Connamara Technologies

2024: Connamara Tech’s Year In Review

Posted on by Connamara Technologies

As Connamara Technologies looks back at 2024, we are grateful and humbled by a year of truly remarkable achievements and continued growth for our EP3® matching engine and platform. Connamara Technologies was founded in 2022, and we are thrilled to share that last year was our best yet. We look forward to all that 2025 will bring to our trusted clients and partners. 

 In 2024, EP3 was the technology behind the only 2 approved US futures exchanges (DCMs). And, as of December 31, 2024, 60% of DCMs currently awaiting approval rely on EP3 for their exchange technology. These include exciting new markets for commodities and events contracts.

Here’s a look at some of the key milestones and moments that shaped our journey:

A Viral Moment: EP3® and ForecastEx on Election Night

This watershed moment for our matching engine and trading platform was a crowning achievement of our year back in November 2024. Working in concert with ForecastEx’s internal teams, Connamara Technologies’ engineers monitored systems around the clock, ready to respond to surges in trade volume with precision and expertise. The team’s commitment went beyond standard duty, ensuring unparalleled service during this first-in-a-lifetime historic trading event. 

Read the full story of this viral moment here: 

EP3® Technology Powers $560 Million in U.S. Election Contracts: The Invisible Engine Behind ForecastEx’s Fast-Growing Predictions Market

Transformative Partnerships

  • BEE4 became Brazil’s first regulated tokenized stock market thanks to EP3 technology: BEE4, an over-the-counter (OTC) market for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) and Brazil’s first authorized infrastructure to trade tokenized stocks saw the upgrade and re-launch of its tokenized stock market project, powered by EP3. Watch the case study video below, or read about how we leveraged our technology to support their long-term evolution.
  • Zero Hash implements its digital asset platform, powered by EP3: In October, Connamara Technologies and Zero Hash announced that Zero Hash successfully implemented its digital asset platform, powered by the proprietary EP3® matching engine. EP3’s flexibility allows Zero Hash to explore new use cases, further solidifying its position as the leading infrastructure provider for start-ups, enterprises, and Fortune 500 companies, powering a diverse range of use cases: cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, wallets and on and off-ramps. Read the full press release here. 
Connamara Technologies Equips Zero Hash with Cutting-Edge Exchange Platform
  • Google Cloud Partnership: In May, Connamara Technologies announced that it joined Google Cloud at the partner level for the Build engagement model. This gives Google Cloud customers the ability to create financial exchanges and other exchange technology solutions that are built with and run on Google Cloud. Read about key features here.

Industry Engagements

  • Conferences, Panels, and Sponsorships: In 2024, Connamara Technologies was seen at dozens of conferences around the world. Top highlights included:
    • Sponsoring the Pickleball Clinic at FIA BOCA at The Boca Raton.
    • Co-Founder James Downs speaking on the “How to Leverage Technology to Enhance Environmental Markets” panel at the Environmental Markets Association Annual Meeting
    • Co-Founder James Downs speaking at Amazon Web Services HQ in NYC on the “Trading in the Cloud” panel at a semi-private event, titled, “Modernizing the Trade Lifecycle” 
    • Attending Consensus 2024 in Austin, where we got to see Mike Cagney (of Figure Markets, an EP3 customer) speak on “The Exchange of Everything.”
The Phrase on Everybody’s Lips at Consensus 2024: “Tokenization of Real-World Assets” 

Media Appearances and Webinars:

  • Our founders, James and Maureen Downs, collaborated with The Association of Futures Markets (AFM) and market intelligence firm Acuiti to lead an on-demand webinar titled “Building the Future of Exchanges: How Technology Enables Growth.” Watch the full free webinar here.
  • Our founders also appeared on the Exchange Invest IPO-VID Livestream to speak with Patrick L. Young on an episode titled “The Future of Exchange Matching Engines.”
  • Maureen Downs also got to share a bit of exchange history on the SmarterMarkets podcast. See the video here.
Connamara Technologies Co-Founder & CFO, Maureen Downs, Interview with Smarter Markets at FIA Boca
  • Award Nominations: Our EP3 matching engine was nominated for three awards this year. We were honored to attend all of these award ceremonies in-person and connect face-to-face with our fellow nominees and leaders in exchange technology.
    • Disruptor of the Year 2024 at the U.S. FinTech Awards
    • Best Matching Engine at the 2024 Benzinga FinTech Deal Day Awards
    • Best Matching Engine for Exchanges and Electronic Trading Venues at the 2024 TradingTech Insight Awards USA

New Features and Functionality for EP3

2024 was a year of significant upgrades for EP3, with enhancements focused on user experience, efficiency, and adaptability to meet the dynamic needs of the market. We made nearly a dozen upgrades to future-proof and enhance our product. Find out more details here.

Four Key Functionality Upgrades EP3 Delivered in 2024 

Thought Leadership

  • Acuiti Study: Connamara Technologies sponsored market intelligence firm, Acuiti’s whitepaper report on Building Competitive Technology for Exchanges of the Future. This study was shared around the industry in trade papers like Waters and TabbForum, JLN News and more. The fascinating findings, which surveyed and interviewed 58 senior executives at derivatives exchanges from around the world, can be downloaded here.
Acuiti
Report: Building Competitive Technology for the Exchanges of the Future
  • The Ultimate Guide: Our team self-published The Ultimate Guide to Exchange Technology, which is a quick and easy explainer on the elements of comprehensive exchange infrastructure, tips for accelerating the launch of your exchange, crucial questions to ask a potential infrastructure partner and what to expect during the exchange design and build process. Download our free e-booklet here.
The Ultimate Guide

Four Key Functionality Upgrades EP3 Delivered in 2024 

Posted on by Connamara Technologies

Last year, Connamara Technologies made significant strides in improving EP3, not just in performance—enhancing reporting speeds, pre-trade risk, scalability, and transaction throughput—but also in functionality.  By analyzing the ever-evolving landscape of the exchange world, staying on top of what innovators need most, and building features through our discovery process, we made immense expansions to our matching engine product and platform’s capabilities.

Enhanced and Streamlined Exchange Operations

We focused on making exchange operations smoother and more efficient:

  • Block Trade Submission Improvements: Streamlined the submission process for exchange operators.
  • 24/7/365 Exchange Support: Updated Trade Date functionality and end-of-day market actions, making it easier for exchanges to operate continuously.
  • Bulk Settlement Price Management: Simplified end-of-day workflows by enabling operators to bulk upload and approve settlement prices.

Advanced Risk and Compliance Management

Risk management and regulatory compliance remain at the core of EP3. This year, we delivered several impactful upgrades:

  • Omnibus Account Support: Helped Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) manage accounts more efficiently.
  • Position Limits: Introduced account-level limits to enhance pre-trade risk management.
  • Pre-Trade Risk for Event Instruments: We have added support for Binary and Continuous payouts, empowering customers to design creative event contracts.
  • Regulatory Report Enhancements: We introduced support for spreads, improving compliance with regulatory standards.

Greater Integration and Flexibility

We expanded EP3’s adaptability to meet diverse needs:

  • Multiplatform CPU Support: Enabled customers to select their preferred CPU architecture, improving cost-efficiency and performance.
  • Banking Integration: Added support for J.P. Morgan Chase to complement existing BMO Harris infrastructure, providing more options for managing exchange collateral accounts.

Customizable Revenue Options and New Capabilities

We’ve made it easier for exchanges to tailor their revenue models and grow their business:

  • Flat Fee Commissions: Introduced a new commission model, giving customers the flexibility to structure fees that suit their needs.
  • Clearinghouse Technology Licensing: Expanded EP3’s offerings by making our clearinghouse technology available for licensing, opening new opportunities for emerging exchanges.

How Technology Promotes the Growth of Exchanges 

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Dive into a dynamic 30-minute webinar, “Building the Future  of Exchanges: How Technology Enables Growth” delving into the critical role of innovation in driving exchange growth, featuring insights from Building Competitive Technology for Exchanges of the Futures, a study  conducted by market intelligence firm Acuiti in partnership with Connamara Technologies.

Hosted by Chris Sturgess, President and Executive Board Member of AFM, and moderated by William Mitting, Founder & MD of Acuiti, the webinar explores how exchanges worldwide are leveraging technology to achieve growth. Panelists Jim Downs and Maureen Downs, Co-Founders of Connamara Technologies, discuss key findings, including statistics and insights on the state of exchange technology, the importance of investing in new innovations, and growth opportunities for emerging economies.

Click here to access the previously live webinar

EP3 Honored as Runner-Up For Best Matching Engine

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EP3 by Connamara Technologies was honored as Runner-Up for Best Matching Engine at the 2024 Global Fintech Awards powered by Benzinga.

The judging committee deemed us one of the “brightest stars in the financial technology industry” for our groundbreaking EP3 exchange platform that is powering innovative new exchanges and emerging market exchanges around the globe.

The awards ceremony was held on November 19, 2024 in New York City and Devexperts took home the trophy for its DXmatch.  

Congratulations to Devexperts and thanks to the judges for recognizing our important contributions to the fintech industry.

Connamara Technologies Honored as Finalist for Disruptor of the Year 

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Connamara Technologies was honored as a Finalist for Disruptor of the Year at the 2024 US FinTech Awards. The US FinTech Awards aim to recognize and celebrate the best and the brightest in the US fintech community showcasing innovation and success across the various fintech sectors.

Connamara Technologies was recognized for its groundbreaking achievements in exchange technology.  Our EP3 exchange and clearing platform is a new breed of technology for a new generation of exchanges and marketplaces.  It is an end-to-end solution that is asset-agnostic, cloud-first, fast-to-market and cost-accessible.  It is enabling the growth of innovative new exchanges and emerging market exchanges around the globe.

The awards ceremony took place on November 14, 2024 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.  Kinectify, a rising star in AI-powered AML solutions for casinos, took home the winner’s trophy for Disruptor of the Year.

We congratulate Kinectify as well as our fellow finalists Alumni Ventures, Catchlight, Daffy, Featurespace, Lili and Nymbus for their important contributions to the fintech community.

EP3® Technology Powers $560 Million in U.S. Election Contracts: The Invisible Engine Behind ForecastEx’s Fast-Growing Predictions Market

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VIA PR Newswire:

November 13, 2024, Austin, Texas — ForecastEx, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Interactive Brokers (IBKR) and a US-regulated predictions exchange and clearinghouse, processed an impressive $560 million+ in election contracts for the 2024 U.S. general election. The innovative technology driving those contracts? Connamara Technologies’ EP3 ® matching engine and exchange platform.

In the days leading up to and during election night, EP3 operated like the gears of a fine timepiece: inconspicuous, vital, and unfaltering. This synchronicity of unyielding performance weathered waves of volatility and seamlessly processed trades at a record volume. 

Working in concert with ForecastEx’s internal teams, Connamara Technologies’ engineers monitored systems around the clock, ready to respond to surges in trade volume with precision and expertise. The team’s commitment went beyond standard duty, ensuring unparalleled service during this first-in-a-lifetime historic trading event. 

With EP3 powering its trading, ForecastEx has not only established a benchmark for transparency in elections but has also offered the public real-time, market-based insights into election sentiment. EP3 operates from a legacy of trading knowledge that dates back to the late 1980s.

“While you may not recognize the name EP3 just yet, you’ll certainly recognize our impact. Whether you placed a trade or watched from afar, the 2024 election proved our technology’s resilience and our team’s commitment to deliver seamless, high-volume processing at every turn for future predictive events,” said Jim Downs, Co-Founder and CEO of Connamara Technologies.

As predictions markets continue to grow, the unseen elements – the EP3 technology and the engineers who support it – will remain crucial to providing reliable, transparent platforms that allow for public sentiment to be expressed and analyzed in real-time. Moving forward, Connamara Technologies aims to expand EP3’s reach, enabling new exchanges and markets to take advantage of this dependable backbone technology.

About Connamara Technologies

Connamara Technologies is the leading provider of fully-integrated exchange infrastructure, empowering new and existing exchanges to operate with exceptional efficiency and reliability. Its EP3 platform is a new breed of exchange and clearing technology that seamlessly integrates all key functions into a single, robust platform. It is cost-accessible, adaptable, scalable and quick-to-market. Engineered for the evolving needs of the next generation of exchanges and marketplaces, EP3 is shaping the future of financial markets.

To learn more, please visit www.connamara.tech or connect on LinkedIn

Media Contact: [email protected]

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Spotlight: How EP3® Powers BEE4’s Brazil’s First Regulated Tokenized Stock Market

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In this Connamara Technologies Spotlight, we highlight how EP3 technology powered BEE4, Brazil’s first regulated tokenized stock market. Patricia Stille, CEO and Co-Founder, Rodrigo Fiszman, Co-Founder and Chairman, and Paloma Sevilha, Head of Products, speak on BEE4’s innovative trading platform and how our matching engine, our customized approach, and our support services allowed their technology to thrive. The full Case Study on our work with the Sao Paolo company illuminates how BEE4 leveraged Connamara Tech’s APIs to customize their exchange precisely to their specifications, adapting certain rules to align with the Brazilian market.


We chose Connamara’s solution after evaluating other providers across the globe. This is the kind of partnership that is key: not only to develop the SME segment but also to expand to other niches and scale up.

– Patricia Stille, CEO and Co-Founder of BEE4

Transcript:

Patricia Stille, CEO and Co-Founder of BEE4: BEE4 is a pioneering OTC market in Brazil focused on SMEs and one of the first initiatives globally using blockchain and regulated market infrastructure. With the creation of this new market, SMEs can gain access to capital markets, fund their expansion strategies, and improve their visibility. At the same time, clients can benefit from IPOs and trade shares of high-potential firms typically unavailable in traditional exchanges.

Rodrigo Fiszman, Co-Founder and Chairman: BEE4’s trading model has a weekly auction with tunnel prices, so, at the end of the day, you can only put orders and input a trade between the tunnels in the auction. Since we’re talking about small and medium companies with less liquidity, we were focused on reducing the volatility for the owners, entrepreneurs, of those companies. BEE4 received its license in September 2021. From that day ’till one year after we launched, we were able to have more than 6,000 investors in our trading venues. We had four IPOs in a period when you didn’t have any IPOs in Brazil.

Paloma Sevilha, Head of Products: Connamara Technologies is the company behind EP3. EP3 is the order-matching engine and the exchange trading platform behind BEE4 operations and other exchanges worldwide. We chose EP3 for a few reasons. First of them, they are a well-established exchange platform. Second reason, they were very open to building these new features with BEE4. And third, they were part of the project regarding the FIX protocol which is something that is crucial for business. EP3 is very asset-neutral. And in BEE4 we work with tokenized stocks. And, we’re planning to work with different assets. We can have all these assets in EP3. We can just create a product and we can build that in a few minutes just with a few clicks. Besides that, we have the Connamara support team that is available 24/7. We work from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., so we do need a team that is available for longer hours in case there are any bugs or any questions or any maintenance needed. They’re there and they answer really quick.

Rodrigo Fiszman, Co-Founder and Chairman: So, in the end of the day, having Connamara as a partner and using EP3, it was all about scalability and also leveraging ready-made solutions that allow us to gain a head start.

Patricia Stille, CEO and Co-Founder of BEE4: We chose Connamara’s solution after evaluating other providers across the globe. This is the kind of partnership that is key: not only to develop the SME segment but also to expand to other niches and scale up.

Connamara Technologies Equips Zero Hash with Cutting-Edge Exchange Platform

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VIA PR Newswire:

AUSTIN, TX, CHICAGO, IL – October 8, 2024 – Connamara Technologies, a leading provider of fully integrated exchange infrastructure solutions, is proud to announce that Zero Hash, the foremost crypto and stablecoin infrastructure platform, has successfully implemented its digital asset platform, powered by the proprietary EP3® matching engine.

EP3 is a versatile and scalable exchange platform designed to meet the evolving needs of the emerging asset market.

Why it Matters to Zero Hash 

  • By leveraging EP3’s advanced features, Zero Hash can efficiently match orders, manage risk, and access new markets. 
  • EP3’s flexibility allows Zero Hash to explore new use cases, further solidifying its position as the leading infrastructure provider for start-ups, enterprises, and Fortune 500 companies, powering a diverse range of use cases: cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, wallets and on and off-ramps.

Why it Matters to Connamara Technologies 

Partnering with Zero Hash, a major and rapidly growing player in the crypto and stablecoin infrastructure space, reinforces the early EP3 design decisions to provide an exchange infrastructure platform that is flexible and can scale as our customers grow.

Quotes 

  • “Zero Hash has assembled a top-notch business and engineering team, and we are honored that they selected EP3 and Connamara Technologies as technical partners in creating a world-class crypto infrastructure.”  – Jim Downs, Co-Founder and CEO of Connamara Technologies. 
  • “The team at Connamara provides deep technical expertise and market knowledge that has helped Zero Hash scale critical aspects of our product offering to meet market demand. The digital asset space is constantly evolving and Connamara’s ability to adapt and evolve has played a pivotal role in our success.”  – Adam Leaman, Zero Hash Chief Client Officer and Founding Team member.

About Zero Hash

Zero Hash is the leading crypto and stablecoin infrastructure provider that seamlessly connects fiat, crypto and stablecoins in one platform, enabling a better way to move and transfer money and value globally.

Through its embeddable infrastructure, start-ups, enterprises and Fortune 500 companies build a diverse range of use cases: cross-border payments, commerce, trading, remittance, payroll, tokenization, wallets and on and off-ramps.

Zero Hash Holdings is backed by investors, including Point72 Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and NYCA.

Zero Hash LLC is a FinCen-registered Money Service Business and a regulated Money Transmitter that can operate in 51 US jurisdictions. Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC are licensed to engage in virtual currency business activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. In Canada, Zero Hash LLC is registered as a Money Service Business with FINTRAC.

Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered with AUSTRAC as a Digital Currency Exchange Provider, with DCE registered provider number DCE100804170-001.  This registration enables Zero Hash to offer its crypto services in Australia.  Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is registered on the New Zealand register of financial service providers, with Financial Service Provider (FSP)  number FSP1004503.  A FSP in New Zealand is a registration and does not mean that Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd. is licensed by a New Zealand regulator to provide crypto services.  Zero Hash Australia Pty Ltd.’s registration on the New Zealand register of financial service providers does not mean that Zero Hash Australia is subject to active regulation or oversight by a New Zealand regulator.  Zero Hash Europe B.V. is registered as a Virtual Asset Services Provider (VASP) registration by the Dutch Central Bank (Relation number: R193684).  Zero Hash Europe Sp. Zoo is registered as a VASP by the Tax Administration Chamber of Poland in Katowice (Registration number RDWW – 1212).

Connect with Zero Hash

Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Medium

Zero Hash Disclosures

Zero Hash services and product offerings may not be available in all jurisdictions. Zero Hash accounts are not subject to FDIC or SIPC protections, or any such equivalent protections that may exist outside of the US. Zero Hash’s technical support and enablement of any asset is not an endorsement of such asset and is not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any crypto asset. The value of any cryptocurrency, including digital assets pegged to fiat currency, commodities, or any other asset, may go to zero. Zero Hash is not registered with the SEC or FINRA. Zero Hash does not provide any securities services and is not a custodian of securities, including security tokens, on behalf of customers.

About Connamara Technologies

Connamara Technologies is the leading provider of fully-integrated exchange infrastructure, empowering new and existing exchanges to operate with exceptional efficiency and reliability. Its EP3 platform is a new breed of exchange and clearing technology that seamlessly integrates all key functions into a single, robust platform. It is cost-accessible, adaptable, scalable and quick-to-market. Engineered for the evolving needs of the next generation of exchanges and marketplaces, EP3 is shaping the future of financial markets.

To learn more, please visit www.connamara.tech or connect on LinkedIn

Media Contact:

Randy Williams for Connamara
[email protected]
+1.917.213.5980

EPH2Comms.com 

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Connamara/Acuiti Study Finds Emerging Market Derivatives Exchanges Face Technology Hurdles in International Growth

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In this thoughtful writeup by TradingTech Insight, from A-Team Group, Mike O’Hare points out some interesting findings in the recently published report Building Competitive Technology for the Exchanges of the Future from Acuiti.io in collaboration with Connamara Technologies:

Read the article here

Read the full report here