As blockchain technology continues to gain traction among major financial institutions, a new venture backed by the owner of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is signaling growing confidence in the future of digital assets and tokenized finance.
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been tapped to help lead the initiative, highlighting the increasing convergence of traditional finance and blockchain innovation.
Cuomo will serve as co-chair of a joint venture between the owner of the New York Stock Exchange and global cryptocurrency exchange OKX, the companies announced here today.
Trabue Bland, Senior Vice President of Intercontinental Exchange Inc. (ICE), the parent company of the NYSE, will serve as chair of the venture.
“I think that is going to be a very, very powerful combination. It’s ICE and the New York Stock Exchange recognizing that this technology is coming,” Cuomo said in an interview with Bloomberg.
Speaking about the growing accessibility of financial markets, Cuomo also told Fortune that investors can now access financial opportunities through their smartphones “seven days a week in a way you never could before.”
A longtime supporter of blockchain technology, Cuomo emphasized that the initiative extends beyond cryptocurrency.
“This is not crypto. This is about blockchain and financial technology, and applying blockchain to other assets,” he said.
The venture follows ICE’s announcement in March that it had invested approximately $200 million in OKX at a reported $25 billion valuation, according to Bloomberg.
The project aims to bring NYSE-listed assets onto blockchain networks through tokenization and blockchain-based wrappers, according to an OKX spokesperson.
ICE and OKX will work together to provide OKX users with access to tokenized financial products and equities, further bridging the gap between traditional financial markets and digital asset infrastructure.
Founded in 2017, OKX has grown into one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, serving users in more than 100 countries and supporting the trading of hundreds of digital assets.
The move marks Cuomo’s latest professional venture following his unsuccessful bid for New York City mayor in 2025, where he was defeated by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
