketed as 'Europe's largest regulated futures offering' by Kraken. | Not confirmed |
| OKX | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) | OKX Europe Markets Limited | Crypto-asset based expiry futures (marketed as X-Perps - 5-year expiry, up to 10x leverage, BTC/ETH/ADA/DOGE/PEPE/LTC/PUMP/SOL/XRP/SUI launch pairs) | Not confirmed |
Not confirmed means we could not verify that field against a primary source at the time of writing, not that it is absent. Each row's authorisation is sourced on its profile page.
- Kraken - CySEC Cyprus authorisation (Payward Europe Digital Solutions (CY) Limited, licence 342/17); USD-margined perpetuals and fixed-maturity futures. Live.
- Coinbase - CySEC Cyprus authorisation (Coinbase Financial Services Europe Ltd., CIF 374/19); crypto futures and equity index futures via Coinbase Advanced. Live.
- Crypto.com - CySEC Cyprus authorisation (Foris Capital CY Ltd, CIF 344/17); licence covers derivatives and CFDs. Live retail product not independently verified at the time of writing.
- Bitstamp - ATVP Slovenia MTF licence (Bitstamp Financial Services Ltd., granted 24 October 2024); crypto-derivatives multilateral trading facility. Live retail trading not independently verified at the time of writing.
- Bitpanda - FMA Austria MiFID II investment firm (Bitpanda Financial Services GmbH); CFDs on crypto under own-account dealing (Bitpanda Leverage, L-Tokens, S-Tokens, A-Token Derivative). Live for CFDs.
Frequently asked questions about OKX and MiFID II
Is OKX legally allowed to offer me crypto derivatives in the EU?
Yes. OKX Europe Markets Limited holds a MiFID II authorisation from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), reference OEML. The authorisation passports across all 30 EEA member states.
What protections does the MiFID II authorisation give me when I trade with OKX?
Client-asset segregation under Article 16(8), an appropriateness assessment before complex products are offered (Article 25(3)), best execution under Article 27, and access to the home-state Investor Compensation Scheme. See the full MiFID II protections explainer.
Does OKX require KYC and an experience check before I can trade?
Yes. MiFID II Article 25(3) requires an appropriateness assessment for retail clients trading complex products. You complete a short questionnaire on knowledge and experience. The firm records the result and uses it to determine product access.
How does The Crypto Register verify MiFID II authorisations?
Every MiFID II authorisation claim on this site is verified against at least two primary sources: the firm's own published regulatory disclosures, plus an independent regulator or press source. Our full methodology describes the verification process. Corrections welcome at our contact page.
Sources cited on this page
All facts on this page are verified against at least two primary sources per our methodology. Corrections welcome at our contact page.