Institutional Crypto Trading Shifts to Automated Models
Financial institutions are consolidating liquidity through new APIs to scale production-ready digital asset operations.
Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Financial Services
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Finery Markets has released new data on institutional crypto trading trends and banking infrastructure strategies. The reports highlight significant growth in euro-denominated stablecoin volumes alongside a shift in how financial institutions manage digital asset integration.
Why it matters
The findings underscore a transition from fragmented bilateral liquidity to consolidated trading infrastructure for banks. As regulatory compliance regimes like MiCA consolidate, firms are increasingly prioritizing security-focused custody and automated API integrations to scale their digital asset operations.
OTC volume grew 57% year-on-year on the Finery Markets network, while euro stablecoin supply increased 22.6% to $848 million. Among banks, 89% now hold active digital asset budgets, though only 16% have successfully moved digital asset products into production.
The players
Finery Markets
A provider of institutional-grade non-custodial connection platforms for crypto and fiat liquidity.
ESMA
The European Union's financial regulatory authority responsible for setting and overseeing MiCA registration standards.
OCC
The United States federal agency that regulates national banks and has granted 16 digital asset trust charters.
The details
Finery Markets facilitates institutional access by providing a non-custodial connection to liquidity across more than 200 crypto and fiat pairs. Their model utilizes automated netting and audit trails to reduce the complexity of credit agreements. To further lower barriers to entry, the firm introduced an integrated API credentials hub and an AI-assisted repository designed to streamline technical documentation for bank-integrated trading infrastructure.
Timeline
2024: Firms operated under national transitional regimes.
First nine months of 2026: Measurement period for institutional trading data.
July 1, 2026: MiCA registration deadline.
October 2026: Finery Markets published two industry reports.
Market Landscape
The transition to the MiCA framework marks a significant consolidation point for European digital asset markets. As registration mandates take hold, the industry is moving away from the fragmented transitional regimes that governed 2,747 firms in 2024.
Financial operators should audit their reliance on bilateral liquidity agreements, which are increasingly being replaced by automated netting and API-integrated infrastructure. Reviewing digital asset custody budgets is essential as 89% of peers now maintain dedicated allocations for these technologies.
The takeaway
Institutional interest in digital assets is shifting from experimental budgets to production-ready infrastructure and standardized compliance. Operators should prioritize the integration of standardized API hubs to simplify connectivity while monitoring the ongoing reduction in national regulatory regimes.
Further reading
For more on evolving institutional market structures, see the Financial Services section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Fintech Times.
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