OKX Marketing Chief Haider Rafique Plans Departure by Year-End

Rafique has been a central architect of the exchange’s international growth strategy since joining as an adviser in 2020. Before his official appointment as CMO in December 2022, he played a critical role in the company’s transition from OKEx to OKX and the development of major commercial ties, including partnerships with Manchester City and the McLaren Formula 1 team. His efforts focused on extending the exchange’s reach beyond traditional crypto-native users into sports, entertainment, and mainstream finance.

The timing of his reported exit follows a period of significant institutional expansion for the platform. In March 2026, the exchange secured a $25 billion valuation following a $200 million investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. This partnership aimed to bridge cryptocurrency infrastructure with regulated financial markets, leading to the creation of the OKXICE joint venture. This entity is currently seeking regulatory approval from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to offer tokenized shares of 63 publicly traded companies.

While the exchange recently bolstered its shareholder base with investments from Circle, Ripple, Qube Research, and Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures, no formal connection has been drawn between these financial developments and Rafique's decision to leave. Neither the executive nor the company has confirmed the departure or outlined a succession plan. Prior to his work with OKX, Rafique held growth and marketing leadership roles at Blockchain.com and Okcoin.