FTX US makes strategic investment in IEX

Leading crypto exchange FTX US announced an agreement to make a strategic investment in IEX Group, Inc., who operate the regulated US Investors’ Exchange LLC, Invezz learned from a press release.

The investment is aimed at establishing a simple, straightforward, and transparent market structure for selling, buying, and exchanging digital asset securities. The deal is expected to close after regulatory approval next month.

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Upcoming initiative to discuss future of digital assets

FTX and IEX plan to introduce an initiative for investors to join the discussion about the future of market structure for digital asset securities.

Sam Bankman-Fried, CEO of FTX and FTX US, commented:

Investing in IEX created a tremendous opportunity for FTX US. With this investment, we’re aligned with one of the most trusted and innovative companies in equities markets. I’ve long respected Brad’s vision for IEX to be an exchange that caters to the needs of the investor and treats them fairly – part of the reason why we’ve operated similarly at FTX. As a result, we will collaborate on the further establishment of crypto market structure and work closely with regulators, allowing institutions around the world to enter the marketplace seamlessly.

Inspiring cutting-edge innovation for almost a decade

IEX was founded as an alternative trading system in 2013. It obtained approval to operate a U.S. regulated stock exchange in 2016. In that time, no entity has inspired more cutting-edge structural innovation in equity market structure.

CEO and Co-Founder of IEX Brad Katsuyama said:

To unlock its full potential, the crypto and digital asset industry needs to engage with regulators and truly scale what has been built. From the first conversation with Sam, it was clear to me that FTX and IEX were truly aligned on the future potential for digital assets and the unique roles our firms could play as partners in shaping market structure that benefits the end investor. We both see the regulators as important allies in providing a clear path forward and attaining the highest possible standards for investor protection. The U.S. market should be the largest player in digital assets globally and we believe that this partnership will help facilitate that.