The CFTC is cracking down on the alleged failures of supervisory systems and other controls that swap dealers and other swap industry participants have set up to be compliant. In particular, the regulator has just announced enforcement actions against Société Générale S.A., Mizuho Capital Markets, and the Refinitiv SEF, among others. “Swap dealer registrants must… Read More >>
State Street Adopts Hybrid Model & Closes NYC Offices
State Street to Exit Midtown Manhattan The Boston-based State Street will be closing its midtown Manhattan offices and embracing a hybrid working model in response to staff members that have been working remotely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a prepared statement from the custodian banking giant. “Like most other companies, we… Read More >>
BitMEX Entities Settle with CFTC, FinCEN for $100M
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reports that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has filed a consent order against five companies charged with operating the BitMEX cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform. The five companies are HDR Global Trading Ltd., 100x Holding Ltd., ABS Global Trading Ltd., Shine Effort Inc Ltd.,… Read More >>
SEC Penalizes Poloniex via Digital Assets Case
Boston-based crypto-asset exchange Poloniex is paying more than $10 million in disgorgement and a civil penalty to the SEC to settle allegations that it once was operating as “an unregistered online digital asset exchange” in the U.S., according to the regulator. “Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, Poloniex agreed to the entry of a… Read More >>
CFTC Divisions Push SEFs to Dump LIBOR
CFTC Says Firms Need to Embrace SOFR Soon The CFTC wants participants in derivatives markets and the swap execution facilities (SEFs) to remember that they could face “financial, conduct, litigation, operational, and reputational risks” if they fail to adequately prepare for “a smooth and timely” London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (Libor) transition to the Secured Overnight… Read More >>
Broadridge Buys J&J Unit to Bolster RegTech Services
Broadridge Financial Solutions is bolstering its regulatory compliance services for broker-dealers via an acquisition of the cloud-based Execution Compliance and Surveillance Service (ECS) assets of Wall Street consultancy Jordan & Jordan (J&J), officials say. J&J officials describe their ECS offering as a managed service that includes “comprehensive reviews to assess compliance with various aspects of… Read More >>
Credit Suisse & CFTC Settle Swap Data Reporting Case
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has ordered Credit Suisse International, Credit Suisse Securities Europe Limited, and Credit Suisse Capital LLC — three Credit Suisse entities that are provisionally registered swap dealers — to pay $1.5 million for “failing to comply with swap data reporting obligations.” In addition to the financial penalty, the three Credit Suisse… Read More >>
Symphony Buys Cloud9 to Jolt Voice Trading
Symphony to Unite Voice Trading with NLP Symphony, a messaging and platform provider for trading firms, reports that it is trying to “tackle true pain points in markets’ workflows” via the acquisition of trader voice/electronic communication and analytics company Cloud9 Technologies. The acquisition will help Symphony “take the lead in front office communications with new… Read More >>
Bitcoin-Based Futures Are Risky Business: Regulators
An investor bulletin from the SEC and the CFTC is warning investors to be fully aware of the risks that come with Bitcoin-based futures given the many pitfalls that come with cryptocurrency trading. The “Funds Trading in Bitcoin Futures” bulletin from earlier this month targets “investors considering a fund with exposure to the Bitcoin futures… Read More >>
CFTC Mulls SOFR Start Date for Interdealer Brokers
MRAC Subcommittee Urges July 26 Start Date A key CFTC subcommittee is recommending that interdealer brokers replace the trading of U.S. Dollar linear interest rate swaps (IRS) based upon the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) with the trading of IRS based upon the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) starting July 26, 2021, and to continue… Read More >>
