Horizon Partners with SOLOWIN to Enhance Trading Infrastructure for Equities and Virtual Asset ETFs

Horizon Trading Solutions, the electronic trading and algorithmic technology provider, has joined forces with SOLOWIN HOLDINGS, a financial services firm catering to high-net-worth and institutional investors. The partnership integrates Horizon’s algorithmic technology and order management system (OMS) into Solomon JFZ’s trading system, enhancing its capabilities for equities and spot virtual asset ETFs.

Horizon’s Managed & Hosted Services model provides colocation infrastructure and 24/5 support for rapid order execution on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Additional tools like real-time latency monitoring and specialised position management modules optimise trading efficiency for latency-sensitive institutional traders.

As a key participating dealer for virtual asset ETFs managed by China Asset Management and Harvest Global Investments, Solomon JFZ now holds the largest client assets in spot virtual asset ETFs in Hong Kong, the first market globally to support in-kind subscriptions and redemptions for such products.

Thomas Tam, Chief Executive Officer of SOLOWIN, commented: “Horizon is one of the world’s leading providers of electronic trading solutions and algorithmic technology, renowned for its trusted position and proven expertise in designing comprehensive institutional OMS and algo-based solutions. Partnering with such a reliable technology service provider will undoubtedly enhance trading execution, improve efficiency and increase adaptability for our clients, particularly for newly onboarded institutional trading clients.”

Emmanuel Faure, Head of APAC & MENA at Horizon Trading Solutions, added: “We are excited to partner with SOLOWIN to bring advanced OMS and algorithmic solutions to the forefront of virtual asset trading in Asia. This collaboration highlights Horizon’s commitment to innovation and high-performance trading technology, as markets evolve from traditional to digital assets.”

Trading Technologies Expands Energy Market Access with Nord Pool Integration

Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT), provider of capital markets technology, has integrated Nord Pool for intraday trading, available from December. The move enables TT clients to trade on the two leading European power spot exchanges, Nord Pool and EPEX SPOT, which TT integrated earlier this year. Developed in partnership with a major European energy supplier, the new connection enhances TT’s offerings in physical energy markets.

TT’s algorithmic and automated trading solutions support diverse trading strategies through tools like Autospreader, as well as broker and third-party algorithms. Nord Pool, majority-owned by Euronext, operates in 16 European countries and serves businesses across 20 nations.

Alun Green, TT’s EVP Managing Director, Futures & Options, commented: “With this new connection, market participants will, for the first time, be able to use a single screen to trade intraday physical power on Nord Pool and EPEX SPOT alongside the world’s most popular financial energy products. Our high-speed, colocated platform gives traders unparalleled tools that include award-winning algorithmic and automated trading functionality along with robust risk management capabilities. We’re excited to bring this technology to traditional energy-related companies as well as hedge funds, commodity trading advisors and systematic traders. These firms want to use our sophisticated tools and execution algos to hedge and take positions in related markets from one platform, which can bring a new customer base to these exchanges.”

EDX Markets Implements Eventus Validus Platform for Enhanced Trade Surveillance

Eventus, the trade surveillance and financial risk solutions provider, has announced that EDX Markets, a digital asset technology firm catering exclusively to institutional clients, has adopted the Eventus Validus platform for trade surveillance. The collaboration aims to enhance the safety and efficiency of EDX’s marketplace operations.

Founded in 2022 and backed by major Wall Street firms, EDX Markets launched in 2023 to offer secure digital asset trading with improved liquidity and risk minimisation via its central clearinghouse.

EDX Markets CEO Tony Acuña-Rohter commented: “We selected Eventus for this important technology due to the firm’s deep experience in digital assets. The Validus platform is widely accepted by regulators around the globe and was seamless to integrate into our marketplace thanks to its cloud deployment and flexible connectivity capabilities.”

Josh Hoffberg, EDX Head of Market Operations, added: “It’s extremely important that we get trade surveillance right. Eventus onboarded our engineers and integrated their trade surveillance capabilities onto our marketplace well ahead of the launch of our New Matching Engine. The Validus platform also provides us with a strong solution that is easy to use and has intuitive market visualization tools that provide us with a comprehensive view of overall activity. We look forward to leveraging the automation tools and extended surveillance capabilities Validus offers as we continue to scale and grow.”

Eventus CEO Travis Schwab said: “EDX has created an experience for institutional investors that mirrors what they have in traditional finance. Minimizing risk is a key part of that experience, and we’re pleased to equip EDX’s marketplace with our surveillance tools, further reinforcing the integrity of the platform.”

With this partnership, Eventus extends its global footprint, now serving nearly 20 digital asset venues worldwide. This deployment reinforces the companies’ commitment to robust institutional trading infrastructure and compliance.

BME Launches SpainAtMid: a New Non-Displayed Liquidity Pool for Spanish Equities

Bolsas y Mercados Españoles (BME) has launched SpainAtMid, a new non-displayed liquidity pool for Spanish equities, which enables trades in Spanish securities to be executed at the midpoint of the bid-ask spread. This advanced order book offers an additional liquidity source for high-volume trades, allowing participants to minimise market impact while ensuring robust and efficient execution.

Designed to integrate seamlessly with the BME central order book, SpainAtMid functions during the continuous trading phase. It provides flexibility for trading participants through two routing options: direct orders, which execute exclusively at SpainAtMid, and sweep orders, which prioritise SpainAtMid before routing to the central order book if unexecuted. Orders can be customised with conditions such as “Execute or Cancel” or “Minimum Volume.”

Iván Lorenzo, Product Manager, Equity Product at BME, commented: “SpainAtMid has been developed to meet the growing demand from our clients for non-displayed execution in Spanish securities. In Switzerland, SwissAtMid had been introduced in 2016 and fundamentally reshaped the trading landscape for Swiss Equities. With our extensive experience in this area in the Swiss market, we believe we are well placed to offer this option in Spain. By emulating this successful setup on the BME Exchange, SIX enables clients to benefit from the ongoing integration and knowledge exchange between its two home markets, Switzerland and Spain. And we are convinced that concentrating more liquidity on our exchanges is beneficial for all trading participants.”

Avelacom and CryptoStruct Partner to Deliver Ultra-Low Latency Solutions for Crypto Trading Firms

Avelacom, a provider of low latency network solutions, and CryptoStruct, the algorithmic trading solutions vendor for crypto markets, have formed a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing crypto trading efficiency. The collaboration combines Avelacom’s global network infrastructure with CryptoStruct’s trading solutions to offer traders ultra-low latency access to global markets, enabling seamless adaptation of strategies to market volatility.

This partnership provides crypto trading firms with several milliseconds of latency advantage and facilitates simultaneous strategy execution across multiple global markets. By eliminating technical and infrastructure challenges, the joint solution aims to allow traders to focus on strategy optimisation and improve overall performance in the highly dynamic crypto trading environment.

Aleksey Larichev, CEO of Avelacom, commented: “Our new partnership with CryptoStruct enables us to offer tier-one low latency solutions to a broader audience. Together, we’re elevating the trading experience to a higher level.”

Thomas Schmeling, CEO of CryptoStruct, added: “Collaborating with Avelacom enhances the performance of our solutions, providing our clients with a decisive edge. This partnership demonstrates how trading technology and infrastructure can jointly solve the complex demands of modern trading.”

Boubyan Bank Implements Murex MX.3 for Sharia-Compliant Treasury Operations

Kuwait-based financial institution Boubyan Bank has successfully deployed the Murex MX.3 platform to enhance its Sharia-compliant treasury operations. The implementation aims to support the bank’s scalability and meet evolving business needs while adhering to international best practices. This initiative underscores Boubyan’s commitment to offering innovative Islamic financial solutions with faster time-to-market and improved risk management capabilities.

Murex has customised its platform to accommodate the specific requirements of Islamic finance. The company serves over 300 global clients, including over 15 banks trading Islamic products across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific regions.

“The growth of Islamic finance in today’s challenging regulatory and legal landscape is pushing institutions offering Sharia-compliant products to innovate, streamline operations, and enhance risk management,” commented Marc Farah, senior business development manager at Murex. “The MX.3 for Islamic Finance solution provides banks with a competitive edge. It not only offers a comprehensive catalog of Sharia-compliant payoffs, but also optimizes operational efficiency through automated post-trade processes and a preconfigured setup. We are confident that financial institutions in Kuwait and the region will see similar success with the implementation of our solution.”

The project was executed in partnership with Sequel, a Murex associate partner, which managed system integration, migration, and post-launch support for the platform.

big xyt Partners with Trackinsight to Revolutionise ETF Data Analytics

big xyt, provider of AI-driven analytics for global financial markets, has formed a strategic partnership with Trackinsight, the ETF data provider. The collaboration merges big xyt’s expertise in secondary market analytics with Trackinsight’s extensive ETF reference data, creating a solution to deliver comprehensive insights into the $14 trillion ETF ecosystem, addressing complexities such as product evolution, regulatory demands, and the need for transparency.

The partnership provides clients with integrated datasets that enhance liquidity analysis, trading efficiency, and cost management. By combining primary and secondary market insights, the collaboration aims to improve decision-making for issuers, investors, and exchanges. Future developments will include advanced tools for global liquidity analysis and peer group benchmarking, empowering issuers to refine product strategies.

Commenting on the partnership, Robin Mess, CEO of big xyt, said: “At big xyt, we pride ourselves on our leadership in market analytics, offering deep insights into liquidity and trading dynamics across global markets. By aligning our expertise with Trackinsight’s exceptional reference and primary market data, we are creating a comprehensive solution that empowers investors, issuers, and intermediaries to navigate the ETF ecosystem with confidence and precision.”

Philippe Malaise, CEO of Trackinsight added: ” This collaboration ensures that market participants can rely on a unified source for understanding ETF performance, liquidity, and trends, driving smarter decisions and greater efficiency in the market.”

Cboe Clear Europe Gains Approval to Launch Clearing Service for European Securities Financing Transactions

Cboe Clear Europe has received regulatory approval from De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) to clear European Securities Financing Transactions (SFTs). The new service will provide central clearing, settlement, and post-trade lifecycle management for cash equities and ETFs, supporting lenders, including UCITS and non-UCITS participants, and borrowers across 19 European Central Securities Depositories (CSDs).

Aligned with regulations such as EMIR, CSDR, and SFTR, the service is designed to enhance market transparency and efficiency. It replaces the current bilateral model with a centrally cleared structure, reducing risk-weighted asset exposures and enabling capital and operational benefits, such as cross-margining savings and streamlined settlement processes. Leveraging The Bank of New York Mellon and J.P. Morgan as Tri-Party Collateral Agents and Pirum for trade instruction management, Cboe Clear Europe aims to strengthen the competitiveness of European capital markets with the new service.

Vikesh Patel, President of Cboe Clear Europe, commented: “This achievement underscores our dedication to supporting our clients’ evolving needs and contributing to the resilience of financial markets. We greatly appreciate the support of our regulators as we deliver on our commitment to launch innovative services which we believe enhance efficiencies for European market participants and help foster the growth of the region’s capital markets.”

Jan Treuren, Senior Director, Product, Cboe Clear Europe, added: “This service is supported by our best-in-class risk management framework, offering clients the advantage of Cboe Clear Europe’s extensive settlement experience and broad direct connectivity to 19 European CSDs. Initially, the service will cover key European markets, with plans to expand the offering based on client demand and market developments.”

Exegy Expands nxAccess to Cover All Canadian Equity Exchanges

Exegy, the trading technology provider, has expanded its FPGA-based tick-to-trade solution, nxAccess, to include all Canadian equity exchanges. This development enables seamless, ultra-low latency trading across both Canadian and US markets, catering to diverse trading strategies.

The enhanced coverage allows Canadian traders to access both market data and order execution across key venues, including Montréal, Toronto, Chi-X Canada, and others. With ultra-low latency and deterministic trading capabilities, nxAccess empowers firms to optimise their trading strategies while reducing operational complexity.

David Taylor, CEO of Exegy, commented: “By enhancing our ultra-low latency product suite, Exegy reaffirms its leadership in the Canadian market and commitment to supporting clients as they navigate increasingly complex and competitive trading environments. We worked closely with a strategic client to deliver this cutting-edge solution, and it has proven to be a game-changer that can position savvy firms for success in an evolving marketplace.”

OSTTRA and FIS Partner to Enhance Transparency and Efficiency in ETD Post-Trade Processing

OSTTRA, the post-trade solutions vendor, has entered a strategic partnership with FIS to enhance transparency and efficiency in the exchange-traded derivatives (ETD) post-trade lifecycle. The collaboration will provide OSTTRA’s network of investment management clients with real-time clearing status updates from over 70 global CCPs via FIS Connections, improving transparency in give-ups and exception management.

FIS will leverage OSTTRA’s order IDs to automate and streamline allocation processes within its Cleared Derivatives solution. The partnership also supports market participants in adhering to the FIA’s DMIST 30-30-30 standards, advancing timeliness and standardisation in ETD post-trade activities.

Joanna Davies, Managing Director, Head of Trade Processing at OSTTRA, commented: “This collaboration underscores the commitment of both firms to drive innovation that brings value to all parties of an ETD trade. Together with FIS, we are shaping the future of listed derivatives trade processing, providing new levels of transparency across the ETD post-trade lifecycle.”

Andres Choussy, EVP Group President, FIS Trading and Asset Services, said: “At FIS, we’re delighted to collaborate with OSTTRA to help create an extensive network across buy-side and sell-side participants to optimise the exchange-traded derivatives (ETD) post-trade lifecycle. This collaboration is another proof point of our commitment to unlock capital markets technology to the world and sets a new standard for better collaboration and transparency.”