ICE Invests $2B in Polymarket

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Good Morning.

The NYSE’s parent company, ICE, just put $2B into Polymarket, and S&P Global rolled out its first index that blends cryptocurrencies with crypto-related stocks. It’s another sign that big institutions aren’t just experimenting anymore, they’re starting to build inside the ecosystem.

In Today's Email:

• What Matters: ICE Invests $2B in Polymarket 💰️ 

• Case Study: Gold-Backed Tokens Hit $3B 📈 

• Governance & Features: S&P Global Launches Hybrid Crypto-Stock Index 👀 

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WHAT MATTERS

ICE Invests $2B in Polymarket

State of play: Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, is investing $2B in Polymarket, giving the prediction platform a $9B post-money valuation.

• The deal marks one of the largest traditional finance investments in a crypto-native market.

• Polymarket confirmed the news on X, highlighting the partnership as a milestone in bridging regulated exchanges with onchain prediction markets.

• The move follows Polymarket’s recent acquisition of derivatives venue QCEX and its plans to expand into the US following CFTC engagement.

Why it matters: ICE’s $2B bet shows prediction markets are moving from crypto niche to mainstream finance. It hints at a future where onchain markets and traditional exchanges start to overlap.

Our take: Polymarket isn’t just a betting app anymore. With ICE behind it, it’s turning into real financial infrastructure.

For builders and investors: This deal sets a new benchmark for crypto-market credibility

CASE STUDY

Gold-Backed Tokens Hit $3B

The market value of tokenized gold assets has surpassed $3B for the first time, driven by record highs in spot gold prices above $4,000 per ounce.

• Leading tokens PAX Gold (PAXG) and Tether Gold (XAUT) saw trading volumes surge to $640M in 24 hours.

• The rally comes amid a US government shutdown and renewed concerns over fiat stability, fueling what analysts call a “debasement trade.”

• Despite BTC also hitting a record above $126,000, the Bitcoin-to-gold ratio has fallen below 32, signaling gold’s stronger performance this year.

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INSIGHTS

Meteora’s “Phoenix Rising Plan”

Meteora has unveiled its “Phoenix Rising Plan,” a Liquidity Generation Event that fully unlocks all allocated $MET tokens at launch, breaking away from typical vesting models.

• The plan distributes 48% of supply to stakeholders, users, and partners, while reserving 18% for the team and 34% for the reserve, both vesting over 6 years.

• Meteora also introduced a “Liquidity Distributor” system that airdrops liquidity positions instead of tokens, letting users earn fees while selling gradually.

• The move aims to align community incentives, boost liquidity, and position $MET as a long-term, liquid DeFi asset.

FEATURES & GOVERNANCE UPDATE

S&P Global Launches Hybrid Crypto-Stock Index

S&P Global is launching the S&P Digital Markets 50, its first hybrid index that tracks both cryptocurrencies and crypto-related equities.

• Developed with Dinari, the index includes 15 digital assets and 35 stocks from companies tied to blockchain, financial services, and infrastructure.

• Each asset is capped at 5%, with minimum market caps of $100M for equities and $300M for crypto.

• Dinari plans to issue a tokenized version on its dShares platform by year-end, allowing investors to access both markets through a single onchain product.

Other notable feature updates:

• Infinex launched Infinex Perps.

• Circle launched USYC on Solana.

• Lighter launched its public mainnet.

• Morpho launched Vaults V2 on Ethereum.

• Hyperliquid enabled permissionless spot quote assets.

QUICK BITES

• NYSE parent firm ICE to invest $2B in Polymarket.

• CEA Industries discloses 480,000 BNB corporate treasury.

• Trump memecoin issuer pursues $200M funding to build DAT.

• Hyperliquid NFT airdrop rockets Hypurr to $300M market cap.

• Gold-backed crypto tokens top $3B as metal hits all-time high.

• Bitcoin ETFs see largest daily inflows since Trump election surge.

• S&P Global to launch first hybrid index combining crypto and stocks.

• Ethereum treasuries and spot ETFs now hold over 10% of ETH supply.

• SharpLink's unrealized gains surpass $900M since ETH treasury launch.

NOTEWORTHY READS & MEME

• Chilla’s read on Intentional Binding

• Checkonchain’s read on The Wall Still Stands

• Satmonkes’s read on Meteora Airdrop Mechanism

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Disclaimer: All the information presented in this publication and its affiliates is strictly for educational purposes only. It should not be construed or taken as financial, legal, investment, or any other form of advice.