NYSE Parent ICE Eyes Avalanche for 24/7 On-Chain Trading Venue

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange, is developing an alternative trading system (ATS) intended to support around-the-clock trading on-chain — and Avalanche has surfaced as a leading candidate platform, according to remarks made on Sept. 17, 2026.

Michael Blaugrund of Intercontinental Exchange/NYSE said during a panel discussion that Avalanche "checks a lot of those boxes" as ICE evaluates platforms for the venue, adding that the two teams are "very engaged." The avax account highlighted the comments, which were made from a conference stage.

What an on-chain ATS means

An ATS is a regulated trading venue that operates outside traditional exchanges but under securities rules — the same category as dark pools. Bringing one on-chain would put continuous, 24/7 market access on blockchain rails rather than the fixed hours of legacy equities trading.

Avalanche is a layer-1 blockchain known for its subnet architecture, now branded Avalanche L1s, which lets institutions deploy permissioned, application-specific networks tied to the broader ecosystem. That design has drawn interest from firms seeking controlled environments with public-chain settlement.

What to watch

Blaugrund's comments stop short of a formal partnership or a launch timeline; ICE describes the platform as in development. Watch for any confirmation of a venue selection, technical integration, or regulatory filings from ICE, and for further detail on how Avalanche infrastructure would be used.

The remarks arrive as U.S. regulators press ahead with crypto-friendly market structure moves, including work toward 24/7 trading frameworks.