CTO Interview: Today we feature special guest co-host Peter Maragos, CEO, Dash Financial. Catching up with Dash: When Peter was last on Dash had just acquired the LiquidPoint business from Convergex with the help of private equity firm GTCR. Now they've just partnered with Flexpoint Ford, another PE firm. What was the impetus behind the second transaction? Dash has an impressive suite of diverse products and services - smart order routers and algos, the Dash360 analytics platform, trading workfl...
Apr 13, 2018•1 hr 8 min
Mark is joined by co-host Matt Amberson, Principal at Option Research & Technology Services (ORATS). CTO Interview: Our guest today is Michael Mescher, Founder of Gammon Capital. He discusses: What is Gammon Capital? You've talked a lot about the dangers of selling volatility and how short vol managers aren't worth their fees. What are your thoughts on the maelstrom of the past week? How have your funds fared over the past week? Machine learning is a hot buzzword these days, but what are som...
Feb 16, 2018•59 min
Today we have special guest co-host Rob Brogan from Flextrade. Hot Topics in Tech: What's going on in fintech? NYSE wins approval for 'speed bump' in trading Bloomberg is taking a shot at the New York Stock Exchange (again) Exchanges becoming tech firms Machine learning is transforming investment strategies for asset managers...
Jun 21, 2017•1 hr 5 min
CTO Interview Featuring Jesper Alfredsson, President Americas at Itiviti. He discusses: What is Itiviti? The history of CameronTec Who is the target market? Finding the middle way for infrastructure expansion Don't spend time on the plumbing Recent upgrades, including smart order routing for options orders Hot Topics in Tech: The tough new cybersecurity rules in New York Risk managers under pressure to cut down on post-crisis spending Hedge funds adopt novel methods to hunt down new tech talent...
Mar 23, 2017•1 hr 5 min
CTO Interview with Jack Schwager: Author extraordinaire and now co-founder of Fund Seeder. Mr. Schwager is the author of Market Wizards, Hedge Fund Market Wizards, A Complete Guide to the Futures Markets: Fundamental Analysis, Trading Spreads and Options (and the second edition just hit store shelves!) He discusses: Was he surprised by the reaction to Market Wizards? How did that book come about? His new project in the trading tech space: FundSeeder What is FundSeeder? How does the funding proce...
Jan 27, 2017•1 hr 1 min
Hot Topics in Tech. Today we are featuring Alexander Lamb, Head of Business Development at The Technancial Company. Alex was previously a guest in March 2016. ( You can access that episode here .) Risk Management and AI: effective or ??? Its penetration into the business world has brought with it new services which aim to help automate and speed up a range of activities, including financial risk management. Wall Street next tech frontier is hacking into emotions of traders. Banks have already se...
Oct 14, 2016•1 hr 3 min
CTO Interview: Today we are featuring Howard Lindzon, Founder of StockTwits, and Founder of Wallstrip. He discusses: Wallstrip and its flip to CBS The genesis and evolution of StockTwits Twitter pulling the rug out from under StockTwits How does StockTwits generate revenue? Stocktoberfest ( Register today for Stocktoberfest ) Hot Topics in Tech: IEX finally approved putting a 350 millisecond speed bump in place. Only two stocks will be available to trade on the opening day on Friday with another...
Sep 07, 2016•1 hr 1 min
CTO Interview: Today we are featuring Jason Pang, CEO of Sparkfin. He discusses: What is Sparkfin ? What makes the Sparkfin Watchlist app unique? What was the genesis of this? Were the Sparkfin people just fed up with current watchlist offerings? Is the plan to remain a standalone service or to license the app to brokers as essentially a plug-and-play community module? Is it possible to execute through the app directly? Does Sparkfin offer curated lists as well? How does that work? Who curates t...
Aug 02, 2016•1 hr 3 min
CTO Interview: Today Mark and Henry are joined by Ryan Hansen, President of the new futures brokerage, Tradovate. They discuss: What is Tradovate? The benefits of multi-platform trading applications Membership pricing advantages Futures leading the way in tech Does the cost include payment for order flow? Will options ever be included on the platform? You can find out more at tradovate.com/trial Hot Topics in Tech: What is happening in trading technology? Silicon Valley to the rescue? The Long-T...
Jun 28, 2016•56 min
Hot Topics in Tech: SEC says cyber security biggest risk to financial system. Fed should better safeguard economic data, internal watchdog says. A new trading floor in 2016? The options market turns to old tactic. CME upgrade soothes critics who viewed prior system as unfair. Nasdaq to unleash the machines on insider traders through Smarts investment. Why the SEC should just say "no" to IEX. Can a $24 Billion hedge fund blow the whistle? Citadel thinks so. Blockchain Roundup: Inside the secret m...
Jun 15, 2016•57 min
Live (to tape) at OIC 2016, Mark and Henry are joined by: Jesper Alfredsson, President Americas at Itiviti Karan Sood, Founder & CEO, Vest Financial They discuss: Is there one clear path that people should take for disseminating data? Hitting the pause button your portfolio API vs. UI The double-edged sword of flexibility Market data and the ensuing revenues Getting to the point of regulation on fees AI as it applies to the industry Wrecking the market through good intentions The proliferati...
May 27, 2016•59 min
Hot Topics in Tech: Henry is a hot topic! At least, he presented hot topics at the OIC Conference. Growth lately has been in ETF and index options, with equity options lagging. So many new additions, from expirations to exchanges, have exploded the amount of data. More exchanges? If you build it, will they come? Updates on the institutional and market maker spaces. The illusion of price improvement. Auctions? The deathknell of the options market, or necessary evil? 3x growth in five years for pr...
May 17, 2016•1 hr 4 min
CTO Interview: Today, Mark and Henry are joined by Karan Sood, CEO of Vest Financial. He discusses: An overview of your background in the financial technology space What is Vest? Who is the Vest target consumer? Can users choose between custom portfolio overlays and pre-designed protection packages? Are these algorithmically generated or designed by humans behind the scenes? Does Vest charge commissions or is there an annual fee? How does this platform differ from TradeLegs? How did Vest become ...
Apr 29, 2016•59 min
Hot Topics in Tech: Today we are joined by guest co-host, Mark Melin from ValueWalk Vesel, LLC and Trade Alert, LLC join forces to provide specialized buy side listed options messaging - FinTech Companies will use customized alerting system to notify buy side clients of option trades mirroring their individual Watch List. Is IEX battle nearing end as rival exchanges adopt their technology? by Mark Melin - Recent movements by rival exchanges, buttressed by the very public outreach of some firms p...
Apr 25, 2016•1 hr
CTO Interview: Today we are joined by Paul Giedraitis, Principal at Neurensic . They discuss: An overview of Paul's background in the trading technology space? What is Neurensic? What sort of market manipulation can Neurensic's software detect? Spoofing? Layering? Other? It is bizarre that an old exploit like spoofing has become such a hot button topic in 2016. Hot Topics in Tech: What is going on in financial technology? CFTC signals retreat over 'source code' repository. The US futures regulat...
Mar 31, 2016•52 min
CTO Interview: In this segment, Mark and Henry are joined by Alexander Lamb, head of Business Development at the Technancial Company. They discuss: Margin calculations, and the behind-the-scenes voodoo The Janus margin engine, and real-time margin calculations Is real-time risk and margin a response to the new regulatory environment? Avoiding latency What is the engine driving the machine? OTC and the migration to listed options Fragmentation and the resulting complexities Janus risk management,...
Mar 29, 2016•1 hr 1 min
Trading Tech Talk 47: Blowing the Whistle on HFT CTO Interview: Today we are joined by Haim Bodek, Managing Principal of Decimus Capital Markets, LLC. Haim founded Trading Machines and is featured in the book Dark Pools. Featured article: Vice - What led whistle-blower Haim Bodek to expose the biggest scam on Wall Street? He has said Flash Boys misses the mark, what did he mean by that? What are his thoughts on IEX? What changes do we need to do to make REG NMS more effective? Hot Topics: What i...
Feb 26, 2016•56 min
Hot Topics in Tech: CFTC too broke to properly police flash traders, Massad says -The top U.S. derivatives regulator said his agency needs more money to keep up with the Flash Boys. Cattlemen vs CME - Round 2. Cattlemen asked for numerous changes. IEX battle heats up - Citadel has been one of the most vehement objectors to IEX, and has filed three public letters and held three meetings with SEC officials to lobby against the application. Aquis Exchange to ban predatory high-speed trading - A sta...
Feb 18, 2016•59 min
CTO Interview: Today we are joined by Eric Scharf, Director of Marketing, EOX Live. They discuss: What is EOX Live? The evolution of the nat gas market Going from phone calls to electronic trading What about spread trades And more Hot Topics in Tech: Cattlemen vs. the CME. IEX exchange quest spurs a "Flash Boys" fight with Citadel. Blockchain update: Security concerns, more money for startups and question from clearing firms. The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Question from Allanon - You...
Jan 29, 2016•54 min
Hot Topics in Tech: The worst start to the year since forever. Unfavorable light shining on China, raising the debate on circuit breakers. NASDAQ uses blockchains in the first large-scale trade, or so they say. Symbiont disagrees. Will blockchains be the HFT of 2016? The tech opportunities created by the regulatory environment. What have SEFs done to the world of swaps? The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Comment from Jim B. - Will there be TTT awards for the best and worst developments o...
Jan 27, 2016•55 min
Hot Topics in Tech: Top Tech Trends and Developments of 2015 Blockchain revolutionizing the back office HFT is evil again HFT not as profitable as originally thought Exchanges spending money on tech startups Regulators are changing the technology landscape The auction tech impact Favorite/Craziest Stories of 2015 Russian hackers stealing press releases from wire services The August flash crash Russia threatening to use HFT to crash the markets NYSE outage The leap second Twitter trading algos/bo...
Dec 28, 2015•1 hr
Hot Topics in Tech: A quick rundown of the Options Alliance Event & Financial Startup Showcase from Dec 10, 2015. CFTC cracks down on HFT - New rules open to public comment. New study: Robotic trading is killing Wall Street jobs. Blockchain for banks still at the "gluten" stage. The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Question from JVSchultz - FinTech was all the rage in 2015. What are you top upcoming trends for 2016 in Trading Tech? Question from Ntander - You have commented many times ...
Dec 18, 2015•53 min
Hot Topics in Tech: ICE agrees to acquire BGC Trayport for $650 million. NYSE goes from fan to critic of IEX, criticizing "unfair" plan. Derivatives exchanges see use for blockchain technology. High-speed firms add new perspective to treasury advisory group - KCG Holdings Inc. and Virtu Financial Inc. The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Comment from Aman117 - Ever thought about hosting a cyber security roundtable on the show with exchange, broker and trading firm CTOs? Talk about who is h...
Nov 24, 2015•55 min
Hot Topics in Tech: U.S. trader found guilty in landmark "spoofing" case. U.S. regulator signals bid to curb high-speed trading. Exchanges face pressure to disclose high-speed trader perks. CME experiments with real-time margin payments, unveiled a deal with Dwolla. CBOE expands EMS connectivity between traders and workstations. Orc Group merges with CameronTec to jointly foster trading solutions. The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Question from Angelo Myers - Loved the deep dive into FP...
Nov 16, 2015•1 hr
Hot Topics in Tech: Russian hackers of Dow Jones said to have sought trading tips. High speed trading becomes US election issue. Regulators bring "spoofing" charges against a Chicago firm. UK start-up claims blockchain breakthrough in payment processing. Nasdaq eyes dark-pool surveillance market."Flash Boys" heroes ask for stock exchange status. The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Question from TCity - What is the status of the regulatory proposal to register Algo developers? Do you feel ...
Oct 26, 2015•1 hr 2 min
CTO Interview: The guest today is Mike Dunne, CTO at Activ Financial Systems, Inc. He discusses: An overview of your background in the derivatives markets What is Activ Financial Systems Inc.? Who is their typical end user? Scale, Market Data and FPGA Going live with Nasdaq Basic. Hot Topics in Tech: Java at 20 - its 6th major version was released this year. Goggle + Symphony? - Goldman Sachs-backed Symphony raised $100 million in new funding on Monday from search giant Google and others. The In...
Oct 16, 2015•1 hr 3 min
CTO Interview: The guest today is Robert D'Arco, CEO, Rival Systems. He discusses: An overview of your background in the derivatives markets. What is Rival Systems? Who is the target end-user? The Rival Risk Analytics Suite. Hot Topics in Tech: What’s happening in the world of fin tech? Technology groups warned on stricter financial regulation - The chairman of HSBC has said that regulators in China and elsewhere are starting to consider more seriously whether technology companies that provide f...
Sep 30, 2015•1 hr 3 min
Hot Topics in Tech: Investors Lose in Today's Markets, Says Former NYSE Head Grasso. NYSE Draws Users' Ire with Fee Increases, Patent Charge Proposal. Mini flash crash? Trading anomalies on manic Monday hit small investors. Algorithmic Trading: The Play-at-Home Version International HFT Backlash: China targets high-frequency traders in "spoofing" probe Symphony is just the latest attack on Bloomberg's fortress 3Red set for "spoofing" legal battle The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Questi...
Sep 18, 2015•1 hr 3 min
Hot Topics in Tech: A Massive Selloff. Interesting data and tech insights from the recent pronounced selloff in the market. "Here's the advantage high-frequency trading firms have over everyone else," says Eric Hunsader, founder of Nanex LLC, the U.S. financial markets consultancy. BATS gets regulatory nod for second U.S. options exchange. BATS files client suspension rule to expedite action again HFT spoofers. The Inbox: Listener questions and comments Question from Dariush - Question for tradi...
Sep 01, 2015•57 min
CTO Interview: Today we are joined by Michael Barry, CEO & Founder of EESAT. He discusses: An overview of his background in the markets and how he started EESAT Who came up with the idea to put Burt Reynolds on the website? Listener question from Leonard Garcia - Can you explain what a complex order book is? Thanks and love the show. 35-40% of daily contract volume in non-index is spread- 70% on ISE! How does EESAT reconcile the varying functionality of the different order books at the diffe...
Aug 20, 2015•1 hr 5 min
