Hosted by Integral, The Great Days Ahead: How Prop Trading, Crypto, AI & Prediction Markets Are Rewriting the Future of FX brought together senior executives from brokerages, algorithmic trading firms, and digital asset businesses in Sydney.
The panel featured Jeremy Kintslinger, CEO of Afterprime; Daniel O’Brien, Managing Director for Australia at easyMarkets, and Vikas Srivastava, CRO at Integral, with industry commentator Andrew Saks moderating.
Together, they explored how advances in technology, shifts in market structure, and the growing influence of digital assets are redefining FX and the broader trading landscape — and how firms are preparing for the next phase of evolution.
Key Themes
AI and Modern Infrastructure
Panelists highlighted how AI-driven automation and modular, multi-carrier processing (MCP) servers are reshaping trading workflows. As traders and affiliates increasingly build their own front-end interfaces, brokers are moving toward flexible, back-end-first infrastructures that support customization and long-term scalability.
Convergence of FX and Crypto
The group examined recent acquisitions, such as major crypto firms purchasing traditional brokers, and the rise of new CFD businesses launched by crypto companies. These developments point to a growing alignment between FX and crypto markets and signal a future where multi-asset trading becomes more seamless for both retail and institutional users.
Perpetual Futures and Prop Trading
Perpetual futures (“perps”) continue to gain traction as a high-growth product. In parallel, prop trading firms are expanding rapidly, raising important questions about how their operating models intersect with, and potentially reshape, the traditional brokerage landscape.
Prediction Markets and Gamification
Exploring the rise of prediction markets, where new firms are using gamification to let users speculate on real-world events, it was noted that this trend is opening up new product categories while attracting a younger, more curious audience that traditional trading products often don’t reach.
AI-Native Architecture and Stablecoins
The panel also discussed how AI-native infrastructures and the adoption of stablecoins could transform areas such as risk management, trade settlement, and liquidity provision, particularly for institutions operating across multiple asset classes.
Navigating an Evolving Market
The discussion explored several strategic topics facing institutions today, including:
- How evolving market structures and recent crypto-driven acquisitions should inform FX and digital asset strategies
- Ways multi-asset, programmable infrastructures can unify FX, equities, and crypto derivatives to improve client engagement and meet evolving expectations
- Operational challenges of aggregating liquidity across fragmented markets and how real-time automation & stablecoin-based infrastructure can help overcome them
- Navigating regulatory changes and compliance when integrating crypto-native products and prediction markets into new territories
Additional themes from the discussion included how brokers can differentiate in an AI-driven market.
The panel reflected on what differentiates brokers who successfully attract AI-driven and highly technical traders. Their insights emphasized the importance of adaptable infrastructure, strong partner ecosystems, and thoughtful investment decisions that help firms stay competitive and avoid becoming acquisition targets in a rapidly changing market.
Closing Thoughts
As AI-powered trading, prediction markets, prop trading, and digital assets continue to evolve, participants agreed that the next 12–24 months will be pivotal. Technology-led innovation is accelerating, creating new competitive dynamics and redefining how firms deliver value across FX and adjacent markets.
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Sydney!
We look forward to continuing the conversation as FX and digital asset markets evolve into 2026 and beyond.
