Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) has launched ICE Private Credit Intelligence, a data platform to increase transparency in the fast-growing private credit market.  The service is being supported by anchor partner Apollo, with additional firms expected to join in the coming months. Private credit, now estimated at around $40 trillion globally, has grown rapidly amid regulatory shifts and rising demand for longer-duration capital.  However, ICE said data standards and information flows have not kept pace with the market’s expansion. The new platform establishes a private-credit data layer aligned with the experience of public credit markets.  Features include permissioned data-sharing using standardised reference data, large-scale document ingestion and extraction, and structured distribution of deal-level information.  ICE intends to expand capabilities into performance analytics, pricing insights and improved risk-management tools. “By bringing our vast data science expertise, and working with a leading firm like Apollo, we’re excited to launch a new service that will solve crucial challenges in the private credit market,” said Chris Edmonds, president of fixed income and data services at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Eric Needleman, head of Apollo Capital Solutions at Apollo, feels that stronger infrastructure and more standardised data will support the sector’s continued maturation.The post Intercontinental Exchange Launches Private-Credit Data Platform with Apollo first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

LCH RepoClear and Clearstream have expanded their collaboration to allow settlement of Dutch government debt through Clearstream’s pan-European central securities depository solution. The upgrade enables RepoClear members to settle both cash and repo transactions in Dutch sovereign instruments within a harmonised cross-border post-trade environment.  The firms said the change supports greater European market integration, reduces fragmentation and enhances access to one of the continent’s most liquid government bond markets. By using Clearstream’s infrastructure, participants will be able to manage multiple markets through a single access point, benefiting from standardised settlement processes and improved mobilisation of cross-border collateral.  The extension also contributes to the development of Clearstream’s Trade Flow Hub, which consolidates cleared and uncleared activity through one settlement gateway. “The extension of Dutch debt through our collaboration with LCH RepoClear reinforces harmonisation across European markets,” said Dirk Loscher, head of custody and investor solutions at Clearstream.  Meanwhile, Michel Semaan, head of LCH RepoClear, stated that the move would “drive greater efficiency” for members. The service went live on 16 March and forms part of wider European efforts to modernise clearing and settlement infrastructure following recent regulatory and operational harmonisation initiatives.The post LCH RepoClear Expands Dutch Debt Settlement Through Clearstream first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

S&P Dow Jones Indices has licensed the S&P 500 to Trade[XYZ], enabling the launch of what the firms describe as the first officially licensed perpetual derivative contract linked to the benchmark index.  The product will trade on Hyperliquid, a decentralised, high-performance blockchain optimised for trading. The move marks the first time eligible non-U.S. investors can access leveraged S&P 500 exposure through an officially sanctioned, digitally native instrument available 24 hours a day.  Perpetual derivatives provide long or short leveraged positioning without a fixed expiry. The S&P 500 underpins more than $1 trillion in daily trading activity across futures, options, ETFs and structured products.  Bringing an officially licensed version on-chain expands access to the benchmark’s liquidity ecosystem and offers continuous trading outside traditional market hours. “This collaboration expands access and utility of our flagship benchmarks within digital trading environments,” said Cameron Drinkwater, chief product and operations officer at S&P Dow Jones Indices.  Collins Belton, chief operating officer and general counsel at Trade[XYZ]’s parent company, noted that the S&P 500 was “a natural starting point” for on-chain market expansion. The announcement follows earlier decentralised-finance initiatives from S&P Dow Jones Indices, including the S&P Digital Markets 50 index.The post S&P Dow Jones Indices Licenses S&P 500 to Trade[XYZ] For Perpetual Contracts first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

BridgeWise and Alpaca hae announced a strategic partnership to bring institutional-grade investment intelligence to the financial institutions using Alpaca’s brokerage infrastructure. The agreement gives Alpaca’s global network access to BridgeWise’s multi-language AI analysis, which covers more than 70,000 securities.  The firms said the combination of BridgeWise’s analytical engine and Alpaca’s scalable, multi-asset execution infrastructure offers an integrated “intelligence-to-execution’’ pathway for brokerages and their end-users. “Alpaca has set the gold standard for brokerage infrastructure,” commented Dor Eligula, chief business officer and co-founder of BridgeWise.  He believes the partnership will help eliminate friction and make insights more accessible to investors globally. Tarun Ajwani, chief revenue officer at Alpaca, added that BridgeWise’s AI engine provides “high-level analysis previously reserved for professional desks”. Financial platforms using Alpaca’s Broker API will now be able to offer clients not only security ratings and asset-level insights but also instant trade execution in stocks, ETFs, options, fixed income and crypto.The post BridgeWise and Alpaca Form Partnership to Deliver AI-Driven Investment Insights first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Robinhood has begun rolling out the beta version of its new in-app community product, Robinhood Social, to a select group of its most active customers, the company said this week. The feature, first previewed at the firm’s HOOD Summit last autumn, aims to create a verified social environment where traders can share strategies, follow others and view live, authenticated trades. The initial beta group consists of 1,000 customers who attended the September summit, with a further 10,000 to be added in the coming weeks.  “Beta allows us to learn quickly and build thoughtfully, prioritising quality, trust and feedback from our most active traders,” stated Abhishek Fatehpuria, the company’s vice president of product management. Robinhood Social introduces verified trader profiles, live trade viewing, and the ability to post and discuss trades across equities, single-leg options, crypto and prediction markets.  Participants can also view one-year and daily performance data, including profit and loss metrics. Upcoming features in the beta include news feeds, expanded trade-posting capabilities for futures and multi-leg options, and tools enabling users to follow insiders, hedge funds and politicians. The company noted that users were selected based on trading frequency and user-research criteria, and that the closed rollout will help refine moderation policies and identify missing features or bugs.  Robinhood said it hopes to move Robinhood Social out of beta “as quickly as possible”, with timing for general availability to be announced later.The post Robinhood Begins Beta Rollout of New Social Trading Product first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The MPC faces its trickiest call in years: inflation is rising, but so is unemployment The Bank of England is expected to hold rates steady today, but the decision itself is almost beside the point. What matters is how the MPC frames a policy landscape that has shifted dramatically in under three weeks. As Kathleen Brooks, research director at XTB, notes, the probability of a rate cut at this meeting stood at 80% less than three weeks ago. Now markets are pricing a small chance of a hike. The swing has nothing to do with domestic data and everything to do with the Middle East conflict driving an historic energy price spike. Not 2022 again The temptation for the MPC will be to reach for the 2022 playbook, when surging energy costs sent UK inflation into double digits and the Bank was accused of acting too late. But Brooks argues the comparison is misleading. In 2022, the UK economy was running hot — post-Covid momentum, record-low unemployment, rapid wage growth, and a consumer willing to spend. None of that applies now. The UK recorded zero growth in January. Unemployment is climbing. Youth joblessness is acute, and recruiters report a markedly tougher hiring environment. A hawkish signal from the BOE in this context — one that pushes mortgage rates higher for the 1.8 million UK households expected to refinance in 2026 — would risk compounding an already fragile outlook. The 2011 parallel Brooks points to a more instructive precedent: 2011, when energy prices were similarly elevated but the BOE chose not to tighten, prioritising support for a vulnerable economy over an inflation threat it judged to be externally driven. She expects the MPC to adopt the same posture — acknowledging upside inflation risks while signalling that the bar for a hike remains high. The key distinction the BOE is likely to draw: this energy shock is not purely an inflation event. In a weak economy, higher energy costs act as a tax on growth, dampening demand rather than stoking a wage-price spiral. What the swaps market is telling us The overnight index swaps curve paints a clear picture of where expectations have moved. Today’s meeting is priced as a near-certainty hold, with the implied overnight rate steady at 3.729% through April. But from June onward, the market is pricing a cumulative shift toward tightening — with the implied rate climbing to 3.921% by September and reaching 3.952% by December, representing close to a full 25bp hike priced in by year-end. The sharpest single-meeting jump comes at the September meeting, where the probability of a hike surges above 30%. If the BOE pushes back on that trajectory today, rate expectations could reprice meaningfully lower. Market implications Sterling remains vulnerable. GBP/USD is trading below its 200-day moving average, and Brooks identifies the next support level at around $1.32 — last week’s low. A less hawkish tone from the MPC could accelerate the move. EUR/GBP may offer a cleaner read on the BOE decision, stripped of dollar effects. The weekly chart shows the pair trading around 0.8642 after a sharp sell-off from the November highs near 0.8700. The pound has outperformed the euro through the duration of the conflict, pushing EUR/GBP back toward levels last seen in April 2025. Brooks sees scope for a recovery toward 0.8685 — the 50-day moving average — particularly if the BOE strikes a dovish tone. The ECB, which also meets today, was already inclined toward an extended pause before the crisis, making EUR/GBP strength the path of least resistance if the MPC disappoints hawks. The oil price, ultimately, is driving the bus. Where it goes, rate expectations and currency markets will follow. Kathleen Brooks is research director at XTB.The post Bank of England may hold fire as energy shock rewrites the rate outlook first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

GlobalBlock, part of the GCEX Group, has launched a new digital assets offering for UK clients, providing access to crypto services supported by institutional-grade infrastructure and governance standards. “GlobalBlock’s UK cryptoasset financial promotions have been approved for communication by Archax Limited (FRN 855171), an FCA-authorised firm, under the FCA’s cryptoasset financial promotions regime,” the company said. Available through globalblock.co.uk, the service includes OTC execution, portfolio solutions for eligible clients, and settlement and invoicing tools for businesses. Although GlobalBlock and GCEX Group are not authorised by the FCA to provide cryptoasset services, the approval is said to allow them to communicate financial promotions in line with UK requirements. Cryptoassets themselves remain unregulated in the UK. The offering builds on the Group’s regulatory footprint across multiple jurisdictions, including an FCA authorisation for FX and CFDs, a MiCA licence for crypto-asset services in the EU, and a Virtual Asset Service Provider licence in Dubai. David Thomas, Co-Founder of GlobalBlock, said: “This launch is the culmination of everything we have been building, a genuinely complete digital assets offering for clients who want to trade, invest, and transact in crypto with confidence.” Ben Brown, Chief Compliance Officer at Archax, stated that the company was pleased to support GlobalBlock in navigating the FCA’s financial promotions regime. Lars Holst, CEO of GCEX Group, highlighted that the approval underscored the firm’s commitment to regulation across markets, enabling clients to engage “knowing that we seek to maintain strong governance and controls.”The post GlobalBlock Launches UK Digital Asset Offering first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

FINRA has fined The Ultima Global Markets (USA) $100,000 and issued a censure after finding deficiencies in its anti-money laundering (AML) and due diligence programmes. According to FINRA, the firm failed between August 2021 and September 2024 to implement an AML framework capable of detecting and reporting suspicious activity related to low-priced securities transactions. The regulator said the firm relied on monitoring reports that excluded its entire trading activity, as these were conducted through delivery-versus-payment and receive-versus-payment accounts. FINRA also found that Ultima failed to establish an adequate due diligence programme for correspondent accounts held by affiliated foreign financial institutions, including a lack of periodic reviews of account activity. During the period in question, the firm facilitated at least 332 transactions in low-priced securities, with a total value of approximately $27.5 million. The regulator concluded that these failures constituted violations of multiple FINRA rules, including those requiring firms to maintain effective AML programmes and uphold high standards of commercial conduct. Ultima accepted the findings without admitting or denying them and agreed to the sanctions as part of a settlement.The post FINRA Fines Ultima Global Markets Over AML Failures first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Barclays has announced a strategic partnership with Sage aimed at reducing administrative burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK. The collaboration combines Barclays’ business banking services with Sage’s accounting and financial software, enabling businesses to streamline financial management and improve visibility over their operations. Research from Sage indicates that small businesses spend an average of 24 working days annually on financial administration, highlighting the need for more efficient tools. Abdul Qureshi, Head of Business Banking at Barclays, said: “Small business owners consistently tell us that they are spending too much time on administration and not enough time growing their businesses.” The partnership will also support businesses adapting to the expansion of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, providing tools to help maintain compliance and up-to-date financial records. Gordon Stuart, SVP of Fintech and Embedded Services at Sage, stated: “Working with Barclays, we are taking steps to bringing banking and accounting closer together to reduce that burden.”The post Barclays and Sage Partner to Simplify Administration for UK SMEs first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Tuesday, Mastercard announced an agreement to acquire digital asset infrastructure firm BVNK for up to $1.8 billion. The transaction, which includes up to $300 million in contingent payments, aims to create interoperability between fiat currencies and stablecoins, enabling a wider range of payment use cases. Jorn Lambert, Chief Product Officer at Mastercard, stated: “We expect that most financial institutions and fintechs will, in time, provide digital currency services.” The acquisition is expected to support applications such as cross-border remittances, peer-to-peer transfers and business payments, while also addressing emerging use cases in capital markets and treasury management. BVNK’s infrastructure enables payments across more than 130 countries and supports major blockchain networks.  Its integration with Mastercard is intended to deliver secure and compliant connectivity between digital and traditional payment rails. Jesse Hemson-Struthers, Co-founder and CEO of BVNK, said: “This deal brings together complementary capabilities to define and deliver the future of money.” The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals and is expected to close before the end of the year.The post Mastercard to Acquire BVNK in $1.8 Billion Digital Assets Deal first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Northern Trust has appointed Alyssa Quinlan as Head of Advisor Relationships & Strategic Partnerships within its wealth management division.  The appointment is expected to strengthen the firm’s capabilities in advising clients with complex asset portfolios. Quinlan will oversee relationships with professional advisers, including legal and accounting firms, while developing a platform tailored to clients with significant holdings in fine art and collectibles. David Albright, Global Head of Sales, said: “With Alyssa’s addition, we are strengthening our advisor engagement strategy while further integrating guidance around unique assets—from valuation and liquidity planning to estate and legacy strategies.” Quinlan brings 25 years of experience across wealth management, private banking and the art sector.  She most recently served as Chief Executive of Freeman’s Auctions & Appraisals, where she led operations and strategic initiatives, including a major merger integration. Her previous roles include senior positions at J.P. Morgan Chase, BMO Private Bank and Smith Barney/Citigroup Asset Management, as well as leadership roles in art advisory and auction firms.The post Northern Trust Names Alyssa Quinlan to Lead Advisor Partnerships first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

TradeStation Securities has announced an API integration with Level2, a visual strategy-automation platform developed by Bytemine Technologies.  The move is said to be aimed at making advanced trading strategies more accessible to active investors. The integration allows traders to build and deploy automated strategies without coding, using a drag-and-drop interface.  The company explained that it also supports backtesting against historical market data and enables real-time execution through TradeStation accounts. John Bartleman, President and Chief Executive Officer of TradeStation Group, said: “Helping traders who may not be code-savvy has always been at the core of what TradeStation does — it is the very reason Easy Language was invented.” The move forms part of TradeStation’s broader effort to expand its API ecosystem and enhance third-party platform capabilities.  The integration is designed to help users manage rule-based strategies more efficiently while balancing other commitments. Andrew Grevett, Co-founder and CEO of Level2, commented: “Our integration with TradeStation allows traders to take what they build visually on Level2 and put it directly into action in the market.” Key features include a no-code strategy builder, real-time backtesting tools and a community-driven platform where traders can explore shared strategies.The post TradeStation Launches Level2 Integration to Simplify Automated Trading first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Spotware, the company behind the cTrader trading platform and a provider of innovative trading technology for brokers worldwide, has launched cBridge, a standalone, platform-agnostic liquidity bridge. By replacing traditional per-volume billing with transparent infrastructure-based pricing, cBridge is designed to reduce bridge costs by up to 80%. The launch marks an important step for Spotware as it moves beyond a single-product positioning and lays the groundwork for broader infrastructure for brokers. How cBridge saves brokers up to 80% As a cost-effective solution, cBridge eliminates volume fees and hidden charges entirely. Its pricing is based on the number of servers and connections involved. This means costs remain consistent regardless of trading volume, giving brokers a clearer basis for expense planning. The benefit becomes more visible at higher volumes, where cBridge can reduce liquidity bridge costs by up to 80% compared with traditional per-volume billing. Platform-agnostic by design cBridge operates as a fully standalone solution, connecting cTrader, MT4, MT5 and FIX API environments to multiple Liquidity Providers. Brokers manage liquidity access, routing and execution in one place, with unified quote pricing and routing rules applied across all connected servers. Ready integrations and broad protocol coverage across trading, pricing and reporting keep the implementation process contained. At the core of cBridge’s platform-agnostic design is Spotware’s broader “Be Open” principle, aimed at giving brokers freedom in how they build and manage their technology stack. Operations first cBridge is structured around the day-to-day workflows of dealing and operations teams. Within one workspace, the interface combines guided layouts, right-side context panels and cross-setting references. Context panels surface linked settings and dependencies at the point of configuration, while cross-setting references help teams follow relationships between symbols, streams, trading servers and routing rules. Guided layouts speed up setup and reduce the time needed to diagnose issues when changes are made. Together, these interface elements keep setup changes, dependency checks and troubleshooting within the same operational flow. Flexible Order Routing cBridge also addresses one of the more demanding parts of bridge administration: day-to-day work with routing logic. As rule sets become more layered, Colour-coded Validation helps dealers scan them quickly. Inactive rules are marked within the rules grid, and row-level icons alongside sidebar counters indicate where review is required. Hovering over any rule surfaces the relevant issue directly, whether a deleted symbol, a conflicting parameter or an entry overridden by a higher-priority rule. The aim is to give teams a reliable way to maintain routing integrity as configurations evolve over time. Cross-setting validation checks cBridge validates settings across symbols, streams and routing rules, including the bridge-to-platform boundary, where certain conflicts are not always visible during initial setup. Once a symbol’s price feed has been injected into a trading server, for instance, it cannot be streamed again with a different markup for another client group. Duplicate pricing streams can also place unnecessary update load on the server. Cross-setting consistency checks and platform-aware validation help catch these conditions prior to deployment. Modular architecture for continuity under load cBridge runs on Spotware-hosted infrastructure, where scaling, updates and maintenance are handled without pausing live workflows. Its modular setup allows heavier components to be expanded or maintained independently, without affecting the rest of the bridge. When demand rises, additional capacity can be brought online and requests redistributed automatically. Clustered fault-tolerant modules help keep the system available during peak trading hours, while fault isolation helps contain local issues before they affect the wider setup. Exposure, performance and reporting in a unified view Exposure and activity data from connected Trading Platforms and Liquidity Providers flows into a single view, covering both A-Book and B-Book performance. Dashboards are organised by role – dealers, risk managers, operations teams and executives each get a dedicated view with relevant KPIs and drill-down paths. For audit work and deeper analysis, reporting extends to execution and order activity, trading volumes, slippage and mark-outs. Alerts and notifications cBridge delivers role-based alerts by email and through a dedicated alert dashboard, covering both technical and operational anomalies. Email notifications include clear details on the underlying anomaly, and the dashboard extends this with filters for current alerts and full history. Alerts are grouped by function – connectivity issues, trading server events, pricing inconsistencies, execution-related signals and cBridge operational issues, ensuring each team receives what is relevant to their area. Ilia Iarovitcyn, CEO of Spotware Systems, said: “For years, brokers have taken for granted that bridge costs rise with volume, and that managing routing rules means dealing with disconnected tables spread across multiple screens. We challenged both assumptions. cBridge brings fixed infrastructure-based pricing and an operations-first interface, because as a broker grows, its margins should improve – not its vendor’s revenue.” Book a demo to explore how cBridge can fit into your setup and support future growth. About Spotware Systems Spotware Systems is a fintech company founded in 2010, based in Limassol, Cyprus, with a global team of 200+ professionals. It designs and delivers innovative trading technology and custom solutions for brokers worldwide, supporting long-term growth and scalability. Spotware’s solutions include cTrader, the flagship trading platform, and cBridge, a highly cost-effective liquidity bridge for all platforms that eliminates volume fees and hidden charges entirely. Spotware’s expertise is consistently recognised with multiple international industry awards, including Best Trading Platform, Best Services for Partners and Best Mobile Trading App.The post Spotware launches cBridge, a cost-effective liquidity bridge for all platforms first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Clearstream has launched a new intraday tri-party repo service, becoming the first provider to offer the capability at scale. The firm said the move gives market participants greater control over their funding needs throughout the trading day. The service allows clients to open and close repo transactions at any point during the day, representing a significant shift from traditional models that typically require overnight commitments. Clearstream said the launch addresses rising demand for more agile liquidity tools as markets adjust to tighter margin conditions, interest rate uncertainty and accelerated settlement cycles such as T+1. The company explained that the intraday structure enables funding decisions “with precision down to the minute,” helping institutions optimise collateral use and improve cost efficiency. The move is also said to reflect broader pressures on liquidity management as firms adapt to evolving financing demands. Marton Szigeti, Head of Collateral, Lending and Liquidity Solutions at Clearstream, remarked: “As the industry adapts to changing financing needs, the pressure on our clients’ liquidity management is intensifying. Our new intraday tri-party repo service is a direct response to this evolution, empowering our clients with greater precision and control over their funding.” Clearstream, part of the Deutsche Börse Group, added that clients will gain access to broad and diversified liquidity pools. Acting as a neutral intermediary for three decades, the firm facilitates connections across global markets and supports participants with settlement services, administrative functions and value-added tools from trade initiation through to completion.The post Clearstream Launches Intraday Tri-Party Repo to Boost Market Liquidity first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Clearstream and Euroclear Bank announced Monday that they have launched dematerialised Eurobond issuance services, enabling issuers to bring new bonds to market in fully paperless form.  The rollout marks a major step in digitising the €15.3 trillion Eurobond market. The new services eliminate the need for physical global certificates, replacing them with electronic ownership records.  The ICSDs stated that this would reduce operational costs, speed up issuance and settlement processes and mitigate risks linked to loss, theft or forgery. Eurobonds can initially be issued under English law, with more jurisdictions to follow. Jens Hachmeister, head of issuer services and new digital markets at Clearstream, stated that the shift represents a “fundamental” move from a paper-based history to a digital future.  He noted that the new framework would allow issuers to access capital “more efficiently and securely”. Isabelle Delorme, head of product strategy and innovation at Euroclear, described the launch as a “pivotal moment” for a market that exceeded €15 trillion in value and grew at double-digit rates in 2025. She said a market of this scale “could not remain paper-based”. The Eurobond market, the world’s third-largest debt market, supports 12,000 issuers across 130 countries and spans up to 100 currencies. The post Clearstream and Euroclear Launch Dematerialised Eurobond Issuance  first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Blue Ocean Technologies has announced two senior appointments as it accelerates its global expansion, naming Chinmay Patel as chief technology officer of its Blue Ocean ATS platform and appointing Marcus Chan as its new sales representative for Hong Kong and China. Patel, who will be based in Toronto, will lead the firm’s technology strategy, engineering organisation and blockchain roadmap.  He brings more than 15 years of experience building finance-oriented products and previously served as CEO and co-founder of PERCS, API Garage / BlockX Labs, and as chief technology officer at Dossiya. Chan, a veteran of more than two decades in financial technology, will be responsible for regional growth strategy and business development from Hong Kong. His previous roles include senior sales positions at Bloomberg, Refinitiv, Sungard and FlexTrade. Brian Hyndman, chief executive of Blue Ocean Technologies, believes the appointments come at a “pivotal time of growth and diversification” for the company.  He stated that Patel’s experience would accelerate product innovation, while Chan’s expertise in Asia-Pacific markets would unlock “significant growth opportunities”. Hyndman added that the moves support the firm’s strategy around tokenisation, data solutions and the expansion of after-hours trading in U.S. equities for global clients.The post Blue Ocean Technologies Appoints CTO, Expands Asia-Pacific Team first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Kraken has launched traditional finance futures for eligible EU clients on its Kraken Pro platform, offering access to 70 new markets including oil, gold and major equity indices such as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100.  The expansion allows customers to trade fixed-term contracts alongside more than 290 existing crypto perpetuals. The new service enables users to go long or short on equity indices, commodities and FX markets using the same interface they already employ for crypto.  Kraken said the launch creates a single, integrated environment for traders seeking broader macro exposure or looking to hedge crypto risk. Unlike traditional equity markets, which close at 4 p.m., TradFi futures on Kraken Pro follow the extended schedule of CME Group and operate 23 hours a day, five days a week.  The offering includes micro, mini and standard futures on global benchmarks, alongside gold, oil and foreign exchange contracts.  Kraken noted that futures provide tools such as leverage, expanded hedging options and access to extended hours. The product is compliant with CySEC requirements, and users who fund their TradFi futures wallet receive free real-time Level 1 market data. Optional Level 2 data is also available. Customers can access the feature by updating Kraken Pro, unlocking derivatives, funding their accounts and selecting their chosen futures market.The post Kraken Pro Launches TradFi Futures for EU Clients first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

TradingHub said Monday that it has agreed to a strategic partnership with Nordic Capital, which will become its majority shareholder in a deal expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2026.  Existing investor Summit Partners and co-founder Neil Walker will retain minority stakes. The investment is intended to support TradingHub’s next phase of global expansion, with plans to strengthen its trade surveillance platform across additional asset classes and broaden its presence in new markets.  Founded in 2010, the company operates from London, Toronto, Singapore and Sydney, processing more than four billion trades and orders a day for major banks, asset managers and hedge funds. Mike Coats, TradingHub’s chief executive, said the partnership with Nordic Capital marked “an exciting moment” and would help accelerate innovation and international growth. He added that the private equity group “share our ambition for the future and bring valuable experience supporting high-growth technology businesses”. Nordic Capital partners Fredrik Näslund and Mohit Agnihotri stated that TradingHub’s platform was highly differentiated at a time when market manipulation was becoming “increasingly complex and cross-product”.  The firm plans to invest further in product innovation while supporting the existing management team. Antony Clavel of Summit Partners believes TradingHub is “setting a new standard” in surveillance technology. Financial terms were undisclosed, and Evercore is acting as the exclusive financial adviser to TradingHub.The post TradingHub Secures Majority Investment from Nordic Capital  first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Category: Education  ·  Source: Born to Trade Podcast  ·  March 2025 Every trader studies charts, strategies, and signals — but few master the most powerful tool they have: their mind. In this episode of Born to Trade, three experienced traders — Sammy, Dian, and Henry — sit down for a candid conversation about the mental discipline behind long-term trading success, and why psychology matters more than the charts. From a $100,000 loss in a single month to 19 consecutive winning weeks, the discussion is refreshingly honest about what actually drives trading outcomes: emotional intelligence, pre-session planning, and the discipline to stop when you said you would. Fear or focus — which are you mastering? Host: If trading is a battle between fear and focus, which one are you mastering right now? Sammy: Focus. Definitely mastering focus. If you can give so much focus to a particular thing, you get the best from it. There's a popular saying — where your focus goes, energy flows. Trading can be draining, especially when you're doing multiple things at the same time. But if you can put all of that energy together on the one or two hours you want to be trading, you'll make the best from it. Dian: Same. Focus is the only thing that can keep you in the game for so long. My journey has been over five years and what has kept me in it is consistency and focus. When I started, it was just fear for a long time. Focus is the real thing. Henry: Definitely focus. There's a word in the Bible — write the vision and make it plain. The reason you write it and make it plain is so you can always see it and focus on it. In trading, focus is paramount. The role of emotional intelligence in decision-making Host: Sammy, what role does emotional intelligence play in your trading decisions? Sammy: When it comes to making quality decisions in the market, I've figured out that 80% of it is your emotions — your psychology. If you can take advantage of that, you'll take advantage of the market. It's not about how sharp your trade setup is. It's about what you do with the ones you have. A weak psychology means you'll most likely lose on a winning trade. Host: Losing on a winning trade — how does that work? Sammy: If you don't have settled emotions backed by pre-trade decisions, you get a great entry, the market moves your way — and then you lose discipline. You think: "I should have used a bigger lot size." So you enter again with more. A quick pullback hits and that could blow your account. After that, the market continues exactly where it was going. That second entry was pure emotion. The market is testing you. When gold is going to sell but keeps pulling back with contractions first — it's trying to weaken your ability to stay in control. If you give yourself a command and stick to it, you're in charge. "It's not about how sharp your trade setup is. It's about what you do with the ones you have. If you have a weak psychology, you'll most likely lose on a winning trade." — Sammy Staying analytical when markets move fast Host: Dian, when markets move fast, what helps you stay analytical and avoid reacting emotionally? Dian: Planning. You have to plan before you trade. A lot of traders just see a trade, enter, and expect profit. Once you plan, you can control your emotions. When you've told yourself what to do, how to execute, and what to do at each level — it's much easier to stay calm. Host: What does that actually look like before a trade? Dian: Before opening the chart, I write what I want to do, the amount I want to make, and the risk I'm willing to take. Once I open the chart I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm not going in saying "maybe today I'll make $3,000." Everything goes according to what I've scripted — not what the market decides for me. When I reach the level I set, I stop. If I don't do it that way, everything can come crashing. Host: Is knowing when to stop harder than finding the right trade? Dian: Yes. You can't teach somebody when to get out. The person needs to be contented with whatever he feels is right for him. Resetting after a bad day Host: Henry, you're very open about your setbacks. How do you reset your mindset after a tough loss? Henry: It comes back to planning. When you decide the amount you're willing to lose today, your mind is already at that figure. So when the trade goes wrong, it's not a shock. You just say: "I've lost this — on to the next one." There will be bad days — no doubt. But they shouldn't affect your life. Some people, once they have a bad day, you see it in everything: how they talk, how they react. That won't happen if you planned for it. Henry: Something happened to me in March 2025 that I never expected. I had a big goal, funded $10,000, lost it, funded again, and kept losing. I had been on a winning streak of over five weeks before that. I was trying to recover Monday's losses on Tuesday, Tuesday's on Wednesday — and by the end of the month I had lost over $100,000. Henry: I stepped away for a week. I called a mentor and explained everything. He asked: "How were you trading last year when you made good money?" I told him: fund $500–$1,000, take it to $3,000, redraw, repeat — let it compound. He said: go back to that. April was slow. May was better. June was better still. By August I was calm, free from the stress of what I'd lost. Everyone makes mistakes — even in their fifth year. Hit the reset button, step away, come back stronger. "Trade from a position of rest and peace. Don't come in with the mindset that this money has to solve a specific problem. That pressure will make you overtrade." — Henry Psychology of money — the underrated edge Host: Is trading psychology underrated in trader education? Sammy: The psychology of trading is exactly the psychology of money — because what we're trying to do is make money. How you handle funds away from the market affects how you handle them in it. If you're the kind of person who puts everything into an opportunity because someone promised big returns, you'll do the same thing in trading. You may not even know you're that person until you open your first position. Sammy: Another reason traders struggle is that they fail to plan for their plan not going according to plan. You have plan A, plan B, plan C — and then you ask: what if everything fails? That's the exact moment where most traders lose control, because they never prepared for it. The most dangerous emotion: greed Host: Between fear, greed, and other emotions — which is the most dangerous? Dian: Greed. In March this year, it started as overconfidence. I had already made $40,000–$50,000 in the lead-up. The first day of that month I made $16,000 and sent the screenshot to my friends. Then came four consecutive losses — that had never happened. I told myself: "Next week will be fine." But then it shifted from overconfidence to greed, mixed with fear of not recovering. My community started dropping off. Bad comments came in. I was transferring money from account to account without thinking. Eventually I hit the reset button. That's the only way back. Journalling — learning from yourself Host: How can traders build awareness of these emotions before they spiral? Sammy: Keep a trading journal. When we read books by other people, we learn from their experiences and start mirroring them. When we write about our own and go back to read it, we learn about ourselves. The problem many traders have is they don't know themselves. They're always acting, never studying how they act. In your journal: what asset did you trade, what was the setup, why did you enter, what did you make or lose — and crucially, how did you feel? What was your state of mind? Over time you'll recognise patterns before they cost you. Sammy: The secret to mastering your psychology is mastering yourself — and the way you do that is by recording how you perform in certain situations. The journal lets you spot when your greed level is rising, when fear is creeping in, when you're about to revenge trade. Dian: Most traders don't like writing. My shortcut: pick one strategy — even if it's only 40% accurate — and stick to it. You might have a losing week. Don't switch. The next three weeks might be straight wins. If you can automate it, perfect. If not, wait for the setup that fits your rules. Win or lose, you've reinforced the habit of following your process. Henry: And set hard limits. If you don't cap how much you can lose or earn in a session, you'll lose more than you ever imagined. Know your limits, set them before you open the chart, and when you're getting close — stop, reset, rest. Mental habits outside the charts Host: What mental habits outside of analysis have made you successful? Sammy: Exercise — physical activity helps bring my mind together. And meditation before trading: a quiet room, background sounds, deep thinking. It helps me connect to what I want to achieve. I also write my goals down every single day. After meditating, I open my goal book, write ten things I'm grateful for, then write my targets. Whatever you write down, you own. The money I want to make, I achieve it on paper first. Henry: For me it's prayer. Before my day starts, my family and I speak into the day. There's a book called Power of Your Mind — wherever you want to get to in life, you must get there in your mind first. When your mind is at peace and settled, nothing the market does can bring you down. It will only be a lesson to move you further. What makes a healthy trader? Host: How would you define a healthy trader? Dian: A healthy trader has their principles aligned. There's one thing to plan, and another to follow the plan. Whatever you say you're going to do, you do it. It won't happen every time — but the ability to notice when you've gone off track and correct it makes you better every day. An unhealthy trader repeats the same mistake, doesn't ask for help, believes they can do it alone. The moment you recognise you're in the wrong spot, everything can change. People aren't alone in this — reach out to mentors. One of them will reply, and that might be the person who gives you the answer you need. Born to Trade is a podcast covering traders across Africa and global markets. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. The views expressed are those of the participants and do not constitute financial advice. The post Born to Trade Podcast – Episode 4: Mind over market first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

London Stock Exchange Group’s Post Trade Solutions has launched TradeAgent, a new post-trade processing platform designed to simplify and standardise workflows across the cleared and bilateral derivatives markets. Developed in partnership with a consortium of more than 10 major banks and buyside firms, the platform aims to address long-standing inefficiencies in equity and interest-rate swap processing. TradeAgent provides participants with access to centralised, authoritative trade and agreement data, enabling automation across the post-trade lifecycle and reducing operational risk. By extending the benefits of cleared processes into the bilateral space, the platform seeks to enhance accuracy in cash-flow calculations, prevent breaks and valuation disputes, and mitigate counterparty and funding risk through centralised margin and settlement services. LSEG said the platform’s open, scalable architecture will also support future products and services operating directly off its central data store. TradeAgent forms part of Post Trade Solutions alongside Quantile, Acadia and SwapAgent, all aimed at driving cost and operational efficiencies. Annabel Harrison, Head of Agent Services at Post Trade Solutions, stated that TradeAgent “provides the market with a true end-to-end trade processing solution” and replaces “duplicative processes with a single source of trade and agreement data.” Industry participants welcomed the launch, with Barclays commenting that the system “simplifies a complex industry landscape,” while BNP Paribas called it a practical, industry-led solution to “well-known challenges” in OTC processing. Citi stated that the project highlights the need for standardisation and automation, and J.P. Morgan added that the platform supports the ongoing evolution of post-trade resiliency.The post LSEG’s Post Trade Solutions Launches TradeAgent  first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.