Ontario Teachers Pension Fund Gains Crypto Exposure with Investment in Crypto Exchange, FTX

Ontario Teachers&39 Pension Plan invests in cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading Ltd, through Teachers&rsquo Innovation Platform. FTX, a Bahamas-based crypto exchange recently announced that Teachers&rsquo Innovation Platform (TIP) was one of the 69 investors in its most recent $420-million funding round. After that inflow of support from the funding round, FTX established in 2019, is valued at $25 billion today. This is a bold move for a big, successful, and well-known pension plan, Ontario Teachers&39. Worth noting as more big pensions gain access to the crypto markets this momentum increases in velocity.

&ldquoTeachers&rsquo Innovation Platform invests in innovative companies that use technology to help shape new categories,&rdquo stated Olivia Steedman, managing director at TIP. &ldquoAs a global technology-driven innovator in the financial sector, FTX fits well with our mandate. We look forward to working with FTX&rsquos management team in supporting the continued growth of the company.&rdquo With new regulation-compliant onramps appearing every day, Pension plans and other investor groups previously not able or considering crypto investments turn an eye to this explosive alternative to their traditional holdings.

The latest funding round will help FTX expand into new markets and develop new offerings. The exchange reports that over the past four months their user base has grown by 48%, and average trade volume is up 75% to $14-billion per day. Very regulation friendly, FTX is interested in establishing the exchange as trustworthy and innovative. They seek to engage regulators and embrace change to improve their offerings to investors. We think that the Teachers&39 Pension buy-in speaks well to the FTX positioning as the world&rsquos most transparent and compliant cryptocurrency exchange.