Firms and traders seek to hedge risk and capitalize on equity market fluctuations.
Traders demand products that could reduce trading costs and improve execution.
Volatility
is the main driving force of financial markets. Where volatility appears, there
is also increased trading activity by traders and investment firms. The latest
data suggests that participants are looking for new products that allow them to
leverage market volatility better.
A recent
study by Acuiti, conducted in association with MIAX, suggests a surge in demand
for volatility products in the derivatives markets. The research reveals that
firms and traders are increasingly looking to hedge risk and profit from the
spikes in volatility, which is a characteristic of equity markets from 2020.
Traders Show Rising Demand
for Volatility Products
According
to the study named ‘Expanding Horizons in Volatility Trading’, 44% of the
Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) reported increased demand for trading
volatility since 2020 from their client base. This research involved 94
proprietary trading firms, hedge funds, banks, interdealer brokers, and major
FCMs serving the derivatives market.
The
findings suggest that firms trading volatility are keen to expand the ecosystem with new tradable products parallel to established ones.
Moreover, the respondents expressed a desire for innovative products that could
reduce trading costs and improve execution, such as futures and options with
smaller tick sizes.
Traders are
calling on exchanges to innovate and introduce new concepts to the market, with
methodology viewed as a crucial factor for any firm considering a new product. One
notable finding is the strong demand for new derivatives contracts among
volatility traders. This indicates a significant appetite for expanding their
trading options within the volatility trading community.
“There is
significant room for innovation in volatility markets,” Ross Lancaster, the
Head of Research at Acuiti, commented. “Different products with different
methodologies will enable firms to trade across different measures of
volatility, expanding the strategies used and creating basis and arbitrage trading
opportunities.”
The report
also suggests that volatility trading is expected to experience substantial
growth in the future. Many firms are planning to adopt this asset class and
trade new products alongside their existing ones, further driving the expansion
of volatility trading.
Index
methodology emerges as a crucial factor for most market participants. The
success of any new contract is heavily influenced by the methodology used to
calculate the index, making it an important consideration for traders and
investors.
Additionally,
the report reveals a growing trend in the popularity of short-dated options
trading. This trend has the potential to greatly impact expectations for listed
volatility products and their associated calculations.
The VIX,
offered by the CBOE, is the most popular volatility product. It calculates
volatility based on S&P 500 options traded exclusively on its exchange. On
the other hand, MIAX provides its own volatility index called SPIKES, which
measures 30-day expected volatility using options on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF,
the world's largest exchange-traded fund.
VIX. Source: Tradingview.com
“Demand for
volatility products across futures, options and ETFs remains strong, with
market participants continuing to look for ways to manage their risk and hedge
portfolios even during times of low volatility,” Kaitlin Meyer, the VP of Marketing
and Sales at MIAX, commented.
Meyer highlighted that SPIKES Volatility Products offer traders an alternative when trading products based on the volatility indexes, boasting a more robust methodology and lower exchange fees to support their strategies.
A
significant finding of the report was the willingness of volatility traders to
diversify their trading by including new volatility products. As much as 79% of
the respondents expressed their openness to trading SPIKES alongside
established volatility products.
Volatility
is the main driving force of financial markets. Where volatility appears, there
is also increased trading activity by traders and investment firms. The latest
data suggests that participants are looking for new products that allow them to
leverage market volatility better.
A recent
study by Acuiti, conducted in association with MIAX, suggests a surge in demand
for volatility products in the derivatives markets. The research reveals that
firms and traders are increasingly looking to hedge risk and profit from the
spikes in volatility, which is a characteristic of equity markets from 2020.
Traders Show Rising Demand
for Volatility Products
According
to the study named ‘Expanding Horizons in Volatility Trading’, 44% of the
Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) reported increased demand for trading
volatility since 2020 from their client base. This research involved 94
proprietary trading firms, hedge funds, banks, interdealer brokers, and major
FCMs serving the derivatives market.
The
findings suggest that firms trading volatility are keen to expand the ecosystem with new tradable products parallel to established ones.
Moreover, the respondents expressed a desire for innovative products that could
reduce trading costs and improve execution, such as futures and options with
smaller tick sizes.
Traders are
calling on exchanges to innovate and introduce new concepts to the market, with
methodology viewed as a crucial factor for any firm considering a new product. One
notable finding is the strong demand for new derivatives contracts among
volatility traders. This indicates a significant appetite for expanding their
trading options within the volatility trading community.
“There is
significant room for innovation in volatility markets,” Ross Lancaster, the
Head of Research at Acuiti, commented. “Different products with different
methodologies will enable firms to trade across different measures of
volatility, expanding the strategies used and creating basis and arbitrage trading
opportunities.”
The report
also suggests that volatility trading is expected to experience substantial
growth in the future. Many firms are planning to adopt this asset class and
trade new products alongside their existing ones, further driving the expansion
of volatility trading.
Index
methodology emerges as a crucial factor for most market participants. The
success of any new contract is heavily influenced by the methodology used to
calculate the index, making it an important consideration for traders and
investors.
Additionally,
the report reveals a growing trend in the popularity of short-dated options
trading. This trend has the potential to greatly impact expectations for listed
volatility products and their associated calculations.
The VIX,
offered by the CBOE, is the most popular volatility product. It calculates
volatility based on S&P 500 options traded exclusively on its exchange. On
the other hand, MIAX provides its own volatility index called SPIKES, which
measures 30-day expected volatility using options on the SPDR S&P 500 ETF,
the world's largest exchange-traded fund.
VIX. Source: Tradingview.com
“Demand for
volatility products across futures, options and ETFs remains strong, with
market participants continuing to look for ways to manage their risk and hedge
portfolios even during times of low volatility,” Kaitlin Meyer, the VP of Marketing
and Sales at MIAX, commented.
Meyer highlighted that SPIKES Volatility Products offer traders an alternative when trading products based on the volatility indexes, boasting a more robust methodology and lower exchange fees to support their strategies.
A
significant finding of the report was the willingness of volatility traders to
diversify their trading by including new volatility products. As much as 79% of
the respondents expressed their openness to trading SPIKES alongside
established volatility products.
Damian's adventure with financial markets began at the Cracow University of Economics, where he obtained his MA in finance and accounting. Starting from the retail trader perspective, he collaborated with brokerage houses and financial portals in Poland as an independent editor and content manager. His adventure with Finance Magnates began in 2016, where he is working as a business intelligence analyst.
CFD Broker RA Prime Joins Financial Commission for Dispute Resolution Support
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
