Waters Wrap
MCP is dead, long live MCP
The Waters Wrap: Reb dives into the trenches of the online developer community to see whether its reputation as the great enabler of the AI age is justified.
24X National Exchange faces uphill battle in exemption fight
The Waters Wrap: 24X wants exemption from the requirement that the SIP be operational during overnight hours for its overnight session to proceed. Nyela explains why that’s asking a lot.
Broadridge’s agentic strategy takes its lessons from past AI winters
The Waters Wrap: Anthony looks at a real-world agentic project underway at the post-trade giant to see what others can learn.
Bloomberg Terminal’s agentic play shows rapid change in trading tech
Waters Wrap: The data giant’s conversational AI interface might seem novel, but others say having one is becoming a bare minimum in the world of trading technology.
Fidelity expands open-source ambitions as attitudes and key players shift
Waters Wrap: Fidelity Investments is deepening its partnership with Finos, which Anthony says hints at wider changes in the world of tech development.
Re-examining Big Tech’s influence over the capital markets
Waters Wrap: A few years ago, it seemed the big cloud providers were positioning themselves to dominate the capital markets tech scene. And then came ChatGPT.
2026 will be the year agent armies awaken
Waters Wrap: Several AI experts have recently said that the next 12 months will see significant progress for agentic AI. Are capital markets firms ready for this shift from generative AI to agents?
AI & data enablement: A looming reality or pipe dream?
Waters Wrap: The promise of AI and agents is massive, and real-world success stories are trickling out. But Anthony notes that firms still need to be hyper-focused on getting the data foundation correct before adding layers.
TCB Data-Broadhead pairing highlights challenges of market data management
Waters Wrap: The vendors are hoping that blending TCB’s reporting infrastructure with Broadhead’s DLT-backed digital contract and auditing engine will be the cure for data rights management.
Tokenization & Private Markets: Where mixed data finds a needed partner?
Waters Wrap: Reading the tea leaves, Anthony predicts BlackRock’s Preqin deal, Securitize’s IPO, and numerous public comments from industry leaders are just the tip of the iceberg.
As outages spread, it’s time to rethink how we view infrastructure technology
Waters Wrap: First AWS and then Azure. And these are only the most recent of significant outages. Anthony says a change is needed when it comes to calculating server migrations.
When it comes to cybersec, the walls of separation are too high
Waters Wrap: Anthony examines some recent statements made by prominent cybersecurity experts and why those words might ring hollow.
Bank of America’s GenAI plan wants to avoid ‘sins of the past’
Waters Wrap: Anthony spoke with BofA’s head of platform and head of technology to discuss how the bank is exploring new forms of AI while reducing tech debt and growing interoperability.
The TNS–Radianz deal hints at underlying issues in trader voice
Waters Wrap: As part of its cost-cutting program, BT shipped its Radianz unit to TNS, but the deal didn’t include its Trading & Command trader voice property. Anthony finds that interesting.
Halftime review: How top banks and asset managers are tackling projects beyond AI
Waters Wrap: Anthony highlights eight projects that aren’t centered around AI at some of the largest banks and asset managers.
‘AI for everyone, everywhere, with everything’
Waters Wrap: Anthony looks at some interesting projects involving machine learning, generative AI, and agentic AI from the last year.
The industry is not ready for what’s around the corner
Waters Wrap: As cloud usage and AI capabilities continue to evolve (and costs go up), Anthony believes the fintech industry may face a similar predicament to the one facing journalism today.
The Model Context Protocol brings agents to life—along with risk
Waters Wrap: From chat to infrastructure modernization, Anthropic’s MCP offers a ‘bridge’ to agentic AI, but its early days may prove disillusioning.
Cloud Wars: Are EU and APAC firms really pining for homegrown options?
Waters Wrap: In the wake of tariffs and regional instability, there’s chatter about non-US firms lessening their dependency on the major hyperscalers. Anthony is not buying it.
LLMs are making alternative datasets ‘fuzzy’
Waters Wrap: While large language models and generative/agentic AI offer an endless amount of opportunity, they are also exposing unforeseen risks and challenges.
LSEG–MayStreet: When good partnerships go bad
Waters Wrap: MayStreet’s founder and former CEO is suing LSEG for fraud and breach of contract. Anthony considers what the damage control might look like.