Cryptocurrency exchange OKX announced on Tuesday that Circle (CRCL), Ripple, Qube Research & Technologies (QRT), and SC Ventures by Standard Chartered have invested in the platform at a $25 billion pre-money valuation.
Institutional Partners Back Core Infrastructure Layers
The strategic investment extends a stake taken in March by NYSE parent company Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Each investor already powers a functional layer of OKX's ecosystem:
- QRT serves as an institutional counterparty providing liquidity and risk capacity.
- Ripple supplies its RLUSD stablecoin, which launched across more than 280 trading pairs (including against XRP) on OKX in April.
- SC Ventures integrates via BlackRock's BUIDL tokenized Treasury fund under an April 28 framework allowing institutional clients to post BUIDL as collateral, with Standard Chartered holding custody off-exchange for OKX Middle East users.
"Our investment reflects our conviction in what they're building and opens the door to deepen our work together across stablecoins, payments and institutional markets," said Jack McDonald, SVP of Stablecoins at Ripple.
SEC Stock Filings and OKX Money App Launch
The funding announcement follows significant product developments for the company. Two days prior, OKXICE—a joint venture between OKX and ICE—filed with the SEC to launch 63 tokenized NYSE stocks for US users on October 4. These tokens must feature dividend and voting rights identical to underlying shares, with listed companies given 30 days to opt out. This reflects a broader trend toward real-world asset expansion previously seen in initiatives like Bitfinex Securities tokenization cost models.
Additionally on Tuesday, the company debuted OKX Money, a dedicated app for saving, sending, and spending dollar stablecoins. Users can fund accounts across 50 currencies and hold USDG, USDC, or Tether (USDT), with eligible USDG balances offering up to 10% annual rewards without staking or lockups in select regions. Founder and CEO Star Xu stated that the new capital will support tokenizing real-world assets as part of a larger corporate milestone outlined in recent OKX expansion initiatives.
"The exchange was our starting point, and we are evolving into a broader global financial technology platform," Xu said.
Why It Matters
This investment round demonstrates a deepening operational integration between crypto market venues and major financial entities like Standard Chartered and ICE. By securing backing from stablecoin issuers, liquidity managers, and tier-one bank venture arms at a $25 billion valuation, OKX reinforces its regulatory and corporate standing ahead of offering tokenized US equities. Market participants should monitor whether any of the 63 NYSE-listed companies exercise their 30-day opt-out window before the planned October 4 launch.
