Alternative stock exchange Bats Europe has marked the first anniversary of its launch with a bold aim to as much as treble its share of equities trading in the region next year – buoyed by a wave of new customers signing up to the system.

Bats Europe has steadily built its market share to 3.4% of all European trading activity since its launch on Halloween last year, according to Thomson Reuters, and its chief executive Mark Hemsley said the firm plans to grow more rapidly in 2010.