Digital Assets Report

Latest News

Apex is a proven leader in the clearing space and, having built a suite of sophisticated technology solutions over the years, has become the 'go-to' clearing firm for fintech firms. Indeed, it is currently the Custodian-of-Choice for tech-savvy firms like Betterment, Stash, Wealthfront and other robo advisors.  This year, to move beyond merely providing custody and clearing to retail clients (online brokerages and RIAs as well as fintech firms), Apex made the jump to provide prime brokerage services to the institutional community. This September, it launched a full-fledged prime brokerage solution and has already onboarded nearly 20 hedge fund clients. 
Poor hedge fund performance over the past 18 months means that managers face continued fee pressure from investors. As a result, smaller and emerging hedge funds are becoming increasingly attracted to non-conventional prime brokers that are able to offer automated solutions for risk management, account management, trade execution and pricing.  Leading the pack is Interactive Brokers, which has been built on three pillars: low cost, breadth of product (globally) and best-of-breed technology and trading tools.  "These things are becoming much more important as the hedge fund industry becomes more competitive," says Steve Sanders (pictured), EVP, Marketing and Product Development. "What
One of the unintended consequences of market regulation is that it has, to some extent, leveled the playing field. In what was once a fiercely competitive environment dominated by bank-owned prime brokers, in recent years a slew of new entrants has emerged, offering different service models for managers to consider.  Indeed, in early December, ING Capital Markets LLC were the latest to say that they were expanding into PB with the launch of a synthetic prime brokerage platform to provide global, cross-asset portfolio swap products. "We offer the flexibility of a multi-asset portfolio swap which is operationally efficient, streamlined and
The greatest challenges facing fund managers are the accumulating operational burden of escalating costs, stringent regulatory requirements and complex data management, according to Broadridge. Managing these operational variables, especially the complexity of assets that sophisticated funds typically hold within their portfolios, means technology budgets are expected to increase.   A recent KPMG study found that 39 per cent of funds expect to spend over USD1 million per year in the next five years on technology, up from the 35 per cent of funds that did so in the past five years. These technology expenses are so high that the study
Though the US corporate bond and US treasury market has surged in size since the financial crisis in 2008, the unprecedented growth of US debt markets alongside a complete US regulatory overhaul has left the traditional market unstable and ushered in an age of innovation. TABB Group’s new research, “US Fixed Income Market: Industry Trends & Drivers 2016”, the third in a series of annual reports tracking a growing list of critical factors threatening OTC fixed income markets in a post-financial crisis world, considers the past and the future to outline patterns that define the new OTC fixed income ecosystem
The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect provides international investors with another direct link to access China’s domestic A-shares market and especially the stocks on the tech-heavy Shenzhen market. It also provides Luxembourg investment funds with access to a new asset class. Shenzhen Connect is the latest step in providing mutual access between the capital markets in China's mainland and Hong Kong, following the launch of a link between the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges in 2014. The market infrastructure arrangements under Shenzhen Connect replicate those provided for under the original Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect (Shanghai Connect) pilot programme.   The Shenzhen Connect
Cowen Group has made two new senior hires within the electronic trading division of Cowen & Company. Jason Oien joins as managing director and head of electronic trading services.   Jennifer Hadiaris joins as managing director and head of global market structure.   “Jason and Jennifer play a key role in furthering Cowen’s position as the leading platform for broker-neutral execution solutions,” says Dan Charney, Cowen’s head of equities. “Our priority is to help clients make informed trading decisions by providing value-added tools – such as non-conflicted trading and algorithmic execution – and insights on issues that impact clients. Jason
Goldman Sachs is to pay civil penalty of USD120 million to settle CFTC charges that it attempted, by and through certain of its traders in New York, to manipulate and made false reports concerning the US Dollar International Swaps and Derivatives Association Fix (USD ISDAFIX), a global benchmark for interest rate products.  Goldman’s unlawful conduct involved multiple traders, including the head of Goldman’s interest rate products trading group in the US, according to the CFTC order.   The CFTC order also requires Goldman to cease and desist from further violations as charged, and take specified remedial steps, including measures to
Blue Isle FX is to act as the prime broker for three Global Fund SAC hedge funds – the Geluk Global Gold Fund, the Global Marco Premier Fund and the Geluk Global Macro Accelerated Fund. "We have been very impressed with the Blue Isle FX team, which is led by a 25+ year experienced team who offers only ECN/STP market liquidity and who fully understand the importance of direct market access with straight through processing. We're confident that by working with Blue Isle FX our trading team will have the advantage with institutional execution," says Geluk Capital Management founder Douglas
The Polish Financial Supervision Authority (PFSA) has unanimously granted approval to Towarowa GieÅ‚da Energii (TGE) to operate an auction platform for CO2 emission allowances. TGE has met the requirements for the auction platform set out in the Regulation of the Minister of Finance of 14 January 2016 concerning the operation of the regulated market and auction platform.   “The possibility of launching a CO2 trading platform is an important step in the development of the Exchange but, first and foremost, a good news for Polish companies covered by the European Union Emission Trading System (EU ETS), as they will gain

Special Reports

FeatureD

Events

16 May, 2024 – 8:30 am

Directory Listings