Although there have been a host of reports questioning the viability of blockchain, banks are still forging ahead, reviewing different ways to deploy cutting-edge, systems that exploit distributed ledger technology (DLT), if the recent Smart Contract Templates Summit is anything to go by. Barclays, for example, is striking partnerships with start-ups and testing its own… Read More >>
State Street to Test Service for Collateral Settlement
State Street will embark upon a pilot program in the first quarter of 2017 that will test the margin settlement messaging service of vendor GlobalCollateral as the global custodian intends to automate as much as possible the collateral settlement process, officials confirm. GlobalCollateral, a joint venture of Euroclear and the DTCC, is readying for prime… Read More >>
FINCAD Debuts Web App for F3 System
FINCAD, a valuation and risk analytics vendor for derivatives portfolios, has added a web-based portfolio analytics and risk application to its F3 offering in an effort provide a more straightforward interface and improved usability, officials say. The FINCAD F3 with the new F3 WorkStation is being targeted at quants, portfolio managers, traders, and risk managers… Read More >>
Elizabeth Warren, Others Push for Derivatives Overhaul
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and two other Democrats in Washington, D.C. are proposing sweeping legislation governing derivatives that includes authorization for the CFTC to collect user fees from financial services firms to cover its budget in a way similar to fees collected by the SEC. Industry observers, however, counter that if those fees are… Read More >>
Time for a CFTC User’s Fee?
Would it really be such a bad idea for the CFTC to charge a user’s fee? That issue may wind up being a spinoff from a bill put forth late last month by the Wall Street lightning rod U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) with the support of Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)…. Read More >>
Brexit Crisis Spurs U.S. Groups Into Action
It looks as if June 23, 2016 will be another day that will live in infamy. Some of the infamous ripples from the Brexit crisis are making their way across the pond to the United States. Key industry organizations, regulators and securities firms are taking initial actions, formulating strategies and watching with interest as the… Read More >>
Brexit’s Biggest Impacts to Hit Over Next Two Years
In the run-up to the U.K. referendum, polls were showing that the remain camp was in front, albeit just, but as the night of June 23rd unfolded, it became clear that a slim majority of the British public voted to leave the European Union. It did not take long for David Cameron, the prime minister… Read More >>
CFTC Issues Final Rule for Cleared Swaps Reporting
The CFTC reports that it has approved a final rule meant to bring “additional clarity” to existing cleared swaps reporting regulations and procedures. The rule codifies reporting obligations for counterparties and registered entities and improves the “efficiency of data collection and maintenance associated with the reporting,” the CFTC says. The commission’s own detailed analysis of… Read More >>
CME to Offer CCP Services in Europe
CME to Offer Clearing for Global Firms The Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. (CME) has gotten the approval of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to operate in the European Union as central counterparty clearinghouse (CCP). The notice came as part of an ongoing update of approved CCPs based in third countries, according to ESMA… Read More >>
Collateral Management Ascends to the Cloud
A major provider of derivatives trading venues, CME Group and CloudMargin, a collateral management services provider, are offering CME Clearing and CME Clearing Europe clients a cloud-based option to facilitate collateral management. “This is a way to outsource the technology used to manage collateral,” says Karl Wyborn, managing director, global head of sales, CloudMargin, in… Read More >>