NEW YORK, April 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- NYMEX Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: NMX), parent company of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc. (NYMEX), today completed and signed definitive agreements with Optionable, Inc. (OTCBB: OPBL), a leading provider of natural gas and other energy derivatives brokerage services, and its founding stockholders, to acquire 19 percent of Optionable. In addition to the 19 percent stake, Optionable has issued a warrant that would permit NYMEX to increase its stake in the company to 40 percent. The warrant is exercisable for 18 months at an exercise price of $4.30 per share. The agreements also provide for certain marketing and technology initiatives between the companies. NYMEX is entitled to nominate one Director to the Optionable Board, which has increased in size to five Directors from four, and elected Benjamin Chesir, NYMEX vice president of new product development, as a Director NYMEX Chairman Richard Schaeffer said, "The closing of this agreement marks an important milestone for NYMEX. We are looking forward to working with Optionable as a key contributor to our future expansion in the options markets." Optionable CEO Kevin Cassidy said, "The completion of this transaction is a major strategic step for Optionable, allying us closely with the world's largest exchange for the trading of energy futures and options contracts. I am convinced that our close relationship with NYMEX will be an important catalyst in helping drive and accelerate our future growth." About NYMEX Holdings, Inc. NYMEX is the parent company of the New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., the world's largest physical commodity exchange. NYMEX offers futures and options trading in energy and metals contracts and clearing services for more than 250 off-exchange energy contracts. Through a hybrid model of open outcry floor trading and electronic trading on CME Globex(R) and NYMEX ClearPort(R), NYMEX offers crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, coal, electricity, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, platinum group metals, and soft commodities contracts for trading and clearing virtually 24 hours each day. For more information on NYMEX or the New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc., please visit http://www.nymex.com/. About Optionable Optionable, Inc. is a leading provider of natural gas and other energy derivatives trading and brokerage services, headquartered in Valhalla, NY. The company provides its services to brokerage firms, financial institutions, energy traders and hedge funds nationwide. In addition to the traditional voice brokerage business, Optionable developed an automated derivatives trading platform. OPEX(R) is a real-time electronic trade matching and brokerage system designed to improve liquidity and transparency in the energy derivatives market. For more information about Optionable and OPEX please visit http://www.optionable.com/. Forward Looking and Cautionary Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, with respect to our future performance, operating results, strategy, and other future events. Such statements generally include words such as could, can, anticipate, believe, expect, seek, pursue, and similar words and terms, in connection with any discussion of future results. Forward-looking statements involve a number of assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, any of which may cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated, estimated, or projected results referenced in forward-looking statements. In particular, the forward-looking statements of NYMEX Holdings, Inc., and its subsidiaries are subject to the following risks and uncertainties: the success and timing of new futures contracts and products; changes in political, economic, or industry conditions; the unfavorable resolution of material legal proceedings; the impact and timing of technological changes and the adequacy of intellectual property protection; the impact of legislative and regulatory actions, including without limitation, actions by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission; and terrorist activities and international hostilities, which may affect the general economy as well as oil and other commodity markets. We assume no obligation to update or supplement our forward-looking statements. DATASOURCE: NYMEX Holdings, Inc. CONTACT: Anu Ahluwalia, +1-212-299-2439, or Keil Decker, +1-212-299- 2209, both for NYMEX Holdings, Inc. Web site: http://www.nymex.com/ http://www.optionable.com/

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