ABEX, a provider of algorithmic execution strategies for digital assets, has partnered with Hidden Road, the multi-asset prime brokerage, in a move aimed at widening institutional access to advanced crypto trading tools.
The integration will allow Hidden Road’s global client base to deploy ABEX’s research-driven algorithms directly through their existing prime brokerage and custody workflows. The companies said the arrangement would help institutions trade across fragmented digital asset markets with greater precision and transparency, while lowering execution costs.
ABEX, founded by former high-frequency traders, specialises in agency execution for digital assets, building algorithms designed to adapt in real time to shifting market conditions. The firm’s products seek to minimise market impact, maximise passive fill rates and improve cost efficiency for institutional investors.
Erkan Kaya, ABEX’s chief executive and co-founder, described the partnership as a milestone in the institutionalisation of crypto markets. “We are proud to work with Hidden Road, a technology-first firm at the centre of institutional access to digital asset markets,” he said. “This relationship allows clients to benefit from our best-in-class execution engine while maintaining their existing prime brokerage and custody workflows. We believe this is the future of efficient agency trading in crypto.”
Hidden Road has grown rapidly as a credit and market access provider for institutions looking to trade both traditional and digital assets. Its technology-driven platform offers prime brokerage, clearing and financing services without running proprietary trading businesses, a structure it says eliminates conflicts of interest.
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Michael Higgins, international chief executive at Hidden Road, said the partnership reflected rising institutional demand for higher-quality tools in digital asset markets.
“ABEX shares our commitment to bringing a level of precision, transparency and execution quality to digital assets that is commensurate with that which exists in traditional markets,” he said. “We’re pleased to support the distribution of ABEX algorithms to our global client base as we seek to offer institutions access to sophisticated tools that enhance their trading experience and deliver measurable business value.”
The deal comes as institutional investors continue to push deeper into digital assets despite lingering regulatory uncertainty and the market’s history of volatility. While volumes have fluctuated since the highs of 2021, industry participants argue that the need for professional-grade infrastructure has only increased as larger asset managers, hedge funds and proprietary trading firms move into the sector.
Execution quality is an area of focus in digital markets
Execution quality has become a particular focus. Digital asset markets remain fragmented across dozens of exchanges and trading venues, each with differing levels of liquidity, transparency and operational standards. As a result, institutions seeking to deploy capital at scale often struggle to achieve best execution without distorting markets or incurring higher costs.
Both ABEX and Hidden Road said the integration is designed to address those challenges by combining agency algorithms with prime brokerage credit, clearing and operational support. Clients, they added, will be able to access the algorithms globally without altering their existing trading relationships.
For ABEX, the partnership provides a wider distribution channel for its products. For Hidden Road, it broadens the suite of trading solutions available to clients as competition in institutional digital asset services intensifies.
