The crypto challenge: Boosting institutional trading in a fast-evolving market

In this article, Mike O’Hara and Adam Cox of The Realization Group examine the prospects for more widespread adoption of cryptocurrency trading in the institutional space. There are plenty of obstacles, from infrastructural issues to uncertainty about standards and pricing to questions about regulation. But there is also no doubt about the appetite for more institutional participation. 

Mike and Adam hear from a large group of experts and crypto pioneers, all of whom are at the forefront of efforts to bring crypto trading into the mainstream. They speak to Tal Cohen at Nasdaq, Kapil Rathi of AlphaPoint, Carylyne Chan at CoinMarketCap, Dave Weisberger of CoinRoutes, Jeanine Hightower-Sellitto of Gemini, Mark Daly of Seed CX, Adam Zarazinski at Inca Digital Securities, and Peggy Sullivan at Vela. 

This wide-ranging group, representing the trading, exchange and vendor community, sees some formidable hurdles for an industry that could still be said to be in the embryonic stage. But they are unified in the view that the challenges can be overcome and that institutional trading of crypto assets will only increase over time.