OKX suddenly dismissed Felix Fan, the spokesman of X Layer, creating community distress and rumors. OKX’s President indirectly accused Binance of poaching its talent, raising additional questions.
The two exchanges have had a few disagreements in recent days, but a dedicated poaching campaign would be a minor scandal. Still, there’s no clear resolution in sight, and OKX’s handling of the incident may spark discontent.
OKX and Binance Feud
Since OKX launched X Layer, its L2 network, last year, Felix Fan has served as the protocol’s official spokesman and “Builder #001.”
Although he achieved a popular following due to his community engagement, the community was shocked today as X Layer removed him.
X Layer’s statement was incredibly vague, citing a conflict of interest and ethical violations. Fan himself has been silent on the issue, so the community has been engaging in speculation.
However, a new post from OKX President Hong Fang sheds some light on the situation, and it seems clear that Binance was involved.
The OKX President’s post didn’t directly discuss Fan’s removal or Binance, but directed harsh criticism at a “certain competitor.”
This competitor, “BN”, has allegedly been attempting to poach OKX’s talent, providing tempting offers and subsequently discarding these employees. Hong made this post in response to Fan’s removal, so it clearly seems like an answer.
Murky Rumors and Meme Coin Bets
OKX and Binance have recently been engaged in a low-level feud, so it looks undeniable that “BN” refers to the world’s largest exchange.
This seems to suggest that Binance was attempting to give Fan an attractive offer to leave. Even then, however, he didn’t quit; he was fired. It’s unclear what his actual violation was.
Luckily, the community’s rumor mill has been hard at work providing an explanation. One supporter claimed that Fan was in a friendly meme coin-related bet with OKX’s CEO. Fan picked XDOG, X Layer’s top-performing meme coin, to outperform a Binance product.
Tweet Fueling Binance Talent Poaching Rumors
However, XDOG subsequently plummeted, and Fan congratulated CZ afterward. The original post has apparently been deleted, and the available screenshot is in Mandarin, so it’s not worth reproducing directly. Still, this brief interaction may have inflamed tensions between OKX and Binance.
Ultimately, whatever happened, there are many variables in the air. It’s unclear if Fan will move further into Binance’s orbit or if the exchange will respond to OKX’s claims.
Still, this ambiguous situation has aroused strong emotions among OKX supporters. The firm’s reputation could continue declining if it doesn’t get more answers.
