LONDON, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past five years, lithium has rapidly emerged as a major global commodity, driven by demand from electric vehicles, energy storage and the wider energy transition. Demand is expected to grow by more than 200% over the next decade, yet the market infrastructure needed to support pricing, liquidity and risk management has not kept pace.
Lithium markets remain less mature than other major commodities, with limited electronic and transparent infrastructure for price discovery and trade initiation. As participation grows across the value chain, the need for standardized operational trading mechanisms to support liquidity, investment and large-scale trading is becoming increasingly acute.
Against this backdrop, Fastmarkets today announced plans to launch a new platform for the physical lithium market, designed to improve price discovery and access to spot liquidity. Details of the launch will be announced at Fastmarkets' flagship event, Global Lithium, Battery and Critical Materials Conference, taking place 22–25 June 2026 in Las Vegas.
"Fastmarkets has a unique role in the lithium market because we sit at the intersection of pricing, market participation and long-term market development," said Raju Daswani, CEO of Fastmarkets. "Our benchmarks are already deeply embedded in how lithium is traded, hedged and used across the value chain. As the market continues to mature, participants are increasingly looking for more transparent and efficient routes to price discovery and liquidity. We believe Fastmarkets is uniquely positioned to help support that evolution."
