Australian stock market operator ASX says it will focus on building up its post-trade services this year, including the potential use of blockchain technology, after posting a 7.3% rise in half-year profit.

Higher listings and trading services revenue meant the firm made A$213.1m (US$149m) in the six months to December 31, although derivatives and OTC takings were flat, with fee reductions offsetting volume growth.

Listings revenue was A$82.4m, up 16.3% with 77 IPOs compared to 71 in the first half of 2014.

Exchange-traded products, which includes ETFs and listed investment companies, grew with 171 ETPs listing in the period representing A$21.4bn in funds under management.

NAB became the first major bank to commit to the ASX mFund service, giving investors access to unlisted managed funds through their broker platform.

ASX has set a capital expenditure budget A$50m for 2016, with new trading and risk platforms set to be delivered this year, including potential use of blockchain for equity market participants.

The sharemarket operator recently spent A$15m on a stake in former JP Morgan executive Blythe Masters’ company Digital Asset Holdings, which is developing the distributed ledger technology.

“We believe that distributed ledger technology has the potential to change the way our market operates end-to-end, reduce risk and costs for our clients, speed-up the settlement process for investors, and support new services for listed companies,” said ASX chief executive  Elmer Funke Kupper.

“It provides a unique opportunity for Australia to be a world leader in the adoption of innovative market solutions.”