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☆ Coinbase wins approval to offer crypto futures trading in US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A representation of the cryptocurrency is seen in front of Coinbase logo in this illustration taken, March 4, 2022. The approval was granted by the National Futures Association (NFA), a self-regulatory organization designated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The NFA approval, which came nearly two years after Coinbase filed its application, could allow the company to expand into a largely untapped market. In July, crypto derivatives trading volumes globally totaled about $1.85 trillion, according to research firm CCData. The latest offerings will be from Coinbase Financial Markets, a unit of Coinbase.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Coinbase, Brian Armstrong, Gary Gensler's, Niket, Saumyadeb Organizations: REUTERS, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, National Futures Association, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Coinbase Financial, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Coinbase wins key regulatory approval to offer crypto futures in the US
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-16 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Coinbase has won a crucial regulatory approval that will allow the platform to provide US-based investors access to the crypto derivatives market. The approval comes from the National Futures Association, a self-regulatory body designated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, nearly two years after Coinbase applied to register as a futures merchant. Crypto derivatives make up more than 75% of all global crypto trades, but such products had been off-limits for investors in the United States, in part because of their complexity and high levels of risk. “This is a significant milestone for bringing federal regulatory oversight over the crypto markets,” said Faryar Shirzad, Coinbase’s chief policy officer. “Offering US investors access to secure and regulated crypto futures is key to unlocking growth and enabling broader participation in the cryptoeconomy,” said Andrew Sears, the CEO of Coinbase Financial Markets.

Persons: New York CNN — Coinbase, Coinbase, ”, Faryar Shirzad, Andrew Sears Organizations: New, New York CNN, National Futures Association, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, NFA, Securities and Exchange Commission, Binance, Coinbase Locations: New York, United States

☆ Regulators fine Wall Street firms $549 million for using WhatsApp and other channels to discuss business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

New York CNN —Wells Fargo and a slew of other Wall Street firms admitted Tuesday to using WhatsApp, Signal and other messaging platforms for “off-channel” communications in violation of federal recordkeeping requirements. The Securities and Exchange Commission said the Wall Street firms acknowledged wrongdoing and have agreed to pay penalties totaling $289 million. The SEC said the firms violated federal securities laws by failing to maintain or preserve the “substantial majority” of these communications. Another regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, also fined four of the same Wall Street firms for failing to maintain records and failing to supervise matters related to their businesses. The CFTC hit Bank of Montreal with a $35 million fine and a $75 million fine each for BNP Paribas, Societe Generale and Wells Fargo.

Persons: Wells, Houlihan Lokey, ” Sanjay Wadhwa Organizations: New, New York CNN, Securities, Exchange Commission, Wall Street, SEC, BNP, SG Americas, BMO Capital Markets, Mizuho Securities, SMBC Nikko Securities, Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, Bank of Montreal, BNP Paribas, Societe Generale Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, SMBC Nikko Securities America, WhatsApp

WASHINGTON, Aug 8 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday hit another batch of Wall Street firms with $549 million in civil penalties over widespread record-keeping failures related to employees' use of personal text messages and other messaging apps. Eleven firms, including Wells Fargo Securities and BNP Paribas Securities Corp, have agreed to pay $289 million in fines to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to resolve the allegations. Regulators require broker dealers and investment advisers to keep certain work-related communications, but Wall Street dealers have increasingly used personal devices in recent years. Spokespeople for BNP, which agreed to pay $110 million to the regulators, and Mizuho, which agreed to pay $25 million to the SEC, declined to comment. The regulators have already fined units of JPMorgan Chase and Co (JPM.N), Barclays, Bank of America and others for similar record-keeping failures.

Persons: Wells, Société, Spokespeople, Gurbir Grewal, Chris Prentice, Susan Heavey, Nivedita Balu, Nupur Anand, Saeed Azhar, Bernadette Baum, Jason Neely Organizations: Wall Street, Wells, Wells Fargo Securities, BNP Paribas Securities Corp, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, Futures Trading, BNP, Bank of Montreal, Wedbush Securities Inc, Wall, SEC, CFTC, Mizuho, Nikko Securities, JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Bank of America, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Wells Fargo, Nikko, New York, Washington, Toronto

In the two months since hedge funds began bailing on their record net short position in S&P 500 futures their equity returns have accelerated, narrowing the yawning year-to-date underperformance versus the broader market. Against that backdrop, perhaps not, although the weekly momentum on funds' S&P 500 futures positioning is the most bullish since December 2021. Reuters ImageReuters ImageReuters ImageThe latest CFTC figures show that hedge funds' net short position in e-mini S&P 500 futures at the end of July was around 200,000 contracts, the smallest net short since March. Just two months ago, at the end of May, funds were net short to the tune of 434,000 contracts, the largest net short position on record since these contracts were launched in 1997. If equity strategy-based hedge funds are slowly turning their poor 2023 performance around, their macro fund peers continue to struggle.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Jamie McGeever, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, HFRI, Futures, Reuters, CFTC, ICE, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, ORLANDO, Florida

☆ A group of Wall Street banks have been fined $549 million for using WhatsApp and other messaging apps to discuss business
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The SEC and CFTC have fined a group of Wall Street firms a combined $549 million. The firms admitted to employees using WhatsApp and other messaging services for business purposes. A pair of regulatory agencies on Tuesday announced large fines for a group of Wall Street banks that admitted to using WhatsApp and other messaging services for business purposes. The Securities and Exchange Commission is fining nine firms a total of $289 million, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission issued $260 million in fines, for a combined sum of $549 million. The Wednesday announcements bring the SEC's total fines related to the matter to $1.5 billion, while the CFTC's statement said it's imposed more than $1 billion in penalties to date.

Persons: Grewal, SEC Wells, Houlihan Lokey Organizations: SEC, CFTC, Wall Street, BNP, BMO Capital Markets, Morning, Securities, Exchange, Futures Trading, Americas Securities, Capital Markets, Mizuho Securities USA, Company, Wedbush Securities, Nikko Securities America Locations: Wells Fargo, Wall

☆ Banks hit with $549 million in fines for use of Signal, WhatsApp to evade regulators’ reach
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler, testifies before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee during an oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, September 15, 2022. U.S. regulators on Tuesday announced a combined $549 million in penalties against Wells Fargo and a raft of smaller or non-U.S. firms that failed to maintain electronic records of employee communications. It was regulators' latest effort to stamp out the pervasive use of secure messaging apps like Signal, Meta 's WhatsApp or Apple 's iMessage by Wall Street employees and managers. Starting in late 2021, the watchdogs secured settlements with bigger players including JPMorgan Chase , Goldman Sachs , Morgan Stanley and Citigroup . Fines related to the issue total more than $2 billion, according to the SEC and CFTC.

Persons: Gary Gensler, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Sanjay Wadhwa Organizations: . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs Committee, Capitol, Wells, Securities, Futures Trading, Wall Street, JPMorgan, Citigroup, CFTC Locations: Washington, U.S

☆ Wells Fargo, SocGen to Settle With SEC, CFTC Over Use of Messaging Apps
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/wells-fargo-socgen-to-settle-with-sec-cftc-over-use-of-messaging-apps-ac420973

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ Binance did monthly transactions worth $90 bln in banned China market - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Binance logo is seen in this illustration taken March 31, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoAug 2 (Reuters) - Binance users traded cryptocurrency-related assets worth $90 billion in a single month in China, where such trading has been illegal since 2021, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing internal figures, and current and former employees of the exchange. Binance's origins lie in China, though the world's largest crypto exchange withdrew from mainland China in 2017 during a regulatory crackdown. The exchange is also under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department over possible money-laundering and sanctions violations, Reuters had reported in December. Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Rashmi AichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Binance, Changpeng Zhao, Juby Babu, Nivedita Bhattacharjee Organizations: REUTERS, Wall Street Journal, China Binance's, Futures Trading Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, CFTC, U.S . Justice Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: China, Bengaluru

☆ CFTC Chair Russ Behnam: There needs to be action by Congress to fill the gaps in crypto space
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailCFTC Chair Russ Behnam: There needs to be action by Congress to fill the gaps in crypto spaceCFTC Chair Russ Behnam joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the latest in crypto regulation, why Congress needs to act and set up regulatory framework, where the biggest problems are in the crypto world, and more.

Persons: Russ Behnam

LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - A reappraisal of the dollar could be the next big "pain trade". Dollar jumps as US 2-year yield premium builds vs G7Net short dollar contracts from CFTCBofA chart on fund managers dollar viewSMILEFor the dollar at least, it starts to look less of a one-way rate bet. For those who favour intra-G7 interest rate differentials for guidance, the picture is not much better for dollar bears. But if "soft landings", disinflation and buoyant markets continue to rule the roost, it may be hard work for the outsize "anti-dollar" bet. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: There's, BoE, What's, it's, Mike Dolan, Alison Williams Organizations: Federal Reserve, Dow Jones, Treasury, Bank of England, gilts, ECB, Reuters Graphics Reuters, Reuters, Twitter, Thomson Locations: U.S, Japan

☆ BNP Paribas to Settle SEC, CFTC Probes Over Use of Banned Messaging Apps
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/bnp-paribas-to-settle-sec-cftc-probes-over-use-of-banned-messaging-apps-1d918bd3

Persons: Dow Jones Organizations: bnp

☆ Binance and its CEO seek dismissal of CFTC complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 27 (Reuters) - Binance and its CEO Changpeng Zhao have filed a motion to dismiss a complaint filed against the exchange by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (FTC), the company said in a court filing on Thursday. The CFTC sued Binance, Zhao and former Chief Compliance Officer Samuel Lim in March alleging that they violated the Commodity Exchange Act and certain related federal regulations, and for operating what the regulator said was an "illegal" exchange and a "sham" compliance program. The Court should dismiss the complaint in its entirety," Binance said. Lim filed a separate motion to dismiss the CFTC claims against him. Reporting by Juby Babu in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Zhao, Samuel Lim, Lim, Juby Babu, Tom Hogue Organizations: U.S . Commodity Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

The crypto industry has been in the regulatory crosshairs since investors were burned last year by sudden collapses of Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, FTX and other companies. A handful of Democrats, including Reps. Jim Himes and Ritchie Torres, joined committee Republicans in voting for the bill. The bill has galvanized many in the crypto industry, who say that with Democrats' support, the bill could have a shot in the Senate. But some Democrats, including Representative Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the Financial Services committee, fiercely oppose the bill. "This bill heeds the calls from the crypto industry while disregarding the views of the administration, the Securities and Exchange Commission and consumer and investor advocates," she said.

Persons: Jim Himes, Ritchie Torres, Patrick McHenry, we've, Kristin Smith, Miller Whitehouse, Levine, Maxine Waters, Waters, Sherrod Brown, Hannah Lang, Matthew Lewis, Mark Porter, Diane Craft Organizations: Capitol, Voyager, House Financial, Trading, Securities, Exchange, Republicans, Agriculture, Financial Services, Blockchain Association, DeFi, Securities and Exchange Commission, Democratic, Banking, SEC, Politico, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Australia, United States, McHenry, Washington

☆ BNP Paribas facing potential fine as it resolves U.S. messaging probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, July 27 (Reuters) - BNP Paribas (BNPP.PA) is set to resolve a U.S. probe into employees' use of unapproved messaging platforms, its mid-year earnings report showed on Thursday, which could see the French bank face a fine. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) later also examined the issue, bank disclosures showed. BNP set aside 125 million euros ($139 million) for an unspecified litigation in its earning report. "The proposed resolutions are subject to finalisation by the CFTC and SEC," BNP, the euro zone's biggest bank, added. French rival Societe Generale (SOGN.PA) said earlier this year that it, too, had been drawn into the probe.

Persons: Mathieu Rosemain, Jason Neely Organizations: BNP, Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, Societe Generale, Britain's HSBC, Thomson Locations: U.S, French

The crypto industry has been in the regulatory crosshairs since investors were burned last year by sudden collapses of Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, FTX and other companies. The markups - where legislation is debated and brought to a vote, paving the way for a full vote by the House of Representatives - are the first time crypto regulatory bills will be put to a vote in Congress, a victory for crypto lobbyists that have pushed lawmakers to provide regulatory clarity for the industry. His committee is expected to consider that bill during a markup on Wednesday, while the House Agriculture Committee will consider the same bill on Thursday. The bill has galvanized many in the crypto industry, who say that with Democrats' support, the bill could have a shot in the Senate. That effort escalated last month when the SEC sued crypto exchanges Coinbase (COIN.O) and Binance for failing to register some crypto tokens.

Persons: we've, Kristin Smith, Sherrod Brown, Patrick McHenry, McHenry, Miller Whitehouse, Levine, Maxine Waters, Waters, Hannah Lang, Matthew Lewis, Mark Porter Organizations: Capitol, Voyager, Financial, U.S ., Representatives, Blockchain Association, Democratic, Banking, Trading, Securities, Exchange, DeFi, SEC, Financial Services, Securities and Exchange Commission, Politico, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Australia, United States, McHenry, Washington

The crypto industry has been in the regulatory crosshairs since investors were burned last year by sudden collapses of Celsius Network, Voyager Digital, FTX and other companies. Still, it remains to be seen if the bills will garner any Democratic support, a factor seen by many as crucial to the bills' ultimate chances of becoming law. His committee is expected to consider that bill during a markup on Wednesday, while the House Agriculture Committee will consider the same bill on Thursday. The bill has galvanized many in the crypto industry, who say that with Democrats' support, the bill could have a shot in the Senate. That effort escalated last month when the SEC sued crypto exchanges Coinbase (COIN.O) and Binance for failing to register some crypto tokens.

Persons: we've, Kristin Smith, Sherrod Brown, Patrick McHenry, Miller Whitehouse, Levine, Maxine Waters, Waters, McHenry, Hannah Lang, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Capitol, Voyager, Financial, U.S ., Representatives, Blockchain Association, Democratic, Banking, Trading, Securities, Exchange, DeFi, SEC, Financial Services, Politico, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ Binance, CEO plan to seek dismissal of CFTC complaint
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 24 (Reuters) - Binance and its CEO and founder Changpeng Zhao are planning to seek dismissal of a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) complaint accusing the crypto exchange of violating the Commodity Exchange Act and certain related federal regulations. Binance is due to submit its response to the CFTC complaint on July 27 and plans to seek dismissal, according to a court filing on Monday. The CFTC in March sued Binance, the world's biggest crypto exchange, and Zhao for operating what the regulator alleged was an "illegal" exchange and a "sham" compliance program. In its complaint, the CFTC said that from at least July 2019 to the present, Binance "offered and executed commodity derivatives transactions on behalf of U.S. persons" in violation of U.S. laws. The CFTC and Binance did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Persons: Changpeng Zhao, Binance, Zhao, Juby Babu, Varun Organizations: Futures Trading Commission, CFTC, Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Binance, Justice, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Former CTFTC chair talks future of stablecoins: We're not addressing the risks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

As its name would suggest, a stablecoin is a kind of cryptocurrency token meant to be backed by real assets. Massad said these coins could act as a bridge between "the crypto world and the real world." "My concern is we're not addressing the risks," he continued, adding that he is not. He added that if the U.S. were to create stablecoin regulations, the rest of the world would likely follow suit, but also said many countries are already creating their own frameworks. "I'm sympathetic to a lot of people in government saying, 'we don't really, we're not convinced of the use case here, we don't really see what the value is in the real world,' Massad said.

Persons: Timothy Massad, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Massad, Jay Clayton, stablecoins, we're Organizations: Futures Trading, Securities and Exchange, SEC Locations: United States, U.S

☆ Fmr. CFTC Chair Timothy Massad goes one-on-one with Jim Cramer
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

CFTC Chair Timothy Massad talks crypto regulation with 'Mad Money' host Jim Cramer. Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via Email

Persons: Fmr, Timothy Massad, Jim Cramer

ORLANDO, Florida, July 23 (Reuters) - Hedge funds have ramped up their bearish dollar bets by more than $7 billion in a week, and are now sitting on their biggest net short dollar position in over two years. Foreign exchange speculators' long sterling position are now the biggest on record, although decent interest in shorting the pound means the overall net long position remains at a 16-year high, not an all-time peak. It is the most substantial bet on the dollar falling since March 2021, and marks the 37th week in a row funds have been net short. The value of funds' short dollar position is big, but not extreme. Earlier this month, their net short position was the largest in five and a half years.

Persons: Jamie McGeever, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Federal Reserve, European Central Bank and Bank of Japan, Futures, ECB, Thomson, Reuters Locations: ORLANDO, Florida, Foreign, That's

Overall, funds' net short dollar position against a range of currencies was worth some $13.17 billion, down slightly from $13.58 billion the week before. It is still a substantial overall bet on the dollar falling, however, and marks the 36th week in a row funds have been net short. It is comprised of a near $10 billion aggregate bet versus G10 currencies and $3.5 billion versus emerging currencies, namely the peso and real. Funds extended their net long sterling position by around 5,000 contracts to over 58,000, the biggest net long since 2007. That's a $4.7 billion bet on a stronger pound centering on sticky UK inflation versus U.S. disinflation.

Persons: JP, Sterling, Jamie McGeever, Himani Sarkar Organizations: Futures, Federal Reserve, HSBC, U.S, Reuters, Thomson Locations: ORLANDO, Florida, U.S, That's

☆ Director of CFTC’s Whistleblower Program Steps Down
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/director-of-cftcs-whistleblower-program-steps-down-c4733518

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The S&P 500 may hit a record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Visitors around the 'Charging Bull' statue near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Thursday, June 29, 2023. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Excluding food, energy and trade services, the core producer price index rose 0.1%, lower than the forecasted 0.2%. Celsius chargesFormer Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky was arrested Thursday on federal securities fraud charges, a source told CNBC. CNBC Pro searched for companies that analysts are bullish on, and which are due to report earnings next week.

Persons: Michele Bullock, Bob Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Iger, Alex Mashinsky Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, U.S, Singapore's Straits Times, Reserve Bank of Australia, Disney, ABC, ESPN, Marvel, Star Wars, SEC, CNBC Pro Locations: New York, Asia, Pacific, Australia

☆ CNBC Daily Open: The S&P 500 can hit a record high
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-14 | by ( Yeo Boon Ping | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Visitors around the 'Charging Bull' statue near the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, US, on Thursday, June 29, 2023. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Excluding food, energy and trade services, the core producer price index rose 0.1%, lower than the forecasted 0.2%. Celsius chargesFormer Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky was arrested Thursday on federal securities fraud charges, a source told CNBC. CNBC Pro's Bob Pisani breaks down why stock prices might stagnate in that scenario.

Persons: Bob Iger, CNBC's David Faber, Iger, Alex Mashinsky, that's, Bob Pisani Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, CNBC, U.S, Disney, ABC, ESPN, Marvel, Star Wars, SEC Locations: New York

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