Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of financial market infrastructure and data services, and OKX, one of the world's largest blockchain technology companies, today announced the formation of a 50/50 joint venture to build next-generation infrastructure for tokenized and digital-native financial products. The move marks a significant milestone in bridging traditional finance and digital asset markets.
Joint Venture Structure and Business Plans
Subject to relevant regulatory approvals, the joint venture is expected to operate as a US registered broker-dealer and Futures Commission Merchant (FCM). This will allow OKX users in the US and overseas to access ICE's futures markets and the New York Stock Exchange's (NYSE) tokenized stock market. The equal partnership will also explore blockchain-enabled, regulated adjacent market opportunities.
The joint venture will be co-chaired by ICE and former New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, who previously served as New York's 56th Governor, New York State Attorney General, and US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Cuomo has been collaborating with OKX since 2023. "The next chapter for financial markets will depend on whether innovation and government regulation can work well together," Cuomo said. "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. I am particularly looking forward to the social impact that blockchain technology can bring—democratizing finance and extending basic financial services to underserved populations."
Strategic Significance and Complementary Strengths
ICE is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds, and operates digital networks connecting people to opportunities. It provides fintech and data services across major asset classes, with futures, equity, and options exchanges (including the NYSE) and clearing houses serving investment, financing, and risk management needs. Trabue Bland, Senior Vice President of ICE Futures Exchange Business, noted: "ICE's global benchmark products and regulated market technology have earned the trust of institutions and traders worldwide. Now, through our partnership with OKX, we are working to extend that reach to OKX's 120 million retail trading users." The joint venture is the first major action following ICE's strategic investment in OKX in March of this year.
OKX is a fintech company known for its global cryptocurrency trading platform, on-chain wallet, and marketplace. It has processed trillions of dollars in transactions for over 120 million users worldwide. OKX maintains regional headquarters in San Jose, California (Americas), Dubai (Middle East), and offices in São Paulo, New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Turkey, Australia, and Europe. The company holds licenses in the US, UAE, EEA, Singapore, Australia, and other markets, and publishes monthly Proof of Reserves reports to uphold transparency and security commitments.
