Headline: OKX Android app returns to South Korea’s Google Play after four-day removal; Bybit still blocked
OKX’s Android app has reappeared on South Korea’s Google Play Store, returning to search results and allowing new installs and updates after a four-day disappearance, Digital Asset reported on July 28. The OKX: Trade Bitcoin & Crypto app resumed normal distribution as of 8:00 a.m. local time on July 28, following its removal from the Korean Play Store on July 24.
Bybit’s app remains unavailable. Digital Asset noted that Bybit’s Android client has been blocked from search and installation since July 10, and was still inaccessible at the time of the latest report.
This marks the first reversal among a wave of overseas crypto exchange apps that became restricted on Korea’s Play Store in recent weeks. A Digital Asset investigation published July 24 found at least 29 overseas cryptocurrency derivatives exchange apps were unavailable on the Korean version of Google Play: 17 could not be found by search, six showed an “Unavailable” notice, and six displayed a “service not available in your region” message. OKX and Bybit were both among the affected apps in that review.
Digital Asset’s earlier analysis split the affected platforms into two groups. Fourteen had been flagged by South Korea’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) as unreported virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and referred to law enforcement — examples included KuCoin, MEXC, BingX, XT.COM, LBank and CoinW. The other 15, which included OKX, Bybit, Gemini, WhiteBIT and BitMEX, had not been publicly referred by the FIU but were nonetheless unavailable on Google Play.
According to the outlet, Google has said the restrictions were applied under its own policies rather than directly at the request of South Korean authorities. Even when Android apps were restricted, affected users could generally still access exchanges via their websites or Apple’s App Store.
The removals come amid intensified Korean oversight of overseas crypto firms that have not registered locally. Earlier this year the FIU classified such firms as unreported VASPs under the Special Financial Information Act, and Google introduced a policy restricting downloads and updates for those exchange apps on Google Play. Enforcement of the policy did not take effect all at once; Digital Asset observed a gradual rollout of restrictions through 2026.
Regulatory pressure in Korea extends beyond app distribution. Financial Services Commission Chair Lee Eog-won recently said authorities had investigated more than 40 suspected cases of unfair crypto trading in the first two years since the Virtual Asset User Protection Act, referring over 30 cases to investigative agencies and expanding AI-driven market surveillance.
OKX’s app restoration comes as the exchange continues to expand regulated services internationally. This month OKX Europe launched a one-way conversion service allowing customers in 30 EU/EEA countries to deposit USDT and voluntarily convert holdings into MiCA-compliant USDC after European trading venues tightened Tether support. OKX has also been building its institutional business: on July 20, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo joined OKX’s board after advising the company since 2023 on U.S. regulatory and institutional strategy. The exchange has further pursued U.S. growth following the 2025 relaunch of its U.S. exchange and self-custody wallet.
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