Frankfurt based digital exchange startup 21X – which late last year received the first ever license to operate an EU-regulated venue for the trading and settlement of tokenized securities – has announced that it has appointed Tradevest, a leading provider of digital infrastructure for financial institutions, as the first market maker for its digital asset exchange. The parties said that this strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone in the development of a liquid and efficient secondary market for tokenized financial instruments in Europe, strengthening the foundation for regulated asset trading.

As a market maker, Tradevest will post quotes, ensuring competitive pricing and execution. Market makers play a crucial role in enabling deep liquidity, seamless trading, and transparent price discovery. The appointment reflects 21X’s ongoing efforts to build a resilient digital asset ecosystem. 21X is also considering plans to expand the partnership by integrating additional Tradevest services, including digital custody, onboarding, and asset tokenization.

Ralf Wandmacher, CFO and COO at 21X said,

“We are thrilled to welcome Tradevest as a market maker on 21X. Their expertise and commitment to innovative financial solutions align perfectly with our vision to revolutionize capital markets through blockchain technology. This partnership is a significant step, as their role will be instrumental in creating a robust and efficient trading environment for our participants on Europe’s first fully regulated DLT exchange.”

Dierk Wilhelmsmeyer, CEO and founder of Tradevest said,

“Tokenized financial instruments only unlock their full potential if they are liquid and reliably tradable. That’s exactly what we strive to ensure. This collaboration demonstrates how traditional financial instruments can be traded securely and efficiently using blockchain technology.”

This move is part of Tradevest’s broader strategy to act as a bridge between traditional capital markets and the digital infrastructure of tomorrow.

“Our modular, scalable platform allows us to quickly integrate new products into regulated trading processes. In doing so, we support the structural opening of capital markets to tokenized securities,” Wilhelmsmeyer added.

The collaboration reflects both companies’ ambition to drive the transformation of Europe’s financial system. By combining regulatory clarity with scalable technology, Tradevest and 21X are paving the way for broader institutional access to compliant digital asset markets.

About 21X

21X is a Frankfurt-based financial institution at the forefront of revolutionizing capital markets through the use of blockchain technology. 21X secured the first license to operate a distributed ledger technology trading and settlement system (DLT TSS) in the EU and launched its groundbreaking trading venue on May 20th this year. This milestone places the company as a leader in the transition of digital finance by enabling smart contract-based issuance, trading and settlement of tokenized stocks, bonds and funds.

About Tradevest

Tradevest is a leading provider of infrastructure solutions for digital and traditional assets with offices in Munich and Warsaw. The Tradevest Group, which also includes the WAWEX crypto exchange, offers a digital, modular, and fully integrated infrastructure for financial service providers, banks, and institutional investors. The BaFin-licensed platform enables regulated trading and custody of both traditional and digital assets, as well as crypto registry management. WAWEX is a crypto exchange based in Warsaw, Poland.