Frankfurt-based blockchain firm 21X has appointed Tradevest, a provider of digital infrastructure for financial institutions, as the first market maker for its digital asset exchange.

21X is the provider of what it claims to be “Europe’s first” fully regulated distributed ledger technology (DLT)-based trading and settlement system to operate in the EU. The collaboration marks a key step in developing a liquid and efficient secondary market for tokenised financial instruments in Europe, strengthening the foundation for regulated asset trading.

As market maker, Tradevest will post quotes, ensuring competitive pricing and execution. Market makers play a key role in enabling deep liquidity, seamless trading and transparent price discovery. 21X is also considering expanding the partnership to include Tradevest services such as digital custody, onboarding, and asset tokenisation.

Digital assets and DLT set to transform securities industry

“We are thrilled to welcome Tradevest as a market maker on 21X,” says Ralf Wandmacher, CFO and COO at 21X. “Their expertise and commitment to innovative financial solutions align perfectly with our vision to revolutionise capital markets through blockchain technology. This partnership is a significant step, as their role will be instrumental in creating a robust and efficient trading environment for our participants on Europe’s first fully regulated DLT exchange.”

“Tokenised financial instruments only unlock their full potential if they are liquid and reliably tradable. That’s exactly what we strive to ensure,” says Dierk Wilhelmsmeyer, CEO and founder of Tradevest. “This collaboration demonstrates how traditional financial instruments can be traded securely and efficiently using blockchain technology.”

“This move is part of Tradevest’s broader strategy to act as a bridge between traditional capital markets and the digital infrastructure of tomorrow,” said Wilhelmsmeyer. “Our modular, scalable platform allows us to quickly integrate new products into regulated trading processes. In doing so, we support the structural opening of capital markets to tokenized securities.”