Wintermute
Asia, the digital asset trading division of algorithmic trading firm Wintermute
Group, announced today (Thursday) the addition of contract for difference (CFD)
crypto products to its over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives suite.
According
to the company, the new CFD offering aims to meet growing demand from
institutional investors for access to crypto markets. Wintermute said it
witnessed increased interest late last year from traditional financial
institutions, measured by higher trading volumes compared to crypto-native
firms.
The CEO of
Wintermute, Evgeny Gaevoy, said CFDs provide “efficient access to markets
through a familiar instrument” as interest grows. The product gives
exposure to digital assets “without the need for direct infrastructure to
hold and secure the underlying assets,” he added.
The firm’s
new CFDs are initially available on Bitcoin, Ethereum and other major
cryptocurrencies. They can be traded via Wintermute’s API or chat tools. In the future, however, the company wants to expand CFD’s offering on a larger number of digital assets.
Wintermute
Asia is the Asian arm of Wintermute Group, one of the largest global crypto
trading shops. The unit offers various OTC derivative products, including options, futures, and customized offerings to meet diverse institutional investor requirements.
Wintermute Reports Higher Volume
Wintermute’s over-the-counter trading desk saw substantial expansion in 2023, even as broader digital asset markets slowed. Over the past year, the company achieved multiple volume records, surpassing $2 billion in weekly trade volume. Wintermute nearly doubled its counterparty base compared to 2022.
Additionally, trading activity accelerated in the second half of 2023, with total volume quadrupling from the first half. By the end of the year, the desk had traded 206 distinct crypto assets across 495 trading pairs. Altcoins also composed a greater volume share, making up 40% of trading in the latter half of 2023.
Options Block Trade via
CME
Towards the
end of 2023, Wintermute announced a series of significant partnerships, marking
a pivotal step in its expansion and strategic positioning within the digital
assets market.
Among these
developments, the company executed its first options block trade through the
CME Group. This BTC/USD block trade, a collaboration…
