Jeff Ren, founder at OKX Ventures, is one of the 100 leading corporate venturing professionals in our 2026 Powerlist.
In the crowded field of crypto venture capital, OKX Ventures — led by founder Jeff Ren and backed by a fund exceeding $100m — is redefining what corporate venturing can look like in decentralised markets.
Born out of one of the world’s largest digital asset exchanges, with 120 million users, the unit has spent the past year sharpening its identity. What began as a broad Web3 investor has evolved into a more focused architect of crypto infrastructure.
The shift mirrors a deeper transformation within OKX itself. Its partnership with Intercontinental Exchange, operator of the New York Stock Exchange, marks a significant moment for both the company and the wider digital‑asset landscape, as established exchanges increasingly adopt blockchain technology to enable global, near‑instant settlement.
As OKX repositioned globally amid regulatory tightening across multiple jurisdictions, its venture arm followed suit. Opportunistic token bets have given way to conviction‑driven themes. Today, OKX Ventures is most active in zero‑knowledge systems, modular blockchain stacks and the emerging convergence of AI and crypto. It has completed at least 25 deals since the start of last year, including investments in personal finance startup Current and Vietnam‑based Caex in 2026.
Compared with peers such as Coinbase Ventures and Binance Labs, OKX Ventures occupies a distinctive middle ground. It lacks the Silicon Valley brand halo but compensates with execution speed and access to global retail liquidity. Recent deals include AltLayer, a modular rollup and restaking project; Taiko, reinforcing its belief in zero‑knowledge scaling; and Ritual, signalling a growing interest in AI‑crypto intersections.
The firm has backed more than 200 startups and is beginning to see returns. Exits in the past year include Kakarot’s acquisition by Zuma.
Ren has been explicit about why he founded OKX Ventures. “I moved into crypto investing because I recognised that most traditional investors were either dismissing blockchain entirely or approaching it with the wrong mental models,” he said in last year’s GCV Powerlist. “They were missing what made this technology truly revolutionary.”
Established in 2021, OKX Ventures now operates with a team of around 20, executing direct startup investments, backing funds as an anchor LP and running internal incubation.
In a sector still defined by volatility, OKX Ventures’ evolution from opportunistic investor to infrastructure‑focused strategist may prove decisive — not only for OKX, but for the future shape of CVC in decentralised industries.
The GCV Powerlist represents the 100 individuals spearheading the future of the corporate venturing industry.
These individuals excel in terms of their venturing approach and structure, number and quality of portfolio companies and in their contributions to the corporate venturing profession.
Here’s a snapshot of their recent deals:
