U.K. regulator, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), published on August 25 its Final Undertakings report on FNZ’s acquisition of GBST, and it spells out the next steps for the FNZ-GBST breakup. The CMA wants this breakup because it has concluded that a combined FNZ-GBST would diminish competition in the retail investment platform solutions space…. Read More >>
SEC Reveals Geeky Side via APIs for EDGAR
Wow. Who knew that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had a seriously geeky side? It’s no secret that the SEC and its documentation constitute an endless well of legal gobbledygook that will cure insomnia for many, instill zombie-like behavior in others, and force some individuals into an existential crisis. It is news, though, that… Read More >>
SIFMA, ICI, DTCC Seek SEC’s Help with T+1
The major backers of the move to shorten the U.S. securities industry settlement cycle from T+2 to T+1 by 2023 are moving full speed ahead as they reach out via a letter to the SEC about potential regulatory changes. Officials from the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), the Investment Company Institute (ICI), and… Read More >>
Lacewell Leaves Behind a Legacy of Activism
Linda A. Lacewell recently announced that she will be stepping down on August 24 from her position as superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS) after two-and-a-half years at the helm. Her departure coincides with the resignation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo who is leaving because of a scandal involving sexual harassment… Read More >>
Regulatory Burdens Don’t End in the Cloud: FINRA
Many securities-trading firms have shifted their IT infrastructures to the cloud, but that does not change their regulatory responsibilities and may lead to new ones, according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), a self-regulatory organization (SRO) for broker-dealers. In a new research report, FINRA officials acknowledge that while cloud computing models promise “the potential… Read More >>
BitMEX Entities Settle with CFTC, FinCEN for $100M
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) reports that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has filed a consent order against five companies charged with operating the BitMEX cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform. The five companies are HDR Global Trading Ltd., 100x Holding Ltd., ABS Global Trading Ltd., Shine Effort Inc Ltd.,… Read More >>
SmartStream Applies A.I. to Recs Processes
SmartStream Air Version 4 Gets an A.I. Refresh Post-trade solutions vendor SmartStream Technologies recently launched SmartStream Air Version 4, an application update that uses artificial intelligence (A.I.) technology to support real-time and continuous reconciliation processes, officials say. The update “will allow customers to use a much wider range of processing, including payment reconciliations, which is… Read More >>
SEC Penalizes Poloniex via Digital Assets Case
Boston-based crypto-asset exchange Poloniex is paying more than $10 million in disgorgement and a civil penalty to the SEC to settle allegations that it once was operating as “an unregistered online digital asset exchange” in the U.S., according to the regulator. “Without admitting or denying the SEC’s findings, Poloniex agreed to the entry of a… Read More >>
NYSE Mandates Vaccinations for Trading Floor Participants
Vaccinated Personnel Not Required to Wear Masks The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is requiring all personnel working on its open outcry trading floor at 11 Wall Street to be vaccinated, but “masks are optional for vaccinated personnel at this time,” according to a memo obtained FTF News. The Aug. 11 memo to the NYSE… Read More >>
UBS Joins Broadridge’s Platform for Repo Transactions
Broadridge Financial Solutions has gotten the endorsement of Swiss banking giant UBS for a distributed ledger repo (DLR) platform that promises participants greater liquidity, less risk, and reduced operation costs, officials say. Vendor officials say that the DLR system provides a single platform for market participants to agree, execute and settle repo transactions. “Under a… Read More >>
