Standard Chartered Arm Invests in One Trading for Regulated Crypto Futures in Europe

With this new investment, One Trading is set to become the European Union's first regulated trading venue for crypto perpetual futures.

One Trading, a Netherlands-based crypto exchange, has secured a strategic investment from SC Ventures, Standard Chartered’s innovation and fintech investment arm.

According to the company’s announcement from Sept. 17, the investment will fuel One Trading’s expansion in the European Union (EU) as it prepares to launch the first crypto perpetual futures trading venue under the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II).

Existing investors MiddleGame, as well as Valar and SpeedInvest, also participated in this investment round. The terms of the deal were, however, not disclosed.

MiFID II-Compliant Crypto Derivatives Platform

One Trading offers a more efficient and user-friendly alternative to traditional crypto derivatives. Unlike futures products available on exchanges like CME or Eurex, One Trading’s derivatives are designed to be simpler and require less capital.

The fresh investment will enable One Trading to further develop its infrastructure, enhance its technology, and expand its product offerings.

“Financial innovation should not come at the cost of consumer protection,” said Alex Manson, CEO of SC Ventures. “We look forward to One Trading providing much needed infrastructure to all participants in the EU and further afield.”

In July, One Trading secured an Organized Trading Facility (OTF) license from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). The OTF license positions One Trading as the only perpetual futures trading venue in Europe, including the United Kingdom.

As a MiFID II trading venue, One Trading is subject to a comprehensive set of regulations designed to enhance market transparency, protect investors, and ensure fair and orderly financial markets.

Joshua Barraclough, Founder and CEO of One Trading, stated that this milestone represented years of “hard work and innovation.” 

Bitpanda’s Spin-Off

One Trading, formerly known as Bitpanda Pro, was established in 2019 as a subsidiary of the Austrian digital asset platform Bitpanda.

In June 2023, One Trading spun off from Bitpanda, following a Series A funding round led by Valar Ventures, raising €30 million (around $33 million).

Leading the investment round was Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, which has been a long-time investor in Bitpanda. Other participants included Speedinvest, MiddleGame Ventures, Keyrock, and Wintermute Ventures. Wintermute has also had a long-standing relationship with the Viennese fintech: co-founder Yoann Turpin participated in an expansion of Bitpanda’s Series B round in spring 2021.

In January 2024, Bitpanda also launched Bitpanda Wealth, a platform designed for European institutions and high-net-worth individuals seeking exposure to digital assets.

Source - https://cryptonews.com/news/standard-chartered-invests-in-one-trading-for-regulated-crypto-futures-in-europe/