The quest to improve stability and efficiency in securities post-trading through technology – recent trends

This article provides an overview of the developments, trends and perspectives of financial market infrastructures. In particular, it aims to examine the application of technologies for securities custody and settlement. It offers the legal background understanding in respect of securities which are held through banks and other intermediaries necessary to access the highly complex area of cross-border securities law. In doing so, it displays and discusses the relevant legal developments concerning the main initiatives at international and European level that are projected at enhancing the efficiency of post-trade processes related to traditional securities, e.g. by using distributed ledger technology (DLT). This article mainly focuses on international standards, EU legislation and recent legislative proposals as well as on German law as an example of a national legal framework