Bakkt
Bakkt Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, provides a software as a service (SaaS) and API platform for owning and trading cryptocurrency and redeeming loyalty points. Bakkt was founded by and is 65.7% owned by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which also owns the New York Stock Exchange. Bakkt earns revenue from commissions for payments and purchases and sales of cryptocurrency.The company also owns the naming rights to the Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Las Vegas.


== History ==


=== 2018–2020: Under ICE ownership ===
In August 2018, Intercontinental Exchange announced it was forming a new company Bakkt, which was intended to leverage Microsoft online servers to manage digital assets. Bakkt was said to be working with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Microsoft, Starbucks, and others to create a software platform. The Bakkt ecosystem is expected to include federally regulated markets and warehousing along with merchant and consumer applications. Its first use cases was for trading and conversion of Bitcoin (BTC) versus fiat currencies. Kelly Loeffler served as Bakkt's CEO until her appointment to the United States Senate.As an initial component of the Bakkt offering, Intercontinental Exchange's U.S.-based futures exchange and clearing house plan to launch a one-day physically delivered BTC contract along with physical warehousing in 2019, subject to CFTC review and approval, which was delayed. These regulated venues will establish new protocols for managing the specific security and settlement requirements of digital currencies. In addition, the clearing house plans to create a separate guarantee fund that will be funded by Bakkt.
In January 2019, Bakkt announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire certain assets of Rosenthal Collins Group (RCG), to close in February. In April 2019, Bakkt announced that it had acquired Digital Asset Custody Company (DACC). Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. In September 2019 the exchange began trading of bitcoin futures. In February 2020, Intercontinental Exchange announced that it agreed to acquire Bridge2 Solutions, a loyalty rewards provider, which was then contributed to Bakkt.In September 2020, Bakkt announced a new all-time high for trade volume in physically delivered Bitcoin futures contracts. During the September 15th session, this figure amounted to 15,955 BTC (more than $200 million at the time of announcement).


=== 2021–present: Publicly listed company ===
In October 2021, Bakkt completed a merger with VPC Impact Acquisition Holdings, a special-purpose acquisition company sponsored by Victory Park Capital and was listed on the New York Stock Exchange.In November 2022, it was announced Bakkt would be acquiring the Chicago-based integrated crypto trading platform, Apex Crypto, LLC from Apex Fintech Solutions, Inc.


== References ==


== External links ==
Official website 
Business data for Bakkt Holdings, Inc.: