Founded in 2013 as one of the earlier digital asset exchanges, AEX Global (originally BTC38) positioned itself as a "digital asset bank." It offered a comprehensive suite of services including spot trading, futures contracts, crypto savings accounts, staking, and loan services. Over its nine-year operation, it aimed to provide secure, stable, and diversified financial services to a global user base. However, in July 2022, the company abruptly froze all user withdrawals, citing extreme market conditions and the de-pegging of certain stablecoins. Shortly thereafter, it was reported that the platform was under investigation by Chinese law enforcement, and its website and services became completely inaccessible.