The new Trump administration’s crypto- and digital asset train is moving full speed ahead to help Trump deliver on a campaign promise to make the USA the “crypto capital of the planet.” The impact on the securities industry and operations could be profound as the Trump team wants to fast-track innovation, new rules, guardrails, and… Read More >>
A Roundup of Predictions for 2025
I’m a little late to the predictions party but please indulge me. This is a completely unscientific, random, and unusual set of predictions for this year and maybe a little beyond. I have scanned the usual suspects and unorthodox places and presented a variety of points of view while adding a few of my own…. Read More >>
Singapore Bank Scores a First via Tokenized Bonds
A bank in Singapore, OCBC, has scored a first with the launch of bespoke tokenized bonds to corporate accredited investors, a major step forward for Singapore’s efforts to promote the usage of tokenized assets. “The tokenized bonds, which reference investment grade bonds, are structured based on the client’s desired tenor and yield. They are then… Read More >>
Geopolitical Woes Are Top Systemic Risk Concerns: Survey
A little more than half of survey respondents — 55 percent — say that they “believe there is high or very high chance” that there will be “a high-impact systemic event” in 2025, and 84 percent express concern that a geopolitical event could impact financial services during the coming year. These findings are from the… Read More >>
SIFMA’s DLT Experiment Could Overhaul Ops
A groundbreaking proof-of-concept initiative led by the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) and involving major financial services firms and top financial technology providers has shown the “potential advantages of implementing a shared ledger system” for post-trade operations that could spur “innovation in securities settlement processes” via improved operational efficiency, real-time liquidity access, and… Read More >>
CFTC Mulls Ops Changes for Non-Cash Collateral
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is mulling recommendations that would not need to become rules but would lead to operational changes governing the use of non-cash collateral for margin requirements and might pave the way for more clarity in the regulation of digital assets for U.S. markets. The CFTC permits using non-cash assets as… Read More >>
Paxos Launches U.S. Dollar Stablecoin: ‘Global Dollar’
Blockchain platform provider Paxos has introduced a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin, Global Dollar (USDG), that will comply with the upcoming stablecoin framework from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), Singapore’s central bank and integrated financial regulator. Paxos Digital Singapore Pte. Ltd. is the issuer of USDG and is regulated by MAS officials. “Paxos’s affiliate, Paxos Global… Read More >>
DTCC Hopes R&D Sandbox Fosters Digital Assets Ecosystem
The Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. (DTCC) is attempting to clear a path to a functional digital asset ecosystem that is as safe as the one in place for conventional securities trading. To get there, the post-trade market infrastructure provider is unveiling the “DTCC Digital Launchpad,” described as “an industry sandbox intended to bring together… Read More >>
Time to Integrate Digital Asset Securities?
(Jacek Bugaj, the new head of product at Prometheum Inc., is on a mission to integrate the emerging benefits of digital asset securities within traditional market infrastructure. Bugaj will oversee the development, launch, and maintenance of Prometheum’s suite of products, which are delivered via SEC-registered and FINRA-member entities Prometheum ATS and Prometheum Capital. His mission… Read More >>
CACEIS Launches Custody Architecture for Digital Assets
Fund administrator CACEIS reports that it is helping clients subscribe to “the first French UCITS money-market funds with units natively issued and delivered on Ethereum’s public blockchain. ” This marks the launch of CACEIS’s new custody architecture for tokenized financial instruments and crypto-assets. “The Undertakings for the Collective Investment in Transferable Securities (UCITS) is the… Read More >>
