’Tis the season for annual reports, and one of the most instructive is from the regulator Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and its Division of Enforcement. When it comes to the CFTC’s mission to “be tough on those who break the rules,” as Division of Enforcement Acting Director Vince McGonagle puts it in a commission… Read More >>
Clayton to Step Down as SEC Chairman
SEC Chairman Walter Joseph “Jay” Clayton III confirmed earlier this week that he will be stepping down from his post by the end of December instead of June 2021, paving the way for President-Elect Joe Biden to appoint a successor in time for the start of the new administration. When he steps down, Clayton, a… Read More >>
ASX Resets CHESS Replacement Launch to 2023
ASX Stakeholders Ask for More Time The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) reports that it has set April 2023 as the new launch date for its blockchain-based replacement for the incumbent Clearing House Electronic Subregister System (CHESS), citing the need for more time to refine the platform to come. The new launch date follows a tentative… Read More >>
CFTC Offers a Rewards System for Cooperation
The CFTC’s Division of Enforcement (DOE) is spelling out what it means when it says that a firm has been cooperative via an enforcement investigation. The goal is to let the public get a better view into how a firm maximized cooperation and minimized painful penalties. The clarity comes from a new guidance that the… Read More >>
Private Equity Firm to Buy AxiomSL
AxiomSL to Expand Offerings via Takeover A cloud-based risk management and regulatory solutions vendor AxiomSL has agreed to be taken over by Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm specializing in the software and technology-enabled services sectors, so that it can grow its customer base and expand its offerings. AxiomSL serves banks, investment management firms, broker-dealers,… Read More >>
CFTC Fines Citi for Glitchy Audio Recording System
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission has fined specific Citibank swap dealers who erased key 2018 recordings that were meant for preservation and review by the CFTC’s division of enforcement. The CFTC’s $4.5 million penalty hits Citibank N.A. and Citigroup Energy Inc., two registered swap dealers, and Citigroup Global Markets, Inc., a registered swap dealer and… Read More >>
Spoofing Cases Yield a Record Fine & Convictions
False trade orders that spur sharp market price reactions before they disappear — otherwise known as “spoof orders” — have the full attention of authorities as evidenced by a recent record fine against JPMorgan, and the conviction of two former traders at Deutsche Bank. JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to pay nearly one billion… Read More >>
ISDA’s CDM Pilot Clears Interest Rate Derivatives
Pilot Also Uses the Digital Asset Modeling Language ISDA’s Common Domain Model (CDM) was part of a proof-of-concept implementation that clears interest rate derivatives with the help of an open-source smart contract language, the Digital Asset Modeling Language (DAML) from vendor Digital Asset, officials say. “Using the CDM for clearing and deploying it on a… Read More >>
Morgan Stanley Settles Swaps Reporting Case for $5M
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission reports simultaneously filing and settling charges against Morgan Stanley Capital Services LLC, a provisionally registered swap dealer, for its alleged failures to “comply with swap data reporting obligations.” The CFTC’s order requires Morgan Stanley Capital Services to “pay a $5 million civil monetary penalty and to retain a qualified outside… Read More >>
FTF News Announces Editor’s Choice Award Recipient
(FTF and FTF News are proud to announce that Maria Gotsch has been chosen for the Editor’s Choice award, which is part of the FTF News Technology Innovation Awards for 2020. Gotsch is the president and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City, the $170 million investment arm of the Partnership for New York… Read More >>
