Systems has connected its FX trading platform to CME Group's spot and futures markets, giving clients access to additional liquidity sources without requiring new infrastructure.
The integration links FlexTrade's FlexFX system with CME's EBS Market central limit order book and FX Spot+ platform. Users can now route orders to both venues directly through their existing order management interface, similar to how FlexTrade recently integrated with LoopFX for dark pool matching on large trades.
Anonymous Pricing Meets Futures Liquidity
EBS Market operates as an all-to-all order book where institutional traders and banks can access firm pricing without last-look protocols. The venue handles spot and non-deliverable forward transactions through a central limit order book structure.
"New innovations and partnerships drive demand to bring more FX liquidity into the EMS to further optimize electronic trading," said Uday Chebrolu, senior vice president for FX and digital assets at FlexTrade. "This data, in turn, produces continuous improvements in trading performance, efficiency, and speed."
- Traders Get Conversational Access to KCx Analytics via FlexTrade AI
- FlexTrade and LoopFX Deal Targets $10 Million-Plus FX Trades
- FlexTrade and Propellant Digital Team Up to Boost Fixed-Income Trading
FX Spot+ takes a different approach by connecting over-the-counter spot traders to CME's futures ecosystem. The platform converts futures liquidity into spot format, allowing participants to interact with both market types through a single interface. CME launched FX Spot+ to bridge the gap between these traditionally separate markets.
Competing platforms have also been adding CME connectivity. Integral integrated both venues into its trading system last June, while CME recently partnered with FairXchange to provide execution analytics for EBS Direct users.
Automated Routing Through FlexAlgoWheel
FlexTrade's existing automation tools will work with the new CME connections. The FlexAlgoWheel system can now include EBS Market and FX Spot+ in its routing decisions, alongside other liquidity sources already connected to the platform.
Paul Houston, global head of FX products at CME Group, noted that "The past 12 months have once again demonstrated the critical role that EBS Market performs in the FX market. Through FlexTrade's interfaces, mutual clients can now more easily interact with the firm pricing on our anonymous EBS Markets spot and NDF liquidity, as well as FX Spot+ which allows spot traders to access the futures ecosystem and the FX futures liquidity in spot format".
FlexTrade previously partnered with KCx Analytics to add AI-driven market insights to its platform. The firm has been expanding connectivity across different FX venues, including an integration with CMC Markets for CFD liquidity in 2017.
The integration reduces the technical work needed for FlexTrade clients who want to trade on CME venues. Firms can add the connections without building separate infrastructure or managing additional APIs.