Barclays Capital Inc., a member of FINRA, the broker-dealer industry’s self-regulatory authority since 2007, has agreed to a censure and a $2.5 million fine for allegedly failing to report, or inaccurately reporting, over-the-counter (OTC) options positions to the Large Options Positions Reporting (LOPR) system. That alleged reporting hiccup happened approximately 4.3 million times from January… Read More >>
Derivatives Firms Take Ransomware More Seriously: Q&A
(Editor’s note: In late January, ION Cleared Derivatives, part of the ION Group, reported “a cybersecurity event,” which was a ransomware attack that set off a crisis for the global processing of cleared derivative instruments. The attack got the attention of the CFTC and the Futures Industry Association (FIA) as company officials worked to resolve… Read More >>
CFTC Charges Binance Founder With Evading U.S. Law
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reports it has “filed a civil enforcement action charging [Binance founder] Changpeng Zhao [CZ] and three entities that operate the Binance platform with numerous violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations.” The CFTC complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of… Read More >>
CFTC Mandates UPIs for Swaps Records & Reporting
Without much fanfare, the CFTC in mid-February ordered registered entities and swap counterparties to use the unique product identifiers (UPIs) supplied by the Derivatives Service Bureau (DSB) for swaps in the credit, equity, foreign exchange, and interest rate asset classes to bolster transparency and compliance with CFTC swap recordkeeping and reporting requirements. In addition, the… Read More >>
BofA Securities Fined $5M via OTC Reporting Case
“Oops, I did it again” might work as an excuse once, maybe even twice, especially if accompanied by a twinkly smile. But 7.4 million times? It’s not that innocent, as Britney might say. Let’s all sing along with the verse: FINRA, the self-regulating authority for U.S. broker-dealers, which is overseen by the Securities and Exchange… Read More >>
Northern Trust Grows Digital Consulting Team & Other News
Northern Trust Adds Four to Digital Consulting Group Northern Trust has appointed Benjamin Bobroff to head its new digital solutions consulting group, which is in its asset-servicing business development division. Northern Trust also has made three other senior appointments intended to support the “continued strategic focus and investment in digital innovation,” according to a prepared statement. The three will… Read More >>
CFTC Ends LIBOR for IR Swaps & Other News
CFTC Amends & Ends LIBOR Usage The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has issued a final rule ending the requirement that interest rate swaps reference the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) in order to complete the clearing process — another milestone marking the end of the scandal-ridden LIBOR. The final rule modifies the CFTC’s… Read More >>
U.K. Bank to Create 350 U.S. Jobs & Other News
Bank of London Expands in North Carolina The Bank of London, a global clearing, agency, and transaction bank, reports that it will “expand its United States footprint by opening its U.S. Global Platform and Services headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina,” in a move that will create 350 jobs in multiple disciplines by 2026. “New positions… Read More >>
What Does a Post-UMR World Look Like?
(FTF News recently spoke with Chris Walsh, the CEO of Acadia, about the world of derivatives trading after the Uncleared Margin Rules (UMR) reforms take hold — the UMR Phase 6 deadline is September 1, 2022. An industry veteran, Walsh held key roles at NYSE Technologies, NYFIX, and Thomson Financial before Acadia, which was once… Read More >>
JPMorgan Pays $850K to Resolve FX Swaps Case
JPMorgan has reached a $850,000 settlement with the CFTC in a case involving charges that three of the investment bank’s units failed to comply with their reporting obligations as swap dealers. The CFTC order also requires JPMorgan and its swap-dealing entities to cease and desist from further violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and… Read More >>
