Simon Dove, managing director, head of liquidity at Instinet Incorporated
As we bid farewell to 2024, we are left with many questions about the dawn of 2025, a year that promises to be a game-changer. We already have key milestones within the ever-fluid EMEA regulatory landscape, including DORA and implementing the Mifid II and Mifir review. We will likely witness further regulatory divergence between the UK and the EU. Still, all parties must act swiftly to address the macro-level challenges affecting primary market listings and the lack of investment in the EMEA region. It is imperative that action is taken on all fronts.
We should finally see, on a grander scale, AI usage moving from an over-used buzzword bingo to a reality. The pursuit of innovation will persist, with new entrants needing to demonstrate credible and distinctive credentials in a highly competitive and demanding environment, where only those that offer something unique will ultimately endure.
As the industry moves towards a consolidated tape and the looming T+1 deadline, established players will likely continue positioning themselves to expand their market share or protect their existing trading, data, and technology businesses. This is set against a backdrop of rising industry costs, which will inevitably face heightened scrutiny. Liquidity sweet spots like retail, blocks, bilateral and VWAP crossing will again dominate many liquidity discussions. The bilateral debate will likely persist, and we can expect engaging discussions from industry participants and regulators.
Furthermore, the ‘Trump effect’ looms on the horizon; this could exacerbate market volatility in the year ahead, a reality that will soon become apparent. In 2025, we must challenge existing workflows and the status quo to innovate and compete globally. We all have a role to play in establishing the EMEA ecosystem as a model of excellence for the global trading community next year and beyond.
Steve Walsh, director of product and solutions, Duco
This has been one of the most consequential years for financial market regulation in a decade. New compliance requirements have reshaped frameworks in Europe and across the globe. The two most important regulations were the Emir refit at the end of April and the US transition to a T+1 settlement cycle. Both regulations aim to enhance transparency and resilience.
The Emir refit’s primary motivation was to improve data quality and transparency in the European derivative markets with mandatory data reconciliation requirements and obligations to report material issues to national competent authorities (NCAs). While the transition was largely successful, regulators next year will need to address lingering issues around data accuracy and integrity on data reported to trade repositories.
Meanwhile in America, T+1 has created operational difficulties, highlighting data quality and transformation issues as well as poor processes and a lack of automation throughout. Resolving these issues will be relevant in Europe as well, as T+1 is expected to reach both the EU and the UK by the end of 2027. European firms need to start preparing while learning from their US peers.
Vikesh Patel, global head of clearing, and president, Cboe Clear Europe
In 2025, we anticipate renewed regulatory efforts to promote more resilient, efficient and integrated pan-European financial infrastructures. Striking the right balance between fostering growth and innovation on one hand and maintaining regulatory oversight and financial stability on the other will be essential for advancing the region’s capital markets and we look forward to Emir 3.0 helping bring this to life. Whilst we anticipate that talk of top-down consolidation for Europe’s post-trade infrastructure is likely to persist, we will continue to advocate for strengthening the existing competitive framework, particularly in cash equities through mandating true clearing interoperability for all major exchanges.
We remain dedicated to fostering a stronger and more resilient European market by continually driving innovation and equipping participants with the tools they need to drive a more efficient use of their capital, ultimately contributing to long-term growth and stability across the region.
Matt Smith, chief executive officer, SteelEye
Following several years marked by significant fines for record-keeping breaches related to encrypted messaging apps, we expect to see a broadening focus in 2025. E-comms will remain a regulatory focus, but so too will areas such as voice surveillance.
Voice surveillance currently represents a big gap in many firms’ communications surveillance programmes due to ambiguous regulatory rules. However, it is likely regulators will clarify expectations around voice surveillance in 2025, and financial firms should prepare for this.
Currently, regulatory rules do not specify how voice data should be monitored which has resulted in many financial institutions simply carrying out manual reviews of a sample of voice calls, leaving a considerable gap for missed risks. With advancements in transcription and analytics technology, voice surveillance will move from being an overlooked channel to a critical component of risk management frameworks in 2025.
Simon Gallagher, chief executive officer, Euronext London
In 2025, the realities of increased competition from the US for capital and liquidity will be a wake-up call for Europe. On both sides of the channel, policy makers will accelerate measures to bridge the gap between the region’s vast, untapped household savings and its equity markets.
As part of this wider effort, Europe will need stronger and simpler market structures. Euronext will play its full role, making material contributions to simplifying Europe’s post-trade complexity, harmonising its fragmented ETF markets and leveraging our new clearing capability to unlock value for clients. In addition, following our recent push for a single, unified European prospectus, we will continue to proactively propose ‘bottom-up’ solutions to simplify European markets.
Under strong political leadership, I am optimistic that the region will be able to catch up with the US in funding innovation and infrastructure and in creating greater wealth for its citizens.