Exchanges faced a familiar challenge when the market crashed a few weeks ago. The question was how well they could protect users in an industry built on volatility. For KuCoin Managing Director Alicia Kao, that tension defines her daily work. She describes the exchange’s mission as being both a gateway for innovation and a gatekeeper of trust. These two roles rarely align easily.
In a conversation with BeInCrypto, Kao talked about how KuCoin balances innovation and protection, adapts to stricter regulations, and upgrades its technology to serve both institutional and retail users.
Becoming a “trusted exchange” in the institutional era
KuCoin has established its identity as the People’s Exchange, serving millions of retail traders around the world. Recently, the company introduced a new brand slogan: “Trust First. Trade Next.” Along with the message “A reliable exchange.”
The refreshed branding reflects KuCoin’s broader ambitions to strengthen its credibility and expand its reach to a diverse user base as the number of institutions entering the market increases. But for Kao, that change doesn’t mean abandoning the users who made KuCoin what it is.
“We don’t favor institutions or retail stores. Both are important to us,” she said.
Retail traders prefer one-click simplicity and tend to rely on AI bots and clear interfaces. Educational desks have a variety of needs. They prioritize execution speed, customized indicators, and access to a deeper trading engine.
She explained, “For institutions, it’s about product features that match their behavior. For retail, it’s about focusing on education and helping users become more professional in their trade.”
Achieving that balance is never easy, but Kao said it aims to maintain a balanced platform and serve both groups effectively.
To support institutions without leaving their retail base, KuCoin has introduced features that enhance both trust and efficiency. One example is the Off-Exchange Settlement (OES) framework. It was developed with strategic partners to enable institutions to store assets with third parties. At the same time, you can access KuCoin liquidity across spot, margin, options, and futures markets.
The company is also expanding into the tokenization of real world assets (RWA). This initiative brings together traditional finance and blockchain infrastructure, creating new opportunities for institutional investors.
While KuCoin strives to meet the needs of both institutional and retail users, it is also refining the technology that supports them, including artificial intelligence. AI has been around for a long time, but Kao believes it is more powerful in today’s environment. Companies now have better metrics, more data, and more mature models available.
“We have been launching trading bots for several years, but now we can use AI to redesign them because we have more data and information and more mature models to help shape them,” she said.
Kao also noticed a shift in user focus. Many people are interested in profiting from their assets rather than just trading.
“As long as we can provide different options for users to earn more crypto assets, I think the important thing is to earn,” she added.
Protect altcoin heaven
Few exchanges have KuCoin’s reputation for token diversity. Although often referred to as altcoin heaven, Kao recognizes that the environment is changing.
Kao said KuCoin continues to update its policy for listing new coins as the environment changes rapidly. She believes that the advantage of exchanges lies in maintaining a clear internal compliance structure, which is not always the case with local platforms.
He pointed to markets where regulators maintain strict rules regarding listings. KuCoin works directly with authorities to ensure that all listed assets are compliant with these frameworks.
“For now, we remain selective and continue to maintain a rigorous due diligence process for listing,” Kao asserted. “Our goal is to build a diverse, innovation-driven product ecosystem that introduces new blockchain projects and provides meaningful value to our users.”
Meanwhile, KuCoin’s infrastructure and cybersecurity departments are building what Kao calls a foundation of trust. They focus on solid trading architectures, custody systems that minimize vulnerabilities, and proactive measures against fraud.
Kao emphasized that KuCoin’s listing strategy is shaped by close collaboration between product, cybersecurity, and risk management teams. He said this approach reflects the company’s commitment to balancing innovation and responsibility.
“Our product teams are dedicated to ensuring our users have access to a comprehensive range of high-quality assets within our ecosystem, while our risk teams maintain the highest standards of security and compliance. This synergy allows us to responsibly drive growth while maintaining user trust and market integrity,” she added.
Furthermore, KuCoin has established a new industry benchmark by obtaining four internationally recognized certifications. These include CCSS for cryptocurrency asset protection, SOC 2 Type II for operational management, ISO 27001:2022 for information security management, and ISO 27701:2025 for privacy protection.
The company also strengthens its commitment to user safety and platform integrity by implementing continuous monitoring and proactive detection measures to combat phishing and impersonation scams across social media.
This measured approach is defined by a combination of technical rigor and cautious openness, and reflects how Kao sees the role of centralized exchanges in 2025. The goal is to welcome new ideas while protecting users from unnecessary risks.
“We continue to embrace the innovation part. We are working with some on-chain product providers to make it easier for our users to subscribe or buy some of our staking and structured products. We are very selective with our partners. We make sure they have a good reputation and run their companies well,” she said. “At the same time, we continue to be very selective in our partnerships, working only with reliable and well-managed institutions to ensure both credibility and long-term user trust.”
