Swiss stock exchange group SIX released its 2024 results today. New CEO Bjørn Sibbern announced a three year program, Scale Up 2027, which aims to improve growth and margins. It will see 150 people lose their jobs, some of them through attrition. Plus, as part of the push, it plans to merge the blockchain-based SIX Digital Exchange (SDX) into its Securities Services business unit.
It portrayed this as a growth initiative, saying that SDX’s technology will now be rolled out across the group. SIX wants to “capitalize on synergies and fully leverage the potential of SDX as part of the broader SIX ecosystem.”
The SIX Digital Exchange was the first regulated secondary market for digital securities in the world, one of several world firsts. The exchange is also the first to host a production wholesale central bank digital currency (wCBDC), although technically the Swiss National Bank’s wCBDC is part of an extended two year pilot of Project Helvetia. SDX also holds a license as a central securities depository (CSD).
Since its launch SDX has hosted the issuance of more than CHF 1.5 billion in digital bonds. Today’s report says SDX has 14 members across its digital securities and web3 / crypto services, with at least nine more committed to join.
The digital CSD is already integrated with the conventional CSD in order to allow issuances to list on the main exchange and for investors to engage without needing to touch blockchains. However, today’s announcement talks about “synergies from shared infrastructure.”
Integration – returning to the original plan
In many ways SDX is now coming full circle. Its first CEO, Martin Halblaub, resigned in 2019 over strategic differences. He wanted SDX to be more independent, but the strategy at the time was to be more integrated. He was replaced by Tim Grant who lasted about 17 months, before State Street veteran, the inimitable David Newns, stepped in for the 2021 launch and has provided continuity since.
While these changes represent the stamp of a new SIX CEO, there are likely more to come. Javier Hernani, the former CEO of SIX-owned BME and Head of SIX Securities Services, departed in early February and has not yet been replaced. Any new head of SIX Securities Services will likely set a new agenda.
Meanwhile, SIX reported a net profit of CHF 38.7 million for 2024 after writing off CHF 167.7 million relating to the valuation of its holdings in Worldline. Before that adjustment (and tax), net profit would have been CHF 204.4 million, an increase of 12.3%.
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