(Bloomberg) — OKX filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Sunday to launch a tokenized-stock trading platform, making it one of the first major crypto exchanges to take advantage of new US rules allowing digital versions of public-company shares to trade on crypto venues.
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OKXICE LLC, a joint venture between cryptocurrency exchange operator OKX and New York Stock Exchange parent Intercontinental Exchange Inc., plans to seek approval to offer tokenized shares of an initial 63 NYSE-listed companies. Under the SEC’s new framework, issuers have 30 days to opt out before trading can begin.
Intercontinental Exchange acquired a stake in OKX in March in a deal valuing the crypto firm at $25 billion. The companies agreed to work together on US-regulated crypto futures. Their OKXICE venture pairs OKX’s blockchain infrastructure with ICE’s market technology.
The SEC last month cleared the way for blockchain-based versions of securities to trade in the US under a temporary exemption, opening a new front in the competition between crypto platforms and traditional exchanges. OKXICE is among the first firms seeking to operate a venue under the exemption.
“It’s undeniable that the blockchain, liquidity pools, smart contracts, is a more efficient way” to trade stocks, said Andrew Cuomo, former governor of New York and co-chair of OKXICE. “This is 24-hour, global stock market trading and has enormous advantages.”
The new rules are poised to ignite a race among crypto firms seeking to tokenize US stocks, with different models competing for market share. Some firms may work directly with public companies to bring tokenized shares to US crypto markets, while others may provide tokens created by third parties without involvement from the original issuers.
The innovation exemption was in the works for more than a year. The SEC had planned to unveil it in May but postponed the release while negotiations were ongoing over the Clarity Act. The exemption was instead announced days after the Senate failed to advance the regulatory bill, which had been highly anticipated by the crypto industry.
With legislative progress stalled, the SEC has taken a series of steps to open up crypto trading in the US, a key priority of President Donald Trump.
Source: finance.yahoo.com
