The third annual Fintech Exchange (FTX17), held Thursday, April 27, brought together the leaders of many of the United State’s largest and fastest-growing Fintech companies. This year’s conference was formally opened by Barchart CEO Mark Haraburda with lightning round sessions that focused heavily on data analytics for better business development.
Tableau’s Vaidy Krishnan introduced the benefits of data analytics over mere data visualization to boost business intelligence in understanding data. Krishnan highlighted the benefits of preparing for the unknown unknowns within business. He said it was important to ask the "why" of your data and not just the "what."
He was followed by 10 speakers, including OneTick Analytics' Maria Belianina advising on data management solution, CBOE Vice President of Strategy Integration and Operations Catherine Clay, who highlighted CBOE’s 44th anniversary in talking about how to get your company through a "mid-life crisis" using alternative data. Clay highlighted CBOE’s numerous technology partners.
Indeed, the conference had a heavy focus on data; covering the process of collecting, analyzing and telling stories with data to help businesses see farther into the past so they can make better decisions in the future.
Jim Austin, CEO of Vertex Analytics, used his lightning round to combine his presentation with National Bring your Children to Work Day. Austin’s kids simulated a live open outcry pit session and the more cerebral electronic trading atmosphere to highlight the amount of data from trading activity that was not captured in data feeds that only show actual matched trades. Vertex captures and analyzes this data for traders and institutions.
Tim McDermott of Nadex and Michael Patak of Topstep Trader talked about the growing opportunities in retail trading. McDermott highlighted how the lower risk and simple nature of binary options offered on Nadex could bring more people into the trading world who will eventually grow to utilize more complex markets and technology. Patak wrapped things up by encouraging sponsors, attendees and invited guests to use games as an education technique and invest in retail—“the next big thing.”
Speaking of the future, MarketsTech’s CEO Adam Honoré introduced infrastructure developments building a financial ecosystem for new technology, financial markets and trading as the industry moves into a data focus environment.
This year’s experts brought well-studied predictions of what will be necessary for business expansion and success. Who will have a record-smashing year? We will see events; people and ideas that we think will matter at FTX18.