Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has joined the board of crypto exchange OKX, strengthening the company's push into tokenized securities as it rebuilds its US presence following a $504 million settlement with federal authorities last year.

The appointment, announced Monday, comes as OKX accelerates its efforts to bridge traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure. Just hours after joining the board, Cuomo appeared on Fox Business to champion 24/7 trading of tokenized stocks, arguing that blockchain technology could fundamentally reshape US capital markets.

Cuomo argued that tokenized equities and fractional ownership as a way to make investing more accessible while enabling near-instant settlement.

"Just imagine a world where you can trade stocks 24/7."

Cuomo has advised OKX on US regulatory and institutional strategy since 2023, but the board appointment formalizes his role as the exchange expands deeper into tokenized finance.

He also co-chairs OKX's joint venture with Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, which is initially focused on bringing NYSE-listed equities onto blockchain rails.

The move places Cuomo at the center of one of crypto's fastest-growing sectors. Tokenization has become a key battleground for digital asset firms, with exchanges, banks and asset managers racing to build blockchain-based versions of traditional financial products, including stocks and bonds.

The initiative follows ICE's strategic investment in OKX earlier this year, a deal that valued the exchange at $25 billion and secured the exchange operator a seat on OKX's board. The company, which serves roughly 120 million users globally, has increasingly recruited executives with regulatory and traditional finance experience as it expands its US operations.

Cuomo's appointment also highlights how aggressively OKX is attempting to strengthen its regulatory credentials after resolving one of the largest enforcement actions against a crypto exchange.

In February 2025, OKX's operating entity pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to operating an unlicensed money-transmitting business after prosecutors alleged it processed more than $1 trillion in transactions for US customers without the required license. The company agreed to pay more than $504 million to settle the case.

Cuomo had already been advising the exchange on regulatory and policy matters during that period, including issues surrounding the federal investigation that ultimately led to the settlement.

His elevation to OKX's board signals that the exchange is betting regulatory expertise and institutional credibility will be just as important as technology as competition intensifies over who will bring traditional securities onto the blockchain.