Virtu, founded in 2008, is a Designated Market Maker and high frequency trading firm. Virtu.com says "Designated Market Makers (DMMs) are among the most active traders on NYSE and NYSE Amex. DMMs are obligated to facilitate price discovery and act as dedicated liquidity providers contributing to more narrowly quoted spreads, deeper markets and greater price stabilization." In August 2015 Virtu got more media attention during market instability: Wall Street Journal: "Virtu Financial Inc., one of the world’s largest high-frequency trading firms, was on track to have one of its biggest and most profitable days in history Monday amid a tumultuous 24 hours for world markets, according to its chief executive. “Our firm is made for this kind of market,” said the CEO, Douglas Cifu." (Pub Aug. 24, 2015)