OKX CEO: "Different values from Binance… CEX listings must come with responsibility"

A public war of words between Chinese-linked crypto exchanges OKX and Binance is continuing. OKX’s chief executive officer (CEO) took an indirect swipe at Binance, stressing the responsibility that centralized exchanges bear when listing tokens.

On the 10th (local time), OKX CEO Xu Mingxing (Star Xu) wrote on X, "We have long maintained fundamentally different values from Binance," adding that "centralized exchanges (CEXs) play a different role from decentralized exchanges (DEXs), and CEX listing decisions must come with responsibility."

The remarks came in response to comments by Binance founder Zhao Changpeng (CZ). Previously, CZ pushed back on claims by crypto analyst Benjamin Cowen—who criticized indiscriminate meme-coin listings—writing on X, "Are DEX listings good and CEX listings bad?" and adding that "every exchange has a listing framework."

Binance has recently faced criticism after sharp price swings occurred in connection with the listing of some meme coins. In the market, repeated short-term plunges after certain token listings have fueled a broader debate over exchanges’ responsibility in their listing reviews.

OKX’s comments are seen as reaffirming its stance that the roles of CEXs and DEXs should be clearly distinguished, and that centralized exchanges should assume greater accountability in the token-listing process.

Still, OKX itself has previously been at the center of controversy over the listing of Pi Network (PI), suggesting that debate over listing standards and the scope of responsibility among major exchanges is likely to persist for some time.