Goliaths move on Wall St., a heavyweight moves to secure crypto
Bitcoin $6,476 ▼ Ethereum $218.64 ▼
Crypto Mkt Cap $215 Billion ▼ BTC Dominance 52.10%
“I love freedom and I want to make sure we can be self-confident, secure individuals.” Alena Vranova, strategy chief for Casa on personal security and wealth
The Big Block
Brokerage giant TD Ameritrade, a slew of high-speed traders, and a long list of Wall Street firms are getting behind a brand new market for crypto called ErisX, the firm announced Wednesday. The venture, which is being led by trading veteran Thomas Chippas, would provide a place for individuals and institutions to trade cryptocurrencies and derivatives tied to digital assets, according to a news release put out by the firm.
Chippas, previously head of quantitative execution at Citigroup, left his previous role to build ErisX in recent months, according to a spokeswoman. The goal of the platform is to offer a wide range of physically delivered futures for bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ethereum and litecoin. First, however, it will also offer a spot market for crypto trading. ErisX is a revamp of derivatives exchange Eris Exchange, which launched in 2010 and failed to gain traction.
The firm expects spot trading of cryptos to begin in Q2 of 2019. Trading of its planned derivatives products is pending regulatory approval. The firm holds a DCM, or designated market contracts, which could give it a leg-up over other crypto trading platforms.
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Around The Block
Casa, the crypto security firm, brings on an industry heavyweight as it eyes new opportunities
“I love freedom and I want to make sure we can be self-confident, secure individuals.”
For Alena Vranova, the founder of Trezor, the cryptocurrency wallet company, freedom is rooted in a person’s security. When it comes to a person’s wealth, Vranova’s thesis is that a person is only financially free if their wealth is secure.
Crypto-security firm Casa on Wednesday announced Vranova would join the company from Trezor to lead strategy. Casa is making a big push to tackle the thorny issue of security in cryptocurrency. Notably, Vranaova was involved in the launch of Casa’s node for bitcoin and Lightning. — More
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