News Centre
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Chainalysis In Action: Department Of Justice Announces Takedown Of Two Terrorism Financing Campaigns With Help From Blockchain Analysis
Date 13/08/2020
Today, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the disruption of two terrorism financing campaigns that utilized cryptocurrency donations (and a third that didn’t), following a multi-agency investigation conducted by the FBI, HSI, and IRS-CI. The investigation led to the largest ever seizure of cryptocurrency assets related to terrorism financing, with more than $1 million worth of cryptocurrency recovered from terror finance campaigns and financial facilitators operating unlicensed money services businesses (MSBs).
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US Department Of Justice: Global Disruption Of Three Terror Finance Cyber-Enabled Campaigns - Largest Ever Seizure Of Terrorist Organizations’ Cryptocurrency Accounts
Date 13/08/2020
The Justice Department today announced the dismantling of three terrorist financing cyber-enabled campaigns, involving the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, al-Qaeda, and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). This coordinated operation is detailed in three forfeiture complaints and a criminal complaint unsealed today in the District of Columbia. These actions represent the government’s largest-ever seizure of cryptocurrency in the terrorism context.
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Eurex Exchange: Equity Index Highlights - August 2020 Edition
Date 13/08/2020
Market briefing
U.S. equities continued in an upwards trading channel for July. By contrast, European index benchmarks were slightly lower by the end of the month. Despite the support seen across equity markets, a red flag appears against this benign market backdrop, as gold pushes to new highs above the psychological $2,000 level. Gold, often perceived as a safe haven during turbulent times, also comes under the spotlight as an inflation hedge through its allure as a preserver of wealth. Gold is a non-yielding asset, no dividends, nor coupons, and if held via an ETF wrapper, there is a total expense ratio to consider. This explains the activity we see in our ETF option segment, which saw good volumes due to the rolling of iShares Physical Gold options from August to September expiry. Clients look to harvest the volatility risk premia through the sale of options to recoup some of these holding costs. [...]
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EBA: Consultation Paper On Guidelines On Criteria For The Use Of Data Inputs For The ES Risk Measure Under The IMA (EBA-CP-2020-21)
Date 13/08/2020
The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a consultation on draft Guidelines on criteria for the use of data inputs in the risk-measurement model referred to in Article 325bc under the Internal Model Approach (IMA) for market risk. These Guidelines are part of the deliverables included in the roadmap for the new market and counterparty credit risk approaches published on 27 June 2019. The consultation runs until 12 November 2020.
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Eurex Exchange: Fixed Bncome Highlights – August 2020 Edition
Date 13/08/2020
Market briefing
Overall, July has been somewhat of a quiet month across the board. However, there have been a few bright spots within the product portfolio, namely Schatz futures and options (F&O), where we have seen continued volume growth of +14.1% and 128.5%, respectively. This has largely been underpinned from volumes in the top left of the OTC volatility grid, which has seen renewed interest in the swaptions space. A theme that has been evident in OTC markets has been the distortion in volatility flies and firming of 3y2y as fast money unwound short caps/floor positions. Options on Italian BTP's were well supported with a 26.7% increase in volumes and weekly options on bunds saw a 29.8% increase in volumes. Volatility in bunds remained under pressure and traded in a tight range for most of July, between 4.2% - 5.8%.
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EBA Consults On Guidelines On Criteria For The Use Of Data Inputs In The Expected Shortfall Risk Measure Under The Internal Model Approach
Date 13/08/2020
The European Banking Authority (EBA) launched today a consultation on draft Guidelines on criteria for the use of data inputs in the risk-measurement model referred to in Article 325bc under the Internal Model Approach (IMA) for market risk. These Guidelines are part of the deliverables included in the roadmap for the new market and counterparty credit risk approaches published on 27 June 2019. The consultation runs until 12 November 2020.
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Moscow Exchange: Risk Parameters Change On Securities Market
Date 13/08/2020
CCP NCC cancels ban on short selling for AFLT shares on Securities market starting from August 18, 2020:
Ticker Description Current ban attribute
on short sellingNew ban attribute
on short sellingAFLT Aeroflot Yes No -
Financial Services Firms Are Being Attacked On All Fronts As Criminals Become Increasingly Adaptive And Sophisticated In Their Approach
Date 13/08/2020
- It’s not just the emergence of sophisticated digital attacks worrying financial crime compliance teams – it’s the sheer volume and diversity of attacks they’re seeing.
- In just the last 12 months, financial institutions report seeing several types of attack including: money mules (37%), criminal use of third parties (37%) and trade-based money laundering (31%) – the complexity of these crimes makes detection and prevention very difficult and the threat level for each is not expected to abate.
- Criminals appear to be targeting attacks specifically based on the perceived weaknesses of various types of financial institution: 46% of banks report seeing mule activity over the last 12 months, rising to 56% for building societies and 60% for challenger banks.
- In response, firms are pumping some 3% of their annual revenues into financial crime compliance, with average annual costs reaching £45.1 million for mid to large UK firms and £23 million for Irish firms and twice as much being spent on human resource (64%), as technology (36%).
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ACER And CEER Invite You To Join Their Webinar On The TEN-E Revision
Date 13/08/2020
The Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) and the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) invite you to register for a joint webinar on 14 September to discuss the key messages from their position paper on the revision of the Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) Regulation and Infrastructure Governance.
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Bank Of England: Minutes Of The Post-Trade Task Force Meeting - July 2020
Date 13/08/2020
The Bank of England is an observer on the Post-Trade Task Force, an industry working group that aims to catalyse reform in post-trade.
