Why OKX Ventures Bet on Sui Early, and Why it’s Paying Off

In a world where every new blockchain promises “higher TPS” and “lower gas fees,” it’s easy to overlook the deeper question: what if the entire structure of how blockchains work could be rebuilt from scratch?

At OKX Ventures, that’s the question we asked. And it’s what led us to invest early in Sui, a Layer 1 built by Mysten Labs that’s not just faster, but fundamentally different.

Here’s why we believed in Sui from the beginning, what’s happened since, and why we think the best is still to come.

The Next Chapter in Web3: From Solidity to Move

Starting with the basics.

Most Web3 today is still built on Solidity. But there’s a new smart contract language gaining momentum: Move. Originally developed by Sam Blackshear, Mysten Labs co-founder and CTO, while working on Meta’s Diem project as a programming language built for scale, Move is purpose-built for sustainable business models with a consumer ownership-first approach designed with security and resource management in mind.

Sui takes Move and pushes it further. It introduces an object-based programming model and a new execution engine that allows for transaction parallelization, faster settlement, and dramatically lower fees compared to other Layer-1 blockchains.

This isn’t just a speed upgrade. It’s a total rethink of how a blockchain can process data, execute logic, and serve real-world applications that extend well beyond the crypto world to broader enterprise and web 2 adoption .

Sui Is Building a Stack, Not Just a Chain

When we met the Mysten Labs team, it was clear they weren’t trying to build “another Ethereum.” Their vision, stemming from their time at Meta designing accessibility for billions of users, was much bigger.

They weren’t just building a high-performance blockchain. They were creating a modular, composable internet stack. One that could handle everything from trading and lending to identity, privacy, AI, offline use, and more importantly adoption by traditional businesses and technology companies.

That’s what got us excited at OKX. If Web3 is going to truly scale beyond crypto-native users, we need chains that aren’t just fast. We need chains that are flexible and programmable.

We believe Sui is exactly that.

Early to Invest, Committed to Build

At OKX Ventures, we don’t just write checks. We work alongside teams to help build real ecosystems.

Beyond investing in Mysten Labs, we also made early strategic investments into key Sui-native projects across core verticals like DeFi, staking, and liquidity:

• Momentum: An innovative DEX with a user-first ve(3,3) model. It has already crossed $1B in volume and is a go-to source for DeFi participants seeking rapid liquidity.liquirt

• Haedal: A liquid staking protocol with over $200M in TVL. It lets users earn yield while staying active across DeFi.

• Cetus: A high-performance DEX with multiple liquidity models. 

• Navi: A one-stop liquidity platform offering lending, LST, leverage, and more. With 800K+ users, it’s laying the rails for DeFi growth.

These aren’t just isolated bets, they form a connected, interoperable foundation. And with OKX Ventures’ network, infrastructure, and platform support behind them, we’ve helped these projects scale faster.

Real Users. Real Activity. Real Adoption.

Here’s the thing: Sui isn’t just theory. It’s seeing real usage.

Since mainnet launched in May 2023:

• 123 million+ addresses created

• 40 million+ monthly active users

• $2.5 billion in bridged assets

• $800 million+ in stablecoin supply

• $1.6–1.8 billion in sticky TVL

And that growth isn’t limited to DeFi. Gaming, content, and social applications are already gaining traction, especially in Southeast Asia. Sui isn’t just serving the crypto-native crowd, it’s onboarding new audiences with new use cases.

More Than Performance: A Programmable Internet Stack

Mysten Labs co-founder and CEO, Evan Cheng, said it best:

“Sui isn’t just a fast blockchain. It’s a global coordination layer that weaves compute, liquidity, and data into a programmable foundation for the next generation of the internet.”

That’s not just talk. Sui’s modular infrastructure already includes:

• zkLogin for social logins

• SuiNS for decentralized naming

• Walrus for native on-chain storage

• Seal for privacy and secret management

• Nautilus for verifiable off-chain compute

• DeepBook for decentralized order matching

With these layers in place, builders can create anything from decentralized Dropbox to auditable AI inference. And with sub-second finality and low fees, those apps are usable now—not in some distant future.

What’s Next?

At OKX Ventures, we’re continuing to support the builders shaping the next phase of Sui:

• RWA & DeFi infrastructure that connects crypto to real-world assets

• AI-native tools that make on-chain inference auditable and transparent

• Social and content applications tailored for global markets

• Offline-first wallets and tools for underconnected regions

We believe Sui has the technical foundation and the developer energy to lead Web3’s next wave—not just as a chain, but as the stack that powers tomorrow’s on-chain internet.

The Takeaway

OKX Ventures saw the potential of Sui early because we weren’t just looking for speed, we were looking for what comes next. We believed in the team. We understood the architecture. And we saw the chance to help build an ecosystem, not just back a token. That bet is already paying off. As the Sui ecosystem continues to grow, we’re proud to be part of the story, helping it evolve from a fast L1 into something much bigger:

The foundation for the programmable internet.

Disclaimer

This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to provide (i) investment advice or an investment recommendation; (ii) an offer or solicitation to buy, sell, or hold digital assets; or (iii) financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. Digital asset holdings, including stablecoins and NFTs, involve a high degree of risk and can fluctuate greatly. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital assets is suitable for you in light of your financial condition. Not all products are available in all regions. Please consult your legal/tax/investment professional for questions about your specific circumstances.