The exchange's first institutional funding round values it at $20 billion and will fund expansion into tokenized securities and derivatives.

Crypto.com secured a $400 million strategic investment from market maker Citadel Securities in a deal that values the crypto exchange at $20 billion, marking the firm’s first institutional funding round since it was founded a decade ago, the company said in a press release Thursday.

The funding comes as digital assets draw greater participation from traditional financial institutions and as tokenized assets emerge as a growing area of focus for the industry.

The Singapore-based exchange said the capital will accelerate its expansion into tokenized securities, derivatives and other asset classes, as it seeks to bridge traditional and digital markets with around-the-clock trading infrastructure.

The deal reflects a broader shift as traditional finance firms ramp up investments in crypto infrastructure. Since the introduction of spot bitcoin BTC $ 64,225.07 exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in January 2024, Wall Street firms have increasingly expanded into digital asset trading, tokenization and custody, while institutional investors continue to boost planned crypto allocations, according to EY research.

"The size of the opportunity in front of us is staggering, as crypto increasingly becomes the rails for finance,” Crypto.com co-founder and CEO Kris Marszalek said in the release.

Founded in 2016, Crypto.com has grown into one of the world's largest cryptocurrency platforms and has increasingly expanded into institutional products alongside its retail business.

The company said it is also developing new offerings in areas including prediction markets and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs).

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Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months

Gate Leads Spot Market Share Gains as CEX Volumes Rise for First Time in Five Months

CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.

CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.

Why it matters :

CEX trading volumes rose for the first time in five months in June, with spot climbing 15.3% to $1.11T and RWA perpetual volumes surging to a record $311B.