The LMAX Exchange, a multilateral trading firm based in London, reportedly received a number of requests from its clients who were interested in trading cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. In response, it decided to announce a new cryptocurrency exchange regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), specifically developed for institutional investors.
The company’s new crypto exchange will be called LMAX Digital. Its trading services will reportedly be provided 24/7. LMAX Exchange’s CEO David Mercer stated:
“We are furthering the legitimisation of the crypto currency market by offering institutions a platform on which to acquire, trade and hold crypto currencies securely with high quality, deep liquidity.”
The financial firm also plans on providing cryptocurrency custodian services for its clients. This is a highly sought-after service due to the challenges associated with safely and securely holding and transacting digital currencies.
Safe, Secure Trading Environment
The exchange’s press release states that it will provide “hot/warm/cold multi-signature wallets” to ensure safety and security. Additionally, LMAX Digital will feature a central limit order book (CLOB) and a rulebook that will be visible to all its users.
Per the company, this will allow for greater transparency and “streaming, firm institutional liquidity.” Buy and sell orders will also be “time-stamped in microseconds” in order to show users the most up-to-date data.
Notably, over $10 trillion of fiat currencies have been traded on the LMAX Exchange since its launch in 2010. According to the company’s press release, it currently provides FX trading services to institutional clients in over 100 countries. Per Mercer, the company’s experience in forex trading helped it develop LMAX Digital.
LMAX Exchange Group’s future plans include launching their cryptocurrency exchange services in Tokyo and New York. This, according to the company, will help meet its clients’ requirements throughout the world. Commenting on the rise of the cryptocurrency market, Mercer stated:
“Digital currencies are, without a doubt, coming of age. Exchanges will play a crucial role in bringing the major crypto currencies into wider circulation, helping them to become accepted into conventional funds which in turn will help to support a normalisation of value.”
Institutional investors have not yet made any substantial investments in the cryptocurrency market. Recently, BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes and Coinbase VP Adam White recently revealed that their companies have begun to develop products and services for them, as they’re expecting “billions of dollars” worth of investments.
