Total volume in equity derivatives futures and options registered through NYSE Liffe’s Bclear OTC wholesale service has just passed 250 million, setting a new record for the fourth consecutive year.

Bclear provides a cost-effective way to register and process wholesale derivatives trades through NYSE Liffe to clearing at NYSE Liffe Clearing.

This reduces the counterparty, credit, legal and operational risks often associated with OTC trades.

Volumes processed through Bclear in the year-to-date are 40 per cent higher than in the same period of 2008.

Having initially launched in October 2005 as an equity derivatives platform covering 300 underlyings from 16 different countries, Bclear today is a cross-asset class platform covering over 1,000 underlyings from 22 countries. In February NYSE Liffe further extended its offering with the launch of 13 MSCI index futures and in March launched a range of soft commodity products.

Ade Cordell, director of OTC services at NYSE Liffe, says: “Our Bclear service continues to offer value and flexibility to our customers in these testing times. Our index derivative products and single stock futures franchise propelled the volume growth on Bclear this year. 2010 will bring a further broadening of underlyings and products offered on the service.”