ATLANTA, December 22 /PRNewswire/ --

**Further Enhances Protection for Clearing Members and Ability to Clear Additional Asset Classes**

IntercontinentalExchange (NYSE: ICE), a leading operator of regulated global futures exchanges and over-the-counter (OTC) markets, announced today that ICE Clear Europe(TM) has received settlement finality designation (SFD) by the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) under the Financial Markets and Insolvency (Settlement Finality) Regulations 1999.

The FSA's approval marks another significant milestone for ICE Clear Europe by enhancing the systemic risk protection provided to clearing members in the event of a clearing counterparty default. Under SFD, payment instructions can be protected from EU administrators or liquidators of insolvent firms. Designation means that ICE Clear Europe's system is now designated under the EU's Settlement Finality Directive.

Not only will SFD provide additional protections for market participants in our existing energy OTC and futures businesses, but it also furthers ICE Clear Europe's ability to clear products in other asset classes, said Paul Swann, President and Chief Operating Officer of ICE Clear Europe. We continue to demonstrate our dedication to enhancing the already robust clearing and risk management services we offer to our customers around the globe.

On November 3, ICE Clear Europe launched as the first new major derivatives clearing house in London in over a century. The clearing house was formed to provide clearing services to the global energy markets for OTC and futures transactions. ICE Clear Europe enables the efficient development of new cleared markets to support the risk management needs of customers, with the capability to offer similar services to an expanded range of asset classes.

About IntercontinentalExchange

IntercontinentalExchange(R) (NYSE: ICE) operates regulated global futures exchanges and over-the-counter (OTC) markets for agricultural, energy, equity index and currency contracts, as well as credit derivatives. ICE(R) offers these markets to participants around the world through its technology infrastructure and trading platform, together with clearing, market data and risk management services. ICE Futures Europe(R) is ICE's regulated energy futures exchange. ICE's regulated North American exchanges, ICE Futures U.S. (R) and ICE Futures Canada(TM), offer markets for agricultural and financial contracts. Creditex, a market leader in trade execution and processing for credit derivatives, is also a wholly-owned subsidiary of ICE. A member of the Russell 1000(R) and SP 500 indices, ICE is headquartered in Atlanta, with offices in New York, London, Chicago, Winnipeg, Calgary, Houston and Singapore. www.theice.com.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 - Statements in this press release regarding IntercontinentalExchange's business that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of additional risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see ICE's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, including, but not limited to, the risk factors in ICE's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007, and ICE's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2008 and September 30, 2008, as filed with the SEC on February 13, 2008, August 4, 2008, and October 30, 2008, respectively.

Investor Contacts: Kelly Loeffler, VP, Investor Relations Corp. Communications, +1-770-857-4726, kelly.loeffler@theice.com, or Sarah Stashak, Director, Investor Public Relations, +1-770-857-0340, sarah.stashak@theice.com, both of IntercontinentalExchange; or Media Contact: Ellen Resnick, Crystal Clear Communications, +1-773-929-9292 (o), +1-312-399-9295 (c), eresnick@crystalclearPR.com