COUNTDOWN BEGINS TO THE WORLD FEDERATION OF EXCHANGES’ TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 2019

19 June 2019

COUNTDOWN BEGINS TO THE WORLD FEDERATION OF EXCHANGES’ TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE 2019

London, Wednesday 19 June 2019 – The World Federation of Exchanges (“WFE”), the global industry group for exchanges and CCPs, will be co-hosting its bi-annual global technology conference at Umeå University in Sweden from 30 June to 2 July 2019.

The event will bring together industry leaders, stakeholders and academics for two days of stimulating debate and discussion. The meeting seeks to capture and discuss the latest trends and innovation in technology, their impact on financial markets, and the fundamental technological developments that underpin the finance sector and will determine the future direction of capital markets.

The topics that will be discussed include: machine intelligence; blockchain; the technological future for exchanges and CCPs; and the market structure around crypto-currencies, crypto-assets and tokens. Speakers include: Brad Peterson, Executive Vice President, Chief Technology & Chief Information Officer, Nasdaq; Mark Morrison, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Security Officer, The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC); Thomas Koch, Chief Security Officer/Head Corporate Security, SIX Group Services Ltd; Virginia Dignum, Professor of Social & Ethical Artificial Intelligence, Umeå University; Dr. Pinar Emirdag, Senior Vice President, Head of Digital Product Development and Innovation, State Street; Tyrone Lobban, Senior Product Manager, Blockchain Center of Excellence, J.P. Morgan; and Simon Zammit, Chief Executive Officer, Malta Stock Exchange.

Nandini Sukumar, Chief Executive Officer, WFE said: “The convergence of finance and technology is moving ever faster, with both sectors shaping the other. Technology is a key driver in the engine of global capital markets. New ideas in technology, and the way it is changing the shape of market structure and society at large, sit at the heart of our industry’s thinking and strategy.”

The WFE’s work on technology spans three of its member working groups: the Cyber Security Working Group, which connects Information Security leadership amongst the world’s leading financial exchanges and CCPs; the Enterprise Risk Working Group, which brings together heads of risk (enterprise and operational); and the FinTech Working Group. Each working group has a mandate to share information on regulatory and technological developments in each topic area, and to provide technical support to the WFE’s Policy Committee as it engages with policy makers and develops WFE policy positions on related matters.

The WFE’s advocacy publications and position papers on technology span a range of topics including: the WFE & McKinsey’s Fintech Decoded report; the WFE’s response to the Financial Action Task Force - Mitigating Risks from Virtual Assets; the WFE’s response to the Financial Conduct Authority - Guidance on Cryptoassets; and a WFE whitepaper entitled FinTech in the Market Infrastructure Space.

Hans Adolfsson, Vice-Chancellor, Umeå University,added: “We are delighted to host the WFE’s bi-annual Technology Conference this year. Umeå is well known for its cross-disciplinary innovative and ground-breaking research, so hosting a conference focused on both finance and technology is a natural fit for our expertise. As the intersection between these two sectors narrows and overlaps, we hope to pinpoint how increased collaboration between industry-leaders and the research community can create a financial ecosystem that is robust and resilient in the face of a fast-moving and constantly developing modern world.”

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About the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE):

Established in 1961, the WFE is the global industry association for exchanges and clearing houses. Headquartered in London, it represents over 200 market infrastructure providers, including standalone CCPs that are not part of exchange groups. Of our members, 37% are in Asia-Pacific, 43% in EMEA and 20% in the Americas. WFE exchanges are home to nearly 48,000 listed companies, and the market capitalisation of these entities is over $70.2 trillion; around $95 trillion (EOB) in trading annually passes through the infrastructures WFE members safeguard (at end 2018).

The WFE is the definitive source for exchange-traded statistics and publishes over 350 market data indicators. Its free statistics database stretches back more than 40 years, and provides information and insight into developments on global exchanges. The WFE works with standard-setters, policy makers, regulators and government organisations around the world to support and promote the development of fair, transparent, stable and efficient markets. The WFE shares regulatory authorities’ goals of ensuring the safety and soundness of the global financial system.

With extensive experience of developing and enforcing high standards of conduct, the WFE and its members support an orderly, secure, fair and transparent environment for investors; for companies that raise capital; and for all who deal with financial risk. We seek outcomes that maximise the common good, consumer confidence and economic growth. And we engage with policy makers and regulators in an open, collaborative way, reflecting the central, public role that exchanges and CCPs play in a globally integrated financial system.

For more information, please contact:

Anna Watson

Head of Communications, The World Federation of Exchanges

Email: awatson@world-exchanges.org

Phone: +44 20 7151 4137 / 7850 287 685

Twitter: @TheWFE

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For more information on the Bermuda Stock Exchange (BSX), contact Nancy Vieira at 1-441-292-7212 or nvieira@bsx.com. Information is also available at www.bsx.com and on Bloomberg at BSX <GO> the BSX was founded in 1971 and is the world’s leading fully electronic offshore securities market. The BSX list equities, mutual funds and bonds, depository receipts and derivative warrant securities. The BSX is a full member of the World Federation of Exchanges (WFE) and an affiliate member of IOSCO. In addition, the BSX is recognized by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) as a Designated Offshore Securities Market under Regulation S; The Financial Services Authority in the UK as a Designated Investment Exchange; HM Revenue & Customs in the UK as a Recognized Stock Exchange; The Bermuda Monetary Authority as a Recognised Investment Exchange and as an Approved Stock Exchange under Australia’s Foreign Investment Funds (FIF) taxation rules.