Visa has announced a collaboration with stablecoin infrastructure firm Brale to explore privacy-enabled, blockchain-based settlement for institutional payment flows, using SBC — a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin issued by Brale — on the Canton Network. The proof of concept will assess how Canton’s privacy architecture can support faster, more programmable settlement while allowing financial institutions and payment companies to retain strict control over the visibility of sensitive transaction data. Unlike many public blockchain networks, Canton is specifically designed to let participants transact on shared infrastructure without exposing confidential transaction details to all network participants. Visa first enabled stablecoin settlement in 2021, and has been gradually expanding its blockchain capabilities since, allowing VisaNet obligations to be settled using supported stablecoins. The latest collaboration with Brale represents a step toward evaluating SBC as an additional stablecoin option for institutional use cases, with the asset’s native support on Canton offering a practical testing ground. Cuy Sheffield, Head of Crypto at Visa, said: “Through our work with Brale, we’re exploring how SBC on the Canton Network can support institutional settlement use cases that require both programmability and privacy controls.” Ben Milne, founder and CEO of Brale, added that financial institutions are “increasingly looking for stablecoin infrastructure that meets their operational, regulatory, and privacy requirements,” and described the Visa collaboration as “an important step toward making stablecoin-based settlement more practical and scalable.” The announcement reflects growing institutional demand for compliant blockchain settlement solutions, as the broader stablecoin market continues to mature. Visa views stablecoins as a “scalable, next-generation settlement layer for global payments.”The post Visa and Brale Partner to Test Private Stablecoin Settlement on Canton Network first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Brokeree Solutions has launched an Integration API for its PAMM money management system, enabling brokers, financial institutions, and crypto companies to embed managed account services directly into proprietary trading platforms and non-standard infrastructures — removing a longstanding dependency on MetaTrader and cTrader environments. The release builds on Brokeree’s decade-long development of its PAMM system, which allows multiple investors to pool capital into a single strategy managed by a professional trader. The technology automatically handles profit and loss allocation, fee calculations, and investor reporting. With the new API, firms can now connect these capabilities to their own platforms regardless of their underlying technology stack. “It gives companies a structured way to connect PAMM to their own platforms, regardless of the technology stack they have built around,” said Tatiana Pilipenko, Regional Head of Business Development (APAC, UK, Americas) at Brokeree Solutions. “We want PAMM to be available wherever there is demand for managed account services, and the API is what makes that possible.” The launch follows Brokeree’s own industry research, which found that nearly 15% of approximately 1,000 retail brokers analysed globally already offer PAMM services — suggesting meaningful headroom for further adoption across the wider sector. The PAMM Integration API arrives just weeks after Brokeree released a Social Trading Integration API, which similarly extended its copy trading technology beyond the major platform duopoly. Together, the two APIs represent a push to make Brokeree’s flagship investment tools universally deployable. “Professional money management should not be restricted by trading infrastructure,” said Victor Ivanov, Regional Head of Business Development (EMEA) at Brokeree Solutions. “This release is about giving brokers and financial institutions the freedom to build managed account services into their offerings on their own terms.”The post Brokeree Solutions Launches PAMM Integration API to Extend Managed Accounts Beyond MetaTrader and cTrader first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT) has been selected by Principal Financial Group to provide custody, fund accounting, and administration services for Principal Funds, the two companies announced on June 4, 2026. The expanded mandate will see Principal leverage State Street’s integrated investment servicing platform and global operating scale to support the ongoing development of its mutual fund business. The move signals Principal’s strategic intent to align its operating model with scalable infrastructure as it broadens its investment offerings. The appointment deepens a relationship that has spanned more than a decade, during which State Street has supported Principal across a range of investment vehicles, including exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and collective investment trusts (CITs). Joerg Ambrosius, President of Investment Services at State Street, said the firm was well-positioned to enhance Principal’s operational efficiency as it enters its next phase of growth. “By bringing together our global scale, deep expertise and integrated servicing capabilities, we are well positioned to enhance operational efficiency and support the continued evolution of their investment products,” he said. Kamal Bhatia, President and CEO of Principal Asset Management®, framed the decision as part of a broader outsourcing and strategic partnering strategy. “This transition reflects our focus on strategic partnering and outsourcing that accelerates our business for long-term profitable growth,” he commented. State Street currently holds US$54.5 trillion in assets under custody and/or administration and US$5.6 trillion in assets under management, as of March 31, 2026, and operates across more than 100 geographic markets worldwide.The post State Street Expands Partnership with Principal Financial Group for Mutual Fund Servicing first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Around 60% of retail traders trade on mobile, making mobile advertising an obvious priority for brokers. With this in mind, cTrader has integrated AppsFlyer, The Modern Marketing Cloud and a global leader in mobile attribution and marketing analytics, to give brokers the opportunity to launch and track mobile advertising campaigns for their branded cTrader mobile apps. For cTrader brokers, this is a chance to engage and convert the largest and fastest-growing community of mobile traders.They can now run targeted campaigns that bring prospective traders into their branded mobile app, with full visibility into which campaigns, creatives and channels are performing. The integration has been successfully piloted and is now available for all cTrader clients. How it works Once registered with AppsFlyer, a broker launches a campaign through Google Ads or Meta Ads using AppsFlyer attribution links. When a prospective client clicks the ad, AppsFlyer captures the source, campaign, creative, and then redirects them to the App Store, Google Play or the broker’s website. Once the app is installed and opened, AppsFlyer attributes the trader to the campaign that brought them in. With this data available, brokers can more easily see which campaigns drive installs, which channels bring higher-quality prospects, how users behave after installation and where acquisition budgets can be optimised based on real mobile activity. Yiota Hadjilouka, COO of Spotware Systems, commented: “At Spotware, our focus is on giving brokers the technology and solutions to grow their business. With AppsFlyer integration, cTrader brokers can now run mobile advertising campaigns directly to their branded apps – opening up an acquisition channel that wasn’t available to them before – and one that remains unique to the cTrader environment.” Contact the Spotware team to integrate AppsFlyer for your branded cTrader mobile app.   About AppsFlyer AppsFlyer, The Modern Marketing Cloud, is a global leader in mobile measurement, attribution and marketing analytics, helping brands understand, optimise and protect their customer acquisition activity across mobile, web and connected TV. AppsFlyer brings together measurement, deep linking, engagement, fraud protection, data clean rooms and privacy-preserving technologies, giving businesses a trusted view of campaign performance while supporting data privacy requirements. Founded in 2011, the company works with leading brands, agencies and technology partners worldwide. About cTrader cTrader is a premium trading platform launched in 2010, built on Traders First principles, serving over 11 million traders of all experience levels as well as 300+ brokers and prop firms. With advanced native charting, built-in social trading and free cloud execution for trading bots, cTrader delivers an excellent trading experience with best-in-class trader support. cTrader Store is a central hub for traders, offering thousands of bots, indicators, copy strategies, prop challenges and plugins. For brokers and prop firms, cTrader Store increases visibility among prospective traders through dedicated Brokers, Props and Prop Challenges sections, driving up to 10,000 daily visits. As an Open Trading Platform, cTrader supports brokers and prop firms with 100+ third-party integrations via APIs and plugins.The post cTrader integrates AppsFlyer, letting brokers promote their branded mobile apps first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Continuing expectations of a treaty in the Gulf have been somewhat negative for the greenback. News on 4 June that Israel and Lebanon had agreed a ceasefire seemed to be positive for progress between the USA and Iran with participants in financial markets remaining generally confident that the conflicts will be resolved within the next few weeks. The key data for CFDs on 5 June is the American job report. This article summarises recent news and the context of the American job market then looks briefly at the charts of EURUSD and USDJPY. The latest financial news has been dominated by speculation about SpaceX’s IPO announced late GMT on 3 June. However, for CFDs specifically, oil retreated somewhat while gold bounced on 4 June as participants continued to see the light at the end of the tunnel for the Gulf conflict. With Israel and Lebanon having agreed a ceasefire, one primary sticking block between the USA and Iran might have been removed. However, Hizballah wasn’t consulted about the Israeli-Lebanese agreement and it didn’t give a timeline for the end of Israel’s current occupation of border areas in southern Lebanon. While traders will continue to monitor major news from the Middle East and the Gulf, they’re also gearing up for 5 June’s NFP. There’s some variation in expectations but overall the consensus is for a somewhat weaker release than last month’s strong data: May’s NFP covering April was the first consecutive positive NFP in more than a year and indicated that the labour market in the USA might be resilient. March’s figure was also revised slightly up to 185,000. The consensus on 4 June was for about 85,000 for the next NFP but the actual release is almost certain to diverge from that one way or the other. While the NFP proper has been more positive in the last couple of months, unemployment has remained more-or-less stable for some time:   Unemployment has clearly risen from the average in 2022 and 2023 but doesn’t show any immediate sign of pushing consistently much higher when considered with recent NFPs and demographic factors. A relatively decent job market – or at least certainly not as negative as had been expected in some quarters six months ago – is a positive factor for the Fed, giving it flexibility to hike rates if inflation continues to rise.   So far, there’s no immediate urgency for tighter monetary policy given that the worst effects of the Gulf conflict on American inflation now seem unlikely at least for now. The economic pressure on the American government to end the war even with less favourable terms is high. Expectations for the funds rate at the end of the year are about evenly divided between hold (46% according to CME FedWatch) and at least one hike (52%). Between the NFP on 5 June and American inflation the following Wednesday, traders will have plenty to chew on both for short-term movements and where the Fed’s heading. Euro-dollar bounces from support as the NFP approaches Apart from continuing intrigue about a potential agreement in the Gulf, the focus for the euro recently has been on monetary policy. The ECB is nearly certain to hike its main refinancing rate to 2.4% on 11 June. Current expectations suggest a total of 2-3 hikes by the ECB before the end of 2026 while there’s still considerable uncertainty over whether the Fed will hold or hike once. The price bounced again on 4 June from the likely support around $1.16 which coincides with the 23.6% weekly Fibonacci retracement. Volume has been significantly lower in the last few days, which is normal in the context of the upcoming NFP, American inflation and meeting of the ECB. The 50 SMA from Bands around $1.17 is likely to cap gains in the immediate future but each of the other moving averages between there and the current price could also be important. There’s no indication of saturation, so the strength so far of the bounce might suggest further limited gains to come although these would be unlikely to continue if the NFP is again clearly stronger than the consensus. Dollar-yen nearing intervention area again Dollar-yen’s recovery from last month’s intervention has continued in June so far with the price holding around ¥160. The latest intervention by the Japanese authorities was worth over ¥11 trillion but didn’t have any clear, lasting effect in shoring up the struggling yen. Divergence in monetary policy remains a key factor in the yen’s weakness while the Japanese economy’s dependence on imported raw materials also seems to make it more vulnerable to an extension or possible escalation of the Gulf conflict. Participants expect the BoJ to hike to 1% on 16 June despite inflation significantly below target. ‘The trend is (usually) your friend’ but the ongoing direction for dollar-yen seems less certain: another, maybe even larger,  intervention certainly seems possible if the price holds around ¥160 for more than a few days. ¥156.50 is a possible support given that the price failed to break through there in late April and early May amid very long tails of several periods. Although the golden cross of the 20 SMA above the 50 SMA from Bands can probably be ignored in the context, overall a significant retracement without a fundamental narrative remains questionable. Some technical retracement lower is quite likely sooner or later, though, especially if the NFP is weaker than expected, given the strong overbought signal from the slow stochastic, low volume accompanying the bounce over the last month and significantly lower volatility. For the latest analysis, ideas for trading and more, follow Michael on X: @MStarkExness.  The opinions in this article are personal to the writer; they do not represent those of Exness. This is not a recommendation to trade.  The post Some losses for the dollar ahead of the NFP first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CMC Markets (LON: CMCX) has reported its strongest financial performance since the Covid-impacted FY2021 year, posting net operating income of £392.6 million for the period ended 31 March 2026 — a 15% increase on the £340.1 million recorded in FY2025. Profit before tax rose 20% to £101.3 million, with the pre-tax margin expanding to 25.8%, while EBITDA climbed 14% to £117.8 million. The full-year dividend was lifted 21% to 13.8 pence per share, in line with the group’s 50% profit distribution policy. The results reflect the continued buildout of CMC’s institutional and B2B revenue streams. Its neobank API partnership delivered exceptional growth in new account openings and trading volumes during the year, demonstrating the scalability of the group’s proprietary technology infrastructure as a white-label distribution engine. In Australia, the stockbroking business posted net operating income of A$140.3 million, up 32% year-on-year, with the platform build for the Westpac and ASB Bank white-label partnerships progressing well and on track for launch within the next 12 months. The Westpac deal alone involves approximately A$39 billion in assets under administration across half a million share-trading accounts. In the UK, Invest UK continued to progress a Tier 1 institutional partnership with a major international bank, and signed a new agreement with retailer Currys to expand its B2B footprint. Looking into FY2027, CMC guided for net operating income of between £460 million and £480 million — growth of at least 17% — supported by the rollout of its multi-asset Super App, European certificates and warrants expansion, and continued scaling of its digital asset and Web3 infrastructure.The post CMC Markets Posts Record Net Operating Income in FY2026, Eyes Institutional Scale in FY2027 first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Wednesday, global financial services giant State Street Corporation (NYSE: STT) announced a strategic collaboration with Jadwa Investment, a prominent Middle Eastern investment management and advisory firm, to expand institutional offerings in Oman. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on June 1, 2026, at the annual Oman Capital Market Conference in Muscat. It formalises a working relationship between the two firms that had already been developing. Under the agreement, State Street and Jadwa will jointly identify and develop opportunities across advanced asset servicing and global custody capabilities for institutional clients operating within the Sultanate. State Street has maintained a local office in Muscat and has been servicing institutional clients in the country for more than two decades. Jack Keshishian, Head of Middle East and North Africa (ex KSA & Bahrain) at State Street, said the partnership reflects the firm’s “continued commitment to the Middle East.” “We see significant opportunity in combining our global asset servicing expertise with Jadwa’s regional insights and investment capabilities to better support Omani clients,” he added, noting alignment with Oman’s Vision 2040 agenda. Tariq Al-Sudairy, Managing Director and CEO of Jadwa Investment, echoed the sentiment, stating: “By leveraging our combined strengths, we aim to broaden access to high-quality investment solutions for institutional clients and support the continued growth of Oman’s financial ecosystem.” Beyond client solutions, the two firms also plan to collaborate on training, knowledge sharing, and thought leadership initiatives.The post State Street and Jadwa Investment Partner to Boost Oman’s Capital Markets first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CME Group has launched round-the-clock trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options products, marking a landmark shift in how regulated derivatives markets operate in the digital asset space. The expanded trading hours went live on Friday, May 29, with the Chicago-based derivatives giant reporting over 7,200 contracts traded across its inaugural weekend — equivalent to approximately $50 million in notional value. The strong opening figures, supported by both retail and institutional participants, signal robust demand for always-on access to regulated crypto risk management tools. Tim McCourt, CME Group’s Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products, framed the move as a natural progression since the exchange introduced its first Bitcoin futures contract back in 2017. “Shifting to an always-on model represents the next natural evolution for the marketplace, ensuring CME Group continues to provide the continuous price discovery and trading confidence global investors require,” McCourt said. The launch has drawn participation from several prominent industry names. Robinhood Markets highlighted that its users can now trade regulated futures contracts at any hour, any day of the week — bridging the longstanding gap between traditional derivatives and spot crypto markets. Meanwhile, Ripple Prime and Wedbush Securities have positioned themselves as key facilitators of the new around-the-clock infrastructure. Also coinciding with the launch, CME Group introduced Bitcoin Volatility futures on a 24/7 basis. These first-of-their-kind regulated contracts allow investors to trade their view on 30-day implied bitcoin volatility without taking a directional price position — adding yet another sophisticated tool to the growing regulated crypto derivatives ecosystem.The post CME Group Goes 24/7 with Crypto Futures and Options Trading first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has concluded enforcement proceedings against Wendelspiess Partners AG, imposing long-term industry bans on two senior individuals and withdrawing the firm’s portfolio management licence following serious breaches of financial services regulations. FINMA launched proceedings in early 2025 after receiving a report from a supervisory organisation, uncovering evidence that the Zurich-based wealth manager had invested client funds into a proprietary foreign fund — established by the firm and managed in-house since 2021 — that was experiencing significant liquidity problems. The regulator’s investigation revealed a pattern of serious misconduct. Wendelspiess Partners AG funnelled the assets of nearly all of its more than 400 clients — the majority of whom had moderate to limited financial knowledge and described themselves as risk-averse — into the in-house fund without obtaining their consent. The fund, which held assets under management of over CHF 83 million at end-2024, invested predominantly in a single investment company domiciled in the canton of Zug and its affiliates, resulting in dangerous risk concentration. It now faces the prospect of a total loss. FINMA found that the firm systematically failed to conduct mandatory suitability assessments, inadequately disclosed conflicts of interest — including the fact that Wendelspiess Partners AG and several of its directors personally held shares in the fund — and withheld material information from the regulator during its licensing procedure. The regulator concluded that client interests were “systematically subordinated” to those of the firm, constituting serious breaches of conduct obligations under Switzerland’s Financial Services Act (FinSA). The ruling, which also sees the firm enter bankruptcy, is not yet final and may be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court.The post FINMA Bans Two Executives and Revokes Licence of Swiss Wealth Manager Over Serious Misconduct first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Robinhood and custodial platform TradePMR have unveiled a suite of new products and services targeting Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) and their clients, announced live at the SYNERGY26 conference in Washington, D.C. The headline launch is the Robinhood Advisor Network, an in-app RIA referral marketplace that connects Robinhood customers directly with independent advisors utilising TradePMR custodial services. Rolling out to a select group of eligible users next week, the feature uses a short questionnaire to match customers with vetted fiduciaries, while offering a unified view of both self-directed and advised assets within the Robinhood app. Alongside the network, Robinhood introduced Robinhood Cortex for Advisors, an AI-powered tool built into TradePMR’s Fusion platform. The tool provides RIAs with automated portfolio digests, AI-generated meeting preparation notes, and task management capabilities — all included at no additional cost. The feature will roll out exclusively to TradePMR RIAs before broader availability. The companies also announced that TradePMR advisors will soon gain access to IPOs and future public offerings from Robinhood Ventures via the Fusion platform. Additional incentives include a flexible RIA incentive programme with forgivable loan structures and reduced margin and securities-backed lending rates. The announcements come as TradePMR’s total Assets Under Administration have grown approximately 15% to $50 billion since joining the Robinhood ecosystem last year. “Together, Robinhood and TradePMR are defining the next era of wealth management,” said Steve Quirk, Chief Brokerage Officer at Robinhood.The post Robinhood Launches Advisor Network and AI Tools for RIAs in TradePMR Partnership Expansion first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Pyth Network, a leading institutional market data provider, has launched Hong Kong equity feeds on Pyth Pro, its next-generation subscription data service — bringing 24/7 pricing for Hong Kong-listed securities to exchanges, trading firms, and onchain applications for the first time. The initial coverage includes marquee names such as Tencent (HKG: 0700), BYD (HKG: 1211), the ChinaAMC CSI300 ETF, and the FTSE China A50 ETF, alongside 70+ additional HK-listed equities. The feeds are delivered via the same API and consistent format as existing Pyth Pro instruments, enabling a single integration point rather than reliance on fragmented regional vendors. The launch addresses a long-standing structural gap in the crypto and onchain finance space. Despite rising demand for equity perpetuals, prediction markets, and tokenised portfolios referencing Chinese and Asian names, access to Hong Kong equity pricing has historically been constrained by regional brokerage requirements, siloed licensing regimes, and high data costs. Pyth Pro’s first-party institutional feeds aim to resolve this with round-the-clock availability across 114 blockchains. “Hong Kong is one of the world’s most important financial centres, and bringing pricing for Tencent, BYD, and other HK-listed names into Pyth Pro provides exchanges and developers with a reliable foundation for building on Asian equities at scale,” said Mike Cahill, CEO of Douro Labs and contributor to Pyth. Cahill added that Korean equities are set to follow, as Pyth works toward positioning itself as a truly global data layer. The announcement builds on Pyth’s existing footprint: over 710 businesses use Pyth data, with nearly 60% of all onchain perpetuals powered by Pyth feeds. Pyth Pro currently covers 2,200+ instruments, supported by more than 135 first-party publishers.The post Pyth Network Expands Pyth Pro with Hong Kong Equity Feeds first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

London-based specialist equity manager Marathon Asset Management has consolidated its front-to-back investment infrastructure on SimCorp One, retiring legacy systems and establishing a unified data layer across the firm. The move, announced on June 3, extends a partnership between the two firms that dates back to 2010. Marathon, which manages more than USD 40 billion in assets, said the consolidation will reduce time spent on data reconciliation and technology management, freeing resources for client service and investment decisions aligned with its Capital Cycle investment philosophy. Andy Flawn, Head of Operations, Technology, Change and Data at Marathon, said the decision was driven by the need to lower cost and risk through system consolidation. “SimCorp understands both our operational and front office needs, which made unifying our front-to-back workflows on a single platform a clear decision,” he said. “Lowering cost and risk through system consolidation was a key factor. Our partnership continues to deliver meaningful technology improvements that drive operational efficiency.” Dean McIntyre, Chief Commercial Officer at SimCorp, added that SimCorp One automates key processes across the investment lifecycle, giving Marathon the operational efficiency to scale. “We’re proud to deepen our long-term partnership with Marathon,” he said. The deal reflects a broader trend across the asset management industry. SimCorp’s 2026 InvestOps Report found that consolidating technology vendors and platforms is the top priority for 58% of investment managers globally. Marathon joins a growing list of firms to have recently selected SimCorp, alongside Pictet Asset Management, AllianceBernstein, and Lindsell Train.The post Marathon Asset Management Unifies Front-to-Back Investment Platform on SimCorp One first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Marex revealed on Tuesday that it has been onboarded as a broker on Deribit, one of the leading platforms for digital asset derivatives trading. The move is expected to further extend the firm’s institutional digital assets offering and broaden client access to global crypto derivatives markets. Through the integration, Marex will provide institutional clients with access to liquidity across crypto options, futures, and perpetuals products, combining its global infrastructure and risk management framework with Deribit’s digital asset derivatives marketplace. The company noted that the development reflects growing institutional demand for digital asset trading solutions that bring together the operational standards and regulatory oversight of traditional finance with the liquidity and innovation of crypto-native markets.  Marex said its digital assets offering is designed to serve both traditional financial institutions entering the crypto space and crypto-native participants seeking high-touch execution and tailored trading solutions. Jonathan Issan, co-head of crypto trading at Marex, said: “This partnership reflects Marex’s commitment to bridging traditional finance and crypto markets, bringing our deep liquidity expertise and agency execution model to a broader client base. As a regulated and trusted counterparty, we aim to deliver tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of both institutional and crypto-native clients.” Luuk Strijers of Deribit described the integration as “another important step in connecting traditional finance with digital asset markets,” saying the combination of Marex’s distribution and risk management expertise with Deribit’s liquidity and derivatives platform would offer clients more efficient and reliable market access.The post Marex Expands Crypto Derivatives Offering with Deribit Broker Onboarding first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

RBC Capital Markets moved to calm investor nerves about the competitive implications of the CFTC’s approval of bitcoin perpetual futures, arguing in a note on Tuesday that the risk posed to established exchanges, CME Group (NASDAQ: CME) and Cboe Global Markets (BATS: CBOE), remains “manageable.” The reassurance from RBC analysts came amid a strong decline in exchange stocks, triggered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s May 29 approval of perpetual futures contracts on bitcoin for prediction market platform Kalshi. CME shed more than 5% on Monday before a 2.8% decline on Tuesday, while Cboe shed over 9% Monday, with an 8.4% decline on Tuesday as markets fretted that the regulatory green light could eventually extend to other asset classes, including equity derivatives, threatening the core product franchises of traditional exchanges. RBC attributed the declines to investor concern that so-called “perps” could migrate into S&P 500 and other structured products where CME and Cboe hold dominant positions. However, the analyst argued that fundamental structural differences between perpetual futures and exchange-listed contracts, coupled with anticipated leverage limits imposed by clearing houses, should contain the competitive fallout. RBC maintained Sector Perform ratings on both CME and Cboe, suggesting the bank sees limited near-term upside but equally does not view the CFTC move as an existential threat.  The post RBC Capital Says CFTC Perpetual Futures Threat to CME and Cboe Is “Manageable” first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

European payments leader Worldline has teamed up with ING and Mastercard to execute what the companies say is Europe’s first end-to-end agentic payment transaction completed in a live production environment. Announced at Money 20/20 on 2 June 2026, the milestone transaction was completed between an ING cardholder and a merchant in the Netherlands, with the underlying infrastructure also running across Belgium via the Mastercard network. It leverages established authentication and authorisation mechanisms across both acquiring and issuing platforms. The real-world use case is straightforward but significant: an ING cardholder searching for a wedding anniversary gift online is assisted by a merchant’s AI agent, which identifies concert tickets within budget, presents curated options, and only finalises the purchase upon the consumer’s explicit approval. Crucially, each transaction carries identifiers that flag its agentic nature, giving ING full visibility and control through the authorisation process. Madalena Cascais Tomé, Member of the Executive Committee at Worldline, said: “Agentic commerce is no longer theoretical, it is production-ready today. Together with ING and Mastercard, we are making agentic payments a seamless and secure reality.” Brice van de Walle, EVP Core Payments Europe at Mastercard, highlighted that Agent Pay ensures “innovation scales safely — built on trust, aligned across the ecosystem and ready for real-world deployment.” The pilot also lays the groundwork for future use cases, including recurring transactions and delegated purchases within pre-defined consumer parameters — pointing to a broader shift in how AI-driven commerce will operate across European markets.The post Worldline, ING, and Mastercard Complete Europe’s First Live Agentic Payment Transaction first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

LSEG Risk Intelligence has launched Identity Gateway, a new infrastructure layer designed to give organisations a single access point to multiple government-backed and regulated private digital identity schemes across borders — debuting at Money 20/20 Europe in Amsterdam. As businesses expand internationally, integrating identity verification market by market has become a costly and time-consuming challenge. Identity Gateway, built on Microsoft Azure, addresses this by offering a standardised API and unified commercial framework through which organisations can connect to multiple digital identity schemes in one go. LSEG says the solution is designed to cut time-to-market by up to 80–90% compared with independent, market-by-market integration. Initially, the platform provides access to schemes across 10 European markets, including Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Spain — countries where national digital identity schemes are already widely adopted — with further markets and providers expected to follow. Daniel Flowe, Head of Digital Identity at LSEG Risk Intelligence, said: “Digital identity is reaching an inflection point. Identity Gateway helps solve that challenge by creating a standardised access layer that supports scale, reduces complexity and enables more trusted, higher-assurance digital experiences across borders.” The launch comes as fragmentation in digital identity standards intensifies. Under the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet framework, all 27 EU member states are set to introduce their own implementation — a challenge Identity Gateway is specifically positioned to address. The solution sits alongside LSEG Risk Intelligence’s existing data-based and document-based verification methods, forming part of a broader risk-based identity strategy that adapts checks to market conditions, regulatory requirements, and transaction risk levels.The post LSEG Risk Intelligence Launches Identity Gateway to Streamline Cross-Border Digital Identity Verification first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Payments infrastructure giant Checkout.com has announced the launch of stablecoin acceptance for eligible merchants across its network of more than 1,000 enterprise customers, powered by Coinbase Payments. Under the partnership, consumers will be able to pay using USDC or USDT at participating merchants, while merchants themselves continue to settle in USD through Checkout.com’s existing payment rails — meaning no overhaul of their current payments stack is required. The move comes as stablecoins cement their place in mainstream commerce. According to Visa data cited in the announcement, stablecoin transaction volume hit $10.2 trillion over the past 12 months, marking a 63% year-over-year increase. For Checkout.com’s merchant base — which includes some of the world’s largest digital brands — the integration offers a straightforward route into the stablecoin space. Activation requires no separate crypto integration, with stablecoin acceptance available directly through Checkout.com’s existing platform alongside cards, bank transfers, and digital wallets. The partnership is particularly aimed at expanding merchant reach into markets where card access is limited or local currency volatility is a concern — regions where stablecoin adoption among consumers is already accelerating. Coinbase Payments will handle the buyer and merchant-facing payments experience through its acceptance APIs, underpinned by regulated infrastructure spanning nearly 50 countries and a custody track record of over 14 years. “Leading PSPs like Checkout.com partner with Coinbase Payments to power their stablecoin payments,” the company said in its announcement. The capability is available to eligible merchants starting today.The post Coinbase and Checkout.com Team Up to Bring Stablecoin Payments to Enterprise Merchants first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the partnership model is being redefined by an element that’s even tougher to break through than growth: trust. After years of aggressive acquisition cycles, inconsistent broker performance, and short-term market entrants, the region’s trading ecosystem is becoming more selective and more mature. In this environment, partnerships are no longer judged only by how much activity they generate, but by whether they can sustain credibility over time. In this interview, Saheed Akinbiyi, Exness Country Manager, examines what that shift means in practice. Why retention is becoming a more meaningful signal than volume, how broker performance now shapes partner reputation more directly, and why the most valuable partnerships in Africa are the ones built to last. Q1: The IB and affiliate model in Africa has been through several cycles. Where does it stand today, and what has changed? The model is still growing, but in a much more demanding environment than before. The region has gone through multiple cycles of aggressive acquisition, short-term incentives, and brokers entering the market without building for the long term. That history has shaped trader behavior. Traders are now more informed, more cautious, and much more selective about whom they trust. At the same time, the ecosystem itself has matured. Expectations are higher, and the old growth model, the one that prioritizes marketing over performance, is becoming less effective. The primary factors in decision-making are now platform reliability and stability. This creates structural pressure on the IB model, which now needs to align with long-term trader outcomes rather than short-term onboarding. Q2: Trust is a word that gets used a lot in financial services. What does it actually look like in practice for traders and partners in the region? In our sector, trust isn’t an abstract metric. It’s operational with traders experiencing it in very practical moments, like withdrawal processing without unnecessary friction, execution with limited delay, and favorable trading conditions in general, especially when the market becomes volatile. For partners, trust is even more tangible as their reputation is directly linked to the trader’s experience. If the broker underdelivers, it’s often the partner that absorbs the consequences first. That’s why trust in this market isn’t built through marketing alone but through repeated experience. Q3: The traditional IB model has been the backbone of growth in retail trading across Africa. Where does it fall short? The traditional model was built for acquisition efficiency, not sustainability. It was excellent at rewarding onboarding and activity, but not necessarily at supporting trader longevity or better long-term outcomes. That creates misalignment. The problem is that a model can look successful on paper while still producing high churn and inconsistent experiences beneath the surface. In today’s market, that’s no longer enough. A partnership model has to work across the trader’s entire experience. The way I think about it, the IB ecosystem operates as a trust chain: trader, partner, and broker. Each link depends on the integrity of the next. The traditional model was designed without enough regard for that chain. It focused on the first connection, getting the trader in, that is, without building the conditions that keep the chain intact over time. Q4: You describe the IB ecosystem as a trust chain. What happens when one of those links fails? When the chain holds, everyone benefits. When it breaks, the impact moves through all three levels immediately. If the final layer fails, due to unstable conditions, execution issues, or withdrawal delays, the effect doesn’t stop at the broker level. It moves straight to the partner’s credibility and then to the trader’s experience. That’s why retention should be understood as an ecosystem outcome and not just a performance metric. This way, it indicates whether the relationship holds across all three levels. Q5: What are experienced partners prioritizing when they evaluate a broker today? Has that calculus changed? Experienced partners are increasingly prioritizing the elements that shape long-term trust: execution consistency, spread stability, withdrawal reliability, and overall platform performance and consistency. They are part of the commercial foundation of this partnership. What has changed is that partners are looking more closely at what traders actually experience after the referral. Not just whether they signed up, but whether they stayed, whether they remained active, and their experience matched what the partner promised. That’s a more mature standard, and it’s reshaping the market. Q6: Infrastructure is often talked about in technical terms. How does it impact the partner relationship? Infrastructure has become a reputational layer for partners, which is not how most people think about it. When systems fail, whether due to execution issues or withdrawal delays, the impact is immediate, and that credibility erodes faster than it was built. The practical reality is that a partner’s ability to grow their business depends on what happens after the referral. If the trading environment holds up under pressure, the partner builds a stronger community. If it doesn’t, they spend their time managing complaints rather than building relationships. That distinction has significant commercial consequences over the long term. Q7: The African trading ecosystem is built heavily on communities and networks. How does it shape the way trust is established and maintained? Communities in Africa are not just distribution channels; they are the environment in which trust is formed. A trader’s first decision about who to use is rarely in isolation. It comes through a recommendation, a conversation in a trading group, or an observation of how someone they respect is positioned. That means the quality of the broker’s delivery not only affects individual traders. It affects the entire network around them. A single negative experience shared within a community can travel quickly. A consistently positive one becomes the foundation of organic growth that no acquisition campaign can replicate. For brokers operating in this market, that dynamic is both an opportunity and a responsibility. It means that getting the fundamentals right is not just about the conditions under which community trust can grow.The post Building for the long term: A conversation with Saheed Akinbiyi, Exness Country Manager first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

New York-headquartered private markets index manager, NewVest, has become the first closed-ended private equity fund manager to launch on London Stock Exchange Group’s Digital Market, it was announced on Monday.  NewVest applies the principles of passive investing — including lower fees, rules-based diversification, and broad-based access — to private equity and private debt, asset classes historically characterised by active manager selection, restricted access, and limited transparency.  The firm has committed capital to funds managed by 100 of the industry’s largest and most established general partners. In 2025, NewVest collaborated with S&P Dow Jones Indices to launch the S&P Private Equity 50 Index Series, introducing a benchmark-led approach to private equity performance measurement aimed at improving transparency and comparability across the asset class. Edward Talmor-Gera, founder and chief executive of NewVest, said private markets are entering a new phase of growth and that the shift towards index-based approaches would be among the most significant drivers of institutional and private wealth allocations to the asset class over the coming decade.  He described the collaboration with LSEG as an important step towards making private markets more accessible. Matthew Chapman, partner at NewVest, said the United Kingdom had become one of the firm’s most important markets from both an investor and strategic perspective, and that the partnership with LSEG reflected NewVest’s long-term commitment to the UK and to expanding private markets access through leading infrastructure. NewVest’s launch on LSEG’s Digital Market broadens the platform’s range of investment fund structures available to institutional and wealth investors.The post NewVest Becomes First Private Equity Manager to List on LSEG’s Digital Market first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Binance, the world’s largest digital asset platform by trading volume, has launched 24/5 trading of US stocks and ETFs for its global user base, powered by brokerage infrastructure firm Alpaca. The move is designed to accelerate the exchange’s evolution into a multi-asset financial platform. Through the integration of Alpaca’s Broker API, Binance users can now invest in more than 7,000 US-listed stocks and ETFs with a minimum investment of $5, access near-round-the-clock trading for select equities, and manage cross-border capital allocations using stablecoin funding options including USDC, USDT, and BNB. Shunyet Jan, head of spot and derivatives business at Binance, said the launch responded to growing user demand for more seamless access to both digital assets and traditional financial products, adding that the underlying infrastructure was now mature enough to support a significantly improved user experience. Yoshi Yokokawa, co-founder and chief executive of Alpaca, described the launch as an important example of how digital asset platforms are responding to user demand by broadening choice across traditional and digital markets. The move addresses a gap identified by Binance between digital asset environments and conventional equity markets, where retail investors in many regions face obstacles including high commission fees, fragmented account structures, and expensive currency conversions. Binance also announced plans to release bStocks, a tokenised US securities offering, in the coming weeks. The company said its long-term ambition is to serve its next three billion users through a single, diversified financial platform.The post Binance Launches US Stock and ETF Trading in Partnership with Alpaca first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.