Beeks Financial Cloud Partners with TMX Datalinx to Deliver TMX Elastic Market Access Service

Beeks Financial Cloud Group has entered into an agreement with TMX Datalinx, the information services division of TMX Group, to provide its Exchange Cloud platform as TMX Elastic Market Access (TMX EMA), subject to regulatory approval. TMX Group, based in Canada, operates a range of markets including the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Through the partnership, TMX Datalinx plans to offer co-located Infrastructure-as-a-Service via Beeks’ Exchange Cloud. The fully managed TMX EMA service is designed for capital markets and provides a secure, low-latency and scalable hosting environment for trading and data analytics.

The deployment will enable market participants to access bare metal compute, dedicated connectivity and flexible on-demand infrastructure within the TMX Datalinx co-location facility. This initiative aims to support trading firms with high-performance, reliable infrastructure while offering greater agility and cost efficiency.

Qomply Brings in Former FCA Regulator to Drive Global Growth

Qomply has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Neil Treloar as Chief Operating Officer, underscoring its ambition to scale internationally in regulatory reporting. Based in London, Treloar joins at a pivotal point in the firm’s expansion, bringing a rare combination of supervisory, policy and market experience.

Treloar’s career spans more than three decades across wholesale markets, regulatory strategy and financial technology. At the Financial Conduct Authority(FCA), he held senior roles including Lead Supervisor for Wholesale Brokers Fixed and Senior Associate overseeing Trading Venues and (CRA) oversight. Prior to that, as Head of Regulatory Strategy at Tradition, he played a central role in shaping MiFID II policy and Brexit planning, liaising directly with UK and EU authorities. His earlier career included senior posts at JP Morgan and NatWest Markets, where he cut his teeth on the LIFFE floor.

Qomply’s co-founder Michelle Zak highlighted Treloar’s mix of perspectives: “Neil’s combination of regulatory expertise, financial technology, and global market experience makes him an invaluable addition to our team.” She noted that his arrival comes as the firm looks to build out its operational resilience and client delivery internationally.

For Treloar, the move is about timing as much as opportunity. “I am excited to be joining Qomply at such a pivotal moment in its growth journey. The firm has built a strong reputation for innovation and accuracy in regulatory reporting, and I look forward to working with the talented team here to expand our global footprint and deliver even greater value to clients worldwide,” he said.

The appointment reflects broader momentum in the regulatory reporting market, where firms are under mounting pressure to achieve both accuracy and efficiency in their submissions. Qomply’s decision to recruit a senior figure with both supervisory and market experience signals its intention to position itself as a trusted partner in this space, as global reporting standards continue to evolve.

Shield and PwC Partner on Communications Surveillance

Shield and PwC UK have joined forces to help financial institutions modernise their approach to monitoring digital communications. The collaboration combines Shield’s AI-first platform for governance and archiving with PwC’s experience in surveillance delivery, compliance, and programme execution.

The initiative is aimed at enabling firms to adopt more proactive and scalable risk management. By uniting technology and specialist expertise, the two organisations seek to provide an end-to-end solution that addresses evolving regulatory expectations and improves oversight of electronic communications.

“This is more than a collaboration, it is a signal to the market that communication compliance can be both transformative and trusted,” said Shiran Weitzman, CEO and co-founder of Shield. “Together with PwC, we are helping firms modernise communications oversight and defend their firm from risk and vulnerabilities while accelerating operational efficiencies.”

From PwC’s perspective, clients are increasingly seeking efficiency and flexibility in how surveillance models are deployed. “Our clients want less noise and more flexibility to deploy models that support existing and new risks, delivered at a lower annual cost,” said Graham Ure, Partner, PwC UK. “Our collaboration enables a bold vision for future eCommunications surveillance, bringing together Shield’s AI-first platform with PwC’s surveillance and market abuse expertise.”

Navigating Surveillance Complexity

Communications surveillance has become more demanding as regulators intensify scrutiny, AI tools evolve, and firms contend with a wider array of communication channels. Shield’s platform offers automation and scale, while PwC provides guidance on surveillance strategy, operating model design, and managing implementation risk. The combination is intended to help institutions achieve faster, more defensible deployments than the industry norm.

Beyond technology, the collaboration seeks to deliver explainable and effective compliance outcomes that can withstand regulatory challenge. Services extend from data sourcing and risk model calibration to testing and governance frameworks.

Industry Position

Shield has been recognised as a Visionary in Gartner’s 2025 Magic Quadrant™, ranking among the top three vendors for regulatory compliance, and securing #1 positions in AI/ML, connectors, and policy management. PwC contributes a dedicated team of surveillance specialists with a track record in complex programme delivery and regulatory engagement.

Together, the two organisations aim to turn advanced technology into practical, trusted compliance outcomes with measurable results.

Ascent Joins Acuity to Boost AI-Led Digital Transformation Capabilities

Acuity Knowledge Partners has agreed to acquire Ascent, a European provider of AI-powered digital transformation services, in a deal due to close at the end of September 2025. The move is set to expand Acuity’s Data and Technology Services (DTS) division, strengthening its technology and AI-led solutions.

Ascent brings a team of 550 specialists in data, software and cloud technologies, serving more than 170 clients across seven European jurisdictions. Its addition will broaden Acuity’s sector reach into areas such as reinsurance, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and retail.

Explaining the significance of the deal, Robert King, Chief Executive Officer at Acuity, said: “Our acquisition of Ascent is a transformative moment. Acuity has invested in and built a fast-growing practice delivering data management and technology led services and solutions. By acquiring Ascent, we are taking our expertise and ability to offer our clients innovative AI-led solutions to another level. We are turbo-charging the way we can assist Acuity and Ascent clients with their digital transformations and AI adoption. This acquisition also takes us into new sectors such as reinsurance, pharma, manufacturing and retail for the first time. The acquisition enables Acuity to deliver from, and into, new markets. I am really excited at the prospect of what we can achieve together, and we warmly welcome the Ascent staff to the Acuity family.”

Jon O’Donnell, Acuity’s Chief Operating Officer, linked the acquisition to the firm’s AI roadmap: “The Ascent business is a great addition to Acuity and will build on the progress we have made with our AI solutions following the launch of our Agentic AI platform, Agent Fleet. The acquisition of Ascent will boost our capacity to provide best-in-class technology advisory services to our clients. I am excited to partner with Stewart and the Ascent team to significantly grow our DTS business.”

For Ascent, the partnership represents both continuity and expansion. Stewart Smythe, Chief Executive Officer at Ascent, commented: “Combining Ascent’s market-leading data and AI capability in Europe with Acuity’s industry-leading AI innovation and deep domain expertise is exciting. Acuity’s strategic aim to build a global technology services business unit to complement its capabilities and build broader relationships with its existing clients is exactly the opportunity my team were looking for, and we are excited to work with Robert King, Jon O’Donnell and the entire Acuity team.”

The acquisition reflects Acuity’s strategy in recent years to build a technology services arm alongside its core strengths in research, analytics and data management. It also enhances its global delivery network and builds on Ascent’s existing alliance with Microsoft.

Bancolombia Goes Live with Murex MX.3 for Hedge Accounting

Bancolombia, Colombia’s biggest bank, has gone live with the Murex MX.3 platform for Hedge Accounting, further extending the bank’s use of the solution on AWS. The adoption supports compliance with IFRS 9, which requires banks to measure expected credit losses and manage interest rate risk in the banking book (IRRBB).

The MX.3 Hedge Accounting module automates hedge designation, effectiveness testing, reporting and accounting reclassification. It supports a range of hedge types, including fair value, cash flow and net investment hedges for foreign exchange transactions. This enables Bancolombia to enhance efficiency and ensure transparency in its accounting processes.

The project also ensures compliance with local regulation, including External Circular 025, while aligning with international standards. By broadening its use of MX.3 across fixed income, foreign exchange and derivatives, Bancolombia strengthens its front-to-back operations and risk management framework.

OSTTRA and HKEX Complete First USD/CNH Cross Currency Swap Compression Run

OSTTRA has announced the successful completion of its first compression run for USD/CNH cross currency swaps (CCS) cleared through HKEX’s OTC Clear, using its OSTTRA triReduce service. The pilot, conducted on 28 August with five financial institutions including Bank of China (Hong Kong) and Crédit Agricole CIB, compressed a notional value of $5.8bn. The exercise highlights the potential for significant capital efficiencies and risk reduction in a market where HKEX’s OTC Clear remains the sole CCP offering clearing for this contract, with outstanding volumes reaching $255.2bn in July 2025.

The initiative reflects growing demand for compression services in Asia, with OSTTRA reporting that compressed notional value in APAC currencies more than doubled in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Contracts closed so far in 2025 reached $33.1tn, more than double the total for 2023. Following the pilot’s success, OSTTRA plans to run a larger USD/CNH compression cycle on HKEX’s OTC Clear in the coming months.

BitGo Europe Secures BaFin Approval to Launch Regulated Crypto Trading Services

BitGo Europe GmbH, the digital asset infrastructure company, has received an extension of its licence from Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). The approval allows BitGo Europe to expand its regulated offering to include crypto trading services from Frankfurt, enabling European institutional investors to access spot trading across a wide range of digital assets and stablecoins.

Through its over-the-counter (OTC) trading desk and electronic platform, BitGo Europe aggregates liquidity from multiple market makers and exchanges, offering clients competitive pricing and reliable execution. This expansion follows BitGo Europe’s initial MiCA licence approval from BaFin in May 2025, strengthening its regulated presence in the EU.

With custody, staking, transfer, and now trading services available under one framework, BitGo Europe positions itself as one of the few regulated custodians in the region to provide a full-stack platform. The integrated service aims to help institutions deploy capital more efficiently while maintaining security and compliance.

Monaco Launches Institutional-Grade Decentralised Trading Infrastructure on Sei Blockchain

Monaco, the decentralised trading protocol developed by Sei Labs and Monaco Research, has launched its central limit order book (CLOB) infrastructure on the Sei blockchain. The platform is designed to deliver Wall Street-level execution speeds within a decentralised framework, with the aim of capturing part of the projected $30 trillion tokenised asset market by 2034. Monaco achieves microsecond execution and leverages Sei’s 400-millisecond settlement, a major improvement over traditional T+1 settlement cycles.

Key features of Monaco’s infrastructure include a shared liquidity layer for broad institutional access, 24/7 trading support, and PitPass revenue sharing, which rewards builders and applications for contributing order flow. Unlike traditional payment for order flow models, PitPass distributes revenue transparently while maintaining best execution standards.

Quantexa Survey Reveals Confidence Gap in Community Bank AML Defences

On paper, mid-size and community banks in the United States should feel secure. A recent survey found that 94% of anti-money laundering (AML) professionals at these institutions are confident in their ability to spot criminal activity. But confidence can be deceptive. Nearly half of those same professionals admitted their investigations are slow, inefficient, and undermined by outdated technology.

This tension – between confidence and capability – sits at the heart of a new study conducted by Quantexa, which surveyed 200 AML specialists. The findings shed light on an industry segment that rarely makes headlines yet plays a critical role in the American economy. These banks are the lenders of choice for small businesses and local communities. They are also increasingly on the front lines of a global financial crime problem that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates drains $800 billion to $2 trillion each year, or roughly 2–5% of global GDP.

Large international banks often attract regulatory attention and media scrutiny, but smaller regional institutions face the same compliance expectations – with far fewer resources to meet them. Their teams are lean, their systems often dated, and their budgets stretched thin. That leaves them vulnerable to increasingly sophisticated criminal networks that exploit technological gaps as readily as legal ones.

The survey findings make the challenge clear. Almost half of respondents pointed to outdated systems, fragmented data, and the absence of real-time monitoring as their biggest barriers to effective AML. Others highlighted operational inefficiencies: investigations bogged down by high false positives and manual processes that drain limited staff capacity. Nearly half also acknowledged a lack of in-house expertise to modernise AML programmes.

“Mid-size and community banks are the heart of Main Street America, powering small business growth and local economies,” said Chris Bagnall, Head of Financial Crime Solutions for North America at Quantexa. “With financial crime evolving faster than ever and outdated systems leaving them exposed, these banks have a critical opportunity to harness better data and AI to make smarter decisions and protect the communities and businesses they serve.”

Yet technology is only part of the equation. Regulatory uncertainty compounds the problem. Forty-five percent of AML professionals surveyed said unclear guidance around new tools such as AI is slowing progress. The result is what many describe as “decision paralysis” – a reluctance to invest in innovation without clearer signals from regulators.

Despite these headwinds, there are signs of optimism. The vast majority of respondents see AI, contextual data, and real-time monitoring as essential to modernising their programmes. Nearly all (93%) said that information sharing between banks under Section 314(b) of the USA PATRIOT Act is critical for detecting illicit activity. Collaboration – both across institutions and with regulators – is increasingly seen as a way to level the playing field.

The report concludes with a call to action: modernise outdated systems, invest in people and processes, and move beyond static monitoring to dynamic, data-driven defences. The message is clear – failing to adapt risks leaving the institutions that power America’s local economies exposed to growing threats.

What emerges is more than a snapshot of survey data. It is a story of resilience under strain. Mid-size and community banks may be confident, but unless they bridge the gap between perception and reality, their confidence could prove misplaced. In an era when financial crime is evolving faster than ever, standing still is not an option.

InTick Achieves ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification for Information Security

InTick, the listed derivatives blocking network, has been awarded the ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, a globally recognised standard for information security management. The certification, issued by Insight Assurance, confirms that InTick has implemented a structured framework to protect information assets, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and availability across its operations.

This achievement follows a period of growth for the company, including the live launch of its block matching platform during the June ICE Gilt and Eurex Fixed Income futures rolls and the successful raising of £2 million in funding from angel investors in July 2025. InTick’s platform targets inefficiencies in listed derivatives block trading by offering a centralised source of pricing, electronic All-to-All client matching for fixed income and equities derivatives, and digitisation of manual workflows. The certification underscores the company’s commitment to secure and scalable trading solutions.