Chicago-based TradingBlock, a two-decade-old brokerage platform for professional options traders, is joining Nant Global Finance, part of NANT – supported by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong and the Los Angeles Times. The announcement came on Thursday, signifying a pivotal “next-trade” moment for TradingBlock, as the infrastructure beneath trading platforms continues to shift in a rapidly evolving industry.
The mission of the latest development appears to be improved access and democratization of public markets, which are quietly being impacted in the age of tokenization and consumer apps. The TradingBlock announcement focused more on the deep level of network plumbing, where trades settle, records move, and trust is enforced.
“TradingBlock has always believed that better technology and broader access lead to better markets,” said Jere Wickert, CEO of TradingBlock. “Joining NANT allows us to continue serving our customers exactly as we do today, while positioning TradingBlock to thoughtfully evolve alongside a modern, regulated market infrastructure.”
Built by Traders, Shaped by Friction
TradingBlock’s DNA traces back to the Chicago Board Options Exchange (CBOE), where speed, execution quality and transparency weren’t only features but survival tools. Over time, those principles evolved into software: customizable interfaces, advanced order routing, and U.S.-based trade desk support for traders who operate at professional velocity.
“TradingBlock brings a deep trading heritage and a technology-first culture to the NANT ecosystem,” said Mark Elenowitz, CEO of Nant Global Finance, Inc. “As we build a fully integrated capital markets platform, TradingBlock will play an important role in delivering innovative, compliant trading access for active and professional investors.”
Nant Global Finance: More Than Another Fintech Wrapper
Nant Global Finance is a fully integrated, blockchain-enabled capital markets ecosystem, according to the TradingBlock announcement. It is bringing together broker-dealers, exchanges, transfer agents and settlement infrastructure under regulated oversight.
For TradingBlock, joining NANT is less about disruption to the front-end experience for customers and more about creating optionality: digital securities, advanced settlement models and tokenization. The firm said customers can expect continuity and that TradingBlock remains a regulated broker-dealer, operating under FINRA, SIPC, and NFA oversight.
The latest move from the fast-moving trading platform reflects a broader truth about fintech in 2026: the future of markets will be layered carefully – by firms that understand how traders operate today and how markets will evolve tomorrow.
