OKX Trims Futures Portfolio to Boost Liquidity, Mirroring Industry-Wide Streamlining Efforts

OKX has announced the delisting of several perpetual futures contracts from its platform, effective September 12, 2025, at 8:00 am UTC. The exchange cited the need to improve market liquidity and enhance the overall user experience as the primary motivations for the move. The affected contracts include ZEREBROUSDT, WAXPUSDT, NEIROETHUSDT, ALCHUSDT, DGBUSDT, and DOGUSDT. All open positions will be settled at the arithmetic average price of the corresponding OKX index over the preceding hour, with adjustments made if abnormal price movements are detected. Orders in the order book will be canceled, and trading bots will cease operations one hour prior to delisting. Users holding positions exceeding $10,000 in value will face asset transfer restrictions for 30 minutes post-delisting, though order history and billing records will remain accessible for download.

The delisting process aligns with OKX’s regular risk management protocols, which include dynamic price limit adjustments to address potential deviations in contract prices. The exchange emphasized that no funding fees will be charged for the period of delisting, as the funding rate will be set to zero. Users are advised to manage leverage exposure and close positions proactively to mitigate risks arising from pre-delisting market volatility. The move follows similar actions in recent months, including the removal of leveraged trading pairs such as RDNT/USDT and AIDOGE/USDT in July 2025, as part of broader efforts to streamline its product offerings.

The delistings reflect a broader trend among centralized exchanges to prune low-liquidity or underperforming assets. In June 2025, OKX delisted eight altcoins from its spot trading platform, including NULS (NULS), which experienced a 41.8% price drop following the announcement. While the impact of futures delistings on token prices is less explicitly documented, the systematic removal of trading pairs underscores exchanges’ focus on prioritizing assets with sustained demand and trading activity. Analysts note that such actions can indirectly influence market sentiment, particularly for tokens with limited use cases or speculative appeal.

OKX’s decision also highlights the evolving regulatory and operational landscape for crypto exchanges. The exchange has increasingly aligned its delisting criteria with user feedback and market performance metrics, as stated in its official guidelines. For instance, the July 2025 delistings of leveraged pairs were accompanied by the suspension of related lending services, requiring users to repay borrowed assets before forced liquidation. These measures aim to reduce counterparty risks and ensure compliance with risk management standards.

The delistings are part of OKX’s broader strategy to refine its product portfolio, which includes recent innovations such as cross-chain perpetual trading infrastructure. While the exchange has not disclosed specific criteria for selecting delisted assets, its emphasis on liquidity and user experience suggests a focus on maintaining a competitive edge in the crowded crypto derivatives market. The move also aligns with industry trends, as other exchanges, such as Binance and Bybit, have similarly adjusted their offerings to reflect shifting market dynamics.

Source: [1] https://www.okx.com/help/okx-to-delist-several-perpetual-futures-20250908 [2] https://bitfeed.news/2025/07/23/bitcoin-exchange-okx-announces-delisting-numerous-altcoin-trading-pairs-from-its-futures-platform-details-here [3] https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/tech/okx-delisting-hits-8-altcoins-nuls-faces-41-8-decline/