Intercontinental Exchange, the operator of the New York Stock Exchange and a global provider of financial market technology and data, announced a strategic investment in crypto trading and blockchain technology company OKX. The investment values OKX at $25 billion, though the specific financial terms were not disclosed.
The agreement establishes a broad collaboration between the two companies aimed at connecting traditional financial markets with digital asset infrastructure. As part of the deal, Intercontinental Exchange will receive a seat on OKX’s board of directors and work jointly on initiatives involving market structure, clearing and risk management, institutional access to digital assets, and market data.
Under the partnership, Intercontinental Exchange plans to license OKX’s spot cryptocurrency price data to launch U.S.-regulated crypto futures products tied to those markets. The companies say this will provide institutional investors with a compliant and regulated path to digital asset exposure.
The companies also intend to expand market access globally. Subject to regulatory approval, OKX will offer its users access to Intercontinental Exchange’s U.S. futures markets as well as tokenized equities from the New York Stock Exchange. This would allow OKX’s global user base, which exceeds 120 million accounts, to trade regulated financial products tied to major capital markets.
The collaboration also aims to advance infrastructure for institutional participation in digital asset markets. Planned areas of development include enhanced clearing and risk management systems, multi-chain custody and wallet architecture, and improved connectivity between blockchain-based and traditional financial markets.
Intercontinental Exchange said its minority investment in OKX is not expected to have a material impact on the company’s 2026 financial results or capital return plans.
OKX operates a global crypto trading platform and blockchain ecosystem with services that include digital asset trading, custody, payments, and wallet technology. The company has processed trillions of dollars in transactions and operates under licensing frameworks in jurisdictions including the United States, Europe, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Australia.
The partnership reflects a broader push by Intercontinental Exchange to develop on-chain infrastructure for trading, settlement, custody, and capital formation across global markets.
KEY QUOTES:
“Our strategic relationship with OKX will expand global retail access to ICE’s pre-eminent regulated markets and accelerate our plans to offer on-chain infrastructure and tokenized assets to U.S. investors. Star has created a highly successful company, with enormous distribution which will now connect NYSE and ICE markets to OKX’s customer base, bringing an exciting new stage for both vectors of finance.”
Jeffrey C. Sprecher, Chair And Chief Executive Officer Of Intercontinental Exchange
“This relationship brings together OKX’s digital-asset execution stack and ICE’s regulated-market technology – operators of two high-performance matching engines and transparent order books – to help build a more reliable market structure that bridges digital assets and equities, strengthens cross-market price formation, and meets institutional standards for risk and compliance.”
Star Xu, Founder And Chief Executive Officer Of OKX
