NYSE parent ICE invested in OKX at $25B valuation, securing board seat and partnership for tokenized NYSE securities trading.
DeFi & Yields ·
Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, has taken a board seat at crypto exchange OKX following an investment that values the platform at $25 billion, according to Fortune. The specific investment amount and deal terms remain undisclosed. Under the partnership, OKX will supply real-time cryptocurrency pricing data to ICE while enabling its users to trade tokenized versions of NYSE-listed stocks and derivatives, with this capability targeted for launch in the latter half of 2026.
The announcement followed what began as a casual meeting between OKX's global managing partner of corporate affairs and ICE's chairman that evolved into extended negotiations and formal due diligence. The two parties cited alignment on the integration of traditional finance and digital assets, as well as the future of tokenized securities and global derivatives markets. This move reflects ICE's broader strategy to maintain relevance amid shifting trading patterns—the firm previously committed $2 billion to prediction market Polymarket at a $9 billion valuation in November.
OKX's OKB token briefly climbed above $120 with a 24-hour gain of 58.77% following the news. Meanwhile, OKX indicated plans to relocate as many as 2,000 employees to the United States from its 5,000-person global workforce, though no timeline was provided. The exchange also signaled potential for expanded cooperation with Intercontinental Exchange beyond the current agreement.