ERC-FIX

Each new token requires 3–5 weeks of custom integration per platform

Blockchain tokens and traditional financial infrastructure can't communicate. Every integration becomes a custom project—forcing months of adapter development, manual reconciliation, and operational risk.

ERC-FIX changes this by embedding standardized FIX descriptors directly in token contracts.

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The Current Reality: Settlement Delays, Manual Reconciliation, and Capital Inefficiency

Bank ASmart ContractcustomCouponRatecustomMaturityDatecustomISINTransfer Token — receiving systems cannot parseBank BOff-chain SystemsCannot parse custom schema?Cannot parse custom fieldsManual docs+ Custom adapterNo standard format = No automatic integrationEach counterparty requires custom development

Scenario: Bank A tokenizes a US Treasury bond

  • •Bank A implements the token using custom Solidity contract fields for instrument data (coupon rate, maturity date, ISIN, etc.)
  • •Bank A transfers the tokenized bond to Bank B as part of a settlement
  • •Bank B's off-chain systems (OMS, risk management, compliance) cannot read the custom contract structure
  • •Bank B must manually extract instrument data or wait for Bank A to provide documentation
  • •Without standardized descriptors, each counterparty requires custom integration code

Custom Integration Overhead

Every new token still requires bespoke work per counterparty. Even in the best case, this consumes weeks and repeats whenever schemas change.

The N×M Problem: Every Token × Every CounterpartyIssuerIssues token withcustom contract schemaInstitution 1Custom adapter for OMS~3–5 weeksInstitution 2Custom adapter for Risk~3–5 weeksInstitution 3Custom adapter for Custody~3–5 weeks⋮Per-Institution WorkWeek 1:• Documentation exchange• Interface mappingWeeks 1–3:• Build custom adapter• Schema parsing logicWeek 3–4:• Testing & validationWeek 4–5:• Production deploymentOngoing:• Maintenance on changes× N institutions = N×4 weeksEcosystem ImpactDelayed Time-to-MarketWeeks per counterpartyOngoing Maintenance BurdenEvery contract change repeatsFragmented LiquidityLimited interoperability

The Integration Timeline

Week 1
Documentation exchange
Term sheets, contract specs, interface mapping
Weeks 1–3
Build custom adapter
Per receiving institution
Week 3–4
Testing and validation
Across all systems
Week 4–5
Production deployment
And monitoring
Ongoing
Maintenance
When contract structure changes

Pain multiplier: N institutions × ~4 weeks ≈ N×4 weeks of engineering time

Ongoing maintenance repeats with every contract change

Operational Consequences

  • •Inaccurate records
  • •Complex account reconciliation
  • •Lack of standardized reporting

The TradFi ↔ DeFi Disconnect

Lack of interoperability between traditional finance and blockchain ecosystems

Traditional FinanceAll speaking FIX protocolOMS/EMS PlatformsBuy-Side(Asset Managers & Hedge Funds)Sell-Side(Investment Banks, Brokers/Dealers)Trading Venues & Market Infra(Custodians, Fund Admins, Exchanges)Blockchain / DeFiCustom formats / JSONSmart ContractsToken contracts (custom schemas)Issuer platforms (proprietary)Explorers (raw contract data)The GapNo commonlanguageManual translationCustom adaptersOMS requires manual entryRisk systems need custom parsersResult: Prevents institutional adoption and cross-platform settlementEach transaction requires manual reconciliation between systems

Cross-Platform Settlement Challenge

Traditional finance systems (traditional brokers, investment banks, investment funds) have standardized on the FIX protocol for decades. Blockchain-based securities speak an entirely different language—custom JSON schemas, proprietary contract fields, and fragmented metadata standards. This fundamental incompatibility prevents seamless cross-platform settlement and forces institutions to build translation layers that introduce risk, delay, and operational overhead.

Example: A tokenized Treasury bond trading between a DeFi protocol and a traditional broker, investment bank, or investment fund requires manual reconciliation at every step. The DeFi contract has no concept of FIX tags. The traditional institution's OMS cannot parse blockchain metadata. Settlement that should take minutes takes days.

Why this matters: Without a common language, institutional capital remains siloed. Cross-platform settlement remains a manual process, preventing the liquidity and efficiency gains that tokenization promises.

Integration Process Comparison

The difference between custom integration and standardized descriptors

Without StandardIssue token with custom JSONWeeks of documentation~1 weekCustom adapters per platform~2–3 weeksManual updates & coordinationIntegration breaks on changesWith ERC-FIXIssue token with FIX descriptor1 daySystems read FIX nativelyInstantAutomatic integrationNo dev workCryptographic verificationUpdates are versioned automatically

Real-World Impact

These delays compound across the ecosystem, blocking capital flows and institutional adoption

3–5 weeks

Per Integration

Multiplied by N counterparties. For 10 institutions, that's 40+ weeks of aggregated engineering time before full market access.

$200K–500K

Engineering Cost

Per receiving institution for a single token. Senior developers building, testing, and maintaining custom adapters—before any revenue is generated.

Manual Process

Operational Risk

Every contract change requires coordination across all counterparties. Settlement errors, reconciliation failures, and audit trails become manual operations.

Zero Liquidity

Until Integration

Tokens remain siloed until each institution completes their custom work. No cross-platform trading, no secondary markets, no capital efficiency.

There's a Better Way

The solution is ERC-FIX: embed standardized FIX descriptors directly in your token contracts so existing systems can read them natively.

Standardization: The Foundation of Modern Finance

Traditional finance has thrived on standards like SWIFT MT, FpML, and ISO 20022; enabling instant trade execution, automated reconciliation, and seamless settlement across thousands of institutions. ERC-FIX brings this proven approach to blockchain.

Zero custom adapters

Read natively across 300+ FIX-compatible platforms.

Fast time-to-market

From 3–5 weeks to ~1 day per platform.

Cryptographic assurance

Versioned descriptors with verifiable fields.

Scales with network

Integrations go from N×M to N+M when everyone speaks FIX.

Time savings: 3–5 weeks → 1 day per platform.

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