2023 Roundup: TFB edition

Author: Ivan Egorov

Another year is almost over, and it’s time to wrap things up and look back at the previous 12 months.

The year 2023 was transformative for many of us, and it has once again shown us that if you have discipline and focus, you can weather any storm. At Tools for Brokers, we’ve spent the year focusing on our two main priorities:

• Developing new powerful functionality and enhancing the existing technology.
• Nurturing our relationships with clients and partners to ensure the best experience with our solutions.

Hot topics of 2023 (and 2024)

Trends had a considerable influence on us throughout the year, too. Among the most significant ones, we can highlight:

#1 Multiplatform and alternative trading platforms

Countless clients and prospects reached out to us in 2023, looking for a bridge gateway that would easily work with several trading platforms. Some of them were looking at operating on multiple platforms, and others wanted to diversify their offering and be able to migrate to the new platform if needed. Although most looked at multiplatform solutions as a part of their risk management strategy, some positioned it to their clients as a competitive advantage.

#2 Prop trading

Prop trading was another hot topic of 2023. Companies worldwide are looking at switching to prop trading mode and arranging trader competitions. One of the most common requests our sales team received this year was being able to mimic real-market execution in a sandbox for competitions.

And by the way, we have a comprehensive offer for prop trading companies.

#3 Decentralisation   

For a while now, brokers have been talking about moving away from a centralised black box system where they have no idea what’s happening inside.

Hub-centered solutions that offer no visibility or power over settings and configuration have been an industry standard for some years. In 2023, the conversation around this topic shifted, and more market players started expressing concerns about the potential dangers of such an approach, such as lack of control and privacy.

Brokers who can’t peek into their environment and tailor things for their needs are essentially playing Russian roulette. That’s why many clients who moved to our Trade Processor bridge this year specified that they like the decentralised architecture of it and the fact that TFB clients get complete control of their private bridge environments.

#4 Artificial Intelligence

We don’t know if there is a buzz-word award, but if there is, then AI should win.

You could not escape AI conversations wherever you went in 2023. And there are good reasons for that. AI has the potential to alter our personal and professional lives, so it is no surprise that the financial world is obsessed with it, too. At the moment, however, only a few practical changes in how brokers operate have been made with regard to the technology. But the opportunities are endless, and we cannot wait to see what AI use in fintech will look like in 2024.

Top articles in the TFB Knowledge Base blog  

For over three years now, Tools for Brokers has been publishing weekly expert articles where we talk about all things fintech, uncover trends, analyse current events, and offer helpful tips and guides to our clients and prospects.

Here are the most-read articles of 2023:

• Prop Trading 2.0 was naturally one of the most popular articles we wrote in 2023, as there was a lot of interest in this topic.
• Our article on how the Trade Processor bridge helps large volume trading was another hit, and there is no surprise there – many TFB clients are either moving to or already working with large volume trading. Optimising operations and preventing all sorts of issues and delays are always essential for brokers, but it is particularly crucial for those who operate on larger scales.
• Risk management is a hot topic every year, so in 2023, many clients looked for risk strategy inspiration in our articles that share tips for avoiding common broker risks and managing those risks effectively.   
• Essentials of building a hedge fund was another popular reader's choice.
• One of the common routes that experienced brokers follow is to shift to becoming a Liquidity Provider. Our article highlights the key steps and points anyone who is curious in the right direction. For more information and help on this journey, reach out to our team at sales@t4b.com, and we’ll be happy to share more tips and recommendations.

Best sellers at TFB

Naturally, we couldn’t do a 2023 roundup without mentioning TFB’s best-selling products of the year.

Without further ado, here are the most popular solutions that our clients purchased and enjoyed the most in 2023:

• Trade Processor
• Copy Trading plugin
• TFB PAMM
• REST API
• Credit Management application

Trade Processor is our flagship liquidity gateway that combines the execution engine with an advanced risk management system and liquidity bridge connecting brokers, prop trading companies, and hedge funds to multiple liquidity providers.

The Copy Trading plugin copies trades from multiple source accounts to single or multiple target accounts enabling brokers to choose copying conditions and make them by equity, percentage, or reverse direction.

TFB PAMM is an asset management system that operates on the principle of percentage allocation. For TFB clients, TFB PAMM attracts different client groups and boosts volumes. The REST API application integrates the MT platform with any third-party system, such as a CRM solution or back-office. Last but not least, the Credit Management application creates flexible campaigns for credit deposit and transfer to balance. It monitors all the important details, such as equity and free margin values, and monitors operations to remove or deposit credit or send email notifications.

What’s next?

We will share more of our plans and strategies with you in January and onwards, but for now, we can confidently say that our main focus will remain the same. Quality of solutions and relationships will remain our top priorities in the coming years.

In addition to that, we have many existing features and technologies in the works, and we can’t wait to be able to share them with you!

As for now, we hope that this year was kind to you and you’ve managed to achieve all your key goals. Here’s to an even better 2024, and Happy Holidays!