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ION has completed the integration and certification of its FastTrade platform with Equiduct, enabling clients to incorporate Equiduct Apex’s zero-commission Best Execution service into their trading workflows. The integration supports ION’s clients in strengthening MiFID II Best Execution compliance while adapting to tighter margins in the equity trading environment.
The connection provides FastTrade users access to Equiduct’s pan-European execution venue, which is tailored for retail brokers and operates across 13 European markets. Equiduct Apex facilitates no-commission trades while meeting Best Execution standards, making it a compelling choice for brokers seeking to optimize execution quality without incurring additional costs.
“ION has long been a true pioneer and a backbone of Italy’s multi-asset trading technology landscape”
Giacomo Brandolini, FastTrade Product Owner at ION, commented, “We are proud to have completed this integration with Equiduct. It marks a key step in our mission to evolve our offering continuously and support our clients as they navigate increasingly complex equity trading environments.”
FastTrade’s Best Execution Engine is a programmable tool that allows clients to define customized execution strategies. The addition of Equiduct as an available venue broadens execution options, particularly for firms serving retail clients and looking to maintain competitiveness in a low-commission market.
Tiffany Sour-Esrafil, Head of Business Development at Equiduct, said, “ION has long been a true pioneer and a backbone of Italy’s multi-asset trading technology landscape. We strongly believe this partnership will bring significant value to the Italian retail trading ecosystem and beyond, enabling clients to keep pace with the ongoing shift toward dynamic best execution and adapt to the new competitive retail brokerage environment.”
Equiduct is a market segment of Börse Berlin and reported 15.2 million trades and €85 billion in turnover in 2024, working with 35 active retail brokers. The platform offers access to Europe’s most liquid equities and ETFs, aligning with MiFID II Article 44 requirements for execution quality.
The integration with Equiduct reflects ION’s continued investment in connectivity, venue access, and execution automation. FastTrade forms part of ION Markets’ wider offering, which spans asset classes and supports trading operations with full lifecycle automation and real-time analytics.
