ICE Invests in OKX as NYSE Brings US Stocks to the Blockchain

Global financial markets are entering a new era after Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE), operator of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), announced an investment in crypto exchange OKX. The deal values OKX at US$25 billion (about Rp395 trillion). The move places an ICE representative on OKX’s board and marks a major integration between traditional capital-market infrastructure and the speed of blockchain technology.

The strategic partnership includes plans to launch tokenised US equities on the OKX platform in the second half of 2026. Through this initiative, OKX users will be able to trade NYSE-listed shares and ETFs directly from their app.

ICE CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher said the collaboration aims to accelerate on-chain infrastructure for global investors.

‘Our strategic relationship with OKX will broaden retail access globally to ICE-regulated markets and accelerate our plans to offer tokenised assets,’ he said in a statement on Saturday (7 March).

OKX founder and CEO Star Xu described the partnership as an effort to build a more robust market structure. ‘We bridge digital assets and equities to meet institutional standards in risk management and compliance,’ he added.

The integration also received backing from global financial institutions such as BNY and Citi. The two banks joined to support tokenised deposits across ICE’s clearing houses, enabling fund management to operate outside traditional banking hours. This investment strengthens ICE’s position as a major player in the on-chain-based financial markets.

Earlier, in November 2025, ICE had also invested US$2 billion in the prediction-market platform Polymarket.