Architect Financial Technologies
Category: AI in Fintech
The world's first centralized and regulated exchange (AX) for perpetual futures on traditional financial asset classes, including foreign currencies, single stocks, stock indexes, interest rates, metals, and energy, combining crypto-style derivatives with traditional market infrastructure. Architect Financial Technologies was founded in 2023. The company is led by Brett Harrison. Based in Chicago, United States. Team size: 10-50. Total funding raised: $52.0M. Latest round: Series A ($35.0M, Dec 2025). Key investors include ["Miami International Holdings (MIAX)","Tioga Capital","BlockTower Capital","Coinbase Ventures","Galaxy Ventures","ARK Invest","VanEck"].
- Founded
- 2023
- Headquarters
- Chicago, United States
- Team size
- 10-50
- Total funding
- $52.0M
Value proposition
Provides 24/7 capital-efficient access to perpetual futures on traditional assets with crypto-style market structure, offering no forced expiry, real-time funding rate transparency, centralized clearing, flexible collateral options (fiat USD or USD stablecoins), and full regulatory compliance under Bermuda Monetary Authority oversight.
Products and solutions
["AX Exchange - Perpetual futures on FX, equities, indices, rates, commodities","Architect Securities LLC - SEC-registered broker-dealer for securities","Architect Financial Derivatives LLC - CFTC-registered introducing broker","Architect Bermuda Ltd - BMA-regulated exchange operator","Web-based Trading Platform","Low-latency APIs with Open-source SDKs","Compute Futures (GPU/RAM) - In development with Ornn partnership","Interest Rate Perpetual Futures - First exchange-traded perpetual futures on interest rate benchmarks (Mar 2026)"]
Unique value
First centralized and regulated exchange to offer crypto-style perpetual futures contracts on traditional financial assets (stocks, FX, interest rates, commodities) rather than cryptocurrencies. Combines the capital efficiency and 24/7 trading of digital asset perpetuals with traditional futures market safeguards like price bands, volatility halts, centralized clearing, and product-specific margin requirements.
Target customer
Institutional clients including hedge funds, market makers, family offices, asset managers, insurance and reinsurance companies, and institutional lenders in eligible jurisdictions.
Industries served
["Financial Derivatives","Capital Markets","Asset Management","Hedge Funds","Market Making","Insurance and Reinsurance","Digital Assets and Crypto","AI Infrastructure and Compute Markets"]
Technology advantage
Built on Connamara Technologies' EP3® high-throughput matching engine with real-time margin calculations and integrated clearing. Offers dual regulatory structure (CFTC-registered derivatives broker, SEC-registered broker-dealer, BMA-regulated exchange), flexible USD/stablecoin collateral, open-source SDKs in multiple programming languages, and connectivity to major venues including CME, Cboe, Nasdaq, and Coinbase Derivatives. Targets the $85.7 trillion global derivatives market with 24/7 perpetual contracts that eliminate forced expiry and rolling costs.
How they differentiate
First centralized and regulated exchange offering perpetual futures on traditional financial assets (stocks, FX, interest rates, commodities) rather than cryptocurrencies. Combines crypto-style 24/7 trading and capital efficiency with traditional market safeguards like centralized clearing, price bands, and regulatory oversight under Bermuda Monetary Authority.
Main competitors
["CME Group","Deribit","Binance"]
Key partnerships
["Connamara Technologies - EP3® matching engine and exchange infrastructure provider","Ornn - Compute index provider for GPU and RAM pricing data","Miami International Holdings (MIAX) - Strategic Series A lead investor and exchange operator","Tioga Capital - Lead investor and strategic partner","CME Group, Cboe, Nasdaq, Coinbase Derivatives - Market connectivity venues","Galaxy Ventures, ARK Invest, VanEck, Trumid, Geneva Trading - Strategic investors and ecosystem partners","Deltix (EPAM Systems) - Trading platform integration for AX perpetual futures exchange (Feb 2026)","MarketVector Indexes - Interest rate perpetual futures index partnership (Mar 2026)"]
Notable customers
["Hedge funds","Market makers","Family offices","Asset managers","Insurance and reinsurance companies","Institutional lenders"]
Major milestones
["Founded January 2023 by former FTX US President Brett Harrison","Obtained CFTC-regulated derivatives broker status (Sep 2023)","Raised $12M seed funding led by BlockTower and Tioga Capital (Feb 2024)","Obtained SEC-regulated broker-dealer status (Oct 2024)","Launched AX exchange for perpetual futures on traditional assets (Nov 2025)","Raised $35M Series A at $187M valuation led by MIAX and Tioga (Dec 2025)","Partnership with Ornn to launch GPU/RAM compute futures (Jan 2026)","Deltix trading platform integration with AX exchange (Feb 2026)","Partnership with MarketVector Indexes to launch interest rate perpetual futures (Mar 2026)"]
Growth metrics
Raised $35M Series A at $187M post-money valuation (Dec 2025), launched AX exchange (Nov 2025), expanding into AI compute futures
Market positioning
Innovative bridge between crypto derivatives and traditional finance, targeting institutional clients seeking regulated, capital-efficient access to perpetual futures on traditional assets
Geographic focus
Global (Bermuda-regulated exchange serving institutional clients in eligible jurisdictions worldwide, with US broker-dealer and CFTC-registered operations)
Patents and IP
No registered patents publicly disclosed as of latest update (February 2026)
About Brett Harrison
Former President of FTX US (May 2021 - September 2022), Head of Semi-Systematic Technology at Citadel Securities (2020-2021), Senior Software Developer at Headlands Technologies LLC (2018-2020), Head of Trading Systems Technology at Jane Street Capital (2010-2018). Over 13 years of experience building high-frequency trading systems and algorithmic trading infrastructure at top global quantitative trading firms.
Official website: https://architect.co