It looks like a classic case of take the money and run. Following its investigation, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has gone to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and been awarded a massive default judgment against an alleged bitcoin fraudster. That alleged bitcoin fraudster is one Benjamin… Read More >>
BNY Mellon Helps Crypto Custody Startup Raise $133M
Fireblocks Raises a Total of $179 Million Crypto infrastructure provider Fireblocks has raised $133 million in Series C funding with help from the Bank of New York Mellon and SVB Capital, the investment platform of SVB Financial Group, via an effort led by Coatue, Ribbit Capital, and Stripes Group, officials say. With this round of… Read More >>
Gensler’s SEC Chair Nomination Advances Amid GOP Pushback
Gary Gensler, President Joe Biden’s nominee for SEC chairman, last week won the approval of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee by a vote of 14 in favor to 10 against, signaling some resistance among Republicans as his nomination moves to a full vote before the U.S. Senate. If approved by the Senate, Gensler and the… Read More >>
Voting Has Begun for the FTF Awards!
It’s awards season for Hollywood and, by the way, for the securities operations industry as FTF has just unveiled the nominees for the 2021 FTF News Technology Innovation Awards. This is the 11th year for the FTF Awards, and our categories and honors have evolved along with the many shifts in financial markets and across… Read More >>
Empire State Bans & Fines Bitfinex & Tether
New York Attorney General Letitia James is requiring Bitfinex and Tether, two crypto-currency trading platforms, “to end all trading activity with New Yorkers.” Her reason for the exile? Their practices are allegedly “fraudulent and deceptive” and the crypto-traders are “hiding approximately $850 million in losses around the globe,” the New York A.G. says in a… Read More >>
T+1 in Two Years Says DTCC
Is T+1 settlement possible in two years? Officials at the Depository Trust and Clearing Corp. (DTCC) think so and have released a two-year industry roadmap for a one-day settlement cycle after execution for U.S. equities, also known as T+1. Building upon the successful T+2 effort in 2017, the DTCC is making its case via a… Read More >>
BNY Mellon Readies Platform for Digital Asset Custody
Digital Assets Platform Due Later This Year New school crypto-currency and other digital assets have gotten the blessings of the establishment with the news that BNY Mellon is creating a digital assets unit slated to create a secure infrastructure to facilitate the transfer, safekeeping, and issuance of digital assets. The new Digital Assets unit “will… Read More >>
Digital Transformations Are More Important Than Ever: Q&A
(Industry veteran Duncan Johnston-Watt tells FTF News that the COVID-19 pandemic is actually making a convincing case for financial services firms to embrace a digital transformation. In fact, he says the ripple effects of the pandemic are jolting the acceptance rate at firms. Johnston-Watt is co-founder and CEO of Blockchain Technology Partners (BTP), an enterprise… Read More >>
Client Surge Spurs Xenomorph to Open Boston Office
Boston Office to Serve Surge of New Clients London-based Xenomorph Software, an enterprise data management (EDM) and analytics solutions provider, has opened an office in Boston — its second office in North America — in response to a surge of new asset management and hedge fund clients in the Boston area. Xenomorph opened its first… Read More >>
ATS for Digital Securities Wins Regulatory Approval
Regulated broker-dealer Oasis Pro Markets reports that it has received approval from FINRA and the SEC for its cutting-edge digital security Alternative Trading System (ATS), which allows subscribers to trade digital/blockchain securities, and to make payments for them via digital cash such as Stablecoins. It’s important for Oasis to offer this kind of an ATS… Read More >>