Ripple Joins Investors in $25 Billion OKX Funding Round

Ripple has joined a group of major investors backing the crypto exchange OKX. The blockchain firm is part of a consortium that includes Circle, Qube Research and Technologies (QRT), and SC Ventures, the venture capital arm of Standard Chartered. OKX announced the investment round on Tuesday, revealing a pre-money valuation of $25 billion. However, the exact details of the investment amounts remain undisclosed.

The latest funding round is an extension of OKX's previous investment round, which was led by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange. In March, ICE had invested approximately $200 million in OKX at the same $25 billion valuation.

OKX CEO and founder Star Xu clarified that the company sought new investors not due to a shortage of funds, but to align with strategic partners who share its vision in stablecoins, payments, institutional markets, and financial infrastructure. OKX aims to evolve beyond being a crypto exchange and become a comprehensive financial technology platform that bridges crypto markets with traditional finance.

Ripple's investment in OKX is the latest in a series of strategic moves aimed at expanding into institutional financial markets and tokenization. Earlier in August, Ripple invested in ZILO and Licuido, both focused on digital capital market infrastructure.