OKX to open office in Australia, starts rivalry with Kraken in Formula 1
“Our ambition is straightforward – to become the leading crypto platform in the world. We see Australia as an indispensable part of this strategy and a key growth market.”
At an exclusive event for Australia’s crypto community at the Melbourne Arts Centre, which was attended by OKX Ambassadors Scotty James and Daniel Ricciardo, OKX announced that it will open an office in Australia in the coming months.
The announcement took place just before the Australian Grand Prix on March 30, which will feature the OKX-sponsored McLaren F1 Team car driven by Australian Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
“We’re committed to the local market and aim to build a strong local office”
Haider Rafique, Chief Marketing Officer at OKX, said: “Our ambition is straightforward – to become the leading crypto platform in the world. We see Australia as an indispensable part of this strategy and a key growth market. With such a strong uptake of crypto in Australia already, we’re committed to the local market and aim to build a strong local office.”
Daniel Ricciardo, Australian F1 driver and OKX Ambassador, said: “I’m very excited to see OKX plan an office in my home country. I had a great time celebrating with the OKX team and the crypto community today. The future looks bright for OKX in Australia.”
Scotty James, Australian Olympic snowboarder and OKX Ambassador, said: “Crypto never sleeps, and OKX continues to build its community. Australia is a special place for crypto, and it is exciting to see OKX announce it will be opening an office in Australia.”
OKX and McLaren Racing also announced an expansion of their partnership, increasing its support as an Official Primary Partner of McLaren Formula 1 Team and McLaren Shadow esports Team, from the 2023 Australian Grand Prix.
In 2022 OKX delivered a livery takeover of the MCL36, launching the #FutureMode campaign at the Singapore and Japanese grands prix. The campaign celebrated McLaren’s return to racing in the Asia Pacific, a key region for OKX.
Kraken sponsors Williams Racing
The second-largest crypto exchange by trading volume is not the only digital asset giant sponsoring a Formula 1 team. Crypto industry pioneer Kraken has recently announced a partnership with Williams Racing.
The sponsorship deal was announced ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. Kraken branding will adorn the FW45 halo and rear wing for the remainder of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship season, as well as adorn driver race suits and team caps. The rear wing will showcase KrakenNFT customer-owned digital collectibles artwork from leading third-party NFT projects at select Grands Prix. Williams and Kraken will also collaborate on the design of limited-edition caps for select Grands Prix.
In addition, Kraken will participate at selected Williams Racing fanzone initiatives throughout the season, with pop-up experiences in cities throughout the calendar, and produce content and experiences to educate and engage fans about the value and mission of crypto and Web3.
Kraken is one of the world’s largest digital asset platforms, founded in 2011, and now counts with over 10 million clients worldwide trading more than 200 crypto assets and six fiat currencies available through its mobile app and trading platform.
The platform offers spot trading with margin, parachain auctions, staking, regulated derivatives, and index services, as well as a custodial NFT marketplace. Kraken holds multiple licences in its key jurisdictions. In the UK, Kraken is a Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) registered cryptoasset business, and also operates an FCA authorised Investment Firm through its subsidiary Crypto Facilities.
