ICE Evaluates Avalanche for Planned 24/7 On-Chain Trading Platform

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, is evaluating Avalanche as potential blockchain infrastructure for a planned 24/7 on-chain trading platform, according to CoinMarketCap.

ICE Vice President Michael Blaugrund said Avalanche has met many of the requirements the exchange group is assessing as it evaluates different blockchain platforms. “As we’ve evaluated different platforms, Avalanche checks a lot of those boxes for us, so we’re very engaged with the team,” Blaugrund said, according to the statement cited by CoinMarketCap.

The comments indicate that Avalanche is under active consideration for ICE’s planned on-chain trading infrastructure, but they do not amount to a final selection or a completed partnership.

NYSE Parent Developing 24/7 Digital Trading Venue

ICE announced in January that the New York Stock Exchange was developing a platform for trading and on-chain settlement of tokenized securities. The planned system is designed to support 24/7 trading, immediate settlement and stablecoin-based funding, subject to regulatory approvals.

The project is intended to combine the NYSE’s existing Pillar matching technology with blockchain-based post-trade infrastructure. ICE has said the platform could support tokenized shares that correspond to traditionally issued securities as well as securities issued natively in digital form.

The company is therefore evaluating blockchain infrastructure as part of a broader effort to build an always-on market for tokenized securities. The exact role Avalanche would play has not been finalized.

Avalanche Under Consideration Alongside Other Platforms

Blaugrund’s remarks indicate that ICE has been reviewing multiple blockchain platforms rather than selecting Avalanche from the outset.

His statement that Avalanche “checks a lot of those boxes” reflects the company’s current assessment of the network against its technical and operational requirements. The engagement with Avalanche remains ongoing.

Avalanche’s potential involvement would place a public blockchain network within an infrastructure project connected to one of the world’s best-known stock exchanges. However, the available information does not establish that Avalanche has been formally selected to operate the platform.

The distinction is important because ICE’s planned venue remains under development and is subject to regulatory requirements. ICE’s original announcement said the platform would require regulatory approvals before launch.

Tokenized Securities Move Toward On-Chain Settlement

The proposed platform would extend blockchain technology beyond cryptocurrency trading into the settlement and trading of tokenized equities and exchange-traded funds.

ICE has described the system as a way to support continuous trading while maintaining elements of traditional market infrastructure. Its planned architecture includes blockchain-based settlement and the ability to support multiple chains for settlement and custody.

The company has also continued developing the broader infrastructure needed for tokenized securities. The New York Stock Exchange currently describes the planned venue as a regulated, always-on digital marketplace combining its Pillar technology with blockchain settlement and stablecoin-based transactions.

For Avalanche, the immediate development is the ongoing evaluation by ICE rather than a confirmed deployment. The next material step will be whether ICE ultimately selects Avalanche or another blockchain for the 24/7 platform as development and regulatory work continue.

Writer: Victoria Hale
Technology & Blockchain Writer

Victoria Hale writes about blockchain technology, digital infrastructure, and the intersection of emerging technologies with finance. Her articles explore how new protocols and systems are shaping the evolving digital economy.

She prioritises clarity and accuracy when explaining technical developments to a general audience.