Ironic, isn’t it, that just when cryptography enthusiasts are touting the capability of the blockchain to memorialize complex sequences of transactions, major units of a big bank find themselves in trouble over their own record-keeping? FINRA, the broker-dealer industry’s self-regulatory authority, charges Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network — two units… Read More >>
BNY Mellon Buys Optimal’s Indexing for ‘Pershing X’
Other BNY Mellon Units to Get Direct Indexing Too The Pershing clearing and custody services business of BNY Mellon is acquiring Optimal Asset Management, a direct indexing solutions provider, and will offer Optimal’s capabilities to advisory clients within Pershing, and to institutional and retail clients within BNY Mellon’s Investment Management business. If the acquisition… Read More >>
Crypto to Face New Rules in 2022: Regulators
Heavy-hitter federal regulators say new rules are coming for cryptocurrencies, the new, mostly unregulated financial sector that competes with traditional banks without offering deposit insurance, the banks’ most important protection. And cryptography has been beset by high-profile scandals that have cost some would-be crypto millionaires their entire fortunes. As well, at a time of worsening… Read More >>
Is DLT Finally Ready for Prime Time?
When the bragging goes quiet on Wall Street, you know the serious talk has begun. This has been the case with blockchain/distributed ledger technology (DLT). The hype evaporated pretty fast when the securities industry began to seriously test the glibly christened savior of disruptive technologies. Banks, exchanges, hedge funds, vendors, and everything else in between… Read More >>
Iress Completes QuantHouse Integration via Team Launch
New Iress Team to Drive Combined Solutions Financial technology provider Iress has completed its integration of the offerings of QuantHouse — acquired two years ago — with the launch of the Iress API Data and Trading Solutions team, which will drive the sales and support for a suite of trading data solutions and managed services,… Read More >>
Yellen & Others Want Congress to Regulate Stablecoins
A Biden Working Group Says Stablecoins Are Risky Stablecoins lack good oversight, making them risky for users and financial markets, says Janet L. Yellen, secretary of the U.S. Treasury, in a prepared statement. Yellen’s comments follow the release of a report from the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG), which is recommending that Congress… Read More >>
Ransomware Is Hitting Hard in 2021: FinCEN
Sadly, ransomware is hitting its stride in 2021, and is showing no signs of slowing down. While there have been multiple media reports about the rising threat of ransomware, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, recently provided proof that an increase is underway. The report, “Financial… Read More >>
tZero’s ATS to Offer Clearing & Settlement
FINRA Gives tZero ATS the Green Light The tZero ATS, an alternative trading system/broker-dealer subsidiary of blockchain technology vendor tZero, reports that it has achieved what it says is a milestone development — the approval to offer settlement and clearing services for securities transactions for itself and its broker-dealer affiliates, officials say. The Financial… Read More >>
BofA Global Research Launches Coverage of Digital Assets
BofA Research Publishes Crypto Primer Bank of America reports the publication of an instruction and information book entitled “Digital Assets Primer: Only the first inning,” marking the start of the bank’s cryptocurrency research coverage. The bank’s head of global cryptocurrency and digital asset strategy, Alkesh Shah, led the primer’s publication, according to a BofA… Read More >>
Justice Department, SEC Focus on Stopping Crypto Crime
Two powerful extensions of the U.S. federal government – the Department of Justice and the SEC – are gearing up to counter the fraud, scams, and abuse that are the dark side of cryptocurrencies and emerging digital assets. Lisa O. Monaco, deputy Attorney General for Justice, launched the National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) this week… Read More >>
