Another cryptocurrency exchange is opening a Miami office, hiring 100
Another cryptocurrency exchange is opening a Miami office — and announcing that it is sponsoring Florida’s premier hackathon.
San Francisco-based Okcoin said Tuesday it planned to hire 100 Miami-based employees for a new location in Brickell. That makes it the fourth cryptocurrency exchange to announce a Miami presence, after FTX, eToro and Blockchain.com.
“Our new Miami location is a strategic expansion that enables us to meet the rapid increase in Latin American cryptocurrency adoption while also complementing Mayor Suarez’s commitment to making the city a hub for technology development,” said Hong Fang, CEO of Okcoin, in a statement. “We’re pleased to be a part of Miami’s vibrant and growing cryptocurrency community, and look forward to contributing to it with new jobs, support for local tech events, and more.”
“The City of Miami is delighted to welcome a world-class company like Okcoin, whose dedication to financial inclusivity strongly aligns with our city’s cosmopolitan culture,” said Suarez in a statement. “We are excited about Okcoin’s commitment to local talent and the innovation ecosystem, and their active corporate presence will help us open more financial and professional doors for our residents.”
Zack Seward, deputy global news editor at CoinDesk, said Okcoin is trying to compete for U.S. market share. He notes they are the 66th-largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world but 7th-largest in the U.S.
Okcoin is also signing on as a sponsor of Shellhacks, which until this month’s Miami Hack Week was Florida’s largest hackathon.
“Companies such as Okcoin are seeing the talent and potential in Miami,” said Nichoals Gonzalez, president of Florida International University’s Upsilon Pi Epsilon tech organization, which leads the hackathon, called Shellhacks. “We are delighted with their commitment to the flourishing ecosystem of #MiamiTech, and we believe UPE and ShellHacks can be at the forefront of helping this movement grow with the help of our sponsors and being a direct talent pipeline for students to be recruited by these companies.”
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 9:00 AM.
