In May 2016, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the U.S. agency tasked with issuing anti-money laundering (AML) regulations, issued a final rule requiring that certain categories of financial institutions identify the beneficial owners of their legal entity customers and incorporate customer due diligence procedures into their required AML compliance programs. The regulation was
New York State starts cryptocurrency exchange inquiry; SEC and CFTC foresee additional cryptocurrency and ICO regulation
On April 17, 2018, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman took the first steps in launching the new Virtual Markets Integrity Initiative through a fact-finding questionnaire sent to thirteen of the major cryptocurrency trading platforms. The Initiative’s focus is protecting consumers and increasing transparency for both investors and enforcement agencies. “Yet too often, consumers
US federal court holds that CFTC can regulate virtual currencies as commodities
A New York federal court held that virtual currencies can be regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as commodities.
November 2 Norton Rose Fulbright New York briefing to focus on SEC/CFTC Enforcement Trends
Norton Rose Fulbright New York office’s next financial services briefing is a luncheon seminar set for Thursday, November 2, 2017, at 12:00-1:00 PM EDT. Each month, Norton Rose Fulbright’s senior practitioners will provide interested in-house counsel and professionals with an insightful discussion on current regulatory trends within the financial services sector.
The November briefing will
US federal banking regulators issue risk-based capital guidance for certain derivatives
On August 14, 2017, the US federal banking agencies (Federal Reserve Board (FRB), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)) issued interagency guidance on the risk-based capital treatment of certain centrally cleared derivative contracts.
The guidance was issued because some central counterparties recently modified margin requirements for certain centrally
CFTC registers LedgerX to trade, clear Bitcoin derivatives
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) recently approved two applications from LedgerX – a platform for trading and clearing Bitcoin options – to become registered as a swap execution facility (SEF) and derivatives clearing organization (DCO). These approvals make LedgerX the first DCO and the second SEF approved to facilitate digital currency-related derivatives activity (another
SEC determines US securities laws apply to capital-raising via blockchain
On July 25, 2017, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) issued an investigative report stating that US securities laws apply to sales of securities in the United States purchased with virtual currencies or distributed with blockchain technology. At the same time, it issued an Investor Bulletin on so-called “Initial Coin Offerings” (ICOs) to caution
Incriminating IMs lead to Singapore precious metals trader settling, pleading guilty to charges of spoofing, manipulation and wire fraud
A former futures trader recently agreed to a settlement order from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) imposing a permanent trading ban for spoofing and manipulation, and pled guilty to criminal charges of manipulation and wire fraud, for trading done in the precious metals market.
David Liew was a trader on a major financial
CFTC amends regulations to prohibit restrictions on employee communication concerning potential Commodity Exchange Act violations
On May 22, 2017, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) amended Part 165 of its regulations, which govern whistleblower incentives and protections. In addition to strengthening existing anti-retaliation protections for whistleblowers, the amendments also prohibit employers from restricting employees from reporting potential violations of the Commodity Exchange Act directly to the CFTC. This prohibition extends
CFTC staff issues relief to swap dealers from CFTC’s regulations on margin requirements for uncleared swaps
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (“CFTC” or “Commission”) Division of Swap Dealer and Intermediary Oversight (“DSIO”) recently issued relief to CFTC-registered swap dealers (“SDs”) from compliance with certain CFTC uncleared swaps margin requirements under two No-Action letters (“NALs”).
The relief under these two NALs extends only to those SDs that are obliged to comply with