@OKX and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the @NYSE, have announced a 50-50 joint venture to connect traditional financial markets with blockchain-based infrastructure,
@OKX and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the @NYSE, have announced a 50-50 joint venture to connect traditional financial markets with blockchain-based infrastructure, with former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo installed as co-chair.
The new entity is built around two core functions: tokenizing NYSE-listed assets and giving OKX's global user base access to regulated futures markets. Subject to regulatory approval, the joint venture is expected to operate as a U.S. registered broker-dealer and futures commission merchant, enabling OKX's customers in the U.S. and overseas to access ICE futures and NYSE tokenized equities markets.The 50-50 venture will also explore adjacent opportunities for regulatory-compliant blockchain-enabled markets.
The goal is to enable OKX's 120 million users in the U.S. and overseas to access ICE futures and NYSE tokenized equities markets. ICE Senior Vice President Trabue Bland will serve as co-chair alongside Cuomo. Under the agreement, ICE uses OKX price data for U.S.-regulated crypto futures, while OKX is expected to distribute futures and tokenized equities linked to NYSE stocks to global users.
Cuomo's appointment builds on an existing relationship with OKX. After his resignation as governor, Cuomo began advising OKX in 2023 as it navigated an investigation from the Department of Justice.In 2025, the crypto exchange agreed to a $500 million settlement and pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering laws.Following the plea deal, OKX relaunched in the U.S. and has sought to ride a wave of institutionalization as Wall Street dives into digital assets amid a friendlier administration under President Donald Trump.
The joint venture formalizes a relationship that began earlier this year. The venture comes after ICE announced in March that it had invested in OKX at a $25 billion valuation, putting roughly $200 million into the crypto exchange.That investment also gave ICE a seat on OKX's board, marking an early step in the pair's relationship.
The deal reflects a broader shift across the crypto industry. Cryptocurrency companies have sought to build more of a foothold in the traditional finance space under President Trump's administration, with crypto exchange Kraken gaining access to the Federal Reserve's payment infrastructure and the passage of the Genius Act establishing a regulatory framework for stablecoins.NYSE also announced earlier this year that it is building a venue using blockchain technology to trade tokenized stocks and exchange-traded funds around the clock.
Sources:Intercontinental Exchange and OKX official press release (Business Wire)Fortune: Former New York governor Andrew Cuomo to co-chair joint venture between NYSE owner and OKXCoinDesk: OKX and NYSE partner to bridge TradFi and crypto markets
