Panmure Liberum and Nedbank CIB Form Strategic Equity Capital Markets Partnership

Panmure Liberum and Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) have announced a strategic partnership focused on equity capital markets. This collaboration unites two leading investment banks from the UK and South Africa, enhancing their collective capabilities in equity research, corporate advisory, and trading across their respective regions. The agreement will deliver co-branded research covering both markets and support dual-listed companies in the UK and South Africa.

The trading arrangement enhances access to capital across South African and Pan European markets. Panmure Liberum will act as Nedbank CIB’s preferred execution partner for UK and European equities, aligning with new South African regulations that expand overseas investment options for asset managers. In return, Nedbank CIB will handle execution for Panmure Liberum’s South African equities. This partnership follows Panmure Liberum’s similar ventures in Asia and Australia, supporting its strategy to expand global reach and investor access.

Standard Chartered Launches Institutional Crypto Trading Platform with Spot Bitcoin and Ether Services

Standard Chartered has introduced a fully integrated digital assets trading service for institutional clients, marking a significant step in its digital finance offerings. Following the earlier launch of its custody service, the bank now offers spot trading for Bitcoin (XBT/USD) and Ether (XET/USD) via its UK branch, with non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) trading to be added soon. This makes it the first globally systemically important bank to provide deliverable spot cryptoasset trading to institutional investors, corporates, and asset managers.

The service is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing FX platforms, enabling clients to trade digital assets through familiar systems while choosing their preferred custody solution, including Standard Chartered’s own. As a UK FCA-registered cryptoasset service provider, the bank offers clients the reliability of a regulated institution with strong risk controls and a robust financial base. This launch expands Standard Chartered’s digital asset capabilities across trading, custody, and tokenisation.

SDX and Banque Pictet Complete Pilot Tokenising Corporate Bonds for Asset Management Portfolios

SDX, part of SIX, and Banque Pictet & Cie SA have completed a joint pilot project that successfully tokenised corporate debt instruments and allocated fractional amounts to portfolios managed by Pictet Asset Management SA. The initiative focused on EUR- and CHF-denominated corporate bonds, which were held in custody at SIX SIS and tokenised on the SDX platform. These tokenised bonds were then distributed in fractional units to investor portfolios, allowing for greater customisation and operational efficiency than traditional methods.

The pilot demonstrates the practical benefits of digital securities in mutual fund management, such as automated rebalancing, smaller investment sizes, and enhanced diversification. By enabling tailored strategies and broader access to asset classes like corporate bonds, the collaboration highlights the potential of tokenisation to transform the asset management industry through scalable, flexible digital infrastructure.

TNS Adds Bruce ATS Market Data Connectivity to Enhance 24×5 US Equities Trading Access

Transaction Network Services (TNS) has expanded its 24×5 US equities trading capabilities by adding market data connectivity to Bruce ATS, the overnight trading venue operated by Bruce Markets LLC. Through its secure, low-latency infrastructure, TNS now delivers Bruce ATS market data globally, supporting firms trading US equities during Asian market hours and reinforcing its commitment to global market access.

The move enhances TNS’ overnight trading offerings, which already include connectivity to venues like Blue Ocean ATS. Bruce ATS uses Nasdaq’s market technology and is actively growing its reach by partnering with firms like TNS that have established retail broker relationships. TNS’ global backbone and 24x7x365 support model provide trading firms with the reliable access and infrastructure required for continuous trading outside traditional US exchange hours.

Bloomberg and Clearwater Partner to Launch Integrated Front-to-Back Investment Solution

Bloomberg and Clearwater Analytics have announced a strategic collaboration to introduce a modular front-to-back investment solution tailored for asset managers and asset owners. This partnership aims to deliver a comprehensive operating model that enhances scalability, efficiency, and risk management across the investment lifecycle.

The integrated solution combines Bloomberg’s enterprise capabilities – including order and portfolio management, performance analytics, and OTC tools – with Clearwater’s platform for accounting, data aggregation, and reporting. Key features include turnkey managed integration, enhanced OTC management, synchronised cash management, and consistent trade data exchange, promising clients a seamless and transparent investment management experience.

GLEIF Appoints Singapore’s TradeGo as vLEI Issuer

The Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation (GLEIF) has named Singapore’s TradeGo as a Qualified vLEI Issuer, permitting it to issue and register virtual equivalents of the internationally recognised entity verification technology.

Natural History Museum Biodiversity Index Adopted by GIST Impact

The British Natural History Museum’s Biodiversity Intactness Index has been integrated into GIST Impact’s risk data and analytics suite of nature-focused tools.

The index, which is derived from data contained within the museum’s body of research going back decades, is used as a measure of ecosystem health by a number of data providers to help clients assess the nature-related risks and opportunities of their investments.

YZi Labs Invests in Digital Asset to Advance Institutional Blockchain Adoption

YZi Labs has participated in Digital Asset’s $135 million Series E funding round, joining established financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs, Citadel Securities, and DTCC. The investment supports Digital Asset’s development of enterprise-grade tools for regulated markets and underlines YZi Labs’ commitment to enhancing infrastructure for institutional blockchain adoption, particularly in mature markets like the U.S.

Digital Asset is the developer of the Canton Network, a public Layer 1 blockchain designed with configurable on-chain privacy. As of June 2025, Canton supports tokenised real-world assets with a TVL in the trillions, including over $1.5 trillion in monthly U.S. Treasury repo activity. The network includes nearly 400 participants and addresses key barriers to blockchain use by regulated financial institutions. The funding will aid in expanding Canton’s infrastructure, accelerating onboarding, and enabling broader interoperability across global markets.

Calero eBonding Technology Enabled to Manage LSEG Entitlements

Users of LSEG’s Refinitiv Data Platform (Hosted) will now be able to automate their entitlement interactions through Calero’s eBonding capabilities.

Calero said the integration through API will reduce the manual processes that had typified clients’ management of LSEG entitlements. Through the integration users will be able automate access requests, changes and cancellations, which had been conducted largely by email-based workflows, and “provide real-time visibility into hosted entitlements, eliminate manual errors and allow straight-through processing”.

HK Government Backs ESG Compliance Provider Diginex

ESG reporting technology provider Diginex has received funding from the Hong Kong government to expand its artificial intelligence-driven functionality to help financial institutions meet sustainability compliance obligations.

The investment of an undisclosed sum follows the company’s US$2 billion acquisition of AI-driven data management and customer engagement business Resulticks Global Companies early in June.

Diginex said its expanded AI features will streamline ESG reporting processes. It will be “jointly developed with a leading financial institution through a co-creation collaboration model promoting commercialisation and wider adoption,” the company said.

The technology is built to enable compliance with regulations based on the Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) frameworks.