- New York Stock Exchange parent ICE invests $2 billion in Polymarket, valuing DeFi firm near $9 billion.
- Partnership makes Polymarket global distributor of ICE event-driven data for tokenized finance markets.
- Deal positions Polymarket and ICE as leaders in bringing institutional scale to decentralized finance.
Polymarket, the blockchain-based prediction-market platform, secured a $2 billion strategic investment from the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), parent of the New York Stock Exchange. The transaction, announced October 7 2025, lifted Polymarket’s valuation to roughly $9 billion, making it one of the highest-valued decentralized-finance (DeFi) companies to date.
ICE said the investment aligns with its broader push into tokenized finance and on-chain market data. “There are opportunities across markets that ICE together with Polymarket can uniquely serve,” Jeffrey C. Sprecher, ICE chair and CEO, said in the statement.
How will ICE utilize Polymarket’s Data?
Under the partnership, ICE becomes the global distributor of Polymarket’s event-driven data, allowing its institutional network to access real-time probability and sentiment indicators across sectors.
“Together, we’re expanding how individuals and institutions use probabilities to understand and price the future. By combining ICE’s institutional scale and credibility with Polymarket’s consumer savvy, we will be able to deliver world-class products for the modern investor,” Coplan noted.
What is the significance of the partnership?
- Competitive edge: The strategic ICE’s investment in Polymarket will play a crucial role in their global expansion strategies. For instance, Polymarket faces stiff competition from Kalshi prediction among other prediction sites.
- Regulatory insights: Polymarket stands to benefit from the vast regulatory insights from ICE, which has been operating since 1792.
“Markets on Everything”: Polymarket’s Broader Vision
According to Coplan, the strategic collaboration between ICE and Polymarket will enhance the possibility of what can be traded globally. Moreover, combining Polymarket’s vast consumer network and ICE’s institutional scale and credibility creates a robust force to venture into different markets.
How does this partnership relate to the “new financial era of tokenization”?
Through the strategic partnership, ICE and Polymarket will venture into tokenization initiatives. Under the GENIUS Act, ICE and Polymarket will likely unveil their U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin to streamline their operations.
Related: Polymarket Adds Bitcoin Deposits as Platform Targets $1 Billion Valuation
“Jeff Sprecher is a big believer in tokenization. Polymarket is a major consumer product in this space, with every prediction market tokenized,” Coplan stated in an interview.
What’s the long-term impact on DeFi Space?
The strategic partnership between ICE and Polymarket is a major milestone achieved in enhancing the mainstream adoption of decentralized finance (DeFi). Furthermore, ICE joins other projects – led by X and Stocktwits – that have integrated with Polymarket to enhance their respective services.
Notably, Polymarket is backed by top web3 venture capitalists including Blockchain Capital, ParaFi, Coinbase, and Dragonfly.
As such, the DeFi space will gain more credibility with institutional investors globally. Ultimately, more capital injection into the DeFi space by institutional investors will bolster their trading volume, crypto liquidity, and bull markets.
Related: Bitcoin & Ethereum Ride Polymarket’s Fed Rate Cut Sentiment. Is Overbought Next?
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