RULEMATCH Spot On

Offering innovative financial products based on crypto assets may sound exciting - but it isn’t easy. Especially for banks. What kind of structuring is needed? How is trading executed? What kind of risks are involved - and how can you control those risks? These are the kinds of questions that faced Vontobel, one of Switzerland’s earliest banks to offer crypto structured products. In the final 2024...

For financial institutions, there is only one way to do crypto - by the rules. Whether it is custody of crypto assets, asset management, wealth management - or simple trading, banks and securities firms have to follow the 'narrow path' to provide the highest level of certainty and security for their clients. This is top of mind for regulated companies like tradias - a spin-off of Bankhaus Scheich...

As one of the few banks in the world - if not the only one - Julius Baer offers its clients the opportunity to invest in crypto assets with the support of a full-fledged research department and CIO House View. That positions one of Switzerland’s largest banks as a global leader in the institutional digital assets industry. After the US presidential elections and with rapid market developments, RUL...

Across the wide, global landscape of crypto markets, financial institutions often face challenges in connecting to venues, managing liquidity and coordinating order flows. To tackle this challenge they often to turn to order management systems providers like Talos. But as the industry gets more sophisticated and complex, the scope of services offered has to keep up as well. As it develops to keep...

With more and more financial institutions offering crypto and digital asset services, the need for sophisticated tech to handle crypto is more important than ever. But it goes (far) beyond simple custody… Fireblocks SVP of Coporate Development Adam Levine spoke to Ian Simpson about the expanding role of tech providers in coordinating crypto market infrastructure - connecting liquidity and enabling...

The relationship between banks and crypto has been complicated over the years. It has also evolved significantly since the first days of the industry. Along the way, Switzerland has been a leader in crypto banking - unrivalled around the world. One reason for that is crypto native banks like Sygnum Bank, which received its banking license in 2019. As Head of Trading, Dominc Lohberger has been invo...

The topic of MiCAR - the European Union's Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation - is top of mind for crypto asset service providers (CASPs) not just in Europe, but also around the world. The implications of MiCAR for the current crypto market and its potential to shape institutional involvement in the space are wide-ranging and far-reaching. In this episode of RULEMATCH Spot On, host Ian Simpson spo...

He used to be a rocket scientist in South Africa, but now James Kilroe and his co-founder Geoffrey van Ryneveld run Tendex, a market neutral crypto hedge fund with a focus on medium- and high-frequency trading strategies. Spot On host Ian Simpson and James discussed the background of Tendex's activities in niche crypto markets and its transition to more sophisticated strategies. Along the way, Jam...

Liquidity in markets is always key. What assets get traded (and price) is often dependent on how deep liquidity across the market.   In crypto it is no different. Keyrock CEO and Co-founder Kevin de Patoul joined RULEMATCH Spot On to talk about liquidity and its development - along with the influence of different market models, the ongoing challenge for high frequency traders, as well as current (...

Swiss private banks are known for their long tradition of service - and in some cases their agility. Zurich-based Maerki Baumann Privatbank is an excellent example of this. As one of the first banks in Switzerland - and in Europe - to offer crypto services, it got a head-start on the industry in 2018. But how did Maerki Baumann make the decision to do crypto? How did its service offering develop a...

How do you lay the foundation for fully digital capital markets? How far has work actually come in integrating a central bank digital currency into efforts towards tokenization? And how is Switzerland pushing the industry forward in the next evolution of financial markets? In Part 2 of this RULEMATCH Spot On episode, Ian Simpson and David Newns, Head of the SIX Digital Exchange (SDX) discuss the d...

Digital capital market infrastructure lays a foundation for a new evolution in finance - one that combines proven parts of traditional structures and the potential of new technology like blockchain and DLT. This transition has has many layers - as well as challenges and opportunities. But what efficiencies does digital capital market infrastructure actually bring? What links remain between the “ol...

Consistent liquidity in crypto markets has never been more important than now. With the shift away from purely retail-driven buying and selling, market makers take on an even more essential role. But as new financial products with crypto underlyings come to market - and market structures and trading models evolve, how the dynamics change? Will RFQ models and CLOBs exist in parallel? How will openi...

Banks who have built a business in crypto and digital assets want to do it “by the rules.” But what does that mean exactly? What are the major considerations and how are regulatory considerations evolving? In this episode, RULEMATCH Spot On hosts Cornelia Stengel, a partner at Kellerhals Carrard for an in-depth discussion on legal and regulatory topics from AML and capital requirements to stableco...

Crypto hedge funds and asset managers have seen rapid change over the last few years. With changing market structure and more institutional investors, come more possibilities for advanced strategies to take advantage of market trends. But how will prime brokerage and a new emphasis on low-latency infrastructure change the game even more? And how will well-established crypto hedge funds adapt their...

True prime brokerage in crypto and digital asset markets has been a missing piece of the puzzle. Now that the largest trading firms in the world are looking to do business in the space, the need for cross-asset margining, reduced credit risk and broad market access - as well as highly-regulated, secure partners to support this - is more important than ever. In this episode, RULEMATCH Spot On hosts...

One of the biggest developments in the institutional crypto and digital assets space has been the launch of exchange-traded products for investors. The recent launch of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the US was a milestone hailed around the world. But how do operations work for exchange-traded products (ETPs) and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) - and what is the difference? What changes to crypto markets can b...