In a move signaling the growing convergence of traditional finance and decentralized protocols, Erkin Kamran, the former CEO of brokerage firm Traze, has left his role to spearhead a new venture built on the Bittensor network.
Kamran’s departure from Traze, part of the London-based Zeal Group, comes as he pivots to Web3, launching 0xMarkets—a perpetual decentralized exchange (DEX) aimed at bridging crypto, forex, and commodities trading into the DeFi space.
Kamran stepped down from Traze earlier this month, where he had overseen the firm’s expansion, including securing a UAE license for brokerage and advisory services, as well as operations in South Africa.
His background in traditional finance, including a stint as interim CTO at Zeal Group, positions him uniquely to tackle DeFi’s liquidity and accessibility challenges. The new platform, powered by the Cartha subnet (SN35) on Bittensor promises to democratize access to global markets without intermediaries.
“0xMarkets is an innovative decentralized platform designed to usher in a new era of blockchain-based infrastructure for trading systems, enabling permissionless access to some of the world’s most powerful and liquid financial markets, spanning crypto, currencies, and commodities,” Kamran said in a statement.
0xMarkets is set to launch later this year, offering deep liquidity, dual rewards for users, and an incentive model that includes token payouts for liquidity providers.
It aims to compete directly with centralized CFD platforms by lowering barriers like infrastructure costs and regulatory hurdles in permitted jurisdictions. Future expansions could include tokenized assets such as silver, oil, agricultural products, stocks, and bonds, further blurring the lines between TradFi and DeFi.
Kamran’s shift underscores a broader trend of finance executives migrating to crypto, drawn by the promise of permissionless innovation. While Traze continues under Zeal Group’s umbrella, including its ZFX brand in the UK and Seychelles, 0xMarkets represents a bold bet on Bittensor’s scalability for real-world trading.
As DeFi volumes rebound amid market recovery, projects like this could accelerate adoption in hybrid finance models.
Cover Image Source: Finance Magnets
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