NYSE parent Intercontinental Exchange partners with OKX, invests at a $25B valuation

• Intercontinental Exchange partnered with OKX and invested in the crypto exchange at a $25 billion valuation.
• The partnership involves ICE becoming an OKX board member and the crypto exchange distributing NYSE's tokenized equities.
• The move reflects growing integration between traditional finance and digital asset markets amid evolving US crypto regulation.

OKX announced an investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), raising its valuation to $25 billion, alongside a partnership to expand regulated crypto futures and tokenized equity offerings globally.

Intercontinental Exchange invests in OKX at $25 billion valuation

Intercontinental Exchange, the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), has announced a strategic investment in cryptocurrency exchange OKX, valuing the company at $25 billion. The partnership also places ICE on the OKX board, according to a statement on Thursday.

The agreement reportedly includes a commercial partnership under which ICE will license OKX's spot crypto pricing data to develop US-regulated crypto futures contracts, according to Fortune. In exchange, OKX will distribute ICE's US futures products and tokenized equities tied to the NYSE to its global user base.

"Our focus is not simply on new technology, but on building durable infrastructure for the global financial system. This includes improving market structure, strengthening risk management and clearing frameworks, expanding institutional access to digital assets, and creating platforms that protect consumers while enabling innovation," wrote OKX founder Star Xu.

The partnership reflects growing integrations between traditional financial market operators and digital asset platforms.

"Together we will explore how traditional exchange infrastructure and digital asset technology can complement each other to build stronger, more efficient markets," Xu added.

The announcement comes amid ongoing US policy discussions around digital asset market structure. President Donald Trump has recently urged lawmakers to pass the CLARITY Act, which seeks to establish clear regulatory oversight for digital assets.

OKB, the native token of OKX, rose 20% over the past 24 hours as of writing, defying the broader crypto market downtrend on Thursday amid the announcement.