Crypto trading platform Okcoin expands to Miami, plans to add 100 jobs

Miami’s Crypto Capital continues to grow, with another cryptocurrency exchange setting down roots in the Magic City – and potentially bringing along up to 100 new jobs.

Okcoin, one of the world’s fastest-growing cryptocurrency trading platforms, today announced the imminent opening of its Miami office, in Brickell, which will also serve its growing customer base in Latin America. The San Francisco-based company, now with seven offices globally, has  about 10 employees in South Florida already.

Okcoin joins Blockchain.com, FTX and eToro – the trading platforms have all announced Miami relocations or office expansions in the past three months.

“Our new Miami location is a strategic expansion that enables us to meet the rapid increase in Latin American cryptocurrency adoption while also complementing Mayor Suarez’s commitment to making the city a hub for technology development,” said Hong Fang, CEO of Okcoin, in a statement. “We’re pleased to be a part of Miami’s vibrant and growing cryptocurrency community, and look forward to contributing to it with new jobs, support for local tech events, and more.”

Hiring plans and MiamiCoin

Okcoin, founded in 2013, is a platform for buying, selling and holding Bitcoin and 25 other cryptocurrencies and it supports millions of customers across 190 countries. “Our goal is to make accessing crypto super easy and bring this  whole world of financial inclusion to our users,” said Jason Lau, Okcoin’s COO, in an interview with Refresh Miami.

The company plans to hire for 100 roles across the company and “we’re hopeful a lot of these jobs will be in Miami,” Lau said, noting that Okcoin is a remote-first company.  “We are very excited about Miami. The quality of people we have met and their savviness about tech and crypto has been very high, and the [Miami] mayor has done a fantastic job cultivating this culture.”

Okcoin is also the first US platform listing the MiamiCoin, the inaugural city token developed by CityCoin that is designed to generate contributions  for the city itself.  “The City of Miami is on the receiving end of a little over $2 million of cryptocurrency as a result already, and it just got started,” Lau said.

Sponsoring ShellHacks

As for getting involved in events, Okcoin is starting out big. The company  has signed on as the first cryptocurrency sponsor of Florida’s largest hackathon, ShellHacks,  Sept. 24-26. The hackathon, which attracted 1,300 hackers last year, is produced by UPE, a tech-focused student organization at Florida International University.

Okcoin’s sponsorship includes a ShellHacks challenge focused on the Lightning Network, with a workshop hosted by Lightning Labs before the hackathon. “We’re so excited to be the first sponsor of a crypto track to allow their students to tinker and learn and build projects on the back of crypto infrastructure,” Lau said.

Members of the first-place team will receive $1,000 in bitcoin, mentorship, and the opportunity to intern in the Okcoin Miami office during the summer of 2022;

READ MORE ON REFRESH: 5 things about ShellHacks, Florida’s largest hackathon, you should know

“The City of Miami is delighted to welcome a world-class company like Okcoin, whose dedication to financial inclusivity strongly aligns with our city’s cosmopolitan culture,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, in a statement. “We are excited about Okcoin’s commitment to local talent and the innovation ecosystem, and their active corporate presence will help us open more financial and professional doors for our residents.”

Photo provided by Okcoin

This story was updated on Aug. 25. Follow @ndahlberg on Twitter and email her at [email protected].

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Nancy Dahlberg