New York-based Bitcoin exchange Atlas ATS has partnered with the National Stock Exchange (NSX) to become the first fully regulated US-based digital currency trading platform.
The two parties have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding that enables NSX, a self-regulatory organization recognized by the Securities and Exchange Commission, to develop and enact rules that will regulate the operations and transactions on the Atlas ATS exchange.
“Investors, both retail and institutional, need an exchange with top-notch security, fast trading technology, and trusted oversight,” said Atlas Co-founder and CEO Shawn Sloves, emphasizing the features the Atlas ATS trading platform will provide upon its regulation, of which rules are to be based on those currently used by US stock and options exchanges.
While this move will further heighten the credibility of this Bitcoin exchange, which has only been trading digital currencies like Bitcoin and Litecoin among other alternative currencies for several months, this, likewise, will provide NSX with a new source of revenue and means to stand out in the industry.
“We are very excited about working with Atlas ATS and all other market participants in the digital currency space to create a framework for safe, transparent, and auditable rules applied to a unique market place,” said NSX Chairman and CEO David Harris.
NSX has dedicated its resources in the development of a regulatory infrastructure and expertise to enable the company to provide services that will effectively regulate and monitor multiple asset classes, Harris added.
“In this regard, the NSX intends to target its regulatory capabilities to identify currently non-regulated financial exchanges—digital currencies and their derivatives are prime examples of such markets,” said Harris, detailing how he intends his company to benefit Atlas ATS and other Bitcoin exchanges in the market.
Meanwhile, US OTC Markets Chairman and former President of the Cincinnati Stock Exchange Nick Niehoff remarked that the partnership of Atlas ATS and NSX is the best solution for digital currency trading to generate confidence among investors.