Innovation
Four years of academic study on HFT yields complicated results
A transatlantic group of researchers has examined a treasure trove of market data to see whether or not high-frequency trading is a necessary component of today’s market structure. The answer is largely ‘yes,’ but with caveats.
Quantum computing experts voice explainability fears
Big speed-ups for quantum-powered models could prompt bigger questions from regulators.
One step closer: How exchanges are seeking tighter relationships with clients
Increasingly, exchanges are trying to get closer to their customers, in a bid to better understand how they use market data. This move may come at the expense of data vendors that are being gradually squeezed out of the exchange-client relationship.
Waters Wrap: ‘Exponential technologies’ & the changing face of trading (And interop)
Evolutions in the realms of cloud, AI, and surveillance/encryption are making the possibility of a decentralized trading ecosystem more real. Anthony looks at how progress in these areas—as well as the interoperability push—will forever change the…
Technical difficulties: OpenFin says it’s committed to FDC3, while others have their doubts
After quietly pulling its Finos membership this year, OpenFin’s involvement—at least in the public forum that governs it—with the interop standard it has championed for years, continues to dip. Though the vendor has re-affirmed its commitment to FDC3…
IBM’s ‘Cloud Satellite’ targets banks convinced of decentralized trading model
The tech giant believes a hub-and-spoke model is the future of trading. In part, it is using its new cloud offering to lure financial services firms that are looking to open remote offices to find new talent.
What can HKEx’s Synapse learn from watching ASX’s game of Chess?
HKEx is looking to leverage smart contracts for its Synapse platform. Sell-side participants are generally positive as to the reasoning behind the build, but observers warn the ambitious project still has challenges to overcome.
Goldman inks modeling, data tie-up with MSCI
The move to cross-sell risk analytics could herald further content deals for the bank’s Marquee platform, says its sales chief.
Waters Wrap: The responsibility of information intake & dissemination (And phonies abound)
As Anthony tries to explain, information is an ecosystem that every single person plays an active part in.
Waters Wavelength Podcast: Asian exchanges
Keiren Harris, a strategy-based market data consultant and founder of DataCompliance, joins the podcast to talk about exchanges in Asia and their data strategies.
Quandl goes live with new dataset for measuring dollar value of patents
The data vendor’s product is its first that aims to sort what it believes to be truly innovative companies from the pack.
Waters Wrap: Buzzwords and the hype machine (And editorial judgment)
Anthony previews some of the major trend topics that WatersTechnology will look to cover over the next eight months.
Waters Wrap: The looming data storage wars (And Bloomberg killers)
Anthony first looks at the data storage space, explaining that fees are likely to increase for buy- and sell-side firms in the near-term. He also wonders if there’s a market in the terminal/workstation space for innovative startups to gain traction. As…
Waters Wavelength Podcast: Dealing with Gen-Z
Robert Wigley, chairman at UK Finance, joins the podcast to talk about how companies can appeal to new and young talent.
Waters Wrap: Would DLT really have prevented Archegos? (And thoughts on Itiviti)
While Christopher Giancarlo says distributed ledger technology could’ve helped prime brokers better monitor their risk exposures to Archegos Capital Management, Anthony (and others) are not so sure about that. He also looks at the Broadridge-Itiviti deal.
Bridging the gap: Broadridge looks front-to-back with acquisition of Itiviti
The deal signals a transformative move for Broadridge into the front-office space to help clients simplify their front-to-back technology stack. But some industry observers are skeptical about how it will achieve this.
‘Crypto Dad’ Giancarlo says DLT could have aided in Archegos
The former CFTC chair says managing collateral by using distributed ledger technology would enable the better oversight of risks.
Waters Wrap: Big Tech takes control of cutting-edge encryption (And consortium flat circles)
In addition to growing their cloud presence in the capital markets, Big Tech companies are, unsurprisingly, taking the lead on encryption and security in the cloud. Anthony sees positives and negatives. He also looks at bank-led consortiums.
IBM lures banks’ critical workloads to financial cloud as ‘threat’ from big tech looms large
Having signed a trio of new banks to its financial services-specific cloud, the computing giant is betting on cutting-edge technologies like confidential computing to entice banks threatened by big tech firms.
Citi, other banks set to ink ‘Octopus’ deal for new multi-bank CLO platform
Sources say initiative is designed to fend off higher fees and disintermediation in case established multi-dealer platforms start trading CLOs.
Waters Wrap: The nature of data and information (And Ion-List thoughts)
Anthony takes a look at the alternative data industry post-GameStop, and wonders about Ion Group’s strategy going forward after recent acquisitions.
Users clash with ASX over changes to its DLT settlement system
Industry groups and tech experts are worried that proposed last-minute changes will introduce new risks.
This Week: Google Cloud/Commerzbank, SmartStream, Anna DSB, and more
A summary of some of the past week’s financial technology news.
Not all digital securities were created equal
Cusip’s Matthew Bastian explains that a tokenized asset offering is not the same as other products that get tagged as being a digital asset. The differences are becoming more important as the capital markets industry continues to explore these new…