Playing catch-up: post-trade modernisation vital for Nordic banks’ global ambitions
A key part of the Nordic banking industry is under pressure to modernise its post-trade operations tech.
CSD
LA Ledger group calls for more participants
The Liquidity Alliance group of central securities depositories (CSDs) has called for further participants in their distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based LA Ledger prototype for cross-border mobilisation of security collateral.
Russia’s CSD develops blockchain platform with Waves
National Settlement Depository (NSD), Russia’s central securities depository (CSD), and Waves, a decentralised platform for launching crowdfunding campaigns and issuing digital assets, have embarked on a blockchain project.
2017: South Africa – blockchain fizzle or sizzle?
While the maturity of blockchain discussions and advances are at different stages of development around the world, blockchain is said to be at the height of the Gartner hype cycle. This implies that 2017 will be the year where disillusionment with the technology begins. However, 2017 may also see some real breakthroughs with its application and the emergence of pockets of the first concrete results.
Clearstream migrates to Target2-Securities; nearly doubles T2S settlement volume
Clearstream Banking Frankfurt and LuxCSD have migrated to the European Central Bank’s (ECB) Target2-Securities (T2S) platform. “The first business day is already in process and runs smoothly,” Clearstream states.
CSD consortium focuses on fintech for emerging markets
A central securities depositories (CSDs) consortium has been founded to help emerging market CSDs investigate and take advantage of new technologies such as blockchain. Led by Russia’s CSD, National Settlement Depository (NSD) and South Africa’s Strate, the consortium will initially focus on working with CSDs in Africa, the Middle East and Eurasia.
Clearing and settlement: a moving target
Momentum is building behind the T2S securities settlement system as it gains critical mass. While expected benefits and outcomes have not fully materialised, the unexpected benefits have captured the imagination of the post-trade industry.
Argentina’s CSD Caja de Valores joins Swift’s network
Caja de Valores, Argentina’s central securities depository (CSD), is now fully operational directly on the Swift network. All its international transactions are now executed via Swift.
Italy live on T2S (at last)
Target2-Securities, the European Central Bank project to harmonise Europe’s post trade infrastructure, has finally gone live in Italy – three months after Italy’s last-minute decision to drop out of the first wave earlier this summer.
Europe’s CSDs are facing a regulatory squeeze warns Nasdaq
European banks and CSDs will be forced to change their business models under relentless pressure from Basel III, CSDR and T2S. That may involve consolidating services, as well as considering opportunities for collaboration, according to Henri Bergström, head of global post trade solutions at Nasdaq.
ESMA looks for guidance on CSD technical standards
European securities regulator ESMA has published a discussion paper asking for public feedback on the technical standards that should be used for CSDs, including registration, settlement discipline, confirmation rules, acceptance or rejection of terms, as well as access to CSDs by other CSDs and market participants.
Regulation and T2S forcing European post-trade evolution says Celent
As Europe’s post-trade infrastructure is subjected to increasing levels of regulation, CSDs will be forced to change their business models to stay alive, custodians will be forced to seek alliances to find economies of scale, and brokers will have to outsource parts of their mid and back office processes to stay in the game, according to analyst firm Celent.
Joining the dots: Thomas Zeeb, chief executive, Six Securities Services
The post-trade infrastructures behind the world’s securities markets face as much, if not more, regulatory driven change as the trading firms in the face of legislation such as the European Union’s European Market Infrastructure Regulation. While some of the effects will be negative, the regulators are showing a constructive approach and recognising that the infrastructure providers came out of the crisis well, says Thomas Zeeb, chief executive of Six Securities Services.
BNY Mellon promises post-trade savings via Belgian CSD
BNY Mellon is planning to open a new issuer central securities depository that it claims will offer market participants more efficient post-trade services.
