It’s a thirsty time for bond markets. Trading has dried up due to regulation. But many are hoping new technology platforms can help match buyers and sellers and restore liquidity.

Financial services firms and analysts pin the main cause of the liquidity shortage on post-crisis regulations, which have forced banks to hold more cash against the bonds they have on their balance sheets. That makes banks safer, but it also means banks are no longer willing to hold large stocks of bonds to facilitate trading.