EuroCTP Picks Equinix Frankfurt for EU Consolidated Equities Tape Build
EuroCTP has selected Equinix’s FR2 data center in Frankfurt as the digital foundation for what it describes as Europe’s first real-time consolidated tape for equities, aiming to deliver a standardized, aggregated view of equity market activity across more than 150 trading venues and trade reporting platforms.
The initiative is being developed as the EU’s first real-time pre- and post-trade Consolidated Tape (CT) for equities and platform traded funds (ETFs), with EuroCTP saying the project will create “a single and authoritative reference source for market participants.” The move is positioned as a structural upgrade to European market transparency, designed to improve price discovery, reduce transaction costs and strengthen investor confidence.
EuroCTP has been appointed by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and said the consolidated tape will be hosted at Equinix FR2 due to its connectivity, reliability and sustainability credentials. A go-live is being targeted for Q3 2026.
Building a Single Standardised View Across 150+ EU Trading Venues
Unlike U.S. equities, where consolidated market data has long provided a unified view of trading activity, remain fragmented across dozens of platforms, multilateral trading facilities, systematic internalisers and reporting mechanisms. EuroCTP’s consolidated tape is designed to address that fragmentation by capturing and standardizing data across the EU market structure.
EuroCTP said its system is being built to capture “real-time from all trading and reporting venues across the EU, bringing everything together in one place.” That includes not only completed trades, but also consolidated order information, enabling a more comprehensive view of liquidity.
According to EuroCTP, users will be able to access “a complete and immediate view of all shares and platform traded funds (ETFs) trades executed in the EU,” including “the consolidated best purchase and trade orders available at any point in time.” In practical terms, that implies a standardized view of best bid and offer across venues—an significant component for best execution, market surveillance and trading analytics.
The project is positioned as a major market infrastructure step for the EU, where fragmented liquidity and inconsistent data access have long been cited as barriers to efficiency. A consolidated tape could make it easier for purchase-side firms to assess true market depth, compare venue quality and reduce the informational advantage of firms that can afford expensive multi-venue market data feeds.
Takeaway
Why Equinix FR2 in Frankfurt Was Selected as the Infrastructure Base
EuroCTP said the consolidated tape’s digital foundation will be located in Equinix’s FR2 data center in Frankfurt, Germany. The facility was selected for its direct connectivity to key European markets and its ability to support low-latency data distribution to both venues and data consumers.
“Equinix FR2 provides EuroCTP with the ideal foundation to drive growth, ensuring we can reliably meet the evolving needs of our platform and customers,” said Eglantine Desautel, CEO of EuroCTP.
Desautel emphasized the importance of ecosystem connectivity for the tape’s success, pointing to the site’s direct links into the EU trading landscape. “The site is already directly connected to major EU financial venues and data consumers; this established connectivity makes it an ideal location for low-latency access and seamless cost-efficient integration with the core financial ecosystem,” she said.
She added that the partnership supports EuroCTP’s operational and regulatory goals. “Partnering with Equinix’s world-class facility in Frankfurt contributes to the delivery of resilient, sustainable, compliant, and scalable services that meet the highest standards and the needs of the industry,” Desautel said.
Frankfurt’s role as a European financial hub and a major platform location makes it a natural base for infrastructure requiring high connectivity and predictable performance. In consolidated market data, latency and resilience are not optional—especially if the tape becomes a core reference point for trading decisions and compliance processes.
Takeaway
Regulatory Compliance: MiFIR, DORA and ESMA Authorisation Toward Q3 2026
EuroCTP’s tape is not a private data initiative—it is being built under EU regulatory supervision. The company said it has been appointed by ESMA, and it will work “closely with ESMA on authorisation processes,” targeting a go-live of Q3 2026.
The partnership also highlights the importance of regulatory resilience standards for . EuroCTP said its collaboration with Equinix supports compliance with key frameworks including the (MiFIR) and the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA).
Notably, EuroCTP pointed out that in 2025 Equinix was designated by Europe as one of only 19 firms considered “critical” suppliers under DORA legislation. That matters because DORA is designed to reduce systemic risk from ICT and operational failures—particularly where financial markets rely on third-party infrastructure providers.
Equinix also used the announcement to underline its reliability and security posture. “The reliability, of digital infrastructure are crucial for financial players and their trust in our data center ecosystem is significant to us,” said Eleni Coldrey, Financial Services Director for EMEA at Equinix.
Coldrey added that Equinix’s infrastructure is built to a high reliability benchmark. “We use advanced security capabilities, techniques and procedures to secureguard our sites, and our five nines (99.999%) reliability is a benchmark of excellence,” she said, noting that this reliability involves “significant financial, operational and time investments.”
EuroCTP also highlighted environmental requirements as part of its infrastructure selection. The initiative said it is “deeply committed to responsible environmental practices,” viewking strong energy efficiency performance and a projected Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) within target range, aligned with the European Code of Conduct on Data Center Energy Efficiency.
