Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, and crypto exchange OKX launched a joint venture that will operate as a US-regulated broker dealer and futures commission merchant. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will co-chair the venture alongside Trabue Bland, ICE's senior vice president of futures exchanges. The partnership builds on ICE's $25 billion strategic investment in OKX announced in March, part of a broader push into crypto infrastructure that includes ICE's roughly $2 billion investment in prediction market Polymarket and its participation in stablecoin platform Circle's $222 million Arc presale alongside BlackRock and Apollo.
Cuomo and Bland Co-Chair New Venture
Andrew Cuomo will share the chair role with Trabue Bland, ICE's senior vice president of futures exchanges. Cuomo has advised OKX on policy matters since 2022, including during the exchange's $504 million settlement with the Department of Justice over anti-money-laundering violations, according to Bloomberg.
According to Cuomo: "The next chapter of financial markets will be defined by how well innovation and government regulation can move forward together. This partnership brings together OKX's world-class blockchain technology and ICE's trusted market infrastructure to help build a more modern, transparent, and resilient financial system for the future."
Joint Venture Provides Access to ICE Products and NYSE Markets
The venture will let OKX's US and international customers access ICE futures contracts and the New York Stock Exchange's planned tokenized equities markets.
According to Bland: "ICE's global benchmarks and regulated market technology have earned the trust of institutions and traders everywhere and now, through our partnership with OKX, we are working towards extending that reach to OKX's 120 million retail traders."
ICE Invested $25 Billion in OKX in March
The joint venture builds on ICE's $25 billion strategic investment in OKX announced in March. This investment is part of a broader push into crypto infrastructure that has included ICE's roughly $2 billion investment in prediction market Polymarket and its participation in stablecoin platform Circle's $222 million Arc presale alongside BlackRock and Apollo.
FAQ
What did ICE and OKX announce?
ICE and OKX launched a joint venture that will operate as a US-regulated broker dealer and futures commission merchant. The venture will provide OKX's US and international customers access to ICE futures contracts and the NYSE's planned tokenized equities markets.
Who will lead the ICE-OKX joint venture?
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will co-chair the venture with Trabue Bland, ICE's senior vice president of futures exchanges. Cuomo has advised OKX on policy matters since 2022.
How does this joint venture relate to ICE's prior investment in OKX?
The joint venture builds on ICE's $25 billion strategic investment in OKX announced in March, part of ICE's broader push into crypto infrastructure.
