IntercontinentalExchange has been quietly transforming the way energy and other commodities are traded for more than a decade.

The 12-year-old Atlanta-based company has grown by dominating global trade in Brent crude oil and UK natural gas from its London-based exchange, while it is the main venue for trade in futures of commodities such as cotton and raw sugar from its US-based markets. In recent years, Ice has pushed to apply its electronic trading platforms toward financial derivatives such as currency contracts and credit-default swaps.