OKX Secures New Funding at $25 Billion Valuation with Ripple and Circle

OKX, a prominent crypto exchange, has secured a new funding round at a $25 billion valuation, with Ripple among the latest investors joining Circle, SC Ventures, and QRT. The funding round follows a $200 million investment from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in March, which also valued OKX at $25 billion. While the exact amount raised in this latest round has not been disclosed, the unchanged valuation indicates strong investor confidence in the platform.

OKX plans to use the new capital to bolster its long-term market infrastructure, according to Haider Rafique, the exchange’s Global Managing Partner. Thomas Eaton, Quantitative Trading Director at QRT, highlighted that the investment reflects the firm’s optimism about the growth of digital assets and 24-hour markets. The diverse group of investors represents various sectors within finance and digital assets, including Circle, the issuer of the USDC stablecoin, and Ripple, which provides blockchain-based payment solutions.

The funding comes as OKX expands beyond traditional crypto trading. The exchange, in collaboration with ICE, recently sought approval to offer tokenized shares of major U.S. companies like Nvidia, Apple, and Coca-Cola. This initiative leverages a new SEC exemption that allows tokenized equities to be traded on public blockchains without requiring registration as national securities exchanges. Additionally, OKX has introduced perpetual futures linked to major U.S. stocks and the S&P 500, further integrating traditional financial markets with blockchain technology.

This strategic expansion into tokenized stocks and equity-related products underscores OKX’s commitment to building a comprehensive ecosystem for both digital assets and blockchain-based financial markets. The latest funding round supports these efforts, positioning OKX as a key player in the evolving landscape of decentralized finance.