The SEC has filed a civil injunctive action against the alleged perpetrator of a multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme. The SEC claims that, from January 2017 through March 2018, San Clemente, Calif., resident Daniel Pacheco enticed would-be cryptocurrency investors by selling so-called instructional packages that provided e-commerce “lessons,” raising more than $26 million in the process. In… Read More >>
ETFs Added to U.K.’s Investment Association Sectors
ETFs To Be Compared Against IA’s 37 Fund Sectors The U.K. industry group Investment Association (IA) has agreed to let exchange traded funds (ETFs) join the IA sectors, officials say. The IA represents U.K. asset managers and supports British savers, investors and businesses, officials say. The association has 250 members that oversee £7.7 trillion of… Read More >>
FinCEN Refocuses on Virtual Currencies
Without much fanfare, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the Treasury Department, issued a guidance on convertible virtual currencies (CVC) such as Bitcoin to help “financial institutions, law enforcement, and regulators” get a grip on the “multiple variations of businesses dealing in CVCs.” The guidance is a reminder to firms of their… Read More >>
CFTC & SEC Spotlight Crypto-Fraud Websites
Although crypto currencies may yield many surprising benefits, one of the oldest rules of commerce still applies to investing and trading in digital assets — if it seems to be too good to be true, it might be. That is the essence of a guidance, “Investor Alert: Watch Out for Fraudulent Digital Asset and ‘Crypto’… Read More >>
SEC Explores Impacts of Digital Assets at Forum
The SEC is shining more light on distributed ledger technology (DLT) and digital assets via a forum on May 31 hosted by the regulator’s Strategic Hub for Innovation and Financial Technology (FinHub), an effort to actively engage with innovators, developers, and entrepreneurs. The event is an acknowledgment of the importance of DLT and digital assets… Read More >>
SEC Raises Key SRO Fee by 59 Percent
Without much fanfare, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) announced earlier this month via an Information Notice that it had to raise certain fees controlled by the SEC by 59 percent. “The fees that FINRA controls are staying flat,” a FINRA spokesperson tells FTF News. “Effective April 16, 2019, the Section 31 fee rate applicable… Read More >>
CME Group Launches Data Insights for Hedge Funds
Benchmarking Tool Debuts for Hedge Funds & Others CME Group, a provider of derivatives marketplaces, reports the launch of ENSO Data Insights, which it characterizes as “a benchmarking tool which leverages ENSO’s alternative data set to help customers make more informed investment decisions.” ENSO Data Insights “provides hedge funds, asset managers and banks … access to… Read More >>
OCIE Exams Uncover Cybersecurity & Privacy Weaknesses
Staff members of the Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (OCIE) have identified cybersecurity and privacy control deficiencies among securities trading firms registered with the SEC and have issued a risk alert that reminds advisers and broker-dealers of their obligations. “In response to these observations, many of the registrants modified their written policies and procedures… Read More >>
Merrill Lynch Pays $8M to Settle ADR Allegations
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. will pay more than $8 million to settle charges of improper administration of “pre-released” American depositary receipts (ADRs), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reports. Merrill Lynch neither admits nor denies the SEC’s findings, but did submit an “Offer of Settlement.” In it, the firm agreed to pay… Read More >>
Time to Centralize Reference Data for Corporate Bonds?
The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a self-regulatory organization (SRO), wants to “expand the collection and dissemination of new-issue reference data for corporate bonds,” and is seeking the approval of the SEC to do so, according to FINRA. As part of the proposal, FINRA wants its Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine (TRACE) “to serve as… Read More >>
