AsiaNext Taps FalconX Veteran for Derivatives Leadership

Digital asset exchange AsiaNext has named former FalconX executive David Martin as chief executive of its derivatives division, as the institution-focused platform seeks to capitalize on growing demand for regulated crypto trading venues.

Martin joins AsiaNext with over 17 years of experience spanning traditional investment management and digital assets, including nearly a decade in cryptocurrency markets. At FalconX, he helped establish the firm as the first CFTC-registered crypto swaps dealer and led global sales expansion as the company evolved into a major prime brokerage operation.

The appointment reflects AsiaNext's strategy to differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded digital asset trading landscape by focusing exclusively on institutional clients rather than retail traders. The Singapore-based exchange, backed by SBI Digital Asset Holdings and SIX Group, offers spot trading, tokenized securities, and derivatives through what it describes as purpose-built institutional infrastructure.

"Institutions want more than access to digital assets, they want efficiency, trust and infrastructure that reflects how they trade," Martin said in the statement announcing his appointment shared with Blockhead on Tuesday. He emphasized that AsiaNext was "designed from the outset" to meet institutional requirements that traditional retail-focused exchanges struggle to address.

Martin's background includes co-founding crypto hedge fund Blockforce Capital and helping launch BLCN, identified as the first blockchain exchange-traded fund. Earlier in his career, he developed quantitative trading strategies for macro markets and founded a risk analytics platform serving hedge funds.

The hire comes as institutional adoption of digital assets accelerates, with traditional financial services firms seeking regulated trading venues that can accommodate their compliance and operational requirements. AsiaNext positions itself as addressing limitations in existing platforms that were initially designed for retail users before adding institutional services.

From AsiaNext's Singapore headquarters, Martin will oversee the expansion of derivatives offerings that leverage the exchange's infrastructure to bridge traditional and digital finance. The platform combines spot cryptocurrency trading with tokenized securities and derivatives products under a single institutional framework.

The platform aims to provide what Martin described as "an institutional-grade bridge between old and new finance" as digital assets become integrated into traditional portfolio management strategies.