In brief
- Orbit lets users discuss markets, host livestreams and execute trades directly from posts within the OKX app.
- Performance data, including holdings, profit and loss, and trading history, can be displayed in real time using exchange-derived metrics.
- The platform won’t initially be available in the U.S., Europe, Singapore, Australia or the UAE.
Crypto exchange OKX said Thursday it is rolling out a native social networking feature inside its trading app that allows users to discuss markets, disclose trading performance, and execute trades directly from posts.
The feature, called Orbit, embeds a real-time discussion layer into the OKX app where users can post trade ideas, host livestreams, and form groups while linking directly to tradable assets through cashtags such as $BTC or $ETH.
The launch reflects a broader push by trading platforms to blend social media with market activity.
Social trading platform eToro pioneered the model in 2010 with its OpenBook platform and CopyTrader feature, while crypto exchanges have since introduced similar tools, including Bybit in 2022 and by Binance on its futures platform in 2023.
The launch comes as OKX pushes further into traditional finance following an investment from Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, in a deal valuing the exchange at $25 billion and aimed at enabling tokenized stock trading.
OKX said Orbit aims to address a long-standing credibility issue in online trading communities, where influencers often share screenshots of profitable trades without independently verifiable records.
“When you view an Orbit user’s profile, you can toggle at the top between ‘posts’ and ‘performance,'” an OKX spokesperson told Decrypt. “These update in real time and are calculated based on the user’s trading history via the OKX app.”
Under the “performance” tab, users can view a trader’s holdings, total profit and loss, and “trading history (open, closed, and existing positions),” where leverage is also visible.
Those metrics can also be sorted across multiple time frames, including 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and one year.
Users must first complete identity verification and comply with the platform’s terms of service before accessing Orbit, which is subject to the same KYC, AML, and transaction-monitoring controls applied across the exchange, the OKX spokesperson added.
Still, sharing the data is optional.
“The user can decide whether or not to share performance data, but cannot selectively edit or omit the data shown,” the spokesperson said, adding that the information displayed is derived directly from exchange data and “is not editable by the user.”
Orbit also introduces creator rewards tied partly to follower engagement and activity.
“Follower trading activity is one way to earn rewards,” the spokesperson said, adding that traders can also be rewarded for posting content, livestreaming and building communities on the platform.
The feature won’t initially be available in the U.S., Europe, Singapore, Australia, or the United Arab Emirates, markets where regulators have shown greater interest in social trading and online investment promotion.
The rollout has begun with a limited group of users and will expand after a beta phase.
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