Digital assets are rapidly becoming a part of the landscape for global securities markets and are disrupting established operations such as custody and prime brokerage services. In this issue of FTF Focus, we offer an in-depth view into the cutting-edge of custody, tracking how digital assets are redefining the sector. The report also covers another… Read More >>
Demand for Crypto ETP Custody Is Rising: Q & A
(On Jan. 10, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the listing and trading of several spot bitcoin exchange-traded product (ETP) shares, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The Grayscale Bitcoin Trust (GBTC) became the first among many bitcoin-based ETP offerings to hit the market. As more cryptocurrency-based, decentralized finance (defi) instruments are launched, many are wondering… Read More >>
Can APIs Ease Prime Brokerage Friction?
(Prerak Sanghvi and his New York City-based employer Clear Street, which describes itself as “an independent, non-bank prime broker” are on a mission. They want to help the capital markets industry move beyond mainframe-based, legacy infrastructures and onto Clear Street’s cloud-native clearing and custody system. Getting there will require application programming interfaces (APIs), which are links… Read More >>
Credit Suisse to Exit Prime Services Business
Credit Suisse officials shortly after they announced an exit from the prime services business revealed that they have signed a referral agreement with BNP Paribas that will enable the French banking giant to provide support for the Swiss bank’s prime services and derivatives clearing customers. The move was made to facilitate the migration of clients… Read More >>
Pershing Clients to Get Help with Digital Moves
BNY Mellon’s Pershing will be launching initiatives this year to help its clients speed up their digitization of business models and thus update how they interact with Pershing’s services — all for a more efficient and better client experience, officials say. Pershing and its affiliates offer clearing and custody, investment and retirement solutions, technology, enterprise… Read More >>
Electronic Trading Jolts FX Markets to Change
The foreign exchange (FX) markets have undergone significant transformation with electronic platforms comprising a greater share of activity. However, the nature of trading has also changed and venues will have to up their game if they want to attract and retain a growing and diverse group of market participants, according to a new report, “FX… Read More >>
Credit Suisse Moves U.K. Prime Services to Greener Pastures
Although Britain mulling an exit from the European Union (Brexit) may be a motivating factor for many companies to leave the U.K. if the population decides to head for the European door, the decision for Credit Suisse to move its U.K. prime brokerage operations to Dublin was part of a long-term plan, according to a… Read More >>
LMAX Exchange Unveils Prime Brokerage Service
LMAX Exchange, a U.K.-based Multilateral Trading Facility (MTF) for global foreign exchange (FX), has launched a new prime brokerage service, LMAX Prime, according to a company statement. The new service will act as a “prime of prime” service, to “provide retail brokers, hedge funds and asset managers with credit intermediation and bespoke liquidity arrangements with… Read More >>
SocGen CIB Acquires Stake in GMEX
Societe Generale Prime Services – formerly Newedge – reports that it has acquired a minority stake in Global Markets Exchange Group International (GMEX Group). The Societe Generale investment follows the recent taking of a minority stake in GMEX Group by Deutsche Börse Group. Societe Generale “plans to provide execution and clearing services for clients trading… Read More >>
4sight Hires Former Merrill Lynch MD
4sight Financial Software, a provider of software and consultancy services to the securities finance and collateral management markets, reports that it has hired Raymond Blokland as a senior consultant. Prior to joining 4sight, Blokland, with more than 20 years of financial markets experience, was a managing director at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. Previously, he… Read More >>
