Aqua Global, the software provider behind the Aquila financial messaging and transaction automation platform, has introduced cross-border payment and foreign exchange (FX) capabilities through a partnership with StoneX Group, which is listed on Nasdaq under the ticker SNEX. The collaboration links Aqua Global’s automation technology with StoneX’s global payments and FX infrastructure. Financial institutions using Aquila can now access more than 140 currencies.
Direct API connection to StoneX liquidity
According to the announcement, Aquila users can connect to StoneX’s FX liquidity and payment network through a direct API integration. The companies describe the setup as plug-and-play: institutions already operating on Aquila can reach StoneX’s services through the platform they use, without building a separate connection to the provider. Furthermore, the integration requires minimal technical work from participating institutions and gives them access to more than 180 markets.
The arrangement serves a different purpose for each party. Aqua Global adds FX and payment execution to a platform otherwise centred on financial messaging and transaction automation, moving Aquila towards an end-to-end offering for its institutional client base. StoneX gains a distribution channel to institutions that are already integrated with Aqua Global’s technology, so it does not have to onboard each one directly.
Demand for scalable cross-border infrastructure
The companies place the partnership in the context of financial institutions expanding their international reach, pointing to growing demand for scalable payment solutions that reduce operational complexity. Furthermore, they state that combining automation with market infrastructure is intended to help clients streamline payment workflows, improve execution efficiency, and support growth into new markets.
The StoneX side of the announcement focuses on ease of access as well as market coverage. Thiago Vieira, Global Head of StoneX Payments, said that the company aims to meet banks where they are, both in the markets they can reach and in how easily they can plug into its infrastructure. Working with Aqua Global, the official added, allows the platform’s existing institutions to use StoneX’s global payments and FX capabilities faster.
Cian Fernando, CEO of Aqua Global, said the partnership reflects the company’s focus on providing end-to-end FX and payments services for global financial institutions. The official cited StoneX’s global market access and FX expertise as the basis for the collaboration. The official also described simplifying cross-border payments and improving client operational efficiency as continuing priorities for the company.
For institutions on the Aquila platform, the integration’s practical effect is to consolidate messaging, transaction automation, and multi-currency payment execution within a single environment, accessed through one API connection to StoneX’s network.
