LoCGame Character Spotlight: Johnny Lyu — CEX Founder

It is hard to imagine what the state of the crypto industry would look like today without the efforts of the OG risk-takers whose early moves shaped the movement and ecosystem as we have it today.

And while the world of crypto is filled with diverse personalities — some in it for the opportunity to make a quick fortune, others have made it a personal mission to imbibe the ethos of the technology, and to make it accessible to even more people across the globe.

It is for this reason that we choose to pay homage to these people in our weekly character spotlight series.

Character Analysis: CEX Founder

Today, we beam the spotlight on Johnny Lyu — the charismatic CEO and Co-founder of the popular global crypto exchange, Kucoin.

Before foraying into the world of cryptocurrencies, Lyu, a life-long entrepreneur, founded a picture and skill-sharing website with his friend and Kucoin co-founder Michael Gan.

After exiting their startup, Lyu moved into the e-commerce, auto and luxury industries working with Hong Kong’s Milanoo and Imoolo Jewellery company.

Cryptocurrency

In 2017, as the crypto momentum gathered, and the potential of the technology grew, Michael made the decision to establish a crypto exchange and invited Johnny, himself an early adopter, to lead the operations of the new startup. This move led to the birth of the Kucoin exchange.

Kucoin

The exchange was founded with the vision to be at the forefront of global adoption of cryptocurrencies, and to become a leading crypto exchange providing users with an easy, safe and efficient means of trading cryptocurrencies.

Between 2017 and 2019, Johnny Lyu served as the VP, Head of Strategy and Investment, Spotlight Program, and Head of Global Business Development, respectively. And in November of 2020, he became the CEO of Kucoin.

Since its inception, Kucoin has grown to become one of the top 5 global exchanges with over 10 million users and a presence in over 100 countries.

Leadership Style

Johnny Lyu is much respected for his transparent style of leadership. Following a hacking incident that led to the loss and subsequent recovery of $281 million in crypto assets, instead of downplaying the problem, he chose a head-on approach to addressing the incident , earning him the opportunity to rebuild trust in the community.

Since then, the global exchange under the leadership of Johnny Lyu has grown stronger, as they continue to champion the mass adoption of crypto and decentralized financial services.

If you would like to channel your inner crypto evangelist like Johnny Lyu, his LoCG character card is the right one for you. Be sure to check it out and to give us feedback on the next crypto influencer that you would like us to spotlight.