The company that owns the New York Stock Exchange just went deeper into crypto than most people expected. Intercontinental Exchange and OKX have formalized a joint venture designed to pipe NYSE tokenized equities and ICE futures into the hands of OKX’s massive global user base.

The 50-50 joint venture, announced on June 22, 2026, builds on a strategic relationship that started earlier this year when ICE took a minority equity stake in OKX. The goal is straightforward: give crypto-native traders access to traditional financial products, and give traditional finance a front door into on-chain infrastructure.

From investment to integration

The groundwork was laid on March 5, 2026, when ICE announced an approximately $200 million minority investment in OKX at a valuation of roughly $25 billion. That deal came with a board seat for ICE and a framework for commercial collaboration, particularly around tokenized equities distributed through OKX’s platform.

The joint venture is structured to enhance US-registered broker-dealer and futures commission merchant operations, building the regulated plumbing needed to let OKX customers trade ICE futures contracts and NYSE tokenized stocks.

OKX reports having 120 million accounts globally. Access is expected to roll out in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.

The arrangement isn’t one-directional either. ICE plans to license OKX’s spot price data for use in its US-regulated futures products.

What the executives are saying

ICE CEO Jeffrey C. Sprecher framed the partnership as a way to expand global retail access to regulated markets. OKX CEO Star Xu struck a similar tone, pointing toward enhancing reliable financial systems worldwide.

The collaboration extends beyond just trading access. Both companies have outlined plans for broader work on clearing, risk management, and multi-chain custody.

The market noticed. OKB, OKX’s native token, rallied approximately 40-50% following the initial March announcement.