ARK Invest, led by Cathie Wood, has amplified its investment in the cryptocurrency exchange Bullish by acquiring an additional $5 million in shares across its innovation-focused ETFs. Trade filings from late October reveal that the ARK Innovation ETF (ARKK) purchased 72,537 shares, ARK Next Generation Internet ETF (ARKW) added 21,354 shares, and ARK Fintech Innovation ETF (ARKF) bought 11,122 shares. This represents the third acquisition wave since Bullish's listing on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker BLSH, following an $8.27 million buy-in in mid-October and a massive $172 million allocation around the exchange's $1.1 billion IPO.
Bullish, backed by Block.one and helmed by former NYSE President Tom Farley, has processed over $1.5 trillion in trading volume since its 2021 inception, placing it among the top 10 global exchanges for Bitcoin and Ethereum activity. The platform emphasizes transparency, security, and liquidity, qualities increasingly prioritized by regulators and institutional investors in the post-FTX era. In October, Bullish officially entered the U.S. market after receiving a BitLicense and money transmission license from New York regulators, launching spot trading services in 20 states with initial clients like BitGo and Nonco.
The purchases coincided with Bullish's U.S. launch event in New York City, attended by executives and industry leaders. "The energy in the room said it all—the future is Bullish," the company posted on X, reflecting optimism for institutional adoption. Cathie Wood has repeatedly highlighted the role of regulated exchanges in bridging traditional finance and digital assets, stating, "We’re witnessing the integration of crypto into the core of financial systems. Companies like Bullish are essential to that transformation." ARK's strategy focuses on disruptive technologies, with crypto infrastructure becoming a central pillar.
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