Robert Dykes is the CEO of OEMS-provider Tora.

What do you see as the next watershed moment for the industry?
Crypto prices and volumes will expand dramatically as institutional participants will be able to trade on a platform that consolidates access to diverse execution venues. As a result, Bitcoin will reach $40,000, Ethereum will hit $2,000, and crypto average daily volume will hit 50 billion.

What changes do you expect to see regarding artificial intelligence in 2018?
We have seen AI being implemented on the trading side to help firms keep pace with the increasing number of new algorithmic trading strategies, execution venues, traditional and non-traditional data sets, and the increased information requirements of new regulations. In 2018, we see AI being applied in the post-trade area to help firms make predictions on order allocations, to improve data integrity and reduce post-trade problems.

What changes should the industry see concerning cyber-security in the new year?
Cyber-security will continue to be a major concern for both regulators and clients in 2018. To address this threat, we foresee greater adoption of technology solutions that employ a distributed data approach.

Why do you expect investments in fintech to rise, plateau, or trail off?
Investments in institutional fintech will rise in 2018 as the increasing information requirements of new regulations, such as MiFID II, push legacy investment and trading platforms to their limits. This, along with the desire to reduce the total cost of ownership of these systems will force many firms to replace their current systems with those that are built on more modern, flexible and cost-effective cloud-based technologies.