- Mauricio Beugelmans departs after nearly four years leading OKX’s legal team.
- Exit follows recent major settlement with U.S. regulators over compliance issues.
- Former NYDFS Superintendent Linda Lacewell has now joined as the new replacement.
Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has experienced a leadership change with the departure of Chief Legal Officer Mauricio Beugelmans, according to his LinkedIn profile. Beugelmans played a key role in developing the exchange’s global compliance strategies and concluded his tenure after three years and eight months. He served the exchange from August 2021 to March 2025.
The timing of this high-level exit is notable, coming shortly after OKX reached a substantial settlement with U.S. authorities. Notably, the exchange paid over $500 million in penalties and forfeited fees to resolve investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice.
A source familiar with the situation confirmed that Beugelmans‘ departure was directly connected to the recent regulatory settlement. The exchange has faced increasing scrutiny from U.S. regulators. OKcoin, OKX’s American division, received a subpoena from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on February 24 last year. The subpoena concerned “certain persons engaged in fraud and other unlawful conduct for digital asset transactions.”
In response to the leadership vacuum, OKX has appointed Linda Lacewell as its new Chief Legal Officer. Lacewell brings regulatory experience to the role and has previously served as the Superintendent of the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS).
Related: Thai SEC Files Complaint Against OKX for Unlicensed Exchange
Prior to assuming the CLO position, Lacewell had been a part of the OKX board since 2024. During that time, she was the advisor for the exchange’s legal and compliance teams. Her appointment comes at a time when OKX works to expand its operations in key markets, including Europe and the United Arab Emirates.
During her tenure at NYDFS, Lacewell led efforts to modernize New York’s cryptocurrency licensing framework. She also worked on initiatives related to cybersecurity and financial crime investigations. This experience could prove valuable as OKX is eyeing strengthening its compliance procedures following the costly settlement with U.S. authorities.
As Lacewell takes over the legal department, she will likely focus on strengthening the exchange’s compliance framework to prevent similar issues in the future. Her background at NYDFS positions her to handle the tough regulatory requirements across different jurisdictions where OKX operates.
