Liffe, the London-based futures and options exchange, has turned up the heat on rivals including Rainbow, the planned derivatives exchange backed by investment banks and brokers, by confirming it plans to launch a clearing house, a move that will hit its existing supplier LCH.Clearnet.

Liffe, the NYSE Euronext-owned exchange, confirmed today it is moving into clearing services for the first time, as first reported by Financial News a month ago.