A New era for the Warsaw Stock Exchange: WATS and its impact on trading

Key Takeaways
  • The Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) will launch its new Warsaw Automated Trading System (WATS) on November 10, 2025, aiming to modernize trading with faster execution, improved security, and global integration.
  • WATS is hosted at the Equinix WA3 Data Center in Warsaw and supports compliance with international standards like FIX 5.0, facilitating seamless cross-border trading.
  • The platform features a low-latency matching engine that integrates order books across multiple asset classes—including derivatives, bonds, and commodities—to enhance liquidity and efficiency.
  • WATS is expected to attract greater global participation and reduce trading halts and errors, driving both reliability and technological modernization among market participants.
  • Market participants are advised to upgrade their trading systems, train their teams on new functionalities, and engage in the testing phase to ensure full readiness before the launch date.

The Warsaw Stock Exchange (GPW) is set to launch the Warsaw Automated Trading System (WATS) on November 10, 2025. This cutting-edge platform aims to optimize trading with faster execution, improved security, and global integration. Let’s explore what this means for market participants. 

What is WATS?

WATS is GPW’s new trading system designed to meet modern market demands. It offers low latency for faster trades, flexibility across derivatives, bonds, and commodities, and compliance with global standards like FIX 5.0, ensuring seamless international trading. Its advanced matching engine integrates order books to enhance liquidity and efficiency. 

Key features and timeline for WATS

Hosted in the state-of-the-art Equinix WA3 Data Center in Warsaw, WATS is built for performance and connectivity. Testing began in late 2023, and the system is set to go live on November 10, 2025, providing ample preparation time for participants. With its robust architecture, WATS enhances security and ensures operational continuity, minimizing risks like cyberattacks or system outages. 

WATS Market impact

WATS is poised to transform trading on GPW by encouraging global participation, thanks to its compliance with international standards. It will boost reliability, reducing trading halts and errors, and drive modernization by pushing participants to upgrade their technology and processes. 

Opportunities for market participants

Market participants can leverage WATS to:  

  • Execute trades faster with low-latency infrastructure. 
  • Diversify strategies using advanced liquidity tools.  
  • Seamlessly trade across multiple asset classes, from derivatives to commodities. 
  • Preparing for the Transition

To fully benefit from WATS, market participants should: 

  • Upgrade their trading systems to align with the platform. 
  • Provide training for their teams to navigate new functionalities. 
  • Actively participate in the testing phase to ensure readiness by the launch date. 

The launch of WATS represents a transformative moment for the Warsaw Stock Exchange, bringing speed, security, and global connectivity to trading. By preparing early, traders can seize new opportunities and stay ahead in this evolving market. 

What are your thoughts on WATS? Are you ready for the change?

You want to know more about what Horizon does in Poland speak to our expect. Book a meeting now.

Frequently Asked Questions

WATS (Warsaw Automated Trading System) is GPW's new cutting-edge trading platform designed to optimize trading with faster execution, improved security, and global integration. It is set to go live on November 10, 2025.

WATS offers low-latency trading for faster execution, flexibility across multiple asset classes including derivatives, bonds, and commodities, and compliance with global standards like FIX 5.0. It also features an advanced matching engine that integrates order books to enhance liquidity and efficiency.

WATS is hosted in the state-of-the-art Equinix WA3 Data Center in Warsaw, which is built for high performance and connectivity. This infrastructure enhances security, ensures operational continuity, and minimizes risks such as cyberattacks or system outages.

Market participants should upgrade their trading systems to align with the new platform, provide training for their teams on new functionalities, and actively participate in the testing phase to ensure full readiness by the November 2025 launch date.

WATS is expected to attract greater global participation through compliance with international standards like FIX 5.0, enabling seamless cross-border trading. It will also boost reliability by reducing trading halts and errors, and drive modernization across the Polish capital market ecosystem.

Lise GRANT
Lise GRANT
Passionate marketing executive with a focus on FinTech and SaaS

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