News Centre

CFTC Issues Customer Advisory On Digital Tokens - New Guidance Alerts Customers To Use Caution And Research Before Purchasing Virtual Coins Or Tokens

Date 16/07/2018

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today issued a Customer Advisory warning customers to use caution and do extensive research before purchasing virtual coins or tokens, including those that are self-described as “utility coins,” or “consumption coins.” This is the fourth advisory about virtual currencies the CFTC has issued to give customers a greater understanding of virtual currencies.   

Block.one Closes Strategic Investment Round Led By Peter Thiel And Bitmain

Date 16/07/2018

Block.one, publisher of the EOSIO blockchain protocol, a high performance blockchain platform for decentralized applications, announced today that world-renowned venture capitalist and entrepreneur Peter Thiel has invested in the company, along with other notable investors, Bitmain, Louis Bacon, and Alan Howard. This round follows an earlier round led by Christian Angermayer, Lansdowne Investment Company Ltd, and Galaxy Digital’s Mike Novogratz.

New York State Department Of Financial Services Grants Virtual Currency License To Bitpay, Inc.

Date 16/07/2018

Financial Services Superintendent Maria T. Vullo today announced that the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has approved the application of BitPay, Inc. for a virtual currency license. BitPay is authorized to offer clearing and settlement services to merchants willing to accept payment in bitcoin or issue payments in bitcoin, and is the first wholesale payments processor to be approved for a license.

DTCC Named To The Forbes Best Employers List

Date 16/07/2018

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC), the premier post-trade market infrastructure for the global financial services industry, has been recognized as one of “America’s Best Mid-Size Employers” from Forbes. The designation is a first for DTCC, which has offices in Jersey City, Boston, Dallas and Tampa in the United States and many more around the globe. DTCC was ranked as one of the top 500 companies across 25 industries. Forbes awards the designation based on criteria that includes creating a working environment where employees feel happy, inspired and well-compensated.

SIFMA To Offer Municipal MAAU Signature Page Storage Service

Date 16/07/2018

SIFMA’s Municipal Securities Division announced today it will implement a new structure for its Master Agreement Among Underwriters (MAAU) for negotiated offerings of municipal securities by offering a signature page storage service. Participating firms will sign an acceptance letter to sign on to the multilateral SIFMA MAAU, and SIFMA will publish a list of firms that have accepted the terms of the MAAU on its website. SIFMA is also fully revising the MAAU for the first time in 16 years, and will release the new version in conjunction with the offering of this new structure.

ESMA Defines Standards For The Implementation Of The Securitisation Regulation

Date 16/07/2018

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has issued today a first set of technical standards under the Securitisation Regulation (SR) containing both draft regulatory and implementing standards (RTS/ITS).

SEC Charges Oil Company CEO, Board Member With Hiding Personal Loans - Loans From Vendors Helped CEO Meet Margin Calls, Finance Extravagant Lifestyle

Date 16/07/2018

The Securities and Exchange Commission today charged the former CEO of Energy XXI Ltd. with hiding more than $10 million in personal loans that he obtained from company vendors and a candidate for Energy XXI’s board.  At the time of the alleged misconduct, Energy XXI was NASDAQ-listed and one of the largest oil and gas producers on the Gulf of Mexico shelf.  

Intergenerational Challenges: What Mike And The Mechanics Can Teach Us About Pensions - Speech By Christopher Woolard, Executive Director Of Strategy And Competition At The FCA, Delivered At The Pensions Policy Institute, London

Date 16/07/2018

Highlights:

• Demographic shifts and economic trends over the last 30 or so years have remade the social contract across the generations – from the difficulties younger people face getting on the housing ladder, to the need for older people to pay for care for longer.
• The question of how to deal with such challenges is not for the regulator to lead, but rather for democratically elected governments. But we do have a role to play.
• With a broad, complicated remit and finite resources, we have to be targeted in our interventions to yield the best results. So we focus on areas where we can have the biggest impact.
• The aim that unifies our pensions work, whether it’s the Asset Management Market Study, Retirement Outcomes Review or Platforms Market Study, is to ensure consumers have the best outcomes possible in retirement.

CFTC Announces First Whistleblower Award To A Foreign Whistleblower

Date 16/07/2018

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today announced an award of over $70,000 to a whistleblower who significantly contributed to an ongoing CFTC investigation and led the CFTC to a successful settlement.  The award is the first made by the CFTC’s Whistleblower Program to a whistleblower living in a foreign country and the sixth award to a whistleblower who provided valuable information about violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA). 

FESE Publishes The European Exchange Report 2017

Date 16/07/2018

The FESE European Exchange Report is the only direct source of integrated information on Europe’s exchange industry.