Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has reached a $25 billion valuation following a minority investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange.
According to Reuters, the strategic investment values OKX well above several other recent crypto market entrants and reflects increasing interest from major financial institutions in building infrastructure around digital assets. The companies have also outlined plans to collaborate on several products.
Reuters reported that ICE will license OKX’s spot crypto pricing data and launch regulated crypto futures contracts in the United States, while OKX will distribute ICE’s futures and tokenised equity products to its global user base. The investment also gives ICE a seat on OKX’s board, although the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Haider Rafique, OKX’s global managing partner, told Reuters that regulatory developments in the United States could shape the industry’s future.
Discussions around legislation such as the proposed Clarity Act have intensified as policymakers consider clearer rules for digital assets.
Meet Orbit
At the same time, OKX is expanding the capabilities of its trading platform. According to CoinDesk, the company is developing a built-in social network inside its trading app called Orbit. The new feature will allow users to share market commentary, livestream discussions and form trading groups directly within the app.
Traders will also be able to display verified performance metrics, including portfolio returns, profit and loss data, and win rates. CoinDesk reported that Orbit is being rolled out gradually, starting with a limited beta launch before expanding to more users.
Rafique said the feature is designed to provide a more transparent environment for market discussions. “People using our app will have a native social channel where ideas are shared with posts, livestreams and group chats,” he said in comments cited by CoinDesk.
Orbit will also allow users to tag discussions using market symbols such as $BTC, $ETH and $SOL, enabling traders to follow conversations about specific assets. The platform will support both open discussions and gated groups.
Reuters reported that the ICE partnership could also lead to new crypto futures products and tokenised equities, further linking traditional financial markets with digital asset platforms.
The deal follows other moves by major financial firms to deepen their involvement in the crypto sector. Reuters noted that ICE recently invested in Polymarket, one of the world’s largest prediction markets.
