OKX named Linda Lacewell chief legal officer on April 1, 2025, the exchange said in its own post1. Lacewell is the former Superintendent and head of the New York Department of Financial Services. She had joined OKX's board in 2024, before stepping into the legal role. The appointment came one day after CoinDesk reported on March 31, 2025, that her predecessor, Mauricio Beugelmans, had left OKX2.
The second executive hire at OKX on the record since 2024
Leadership moves CryptoLately has verified at OKX, by year
- 2025: 3
- 2024, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 3 |
| 2026 | 2 |
59 executive hires on the record in 2025, the most of any year
Executive hires CryptoLately has verified, by year; 2026 through Oct. 2, 2026
- 2025: 59
- 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
Moves: The Moves Ledger, CryptoLately's record of verified leadership moves, Oct. 3, 2016 to Oct. 2, 2026.
Read the chart as a table
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 11 |
| 2020 | 12 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2023 | 20 |
| 2024 | 39 |
| 2025 | 59 |
| 2026 | 45 |
The move
OKX explained the hire in its own words. “We've appointed Linda Lacewell as our new Chief Legal Officer to bolster our global regulatory presence and reinforce OKX's position as a licensing juggernaut,” the exchange wrote. “Her leadership comes at a pivotal time as we expand into key markets such as Europe and UAE.”1
CoinDesk's April 1, 2025 report traced Lacewell's regulatory record. “Lacewell joined the crypto exchange as a board member last year having previously served as Superintendent and head of the New York Department of Financial Services, according to an announcement on Tuesday,” the outlet wrote2. OKX's post credited her with modernizing New York's cryptocurrency licensing framework and leading cybersecurity and financial crime investigations while at the state agency1.
OKX's legal office before and after
Before Lacewell's appointment, OKX had spent a year on what it called a "licensing streak," securing regulatory approvals in multiple jurisdictions, the organization's post said1. The handoff followed OKX's settlement of over $500 million in penalties and forfeited fees with the U.S. Department of Justice, CoinDesk reported2. The agency said the sum involved more than $5 billion in "suspicious transactions and criminal proceeds". Beugelmans told CoinDesk by email that he had left OKX "to pursue another opportunity within the crypto industry".
What came next
OKX's legal restructuring continued after Lacewell took the chair. CoinDesk reported on May 27, 2025, almost two months later, that OKX's global general counsel had also left3. Melissa Muehlfeld held that post. “The restructuring of leading legal and compliance roles at cryptocurrency exchange OKX continues with the departure of the firm's global general counsel, Melissa Muehlfeld,” the outlet wrote, noting Muehlfeld had been promoted to the role in August 2024. The same report said “Lacewell is said to be restructuring the firm's legal and compliance divisions, according to a source familiar with the situation”. An OKX spokesperson told CoinDesk by email, “As a matter of company policy, we do not comment on all people that join and/or depart the company”.
Sources
- OKX, "OKX Appoints New CLO as It Enters New Markets," OKX, April 1, 2025, https://www.okx.com/en-us/learn/okx-apppoints-new-clo-as-it-enters-new-markets
- Jamie Crawley, "Crypto Exchange OKX Appoints Linda Lacewell as Chief Legal Officer," CoinDesk, April 1, 2025, https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/04/01/crypto-exchange-okx-appoints-linda-lacewell-as-new-chief-legal-officer
- Ian Allison, "OKX Global General Counsel Is Latest Legal Exec to Leave the Exchange," CoinDesk, May 27, 2025, https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwAFBVV95cUxOc0dZVmttckc4MUQ0YnF5aWFOeUFMdFJOaUpodDBBRW56RkNwcUFfdGI4MzgtZ0I1ZTAzU2dneUpfcVBpXzkzbm02b0RsaFdsYmduc0lacEtZa2pKdjFIS1VFT3lwX1hWLWwwTjJJVThJTzNlNkN4cGFXbFNuckNLWWxfR3VqRTRmU05PSjBhWGpRbVVJX2dtZ3NISHhydHlySzRLdXZHUzJZTkEzZzhIekUzRjFKTmpFYXlxWGdmN1k?oc=5