[Digital Today reporter Chi-gyu Hwang (황치규)] Cryptocurrency exchange OKX has raised new investment at a valuation of $25 billion.

A recent Bloomberg report said the investment included Circle, Ripple, SC Ventures under Standard Chartered Bank, and London-based quant hedge fund Qube Research & Technologies (QRT). The size of the investment was not disclosed.

The investment extends a funding round OKX carried out in March. At the time, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), invested about $200 million in OKX at the same valuation. OKX plans to use the newly raised funds to strengthen market infrastructure.

OKX has also applied to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to launch a tokenised stock trading platform. OKXICE, a joint venture between OKX and ICE, plans to first launch a service that tokenises and trades shares of 63 NYSE-listed companies. Those companies can request exclusion within 30 days before trading begins.

The SEC last month opened a path for blockchain securities trading in the United States through a temporary exemption system. Tokenised shares must guarantee all shareholder rights, including dividends and voting rights.