CQG, NUTS Finance Launch Optio Research to Develop Institutional Cryptocurrency Infrastructure and Trading Solutions

Joint Strategic Investment Funds New Web3-based Innovation Lab

CHICAGO / SINGAPORE – Oct. 27, 2022 CQG, a leading global provider of high-performance technology solutions for market makers, traders, brokers, commercial hedgers and exchanges, and NUTS Finance, a blockchain development lab, announced today that they have just launched “Optio Research,” a state-of-the-art Web3-based innovation lab focused on developing decentralized cryptocurrency infrastructure and trading solutions for institutional investors. The initiative is the product of a joint strategic investment by CQG and NUTS Finance, designed to bridge the worlds of traditional finance (TradFi) and the fast-growing decentralized finance (DeFi) space, and leveraging the expertise and technology both firms and their executives bring to bear.

Leading the newly established Optio are CQG executives Kevin Darby and Benjamin Soong, along with NUTS Finance co-founders Terry Lam and Daniel Tang. CQG CEO Ryan Moroney serves as a strategic advisor and member of the Optio Board of Directors.

Moroney said: “We’re truly excited about the launch of Optio. Positioning ourselves at the forefront of financial technology development has always been an integral part of CQG’s mission, and the company has been carefully cultivating an expansion strategy to serve the growing demand for cryptocurrency as a new asset class for our existing and prospective clients. As more institutional clients move toward Web3 blockchain-driven technology, Optio gives CQG the opportunity to accelerate our footprint and play a leading role in the fast-growing digital asset space. We have worked closely with Terry and Daniel over the past several years and have the utmost confidence in the combined team’s expertise and execution ability to quickly establish Optio Research not only as a hallmark name in DeFi and Web3 but as a reliable partner to the institutional investor community.”

Lam said: “Over the last few years, we have seen the crypto marketplace develop rapidly. However, it is evident that the workflow and infrastructure for institutional investors is still at a nascent stage. Through Optio, our partnership with CQG and collective experience in derivatives trading technology and Web3 development give us the opportunity to be market leaders in developing a range of solutions that will not only improve the current user experience, but also act as a catalyst to accelerate adoption into this emerging asset class by traditional financial institutions.”

Optio Research’s first major project will be announced in the coming weeks.

About CQG

CQG provides the industry’s highest performing solutions for traders, brokers, commercial hedgers and exchanges for their market-related activities globally, including trading, market data, advanced technical analysis, risk management, and account administration. The firm partners with the vast majority of futures brokerage and clearing firms and provides Direct Market Access (DMA) to more than 45 exchanges through its global network of co-located Hosted Exchange Gateways. CQG technology serves as the front end for a variety of exchanges and is increasingly employed as the over-the-counter matching engine for important new markets. CQG's server-side order management tools for spreading, market aggregation, and smart orders are unsurpassed for speed and ease of use. Its market data feed consolidates 85 sources, including exchanges worldwide for futures, options, fixed income, foreign exchange, and equities, as well as data on debt securities, industry reports, and financial indices. One of the longest-serving technology solutions providers in the industry, CQG has won numerous awards for its trading software, technical analysis and multi-asset trading platform. CQG is headquartered in Denver, with 16 sales and support offices and data centers in key markets globally. For more information, visit www.cqg.com.

About NUTS Finance

Organized in 2018, NUTS Finance is a blockchain development lab focused on building secure, composable and open-source technology to enable financial applications on the blockchain. NUTS Finance’s core team is composed of engineers, investors, cybersecurity experts and established entrepreneurs. Rooted in an open, global and blockchain-agnostic approach, NUTS Finance’s mission is to deliver through multiple projects the working elements that can help shape the emerging crypto economy. www.nuts.finance

Contacts:

For CQG:
Ellen G. Resnick
Crystal Clear Communications
eresnick@crystalclearPR.com
773-929-9292; 312-399-9295 (cell)