Horizon Trading Solutions Launches FixConnect to Streamline FIX Connectivity

Horizon Trading Solutions has launched Horizon FixConnect, a new connectivity tool developed to accelerate the onboarding of clients and brokers. Built on the high-performance Aeron data infrastructure, the solution enables users to configure FIX connections via a self-service interface within the Horizon Trader Workspace. This integration removes traditional dependencies on IT and operations teams, allowing for more agile management of trading infrastructure.

The platform significantly reduces onboarding timelines from several days to near real-time deployment, according to the company. By eliminating the requirement for system restarts during configuration, FixConnect reduces operational overhead and allows trading desks to adapt instantly to market opportunities. This ensures that institutional and retail brokers can maintain stability while responding to evolving trading requirements.

FixConnect supports 24/7 operations by allowing connectivity adjustments without service disruption. The launch reinforces Horizon’s modular platform strategy, providing a unified environment where clients can manage connectivity, execution, and algorithmic trading seamlessly.

Trading Technologies and Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam Announce Global Connectivity Agreement

Trading Technologies International (TT) and the Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam (MXV) have signed an agreement to enhance MXV’s exchange connectivity services. Under the new collaboration, the global capital markets technology provider will supply the infrastructure necessary for MXV’s trading members and clients to access a wider range of international derivatives markets.

The partnership integrates TT’s high-performance network with MXV’s existing systems, providing streamlined access to major global exchanges including the CME Group, London Metal Exchange (LME), Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and Singapore Exchange (SGX). This initiative aims to improve trading efficiency and bolster the accessibility of international markets for the Vietnamese trading community.

Beyond technical infrastructure, the agreement marks TT’s first local client in Vietnam as part of a strategic Asian expansion. Both organisations have indicated that the partnership may extend into further areas, including market education, capacity building, and training initiatives designed to support the ongoing development of Vietnam’s commodity derivatives market.

HQLAX Secures Strategic Funding from Broadridge and Digital Asset

HQLAX, a digital collateral mobility specialist, has secured strategic minority investments from Broadridge Financial Solutions and Digital Asset as part of its Series C–1 funding round. This capital injection is intended to accelerate the company’s growth and facilitate the ongoing development of its technology platform. As part of the transaction, representatives from both investing firms will join the HQLAX Board of Directors, pending regulatory approval from the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF).

The partnership focuses on enhancing technical interoperability within securities finance. Key initiatives include a planned migration to the Canton Network and closer collaboration with Broadridge’s Distributed Ledger Repo (DLR) platform. These moves aim to streamline regulated market use cases and improve the mobility of digital collateral across the global repo and securities lending sectors.

By leveraging these new investments, HQLAX continues to expand its ecosystem of bank and market infrastructure partnerships. The firm remains focused on driving the adoption of digital solutions to improve efficiency in global financial markets. All strategic developments and board changes remain subject to standard oversight from the CSSF.

STP Investment Services and CAPIS Partner to Launch Integrated Trading and Operations Model

STP Investment Services and CAPIS have announced a strategic partnership to provide a coordinated outsourced model for buy-side firms. This collaboration integrates CAPIS’ institutional trade execution with STP’s technology-enabled investment operations. The solution is designed to bridge the traditional gap between front-office trading and middle-office support, allowing investment managers to scale their businesses without the need to expand internal headcount.

The partnership focuses on eliminating operational friction by aligning data feeds and file structures. By synchronising system requirements and data fields, the firms enable trading data to flow directly into downstream workflows, reducing the need for manual reconciliation. This integrated approach has already been successfully deployed for a mutual client, resulting in a more scalable operating model and faster processing times across the trade lifecycle.

Under the agreement, CAPIS offers outsourced and supplemental trading across global equities, fixed income, and derivatives, including commission management expertise. Simultaneously, STP provides middle-office solutions through its BluePrint platform, covering reconciliation, settlements, and reporting. This flexible infrastructure allows emerging and established managers to outsource discrete functions or their entire operational suite to enhance efficiency and business continuity.

Avelacom Launches New Stockholm PoP to Optimise Tokyo-London Connectivity

Avelacom, the ultra-low latency connectivity and infrastructure provider, has established a new Point of Presence (PoP) in AWS Stockholm, introducing an alternative route specifically designed to enhance connectivity between cloud trading environments in Tokyo and London. By using Stockholm as a strategic transit point, the new setup provides a more efficient path for institutional traders and prediction market platforms operating across these regions.

The Tokyo–Stockholm segment achieves a round-trip delay (RTD) of approximately 118 milliseconds, setting a new performance benchmark for Asia–Europe data transfers by reducing end-to-end latency between Tokyo and London by up to 10 milliseconds compared to standard connectivity routes, according to the company. Such improvements are targeted at digital asset trading firms that require high-speed access and precise alignment with regional market infrastructure.

This launch addresses the specific technical requirements of crypto-native platforms and high-frequency trading firms. By focusing on infrastructure location and path optimisation, Avelacom aims to provide more reliable and faster access to London-based cloud environments, ensuring that latency-sensitive market participants can maintain a competitive edge in global digital asset markets.

DTCC and CME Secure Approval to Expand U.S. Treasury Cross-Margining for End Users

DTCC and CME Group have received approval from the SEC and CFTC to extend their U.S. Treasury cross-margining arrangement to end-user clients of dually registered broker/dealers and futures commission merchants that are common members of DTCC’s Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (FICC) and CME.

The expanded service is due to go live on April 30 and broadens a long-standing house-account arrangement into client accounts. In practice, it will allow eligible end users clearing U.S. Treasury securities through FICC and interest rate futures through CME to offset positions with opposing risk exposures across the two clearing venues. The aim is to reduce margin requirements, release capital and improve liquidity for firms active in cash Treasuries and rates futures.

The extension comes as the US Treasury market adjusts to the practical effects of expanded central clearing requirements, with market participants under pressure to manage collateral, balance sheet usage and operational complexity more efficiently. Against that backdrop, cross-margining is being positioned as a way to soften the funding and margin impact of clearing related Treasury and futures positions through separate infrastructures.

DTCC pointed to the scale of the existing arrangement in proprietary accounts. Frank La Salla, President & CEO at DTCC, said the current model has “a proven track record of creating an average of $1 billion across both clearing houses in risk offsets every day,” and added that “we expect the end-user cross margin effort will lead to additional offsets for the industry.”

CME framed the move in the context of regulatory change in the Treasury market. Terry Duffy, CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said: “With the SEC’s central clearing mandates now taking effect, cross-margining is essential — not only for operational efficiency, but to help end users manage the real costs of compliance.”

Cross-margining between CME and FICC has been available for proprietary, or house, accounts since 2004, and the firms announced significant enhancements to the arrangement in 2024. This latest step extends comparable treatment to client business, giving clearing members a way to pass margin efficiencies on to end users where positions meet the eligibility criteria.

Under the model, FICC will designate cross-margin accounts so eligible positions can offset against CME interest rate futures. CME Clearing will allow participants to direct futures into end-user cross-margin accounts during the trading day, making those positions available for inclusion in the offset calculation.

SIX Brings European Equities Data Onchain via Chainlink Oracle Network

SIX has made equities data from its exchanges available onchain for the first time through an integration with Chainlink’s DataLink publishing service. The arrangement covers equities listed on SIX’s exchanges in Switzerland and Spain – representing over €2tn in market capitalisation – and makes the data accessible to more than 2,600 applications across 75-plus public and private blockchains within the Chainlink ecosystem. The integration is currently live on testnet, with mainnet deployment expected later this year.

SIX has been one of the more active traditional exchange groups in digital asset infrastructure, notably through its digital asset central securities depository. The Chainlink integration extends that positioning into onchain data distribution, opening potential use cases including tokenised indices, structured products, compliant DeFi applications, and prediction markets built on regulated equity market data.

The move reflects a broader trend of regulated data providers exploring blockchain-native distribution channels as tokenisation of traditional asset classes accelerates. Chainlink’s existing institutional relationships – its partners include Swift, Euroclear, DTCC, and S&P Dow Jones Indices – position DataLink as an emerging conduit between conventional market data infrastructure and onchain environments.

STS Digital Becomes First Principal Derivatives Dealer Integrated on BitGo’s Go Network

STS Digital has launched as an exchange partner on BitGo’s Go Network for Off-Exchange Settlement (OES). This integration allows institutional clients to trade digital asset derivatives directly with a principal dealer while keeping their assets secured in BitGo’s regulated custody. Previously, the OES model was limited to connecting clients with exchanges; this update enables direct dealer-to-client execution without the requirement to prefund accounts or move assets out of independent custody.

Under this arrangement, clients access STS Digital’s liquidity for over 400 tokens, including vanilla and exotic options, spot, and structured products. Regulated by the Bermuda Monetary Authority, STS Digital provides two-way pricing and global coverage via UI, API, or voice channels. The model is designed to separate custody from execution, reducing counterparty risk by ensuring that client assets remain segregated from both the dealer’s balance sheet and the exchange environment.

SimCorp Enhances Axioma Risk With AI-Powered Stress Testing

SimCorp has launched a new AI-powered capability within its Axioma Risk platform designed to automate the configuration of portfolio stress tests. By using natural language processing, the enhancement allows investment and risk managers to move from manual, multi-step workflows to AI-assisted setups. This shift reduces the time required to configure complex scenarios from hours to seconds, enabling teams to respond to market events in real time rather than being delayed by technical administration.

The tool enables users to describe macroeconomic or geopolitical concerns in plain English, which the system then translates into specific financial shocks and relevant market data. Beyond merely generating scenarios, the AI assists in identifying historical precedents and assessing the statistical plausibility of a test to ensure results are realistic. This helps managers gain deeper insights into tail risks associated with inflation, interest rate shifts, and global geopolitical instability without the need for spreadsheets or manual data exports.

Crucially, the update maintains rigorous calculation governance to meet increasing regulatory demands for transparency. While AI simplifies the initial design and iteration of stress tests, the analytical foundation remains fully auditable with human-in-the-loop approvals. This ensures that all decisions and analytics are explainable, allowing investment professionals to focus their specialized expertise on interpreting risk and making informed portfolio decisions.

BMLL Historical Data Launches on Databricks Marketplace

BMLL, the independent provider of historical market data and analytics, has made its datasets available via the Databricks platform. This move is part of the firm’s broader strategy to offer flexible delivery mechanisms, complementing its existing API, SFTP, and S3 options. The collaboration was driven by customer demand and guidance from the BMLL Client Product Advisory Board, with initial adoption already seen among major global investment management firms.

The integration allows market participants to access granular data across equities, ETFs, futures, and options directly within their existing Databricks workflows. To facilitate ease of use, BMLL has provided a series of marketplace notebooks designed by quantitative analysts. These tools enable users to evaluate the product suite with minimal integration effort and lower data storage costs, accelerating the transition from raw data to actionable insights.

The platform supports various financial functions, including execution analysis, backtesting, and market surveillance. By providing granular, normalised historical data on a scalable platform, BMLL aims to help firms perform more efficient analysis. The initiative reflects a commitment to meeting the growing industry demand for sophisticated data engineering while providing flexibility in how large-scale datasets are discovered and evaluated.