The Best of APAC in 2017
From regulation to AI-driven solutions to quantum computing for the financial industry, Wei-Shen Wong looks back on what made headlines in the region in 2017.
WatersTechnology's Wei-Shen Wong reports from Hong Kong on which stories had the biggest impact on Asia-Pacific this past year.
Like Europe and North America, APAC firms have been prepping for tomorrow’s go-live date for Mifid II, but they obviously have their own specific challenges. Similarly, machine learning and cryptocurriences have presented their own challenges in 2017.
Here are 10 stories that addressed those issues, and more:
1. ASX Gives Green Light to Clearing Blockchain: The exchange expects to release the proposed timing for transition for market feedback by the end of March 2018.
2. Farringdon to Debut AI-Powered Asset Management: Investment selections will still be overseen by human managers before trades are executed.
3. Asia’s MiFID II Compliance Countdown: The countdown to Jan. 3, 2018, when MiFID II will take effect, is starting to sound like the ominous ticking of a time bomb. Many details of the regulation have been available for some time, yet as the clock ticks down, questions still remain over interpretation.
https://www.waterstechnology.com/regulation-compliance/3411271/asias-mifid-ii-compliance-countdown
4. Model Behavior: Banks Must Get Data Right for IFRS 9: New regulations and accounting standards are the main drivers of changes to how banks worldwide must operate, maintain their books, and manage their data, with IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standard) 9 one of the most significant.
5. Tradeweb Connects to China’s Cfets through Bond Connect Program: The offshore platform will link with Bond Connect program, giving foreign investors access to Chinese mainland fixed-income market.
6. APFIC 2017: Testing, Testing… Firms Employ Trial and Error, AI to Identify Data Value for Analytics: Refining and cleaning data may be time-consuming, but is essential to helping financial institutions perform better analysis on data, panelists in Hong Kong said.
7. Proactive Steps to Passive Trading in Asia: Asia still leans toward active investing, but that is changing.
8. Panelists: Get the Data Right Before Worrying About Next-Gen Technology: Buy-side firms are being pulled into two different directions by legacy applications and innovative new tools, noted panelists at this year’s Asia-Pacific BST Summit.
9. Nasdaq Explores Asia Alt Data Additions to Analytics Hub: In addition to datasets already under consideration, the exchange could also include data from Asia and other parts of the world across asset classes in the future.
10. Commonwealth Bank of Australia Deploys QxBranch’s Quantum Computing Simulator: CBA’s CIO: “By developing a simulated quantum computing environment this allows us to assess the feasibility and performance of applications well before the first silicon-based quantum computer is finished.”
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