Investment is flowing into Asia-Pacific capital markets, but post-trade challenges are limiting growth. A new report from Nasdaq and the ValueExchange surveys market participants on blockers and post-trade harmonization opportunities in six select APAC markets.
To better understand the APAC post-trade landscape, our survey focused on a group of regional markets representing both developed and emerging economies: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.
At a high level, 25% of participants in our survey said they were actively planning to grow their activity in these markets or prepare business cases to invest. However, almost half (46%) face artificial limits on their ability to trade and transact—blockers that are rooted in post-trade fragmentation.
Market structure issues and legacy platforms are leading to costs and errors in settlement, collateral and especially corporate actions, with the latter cited by 60% of respondents as a problem area.
The solution for market operators and participants is regional harmonization: 32% believed post-trade standards would deliver meaningful positive change and cost savings.
We spoke to 380 market participants in APAC, North America, Europe/Middle East/Africa and Latin America. Respondents cut across a diverse selection of roles and firms across the buy and sell sides, with three-quarters of total participants represented by:
Increased market activity is powering expectations for strong in asset classes such as ETFs, unlisted equities and OTC derivatives. But obstacles impact local and offshore investors alike.
Average AUM growth planned by investment banks from North America, Europe and APAC.
Share of respondents who believe their trade processing costs to be unnecessarily high in settlement.
Share of respondents who believe their trade processing errors to be unnecessarily high in corporate actions.
Share of APAC market platforms older than 10 years, almost double the global average.
Asia’s capital markets are at a crossroads and regional standardization can offer double-digit cost savings.
Market participants overwhelmingly believe that harmonized rules and consolidated post-trade platforms will drive growth and resilience.
Survey respondents believed regional alignment can achieve 7.3% cost savings on average across post-trade functions, including:
The survey shows that regional harmonization is a mutually beneficial goal for both market operators and participants, but success depends on joint leadership and coordinated action. Respondents strongly favor:
Asset tokenization is a key innovation opportunity: 15% of respondents planned to hold tokenized assets as a position by 2027 and 10% will leverage tokenization in collateral management.
Asset tokenization is a key innovation opportunity: 15% of respondents planned to hold tokenized assets as a position by 2027 and 10% will leverage tokenization in collateral management.
Market participants are ramping up AI deployment: 11% plan to use GenAI in trade clearing and settlement by 2028, nearly triple the rate who responded the same in 2025.
Market participants are ramping up AI deployment: 11% plan to use GenAI in trade clearing and settlement by 2028, nearly triple the rate who responded the same in 2025.
63% of respondents are planning change projects, with three-quarters of those projects focused on listed equities, ETFs and unlisted equities.
63% of respondents are planning change projects, with three-quarters of those projects focused on listed equities, ETFs and unlisted equities.
Nasdaq and the ValueExchange partnered to understand institutional investment in Asia-Pacific and how standards can lift post-trade blockers.
Please check your inbox for your copy of the Asia-Pacific VX survey report.
Nasdaq Financial Technology has a large presence across Asia-Pacific, serving both financial market infrastructures and market participants including banks, brokers and asset and fund managers. Our solutions span trading, clearing, risk, surveillance and central securities depositories for market operators, as well as end-to-end, cross-asset capital markets technology for participants to manage front, middle and back office functions.
Effectively manage multiple business opportunities including Settlement, Depository, Registry and Asset Servicing.
Effectively manage multiple business opportunities including Settlement, Depository, Registry and Asset Servicing.
Leverage high-velocity, real-time, cross-asset class clearing and settlement with Nasdaq's Clearing Technology.
Leverage high-velocity, real-time, cross-asset class clearing and settlement with Nasdaq's Clearing Technology.
Support multi-asset clearing, reduce risk, and boost efficiency—all in one scalable solution.
Support multi-asset clearing, reduce risk, and boost efficiency—all in one scalable solution.
