FinanceOKX Secures Funding from StanChart, Circle, and Ripple to Broaden Its Financial Services

The exchange aims to evolve into a comprehensive global financial technology platform that integrates crypto, payments, and tokenized assets, bolstered by a recent investment and partnership with ICE.

By Krisztian Sandor, Helene Braun|Edited by Cheyenne LigonOct 6, 2026, 11:20 a.m. EDT2 min readMake preferred on ShareShare this articleCopy linkX (Twitter)LinkedInFacebookEmailMake preferred on OKX founder Star Xu (OKX)
  • OKX has attracted new investments from Circle, Ripple, Qube Research & Technologies (QRT), and Standard Chartered’s SC Ventures, achieving a pre-money valuation of $25 billion as it diversifies beyond crypto trading.
  • This funding aligns with OKX and ICE’s initiative to establish a round-the-clock trading market for tokenized U.S. stocks, utilizing stablecoins for transactions and settlements.
  • Macquarie predicts that initial interest in the tokenized stock platform will primarily come from retail investors, facing challenges such as regulatory uncertainty and integration expenses for institutional clients.

In a strategic move, crypto exchange OKX has secured new funding to transition from a digital asset trading platform to a comprehensive global financial technology entity, covering crypto, payments, and traditional assets on blockchain technology.

The latest investors include Circle, Ripple, QRT, and SC Ventures, although the specific investment amounts have not been disclosed.

This financing builds on a prior investment from the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Consistent with the earlier agreement, the current investment also values OKX at $25 billion pre-money.

Star Xu, the founder and CEO of OKX, stated, “The exchange was our starting point, and we are evolving into a broader global financial technology platform.” The company aims to enable customers to manage their finances—hold, spend, invest, and grow—within a single platform.

This ambition mirrors a wider trend among cryptocurrency exchanges, as they seek to transform from specialized trading venues into all-encompassing financial platforms that include payments, stablecoins, equities, derivatives, and tokenized real-world assets.

Read more: Kraken’s parent Payward is betting billions on becoming financial infrastructure, not just a crypto exchange

OKX's collaboration with ICE exemplifies its foray into traditional financial markets. The joint venture between OKX and ICE has recently filed to launch tokenized stock trading under the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) guidelines, moving the exchange into a sector typically ruled by brokerages and stock exchanges.

OKXICE intends to offer 24/7 trading of tokenized shares from 63 U.S. companies, leveraging OKX’s X Layer blockchain along with stablecoins such as USDC, USDT, and USDG. This initiative serves as a preliminary evaluation of the SEC’s new five-year tokenization framework, ensuring that shares maintain their dividend and voting rights.

The ability of this model to attract institutional clients remains uncertain.

In a report released on Tuesday, Macquarie pointed out that the platform's success hinges on OKXICE’s ability to draw in enough companies, investors, and liquidity providers to ensure stable pricing around the clock. Additionally, the temporary nature of the SEC exemption may deter institutions from investing in system integrations until they have clarity on the longevity of the regulations. TD Securities echoed similar concerns in a note on Monday.

Macquarie forecasts that initial adoption will be skewed towards retail investors, as institutions already have efficient access to U.S.-listed stocks and encounter greater regulatory and technological barriers. Nonetheless, the platform could serve as a significant test for stablecoins as a mechanism for settlement in regulated financial markets beyond merely crypto trading.

The intersection of crypto and traditional finance is further illustrated by OKX’s choice of new investors. Circle is responsible for issuing USDC, while Ripple provides payment infrastructure and issues the RLUSD stablecoin. Standard Chartered acts as custodian for BlackRock's BUIDL tokenized Treasury fund, collaborating with OKX and BlackRock. QRT serves as an institutional partner to OKX, offering liquidity and trading capabilities.

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