Moscow Exchange aims to be on the front line of innovation in the financial industry. In 2017, the Exchange committed its innovative technologies business line and work with fintech start-ups to a new subsidiary company, MOEX Innovations. The Exchange plans to invest up to RUB 1.2 bln into innovation-focused companies and projects.

The new company will consider different forms of support for innovations, including awarding grants for technology development, purchasing technologies, direct investing into fintech companies, and co-investing with venture capital funds.

In late 2017, a test version of a new analytical newsletter intended for Russian and international institutional investors was launched. It may serve as an additional source of information for analysis of exchange-traded financial instruments. It constitutes analytical reports based on statistical analysis of data on orders and trades. The Exchange plans to improve the product in 2018 based on customer feedback.

In 2017, the Group tested a blockchain-based technology in relation to its post-trade services. NSD completed the development of a settlement platform intended for issuing bonds via blockchain technology. The first blockchain-based trades were made to place commercial bonds of MegaFon and Raiffeisenbank. NSD also pioneered a blockchain-based technology, a prototype for the e-proxy voting system to be used at meetings of bondholders.

340 start-up companies took part in a corporate accelerator program. The annual conference on innovative technologies in investments InvestTECH was convened. Additionally, Moscow Exchange acted as a partner for the annual forum on innovative financial technologies, FINOPOLIS, hosted by the Bank of Russia. In late 2017, the Exchange became a member of the Fintech Association, an organization that is aimed primarily at developing infrastructure initiatives on the Russian financial market.

NSD API was created for automatic cash settlements by members directly to NSD, bypassing SWIFT. Some large clients have already connected to the settlement API.