Overview
The Network Forum Annual Meeting in Madrid brought together more than 400 senior post-trade leaders from CSDs, CCPs, and custodians to central banks and regulators, for two days of high-impact dialogue on the real challenges shaping the future of market infrastructure in Europe.
What emerged was not just a reaffirmation of long-term ambitions, but a decisive pivot to execution: how our industry moves from concept to reality amid accelerated timelines, rising complexity, and regulatory changes.
/ A turning point for European Market Infrastructure
A sharpened focus on execution over aspiration.
The tone across panels and private discussions was clear: with initiatives like T+1 on the horizon, market participants are shifting from strategic planning to immediate implementation. Whether around digital asset integration, clearing model reforms, or collateral mobility, the sense of urgency was unmistakable.
Tensions between consolidation and autonomy.
As regional infrastructure integration continues, participants engaged in candid exchanges on the balance between efficiency and sovereignty particularly within the CSD community. Collaboration remains essential, but national realities must still be respected.
Use cases, not just vision.
From instruction repair and reference data normalization to collateral optimization and early DLT adoption, stakeholders shared real-world applications that are already moving the needle. The emphasis was on operational results, not theoretical potential.
Beyond resilience: new expectations for infrastructure.
As financial infrastructures mature, expectations have shifted from ensuring stability to enabling real-time responsiveness, proactive exception management, and support for emerging asset classes.
A sincere thank you to Edward Jones, Andrew Barman, and the entire TNF team for curating a rich and relevant agenda, and to the many clients, peers, and partners who engaged with us on topics that truly matter.
/ What’s Next ?
The message from Madrid was loud and clear: Execution can’t wait. At Vermeg, we’re doubling down on helping financial institutions address persistent pain points with agile, interoperable, and compliance-ready solutions that meet today’s post-trade demands.
As transformation accelerates, so does the need for trusted, execution-focused partners.
