What is "lch.clearnet"

LCH is a European-based independent clearing house that serves major international exchanges, as well as a range of OTC markets. Based on 2012 figures LCH.Clearnet cleared approximately 50% of the global interest rate swap market, and is the second largest clearer of bonds and repos in the world, providing services across 13 government debt markets. In addition, LCH.Clearnet clears a broad range of asset classes including: commodities, securities, exchange traded derivatives, credit default swaps, energy contracts, freight derivatives, interest rate swaps, foreign exchange and Euro and Sterling denominated bonds and repos.

LCH's members comprise a large number of the major financial groups including almost all of the major investment banks, broker dealers and international commodity houses. LCH.Clearnet, being a clearing house, sits in the middle of a trade assuming the counterparty risk involved when two parties trade guaranteeing the settlement of the trade. To mitigate the risks involved it imposes certain minimum requirements on its members and collects initial and variation margin (or collateral) from them for trades that have been executed.