A method and apparatus for initiating, facilitating and carrying out
cross-market electronic trading utilizing role of an intermediary in an
otherwise traditional buyer-supplier transaction. The invention utilizes
a publicly or privately accessible computer program that recognizes role
of a participant as a buyer, a supplier, or an intermediary and specific
trade restrictions in terms of operating locations, or trading markets,
or selected participants in a particular electronic transaction. The
invention presents method to extend the market reach of the transaction
by further identifying network of participants in a role of an
intermediary that can initiate and carry out electronic transaction
across market boundaries and beyond selected participants to create
higher liquidity in the marketplace. The invention utilizes computer
program that dynamically routes the electronic transaction through
identified participants anonymous or otherwise augmenting the transaction
at each step with specifics for transacting parties in that step
including but not limited to incentives for price markups. In one or more
embodiments the invention also utilizes a computer program that matches
different transaction parameters between a buy and a sell request along
with intervention from participant playing role of an intermediary. The
invention extends market reach of an electronic transaction across market
boundaries, creates higher liquidity with higher participation and
incentives, and simplifies cross-market logistics and regulations in an
electronic marketplace through services of an intermediary.