OKX newest proof of reserves reveals $8.9B in belongings

by Jeremy

The worldwide cryptocurrency trade OKX launched its fifth proof-of-reserves (PoR) report, a follow it started in November 2022 to spice up transparency within the trade. 

In accordance to the newest version, OKX holds $8.9 billion throughout Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Tether (USDT). This places the reserve ratios of BTC, ETH and USDT at 103%, 103% and 102%, respectively.

This newest launch additionally comes because the trade upgraded its PoR system with extra transparency by making full liabilities (the whole steadiness of person deposits) publicly accessible.

Cointelegraph spoke with Lennix Lai, the managing director of World Institutional at OKX, relating to these further steps towards transparency.

Lai stated that current occasions within the trade spotlight that “crypto-native challenges require crypto-native options.”

“The blockchain and crypto/Web3 trade is constructed on know-how that permits trustless transactions on public blockchains, and this inherent transparency is extremely precious.”

Many exchanges within the trade — like Binance, Crypto.com and Bybit — have launched Merkle-Tree-based verification proofs to protect the trade’s integrity after the FTX scandal.

“The FTX disaster had a silver lining in that it made profitable companies double down on safety and transparency and motivated the trade to innovate on this space.”

Lai stated the brand new mantra of the trade is “don’t belief — confirm.” He stated over 300,000 customers have already seen the reserves or verified their liabilities within the OKX ecosystem.

The brand new transparency mechanism that made the whole steadiness of person deposits seen to the general public maintains person privateness, nonetheless, by splitting and shuffling account liabilities within the tree by an answer often known as “splitting leaf nodes.“

In response to Lai, OKX can even add zero-knowledge proof to our PoR within the coming weeks.

Associated: Tether’s belongings exceed liabilities in new reserves report by BDO

After the crash of Silicon Valley Financial institution (SVB), transparency within the better monetary trade has develop into much more of a speaking level. Lai stated throughout occasions of uncertainty, such because the banking disaster: 

“Proof of reserves can present customers with real-time, on-chain verification of reserves and liabilities by clear know-how — on this approach, conventional finance differs from crypto.”

Nevertheless, again on March 8, the Public Firm Accounting Oversight Board, a United States-based watchdog overseeing audits of public corporations, issued a warning to buyers about PoRs. The board stated these reviews “don’t present any significant assurance to buyers or the general public.”

Nonetheless, corporations within the crypto trade proceed efforts in transparency. On Feb. 10, Binance additionally upgraded its PoR system to incorporate zk-SNARKS.