i am not denying ICE is thinking about starting a bitcoin exchange. If they weren't, it would be more shocking. also they may be thinking of some kind of swaps. may be for institutional players, other derivatives make sense given futures have been successful to a large degree. they may also be thinking of solving custody issues for some clients. all i am saying is just as there is negative fud, there can be hype.
given the success of crypto, no one wants to be left behind. adding blockchain to a company's name these days leads to massive increases in stock price. this hype not only helps cryptos but also ICE, it helps them answer questions about bitcoin from their shareholders.
Yes that is a good point. The fact that it hasn't really been refuted at this point, despite the fact that major news networks are reporting it and reaching out to ICE and NYSE for comment leads me to believe there likely is more than just "thinking about doing it". We will find out more in the coming weeks though.