5/25/24 - Weekend Listening from Intercontinental Exchange

The end of May at the NYSE always brings with it the juxtaposition of two interrelated but tonally-different commemorations: Fleet Week and Memorial Day.

As part of the former, we welcome throngs of Navy sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen to celebrate their annual visit to New York City. When they arrive at a reception in our Board Room, they’re greeted with an array of New York culinary delicacies meant to offset deprivations imposed by months at sea.

As part of the latter, that same group joins with us in a Moment of Silence to honor the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who have given their last full measure of devotion to their country. On plaques mounted above the NYSE Trading Floor are enshrined the names of those with our Exchange community who have fallen in uniform.

You can watch all the at once festive and solemn proceedings on our episode of NYSE TV Live, recorded yesterday afternoon in our Board Room and on the Trading Floor. Navy Wes R. McCall, Rear Admiral (Ret) McCall, Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic, and Marine Brigadier Gen. Omar Randell, Deputy Commander, USMC Forces South, joined our listed company Nextdoor (NYSE: KIND), represented by Jennifer Starr ,and Blue Star Families , represented by founder and CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet , to close out the trading week before the long weekend.

At the ceremonies, we reflected on the stories for four sailors whose service ended at D-Day, June 6, 1944, the 80th anniversary of which is 12 days away. On that fateful morning, seamen Arthur Hickey, John Jacobsen, Ozie Mingledorf, and Conrad Millis were members of a Navy Combat Demolition Unit (NCDU) that arrived first on Omaha Beach. Their mission: blow up the German obstacles and mines impeding the Allied invasion force. They succeeded, breaching 16 lanes through with the Army began its assault, but perished in the process.

They live on through the Navy SEALs and the Naval Special Warfare community, which the NCDUs spawned. Their legacy of valor is enshrined in a new documentary which premiered this week in New York called FROG FATHERS: Lessons from the Normandy Surf. I saw Jim Ritterhoff 's film last Tuesday. It was incredibly moving.

While you’re waiting for FROG FATHERS to arrive at your local theater or streaming service from FORCE BLUE , I hope you’ll listen to this week’s episode of Inside the ICE House, featuring Bruce Lowthers , CEO of Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE). Enjoy it this holiday weekend, but take some time as well to honor the service and sacrifice that makes our freedom and democracy possible.

The view from Jacksonville:

• Paysafe CEO Bruce Lowthers on the Digital Payment Revolution Since the advent of regulated currency in the 7th century BCE, monetary transactions between two parties have progressed from coins and paper to plastics and, most recently, digital currency. But throughout the history of money, the method of storage has stayed constant: the trusty wallet. Leading the transformation to digital currencies is Paysafe CEO Bruce Lowthers. Bruce goes Inside the ICE House to unpack the evolution of the payments industry, Paysafe’s global reach, and the many industries his company serves.

If you’re on a smart phone, all of our Inside the ICE House podcast episodes are available wherever you get your podcasts, including the Apple Podcast App, Spotify, and Stitcher, and other audio platforms. Feel free to reach out to me with any feedback about our show, or suggest any guests for future episodes.