Regulation
Financial regulation, compliance, and policy updates
111 articles
CFTC Obtains Over $2M Restitution for Victims of Precious Metals Fraudulent Scheme
Summary The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has successfully obtained a court order for restitution amounting to over $2 million for victims of a fraudulent scheme involving precious metals and foreign currency pools. The U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon issued a consent or
SEC Charges Canadian Citizen With Fraud Schemes That Targeted Retail Investors
Summary The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has formally charged Canadian citizen Nathan Gauvin, along with three associated entities—Blackridge, LLC, Gray Digital Capital Management USA, LLC, and Gray Digital Technologies, LLC—for conducting fraudulent securities offerings. These schemes c
Zero-Haircut Repo Borrowing Is Common — And Concentrated Among the Largest Hedge Funds
BIS Bulletin: Zero-Haircut Repo Borrowing Is Common — And Concentrated Among the Largest Hedge Funds A new BIS Bulletin released today (No 117) delivers one of the clearest pictures yet of how repo haircuts really work in practice — and why simple averages can be dangerously misleading. Using the ul
CME Group Receives SEC Approval for New Securities Clearing House
CME Group, recognized as the preeminent derivatives marketplace globally, has made a significant announcement on December 2, 2025, regarding its expansion into securities clearing. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has granted regulatory approval for the registration of CME Securitie
CFTC Announces Major Enforcement and Wells Process Reforms
CFTC Announces Major Enforcement and Wells Process Reforms Acting Chairman Caroline D. Pham has announced significant amendments to the CFTC’s Rules of Practice and Rules Relating to Investigations. The changes are designed to improve transparency, strengthen due process, and reform the agency’s enf
OCC Announces December 2025 Clearing Fee Holiday as Trading Volumes Surge
OCC Announces December 2025 Clearing Fee Holiday as Trading Volumes Surge The Options Clearing Corporation (OCC), the world’s largest equity derivatives clearing organization, has implemented a full **one-month clearing fee holiday** for all transactions throughout December 2025, according to a regu
CFTC Interpretation Opens Door to $22 B in Collateral, Strengthening U.S. Competitiveness
CFTC Interpretation Opens Door to $22 B in Collateral, Strengthening U.S. Competitiveness The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has released a new regulatory interpretation that could free more than $22 billion in collateral for use by U.S. futures commission merchants (FCMs) in global der
NYSE Arca Proposes Targeted Options Fee Changes to Boost Liquidity and Simplify Pricing
NYSE Arca Proposes Targeted Options Fee Changes to Boost Liquidity and Simplify Pricing NYSE Arca has filed a series of proposed changes to its Options Fee Schedule, seeking immediate effectiveness under SEC rules. The adjustments affect Firms, Broker-Dealers, and Floor Brokers and aim to stimulate
CFTC and 30 States Secure Over $51 Million in Precious Metals Fraud Crackdown
CFTC and 30 States Secure Over $51 Million in Precious Metals Fraud Crackdown In a landmark victory against investment scams targeting retirees, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and 30 state securities regulators have extracted over $51 million in sanctions and restitution from t
MAS Review Group Unveils Bold Reforms to Supercharge Singapore’s Equities Market
MAS Review Group Unveils Bold Reforms to Supercharge Singapore’s Equities Market Singapore’s equities market is set for a transformative upgrade, as the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) today announced the completion of its comprehensive Equities Market Review. The initiative, aimed at bolsteri
PBOC to Issue Renminbi Bills via HKMA: A Major Boost for Hong Kong’s Offshore RMB Hub
PBOC to Issue Renminbi Bills via HKMA: A Major Boost for Hong Kong’s Offshore RMB Hub In a significant development for global RMB markets, the **People’s Bank of China (PBOC)** will begin issuing Renminbi Bills directly through the **Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA)** Central Moneymarkets Unit
CFTC Resumes Publishing COT Reports After Shutdown Hiatus: Full Catch-Up Schedule Released
CFTC Resumes Publishing COT Reports After Shutdown Hiatus: Full Catch-Up Schedule Released The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is set to reignite a vital pulse of market transparency on Wednesday, resuming publication of its flagship Commitments of Traders (COT) reports after a nearly tw
Cboe Aligns with SEC: New CAT Reporting Requirements for Market Makers’ Short Sale Exceptions
Cboe Aligns with SEC: New CAT Reporting Requirements for Market Makers’ Short Sale Exceptions In a move that brings Cboe Options Exchange into lockstep with recent SEC mandates, the exchange has filed—and the regulator has greenlit with immediate effect—a proposed amendment to its Consolidated Audit
Singapore’s MAS Cracks Down on Insider Trading: $137K Penalty for Director Who Dumped Shares on Family Accounts
Singapore’s MAS Cracks Down on Insider Trading: $137K Penalty for Director Who Dumped Shares on Family Accounts In a swift enforcement move that underscores Singapore’s zero-tolerance stance on market abuse, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has slapped a S$137,000 civil penalty on Mr. Ang Y
SEC Signals Its 2026 Enforcement Blueprint in New Exam Priorities
SEC Signals Its 2026 Enforcement Blueprint in New Exam Priorities The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission late Monday released the Division of Examinations’ Fiscal Year 2026 priorities — the closest thing the industry gets to an annual “exam cheat sheet.” At seventeen pages, the document is shor
FINMA Warns of Stubborn Property Vulnerabilities and Rising Cyber Threats in 2025 Risk Monitor
FINMA Warns of Stubborn Property Vulnerabilities and Rising Cyber Threats in 2025 Risk Monitor Switzerland’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA published its annual Risk Monitor for 2025 on Monday, delivering a sobering but unsurprising message to the country’s banks, insurers, and asset m
FCA Warns CFD Providers to Strengthen Value Assessments Under the Consumer Duty
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has released a detailed review into how Contracts for Difference (CFD) providers are applying the Consumer Duty, the regulatory regime introduced to ensure that financial products offer genuinely fair value and support positive outcomes for retail customers
Singapore Accelerates Tokenised Finance: From Project Guardian to Global Settlement Infrastructure
Singapore’s central bank has quietly but decisively stepped into the fast-lane of tokenised finance. Two recent developments illustrate how the MAS is transitioning from experimentation to infrastructure development — namely the MoU with the Deutsche Bundesbank and the ongoing rollout of Project Gua
Neo-Brokers Under the Global Regulatory Lens: IOSCO’s Final Report Signals a New Era for Retail Investor Protection
Retail investing has undergone one of the deepest transformations in decades. What began as a niche movement of app-based stock trading platforms has expanded into a full-fledged global ecosystem of “neo-brokers”—digital-first intermediaries that offer rapid trade execution, sleek user interfaces, a
SEC’s Post-Shutdown Guidance: What Issuers and Investors Need to Know
On November 13, 2025, the Division of Corporation Finance at the SEC released key questions-and-answers aimed at issuers with filings marooned during the U.S. government shutdown. SEC+1 For investors, underwriters, and companies alike, the message is both reassuring and cautionary: business filings
Are Fraudsters Hijacking Trusted Names to Steal Your Savings? BaFin’s Latest Warnings on Fake Investment Sites
As financial regulators worldwide ramp up vigilance against digital scams, Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has issued a flurry of alerts in late October 2025, spotlighting a wave of unauthorized websites peddling bogus banking, investment, and crypto services. With the curr
FINMA Alerts Swiss Financial Sector to Latest FATF Updates on High-Risk and Monitored Jurisdictions
Zurich, 27 October 2025 – The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has issued a statement urging financial intermediaries in Switzerland to incorporate the latest updates from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) into their risk management strategies. This follows the FATF’s plenar
MAS Proposes Consolidating Listing Reviews Under SGX RegCo to Streamline Singapore’s IPO Process
Singapore, 29 October 2025 – The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has launched a public consultation on transferring all prospectus review responsibilities from itself to Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo), creating a single point of contact for companies seeking to list on the SGX Mainb
Europe’s Financial Watchdogs Set Their 2026 Agenda: Simpler Rules, Stronger Resilience, and a Digital Future
The European Union’s three main financial regulators — ESMA, EBA, and EIOPA — have laid out their roadmap for 2026, and it is one that reflects the challenges of our time: technological disruption, climate stress, and the need for simpler, smarter regulation. The Joint Committee of the European Supe