ICE Invests in OKX: To Offer Crypto Futures

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has invested an undisclosed amount into crypto exchange OKX and plans to licence the firm’s spot crypto prices as well as joining the crowded US market by launching US-regulated futures.

ICE will take a board seat on OKX as part of the deal, which the firms say is aimed at establishing “a broad strategic collaboration” to leverage OKX’s blockchain infrastructure and reach alongside ICE’s market technology, regulatory frameworks, and institutional community.

Whilst they do not reveal actual plans, the firms say they intend to evaluate joint initiatives across market structure design, clearing and risk management, data, and institutional access to digital assets. These include regulated crypto futures, through the licencing agreement, as well as the launch of US-regulated futures contracts tied to those markets.

Subject to regulatory approval, OKX will also provide access to ICE’s US futures and Ice-owned NYSE’s tokenised equities markets, enabling OKX’s crypto-native users to have regulated access. The firms also state they will aim to advance clearing and risk management solutions, multi-chain custody and wallet architecture, and the structural connectivity required for institutions to participate confidently in digital asset markets

“Our strategic relationship with OKX will expand global retail access to ICE’s pre-eminent regulated markets and accelerate our plans to offer on-chain infrastructure and tokenised assets to U.S. investors,” says Jeffrey Sprecher, ICE chair and CEO.

Star Xu, founder and CEO of OKX, adds, “This relationship brings together OKX’s digital-asset execution stack and ICE’s regulated-market technology – operators of two high-performance matching engines and transparent order books – to help build a more reliable market structure that bridges digital assets and equities, strengthens cross-market price formation, and meets institutional standards for risk and compliance.”

Alongside crypto-native exchanges, both CME and Cboe offer regulated crypto futures to US clients, the latter having had a mixed history with the market. ICE is also an investor in digital assert firm Baakt.

The firms say the deal values OKX, which reported revenues of $1.9 billion in 2024, at $25 billion.