ErisX, a regulated digital asset derivatives exchange, announced it has closed a Series B funding round, raising $27.5 М. Leading investors included Fidelity Investments, investment firm that administers over $7.2 trillion in client assets, and Nasdaq Ventures, world’s second-largest stock exchange. They were backed by Bitmain, ConsenSys, Monex Group, CTC Group Investments, Digital Currency Group, DRW Venture Capital, Pantera Capital, and Valor Equity Partners.
ErisX is a derivatives and digital asset trading platform that will offer in the following year both spot trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, as well as futures markets, pending regulatory approval. The company’s mission is to be a futures market and clearinghouse fully-regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The firm is still yet to finalize its registration for its clearinghouse operations. According to the Chief Executive Officer Thomas Chippas, the investments will be used to hire staff, build out infrastructure, and secure the appropriate steps are taken to develop a regulated market for digital assets. Speaking on the investment, Joseph Lubin, CEO of one of the investors ConsenSys, said in a statement that the new platform “is an important step in continuing the convergence of digital and traditional asset classes in global institutional financial services.”
In October the retail brokerage firm TD Ameritrade also invested in the exchange, with participation from investing company DRW Holdings and high-speed trader Virtu Financial. The private equity firm Valor Equity Partners and CBOE Global Markets Inc. also participated in that fall round.