TradeStation crypto exchange prepares for 2019 launch

Tradestation Inc, a subsidiary of the Japanese financial group Monex, is set to launch its own crypto exchange in the US — TradeStation Crypto.

Speaking on the launch, TradeStation Group President John Bartleman said that the exchange will use TradeStation’s specialized knowledge of securities and futures to address the problems currently faced by the crypto ecosystem:

"We believe investors and traders are seeking ways to access and trade cryptocurrency products similar to the way they trade traditional capital markets – and through a trusted and familiar brand and company […] Our focus will be to provide the tools and services that serious traders require to trade across multiple asset classes, including crypto. TradeStation Crypto’s product offering should be a major leap forward in our ability to offer customers access to the next generation of assets for active trading under the TradeStation brand."

Launched in 1991 in the US, TradeStation Group was acquired by Monex in 2011. This is the second phase of TradeStation’s crypto expansion plan, which began when the subsidiary became one of the first online brokers to offer real-time market data for CME and CBOE bitcoin indices in early 2018.

Along with TradeStation, holding company Monex made another big investment in the crypto space last year — taking major Japanese exchange Coincheck under its wing after it was hacked, providing the exchange with funding, and turning it into a subsidiary company.

Prior to this, Coincheck had been in the process of registering as a "quasi-operator" in accordance with the amended Payment Services Act of April 2017, which introduced a registration system for unregulated Japanese cryptocurrency exchange providers.

This process was delayed by the hack, in which around $500 million was stolen. As a Monex Group’s subsidiary, Coincheck underwent a security and compliance overhaul and completed the process of becoming a registered cryptocurrency exchange operator in Japan earlier this month. However, the exchange has not yet re-opened. This is expected sometime in 2019.