OKX founder Star Xu says AI now handles 95% of engineering PRs
The exchange's monthly AI bill topped $10 million as its internal platform Oli takes over most code merges
Most companies are still debating whether AI can write useful code. OKX says it already writes nearly all of its own.
Speaking at the OKX NOW Global Product & Ecosystem Conference in Singapore on October 6, 2026, Star Xu said that approximately 95% of the exchange’s engineering code merge requests now run through AI workflows. The tool behind that shift is an internal platform called Oli.
The price tag is just as notable. Xu said OKX’s monthly spending on large language model providers went past $10 million last month.
What OKX actually disclosed
At OKX, the writing is now mostly done by machines. According to Xu, AI workflows on Oli complete roughly 95% of code merge requests.
Humans have not left the building. Xu said engineers focus mainly on the later stages: reviewing the work, testing it, and giving final approval.
The spending figures tell a story of rapid acceleration. OKX’s monthly AI bill was reported at $6-8 million as of August 2026.
By September, it had climbed beyond $10 million per month.
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From 50% to 95% in a matter of months
In June 2026, Xu reported that around 50% of OKX’s engineering PRs were being processed by AI. A few months later, that share has reportedly reached roughly 95%.
Xu has led OKX since its founding in 2013 and steered its growth into one of the major crypto exchanges. He has now attached his name to one of the more aggressive AI adoption figures publicly claimed by a company in the sector.
OKX is also pointing AI at customer-facing products, including personalized wealth management and stronger anti-fraud tools.
The bigger pivot: exchange to fintech platform
The AI disclosure arrived alongside a broader strategic message. OKX is positioning itself as a global fintech company rather than purely a crypto trading venue.
The target areas are asset custody, payments, investment services, and wealth management. The company framed the plan as combining internet technology, crypto, and artificial intelligence.
OKX announced Deloitte as its global audit partner.
What this means for OKX and the exchange landscape
An exchange is a high-stakes piece of software that holds customer funds and processes trades around the clock. When AI writes nearly all the code, the human review layer becomes the critical safeguard.
A monthly AI bill that moved from $6-8 million in August to more than $10 million by September is a steep curve. If usage keeps expanding into customer-facing tools like wealth management and fraud detection, that line item could keep growing.