21X To Establish U.S. Operations, Bringing World’s First Blockchain-Enabled Exchange to the American Market

21X, a leader in regulated on-chain trading and settlement, today announced its expansion into the United States with the establishment of a new operation incorporated in Delaware and a primary office in New York. The move marks a monumental next step in the company’s global growth strategy and paves the way for the launch of the 21X U.S. exchange, a fully regulated blockchain-based trading venue for digital financial instruments.

This strategic expansion follows heightened interest by regulators and global financial institutions to investigate the advantages and utility of DLT for capital markets.  During preliminary meetings with the U.S. Crypto Taskforce and the SEC, 21X articulated its vision for a new era of capital markets – one built on a foundation of speed, efficiency and transparency through blockchain technology.

21X will leverage the deep knowledge and experience gained from the highly successful launch of its European exchange, which went live in early September 2025 after securing its DLT TSS license. The company’s proven success in the EU will allow it to swiftly apply for U.S. regulatory approval, which is key to introducing 21X to the U.S. market.

The launch of a fully regulated blockchain-based exchange in the U.S. will be a transformative event for capital markets. It will introduce unparalleled benefits, including:

• Reduced friction: By enabling atomic (T + 1 seconds) peer-to-peer settlement, the exchange will eliminate the need for traditional intermediaries, dramatically compressing workflows and reducing costs.
• Enhanced transparency: All transactions are recorded on a public permissionless blockchain, providing a new level of auditability and trust for all market participants.
• Democratized access: The platform will break down traditional barriers, providing direct market access to a wide range of participants, from institutional investors to corporate clients.

The 21X U.S. exchange supports the trading of a diverse array of financial instruments, from tokenized equities and debt instruments to more innovative assets like ETFs, mutual funds and structured products. This will unlock new distribution channels creating liquidity and investment opportunities that were previously illiquid or inaccessible.

Max J. Heinzle, Founder and CEO of 21X, commented on the announcement: “I am incredibly excited to announce the next major step in the development of 21X. Our singular focus has been to deliver a fully regulated blockchain–enabled exchange in the EU, and that mission has been a tremendous success.”

He added: “Our European exchange has created a new benchmark for capital markets, and now we are using that knowledge as a springboard to deploy the same infrastructure in the U.S. and bring those benefits of on-chain trading to the world’s largest and most vibrant capital market. This represents a major milestone in the growth strategy of 21X – to bridge globalized capital markets with the world’s most dynamic blockchain–enabled exchanges for investors wherever they are in the world.”

21X will shortly submit its application for registration to the SEC. Further information about the timeline for the launch of 21X in the US will be provided in due course.