The smoke has cleared, the U.S. Senate confirmation process is over, and the swearing-in ceremony is part of history. There is a new sheriff in town, and SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins made several things clear on May 19 when he made remarks before the “SEC Speaks” conference. Atkins provided a quick and useful history… Read More >>
CFTC To Part Company with Two Commissioners
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the regulator for the U.S. derivatives markets, may need to install a revolving door for all the exits and entrances it will be experiencing this month and beyond. CFTC Commissioner Summer K. Mersinger, a Republican, recently announced her departure from the CFTC, while Christy Goldsmith Romero, a Democrat, reiterated… Read More >>
Digital Assets Will Spur Ops & Compliance Overhauls
Securities firms participating in cryptocurrencies, tokenization, decentralized finance (DeFi) systems, and other digital asset realms will have to rely less on external regulatory guardrails and more on their own proactive efforts as the Trump administration charts a new course for the regulation of digital asset environments. The marching orders for this rapid reversal of Biden-era… Read More >>
The CFTC Takes a U-Turn on Digital Assets
Earlier this month, amid a flurry of executive orders, policy shifts, and layoffs of federal workers, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) charted a new course for its policies toward digital asset regulation. It is a dramatic change that puts the regulator in a new alignment with the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Justice,… Read More >>
‘Lynq’ Settlement Network for Digital Assets Launches
A real-time, yield-bearing settlement network, dubbed Lynq, has launched with the backing of Arca Labs, Tassat Group, and tZERO Group. It is supported by a tokenized treasury fund and custodied via a special-purpose broker-dealer. “This announcement comes after more than a year of market engagement, platform development, and the creation of the Arca Institutional U.S…. Read More >>
What Is Your Firm’s Crypto Assets Exposure?
(Bloomberg recently launched a service — Digital Asset Exposure Analytics — that provides views into direct and indirect digital asset exposure for spot currencies, futures, options, and equity tickers for companies engaged in crypto activities and funds holding these assets. The new service is intended to help firms such as asset managers, discern whether crypto… Read More >>
DTCC Revamps & Renames Securrency Suite as ComposerX
Officials at the Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. (DTCC) say that they are doing their part to accelerate digital asset adoption “throughout the financial ecosystem” with the release of ComposerX, formerly the Securrency product suite, intended to streamline token creation and settlement. In October 2023, the DTCC acquired the tokenization infrastructure company Securrency Inc., then… Read More >>
Trump’s Team Pushes Hard for Crypto Regulatory Overhaul
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 >>
Departing CFTC Chairman Urges Guardrails for Digital Assets
The incoming Trump administration will have clean slates as far as regulating U.S. securities and commodities markets as Rostin Behnam, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), announced on January 7 that he will be stepping down from his position on January 20 with his final day being Friday, February 7. Behnam was… 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 >>
