Signs of a shift in US cryptocurrency regulatory policy: Robinhood and OKX case analysis

Recently, US regulators have undergone subtle changes in regulatory attitudes towards the cryptocurrency field. Robinhood Crypto (RHC) successfully escaped from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation, while OKX's subsidiary Aux Cayes Fin Tech Co. Ltd. reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to pay a $84 million fine. Together, these two incidents reveal dynamic adjustments in the US cryptocurrency regulation and the efforts of companies to actively adapt to the compliance environment.

Robinhood Crypto wins: SEC terminates investigation

On February 21, 2025, the SEC formally terminated its investigation into the RHC and stated that it would not take further enforcement actions. The investigation began in May 2024, with the SEC sending a Wells notice hinting that action may be taken. However, after months of review, the SEC finally dropped the charges.

Dan Gallagher, Director of Legal, Compliance and Corporate Affairs, Robinhood, said the investigation should not have happened, and Robinhood Crypto has always complied with federal securities laws and has never conducted any securities transactions. The SEC decision was interpreted as “the return of the rule of law and the principle of fairness.” Robinhood will continue to promote transparency in the crypto industry in the future and hopes to work with regulators to establish a clear regulatory framework.

OKX Subsidiary Settlement: Pay fines, strengthen compliance

OKX's Aux Cayes Fin Tech Co. Ltd. has provided transaction services to some U.S. users because it did not obtain a money transfer license, and reached a settlement agreement with DOJ, paying a $84 million fine and returning $421 million in revenue. It is worth noting that there are no customer losses or employee charges involved in this case.

OKX stressed that it has hired compliance consultants to actively make up for past loopholes and continuously improve regulatory compliance policies. DOJ's settlement statement also affirmed OKX's active cooperation. The settlement is seen by OKX as an important step in its global compliance strategy and contributes to its international expansion.

OKX Several measures have been taken to strengthen compliance:

• Strengthen KYC (Know Your Customer) and Risk Assessment Mechanism
• Upgrade Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Sanctions Compliance Tools
• To form a 150-person financial crime and blockchain investigation team
• Implement geo-blocking technology

OKX said it will continue to be committed to becoming the world's most trusted crypto exchange and actively promote the industry's compliance development.

Conclusion: Supervision has become clearer, and compliance has become the key

The cases of Robinhood and OKX reflect the dynamic changes in US cryptocurrency regulatory policies, regulators’ law enforcement strategies are being adjusted, and companies are actively adapting to the new compliance environment. In the future, a clear regulatory framework and active corporate compliance efforts will become the key to the healthy development of the cryptocurrency industry.

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