AI Adoption and Market Structure Shifts Drive Demand for Trusted Data, SIX Study Reveals

The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is fundamentally reshaping the market data landscape, as 86% of financial institutions now integrate or evaluate AI within their workflows. For fintech professionals, this shift marks a transition from viewing data as a simple commodity to treating it as critical infrastructure that requires high-level transparency, governance, and low-latency delivery.

What was announced

The findings come from the fourth annual Market Data Study, a research initiative conducted between May and June 2026 by SIX and Crisil Coalition Greenwich. The report surveyed 73 buy-side and sell-side firms across the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe, including investment banks, wealth managers, private banks, and asset managers. The data reveals that as firms move toward practical AI deployment, the requirements for the underlying data are becoming significantly more exacting.

Accuracy and reliability are the primary concerns, with 88% of respondents stating that market data providers play a vital role in ensuring AI performance. Specifically, 73% of participants identified high-quality, comprehensive data as the most important support mechanism for AI adoption, while 62% emphasized the need for transparent sourcing and methodology. The study also highlights the rise of the Model Context Protocol (MCP), with 58% of firms already engaged with or considering the technology to help AI applications interpret data parameters and classification frameworks.

Sourcing and delivery methods are also diversifying. While 67% of firms still use vendors and redistributors, 60% now buy directly from exchanges. Streaming APIs have become a standard, used by 84% of respondents, and 86% expect to see a shift toward direct cloud-based access over the next three to five years. Performance remains a premium requirement; 56% of firms utilize real-time data throughout the trading day, and 78% expressed a willingness to pay for lower latency, even as 60% of participants face increasing pressure to scrutinize the value of their market data budgets.

"AI is putting a greater spotlight on what trusted market data needs to look like in practice. Accuracy remains fundamental, but firms also need to know where data has come from, how it is governed and the context in which it should be interpreted. As AI applications begin to connect more directly with market data through technologies such as MCP, getting those foundations right becomes increasingly important. At the same time, providers need to meet increasingly varied client requirements around data quality, latency and how data is accessed while demonstrating value. All these factors are creating a more dynamic and open market data landscape, where trust, quality and flexibility will increasingly distinguish providers."

Matthew Nurse, Head Market Data, Financial Information, SIX.

The companies involved

SIX is a global financial information provider that operates as a central pillar of the international financial infrastructure. The firm provides an extensive range of data services, including reference data, regulatory services, and real-time market information. It maintains a significant presence in the Swiss financial center while serving a global client base of banks, wealth managers, and institutional investors. The company’s focus remains on providing the high-quality data foundations required for complex financial applications and regulatory compliance.

Crisil Coalition Greenwich is a leading global provider of strategic benchmarking, analytics, and insights for the financial services industry. Operating through its website at coalitiongreenwich.com, the firm specializes in providing deep-dive research into market structure, technology, and fintech trends. By gathering data from both the buy-side and sell-side, the firm offers a comprehensive view of how financial institutions are evolving their operational and technological strategies. Together, SIX and Crisil Coalition Greenwich leverage their respective expertise in data provision and market analysis to track the shifting requirements of the global financial community.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has consistently tracked the intersection of artificial intelligence and market infrastructure. In September 2026, the publication reported that Aisot Powers New AI-Driven Bitcoin ETP Listing on SIX Swiss Exchange, demonstrating how AI is being used to drive new investment products. During the same period, SIX Launches Market Signal to Democratize Real-Time European Market Data, addressing the industry's demand for more accessible real-time information. Furthermore, the move toward a more unified data landscape in Europe was highlighted when Infront Named Among First Distributors of EU Consolidated Tape for Shares and ETFs was announced, a development that mirrors the 70% of firms in the current study now considering consolidated tape providers.

What this means

The financial sector is transitioning from AI experimentation to industrial-scale deployment, which fundamentally changes the value proposition of market data. Providers are no longer just delivering numbers; they are now responsible for the metadata and governance frameworks that prevent AI models from producing misleading outputs. The high engagement with the Model Context Protocol suggests the industry is moving toward a standardized "context layer" for financial data. Additionally, the overwhelming interest in a European consolidated tape indicates that traditional exchanges are under significant pressure to improve transparency. For the sector, the focus has shifted from simply acquiring data to ensuring that data is machine-ready and cost-justified.