FIX releases free ‘Blockchain Basics’ guide for TradFi

The FIX Trading Community has published Blockchain Basics, a free manual developed with QUBIC Labs to help traditional finance firms integrate decentralized finance products and tokenized digital assets using the FIX messaging protocol.

The guide explains core blockchain and DeFi concepts, relevant regulatory context, methods for tokenizing assets, and the main types and uses of digital assets. It lays out technical integration points from a FIX perspective and assesses potential impacts on trading and post-trade workflows.

FIX has also released a separate set of recommended practices focused on technical implementation for digital asset workflows and trading.

Lee Saba, co-author and FIX director who serves as FIX Global Steering Committee co-chair and head of market structure at Rialto Markets, described the gap the guide addresses: “Until now there has been no single, vendor‑neutral source of information and education on how to understand, think about and implement DeFi into systems and workflows based on FIX.” He added that “all firms that trade use FIX in some capacity, and Blockchain Basics captures all the information they need in one place when they’re considering DeFi products and solutions.”

Ian Cain, QUBIC Labs executive chairman and co-author, noted the collaboration aims to make integration between DeFi and traditional finance more accessible: “QUBIC Labs exists to help integrate these two worlds for the benefit of everyone – markets, firms and individuals. FIX is the universal language of trading, and its members represent the world’s most respected TradFi firms, so this is an excellent way to educate more finance professionals about the ways DeFi can help bring new efficiencies and innovation to their work – and vice versa.”

FIX will host an event with the paper’s authors in Boston on June 11 from 4:30–7:00 p.m. at State Street, One Congress Street. The event is free for FIX Trading Community members and open to other interested parties who register.

The FIX Trading Community manages the FIX Protocol, the global messaging standard used by trading firms, broker-dealers and exchanges. It operates working groups in more than 60 countries on topics including digital assets, reference data, carbon trading, artificial intelligence, algorithmic trading, fixed income, currencies and commodities, and ETFs.