About a-team Marketing Services
The knowledge platform for the financial technology industry
The knowledge platform for the financial technology industry

A-Team Insight Blogs

Nasdaq Suspends High-Speed Trading Service Amid Regulatory Scrutiny

Subscribe to our newsletter

Nasdaq has halted a high-speed trading service following concerns raised by competitors and regulatory scrutiny from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The service, which offered select clients access to lower-latency hollow-core fiber optic cables, was not publicly disclosed and had not undergone the SEC’s rule-filing process.

Low-latency network provider McKay Brothers brought the issue to the attention of regulators, alleging that Nasdaq had been offering the service to certain colocation clients for an additional monthly fee of $10,000. This undisclosed latency advantage, McKay argued, created an uneven playing field and contradicted regulatory requirements for transparency and fairness in exchange access.

In response, Nasdaq announced that it would discontinue the service. The decision highlights the competitive and regulatory pressures faced by exchanges as they seek to provide advanced trading infrastructure while maintaining compliance with market rules.

Sylvain Thieullent, CEO at Horizon Trading Solutions, shared his thoughts with TradingTech Insight on the broader implications of such technological advancements: “The trading environment has developed to a point where securing marginal gains is critical to success. Whether this is through faster execution speed achieved via infrastructure or technological upgrades, systems that can perform better during periods of high volatility, or the provision of additional insights into pre-trade analytics, traders are always looking for an edge.”

Nasdaq has also outlined plans to upgrade its data centre infrastructure, including an “Equalization Project” intended to standardise latency across colocation customers. The move is aimed at addressing concerns about preferential access while ensuring that technological improvements benefit all market participants equitably.

As exchanges continue to navigate the balance between innovation and regulatory compliance, the scrutiny over Nasdaq’s service serves as a reminder of the ongoing debate surrounding market fairness and the role of speed in trading competition.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Related content

WEBINAR

Recorded Webinar: Unlocking Competitive Edge with Outsourcing and Managed Services in Trading Technology

Outsourcing has emerged as a strategic solution for capital markets firms as trading technology infrastructures become more complex, data volumes grow exponentially, and regulatory pressures intensify. .By leveraging third-party expertise, firms can optimise operations, reduce costs, and focus on innovation in their trading technology stack. Outsourcing potentially enables firms to scale seamlessly, meet regulatory reporting...

BLOG

Unlocking Competitive Edge: Outsourcing and Managed Services in Trading Technology

Faced with intensifying cost pressures, regulatory shifts, evolving market dynamics and rapid technological change, capital markets firms are seeing the roles of outsourcing and managed services becoming increasingly strategic. But how do they decide what to outsource and what to retain in-house? How can they preserve agility and oversight while handing over key infrastructure? And...

EVENT

AI in Capital Markets Summit London

The AI in Capital Markets Summit will explore current and emerging trends in AI, the potential of Generative AI and LLMs and how AI can be applied for efficiencies and business value across a number of use cases, in the front and back office of financial institutions. The agenda will explore the risks and challenges of adopting AI and the foundational technologies and data management capabilities that underpin successful deployment.

GUIDE

AI in Capital Markets: Practical Insight for a Transforming Industry – Free Handbook

AI is no longer on the horizon – it’s embedded in the infrastructure of modern capital markets. But separating real impact from inflated promises requires a grounded, practical understanding. The AI in Capital Markets Handbook 2025 provides exactly that. Designed for data-driven professionals across the trade life-cycle, compliance, infrastructure, and strategy, this handbook goes beyond...