FTX US Attains $8B Valuation in $400M Fundraise Including SoftBank, Temasek

The cryptocurrency exchange intends to use the funds to launch new business lines and explore strategic investments and acquisitions.

AccessTimeIconJan 26, 2022 at 8:43 a.m. UTC
Updated May 11, 2023 at 4:08 p.m. UTC
10 Years of Decentralizing the Future
May 29-31, 2024 - Austin, TexasThe biggest and most established global hub for everything crypto, blockchain and Web3.Register Now

Sam Bankman-Fried is raising an army of FTX unicorns.

FTX US, the crypto trading giant’s stateside wing, on Wednesday said it raised $400 million at an $8 billion valuation – one of the industry’s largest Series A rounds. Its eponymous parent company commanded a $25 billion valuation in October.

  • Why Worldcoin Is Launching a Layer 2
    20:07
    Why Worldcoin Is Launching a Layer 2
  • Polymarket Traders Bet on Fed Rate Cuts; Bitcoin Spot ETFs Register Five-Day Withdrawals Streak
    02:17
    Polymarket Traders Bet on Fed Rate Cuts; Bitcoin Spot ETFs Register Five-Day Withdrawals Streak
  • Base Monthly Active Addresses Increased by 160% in March: Nansen
    00:50
    Base Monthly Active Addresses Increased by 160% in March: Nansen
  • Bitcoin Halving: We Answer Your Questions
    04:16
    Bitcoin Halving: We Answer Your Questions
  • The staggering sum adds fuel to one of the U.S. crypto industry’s fastest-growing brands. The exchange’s now 1.2 million-strong user base traded $67 billion in spot crypto last year as average daily volume spiked 608%, according to statistics shared with CoinDesk.

    The exchange entered the U.S. market in May 2020, and now has a 24-hour trading volume of $255.5 million, according to data from CoinGecko.

    Much of that growth came as the trading juggernaut made massive business development and partnership bets – especially in sports. From umpires donning branded patches to athletes-turned-pitchmen Tom Brady and David Ortiz asking TV viewers, “You in?,” FTX US aggressively courted the U.S. market.

    Paradigm, Temasek, Multicoin Capital, SoftBank and others participated in the round, according to the press release. FTX US plans to use its fresh $400 million to “accelerate its growth” on a warpath to becoming the ”largest crypto exchange in the U.S.”

    It has a long way to go. Coinbase, the publicly traded crypto exchange with 73 million global users, receives over 50% of its web traffic from the U.S., according to Similarweb. (Coinbase does not share country-by-country user breakdowns.)

    New product lines

    “The FTX US team is laying the groundwork to become the dominant trading platform in the United States for all things crypto: spot trading, derivatives, and NFTs,” Kyle Samani, managing partner at VC fund Multicoin Capital, told CoinDesk.

    With last year’s acquisition of Ledger Holdings Inc. now closed, FTX US, a Chicago-based firm, is well-positioned to expand its product line into derivatives, a closely regulated market in the U.S.

    President Brett Harrison said in a statement he felt “confident that FTX US will emerge as the leading U.S.-regulated crypto spot and derivatives exchange.” He did not respond to texts.

    The U.S. arm of cryptocurrency exchange FTX has raised $400 million from investors including SoftBank and Temasek, giving it a valuation of $8 billion.

    UPDATE (Jan. 26, 9:10 UTC): Adds historical information, fundraising target starting in third bullet point.

    UPDATE (Jan. 26, 9:30 UTC): Removes "Report" from headline and replaces link to Reuters article with one to company announcement; adds FTX valuation.

    UPDATE (Jan. 26, 13:19 UTC): Adds information throughout.

    Disclosure

    Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

    CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.

    Jamie Crawley

    Jamie Crawley is a CoinDesk news reporter based in London.

    Danny Nelson

    Danny is CoinDesk's Managing Editor for Data & Tokens. He owns BTC, ETH and SOL.


    Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk's longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.