Texas pitches itself as a no-brainer market for businesses given its lax regulations, lack of state income tax and relatively low cost of living. Insiders say the proposed Texas Stock Exchange could be yet another catalyst for investment and corporate relocations.

BlackRock, Citadel Securities and about two dozen investors raised $120M to create TXSE, which would be headquartered in Downtown Dallas. The alternative to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq aims to facilitate trades in 2025 and host its first listings in 2026.