ICE Considers Avalanche for NYSE Tokenized Trading Engine

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), is evaluating Avalanche as the blockchain platform for a forthcoming tokenized securities trading engine that would operate 24/7.

Potential Benefits of Avalanche

According to Michael Blaugrund, ICE’s Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Avalanche’s ability to support custom Layer‑1 chains could allow NYSE to embed its own compliance rules, including Know‑Your‑Customer (KYC) procedures, directly on the network. This flexibility is seen as a way to simplify the regulatory logistics of on‑chain securities trading.

Regulatory Context

The discussion follows the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval of an Innovation Exception, which permits tokenized stocks to be traded on decentralized finance (DeFi) venues that meet specific operational and reporting requirements.

NY​SE’s Digital Strategy

NYSE manages more than 2.5 billion shares and processes over 500 billion messages daily. The exchange announced plans earlier in the year to seek regulatory approval for a 24/7 tokenized trading platform as part of a broader modernization effort.

Next Steps

Blaugrund indicated that ICE’s technology and engineering teams are working closely with Avalanche representatives, but he did not confirm that Avalanche will be the final choice.