Fifteen years ago, Satoshi Nakamoto introduced the world to a peer-to-peer electronic cash system. Today, billions benefit from the crypto industry, driven by Bitcoin’s core values of fairness and transparency. It is deeply disappointing to witness unjustified discrimination against an EU member state that has been early in regulating crypto, upholds some of the highest standards for crypto regulation—simply because it is proactive and agile. At OKX, we established our Malta entity in 2018, inspired by the visionary “Blockchain Island” strategy. Over the past seven years, we have built one of the most robust compliance frameworks in the industry, including: 1. Comprehensive KYC: Every OKX user globally must complete full identity verification, including residential ID, liveness-verified selfie, and—in the EEA—proof of address, in line with local regulations. Unlike many other platforms, OKX does not permit simplified due diligence for “small transactions.” 2. 100% Transaction Monitoring: All global transactions are monitored using a hybrid system that combines third-party vendors and in-house behavioral analytics. We are one of the largest users of Chainalysis tools. 3. Strict Sanctions Compliance: We enforce both name-based and transactional sanctions screening to ensure that no sanctioned individual can access our services. 4. Proactive Web3 Risk Controls: Beyond our obligations, we have built real-time on-chain monitoring to protect users of the OKX Web3 Service—even though it is a self-custody solution and not legally subject to most global compliance regimes. 5. Global Law Enforcement Cooperation: We actively collaborate with partners like Tether and law enforcement agencies. Most recently, we contributed to the largest-ever seizure of scam-related crypto funds, as announced by the U.S. Department of Justice. OKX has resolved historical issues with the U.S. DOJ and other regulators. We remain fully committed to strengthening our compliance effectiveness, earning the trust of both global users and regulators. Stay compliant. Stay innovative. Stay responsible.