News Nuggets | 22 June: New Exchange on TradingView; HKEX in New York

Virtu Financial Unveils New Tool for Automated Block Trading

Virtu Financial has launched a new tool that enables traders to automate workflows, source incremental non-displayed liquidity, and complete orders faster, the company announced today (Thursday). The new tool dubbed Alert+ is in response to a rise in non-displayed liquidity.

Alert+ is available on POSIT Alert and provides automated routing to Virtu Financial's Covert execution algorithm to seek non-displayed liquidity. According to the company, POSIT Alert enables clients to connect with block liquidity opportunities in 38 countries.

Equiti Boosts Trading Portfolio

Equiti, an online trading services provider, has broadened its portfolio by adding over 1500 new stocks and ETF CFDs to its MT5 trading platform. This expanded offering includes stocks from the Russell 2000 and S&P 500 indices, offering trading opportunities in trending sectors, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and renewable energy.

"Our massive expansion of stock CFDs provides a more diverse array of stocks for our clients to trade as well as much greater choice," Laurence Crosby, the Head of Exchange Listed Products at Equiti, commented. "This milestone reinforces our commitment to delivering unparalleled trading experiences backed by robust technology and our 24/6 client support is available in nine languages."

Forex4you Celebrates 16 Years in the Industry

Forex4you, an established online broker, has announced a series of new developments designed to enhance its clients' trading experience, marking its 16^th anniversary. The latest updates include partner programs, expanded trading instruments, and promotions.

Forex4you has introduced a new account type, the Classic Standard, aligning with industry trends and providing clients with access to over 120 trading instruments with zero commission. The broker has renamed existing accounts to simplify the selection process, particularly for novice traders. Furthermore, over 50 new instruments, including popular cryptocurrencies, natural gas, and US stocks, have been added for Classic Pro traders.

Bitcoin Equities ETF Debuts on Euronext Amsterdam

Melanion Capital, a French investment firm, has launched a new equities ETF on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange. This Bitcoin Equities ETF, known as BTC NA, offers investors exposure to a selection of European and American stocks that are strongly correlated with the market price of Bitcoin. The new ETF represents an equities-based approach to investing in the Bitcoin ecosystem​.

NZX Names Anna Scott as Smartshares Chief Executive

NZX, New Zealand's stock exchange, has appointed Anna Scott as the new Chief Executive of Smartshares Limited.

Scott, who was previously the Chief Operating Officer at Hobson Wealth, a private wealth advisory group based in Auckland, brings strong operational skills to her new role. NZX believes that Scott's expertise will be instrumental in driving growth for Smartshares​3.

Crédit Agricole Obtains Crypto Registration in France

CACEIS, the asset servicing branch of banking giants Crédit Agricole and Santander, has secured a crypto custody registration from France's Financial Markets Authority (AMF). CACEIS Bank joins other traditional finance firms, such as Societe Generale's Forge and AXA Investment Managers, that are recognized under one of Europe's most advanced crypto regulatory frameworks.

This move comes as the European Union is preparing to implement new crypto licensing rules known as MiCA in 2024​​.

ASIC Heavily Penalizes Securities Firm

The Australian financial market regulator, ASIC, has imposed a monetary penalty of AU$333,000 on Morrison Securities Pty Ltd to comply with an infringement notice. The company has already paid the penalty brought by the regulator’s Markets Disciplinary Panel.

Announced today (Thursday), the securities firm has violated a section of the ASIC Market Integrity Rules six times that mandate fair and orderly operations. The violations resulted in “significant price variations in the securities that were unreasonable in the circumstances and were not caused by ordinary market events,” the regulator highlighted.

“The MDP characterized Morrison’s conduct as at the high end of ‘careless’,” ASIC stated.

TradingView Adds Data from Dhaka Stock Exchange

TradingView has expanded its market data feed with the latest addition to its resources of the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), one of the two exchanges in Bangladesh. Through this, TradingView customers can access all DSE stocks, indices, and bonds.

“We believe the new data will bring new ideas and opportunities to your market research,” TradingView added.

HKEX Opens New York Office

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) opened a new Office in New York. This was released six months after its announcement, Finance Magnates earlier reported. The new office is located at 1270 Avenue of Americas and will be led by Roger McAvoy, the Managing Director and Head of Business Development in North America.

Under the new office, HKEX will support its North American clients by offering enhanced access to information on Asia’s capital markets.

“There is immense appetite for better insight and access to Asia capital markets in the US, and in opening up an HKEX office in New York, we can better align with our clients’ interests and ambitions,” McAvoy said.

HKEX’s #NewYork office is open for business!

We had a fantastic time celebrating with our North American clients, partners and friends from across the financial community at our celebratory launch party at Rockefeller Center today! #HKEXintheBigApplepic.twitter.com/LeAqZjpVTX

— HKEX 香港交易所 (@HKEXGroup) June 22, 2023

GTC Names New Chief Analyst

Dubai-based Global Trade Capital (GTC) has onboarded Jameel Ahmad as the Chief Analyst and also the Advisor to the CEO. The company is regulated by Vanuatu Financial Services Commission and offers trading services.

Ahmad previously worked for several other top forex and contracts for differences (CFDs) brands. Most recently, he was Alpari’s Chief Investment Strategist for MENA, which is a role he held for only five months. He was also a Director of Investment Strategy at NAGA for ten months. Prior to that, he spent six years at ForexTime, parting as its Global Head of Currency Strategy & Market Research.

Banks Are Filing for Crypto Trademarks

HSBC and Mastercard have submitted the rights for additional crypto-related trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Mastercard’s trademarks are related to crypto and blockchain transactions, while HSBC seeks approval around metaverse banking and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) services.

#HSBC continues its move into the #Metaverse!

The company has filed a new trademark application covering:

▶️ Metaverse banking, consulting, financial services
▶️ Virtual credit cards
▶️ NFTs + NFT-backed media
… and much, much more!#NFT#Crypto#Web3#NFTs#DeFipic.twitter.com/rb6UdA2Iq3

— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) June 19, 2023

#Mastercard is continuing its move into #crypto!

The payment processor has filed a trademark application claiming plans for

▶️ Software for crypto + blockchain transactions
▶️ Interconnecting virtual asset service providers for crypto transactions#Web3#DeFi#Cryptocurrencypic.twitter.com/Pz1m5gau10

— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) June 19, 2023