CMC Markets has expanded access to its Spectre trading account, making the zero-leverage spread betting product available to retail clients. The FTSE 250 company explained that this follows an initial rollout to professional traders and a subsequent surge of demand from the broader market. Structured as a spread betting account, Spectre is said to allow clients to trade using their own capital without incurring financing costs on long positions and without the risk of margin calls that are typically associated with leveraged products (also on long positions).  The account also offers tax-efficient trading, with positions exempt from capital gains tax and stamp duty, though CMC notes that tax treatment depends on individual circumstances. The decision to extend Spectre to retail clients follows the build-up of a waiting list after the professional launch, which CMC says demonstrated a clear appetite for a simpler and more cost-efficient approach to longer-term trading. Lord Peter Cruddas, Founder and Chief Executive of CMC Markets, said the removal of leverage and financing costs makes Spectre a “simpler, cost-effective, and tax-efficient” option for those seeking a more accessible route to the markets. Laurence Booth, Global Head of Markets at CMC Markets, described the retail launch as a “clear example” of the firm shaping the next generation of trading solutions, in line with a wider strategy to expand client choice through products that combine flexibility and cost efficiency.The post CMC Markets Opens Spectre Account to Retail Clients first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Prop trading firm Upcomers has announced a partnership with cTrader, integrating the industry-recognised platform into its offering as part of a broader push to build a more transparent and trader-focused environment. Upcomers, a fast-growing proprietary trading firm, will now give its clients access to cTrader, a platform used by more than 11 million traders worldwide. The move expands Upcomers’ existing product range, which already spans forex, CFDs, commodities and crypto markets, alongside personalised funding programmes and challenge-based structures. cTrader is designed to serve traders across all experience levels. Newer traders are drawn to its clean layout and ease of use, while more seasoned professionals leverage features such as depth of market (DOM), advanced order types and highly customisable charting tools. The platform’s mobile app is also widely regarded as one of the strongest in the industry, offering ultra-fast execution and broad availability across major app stores. Central to the partnership is a shared commitment to transparency. Upcomers positions trust as a core value within its business, while cTrader operates under its Traders First philosophy, which prioritises full operational visibility and eliminates the risk of platform-side manipulation. Jakub Zeliska, CEO of Upcomers, said the integration was part of a larger vision to create one of the industry’s strongest trading environments, adding that cTrader “fits perfectly” alongside the firm’s expanding suite of products. Yiota Hadjilouka, COO of cTrader developer Spotware Systems, said the partnership aligned with Upcomers’ drive to meet the varied needs of its growing trader base.The post Upcomers Partners with cTrader to Strengthen Its Trading Platform Offering first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has censured and fined IFP Securities, LLC $100,000 after finding the Tampa, Florida-based broker-dealer failed to reasonably supervise thousands of mutual fund and unit investment trust (UIT) transactions over a roughly three-year period. According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) filed under FINRA Case No. 2023077036901, IFP Securities — a FINRA member since February 2019 with approximately 290 registered representatives and 140 branches — allowed a critical gap in its compliance infrastructure to go unaddressed from November 2022 through November 2025. The breakdown stemmed from a vendor change for the firm’s automated surveillance system in November 2022. As an unintended consequence of the switch, the system stopped generating daily alerts designed to flag potentially problematic mutual fund switching, short-term trading, and early UIT redemptions. Rather than implementing an alternative supervisory process while the issue was being resolved, IFP had no backup system in place. The surveillance system was not fully restored until November 2025. FINRA found that as a result, IFP failed to evaluate whether thousands of recommendations — including mutual fund switches and early UIT rollovers — were in customers’ best interests, in violation of Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI), FINRA Rule 3110, and FINRA Rule 2010. IFP Securities accepted the findings without admitting or denying them. The sanctions, including the $100,000 fine and censure, will take effect on a date set by FINRA.The post FINRA Fines IFP Securities $100,000 first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The London Metal Exchange (LME) and its clearing house, LME Clear, have announced two senior management appointments as the group enters what it describes as “a new and exciting phase of growth.” Simon Parsons has been named Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of LME Group, succeeding Tabitha Silverwood, who is departing after 12 years with the organisation. Parsons joins from HSBC, where he spent 16 years in senior finance roles, most recently as Group Head of Financial Planning and Analysis. He previously served as CFO of HSBC’s Global Liquidity and Cash Management business and led its Transformation and Strategic Cost Management function. He holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Leeds. LME CEO Matthew Chamberlain paid tribute to the outgoing CFO, saying Silverwood had “led or contributed to a wide range of LME Group projects and initiatives” and had driven “continuous improvement in the Finance function” throughout her tenure. Of Parsons, Chamberlain said his “25 years’ experience in delivering profitability and efficiency for complex global businesses” made him “extremely well-placed” to lead the Group Finance team. In a separate appointment, MiRan Park has been named Chief Business Officer — a newly created role — taking responsibility for Global Client Development, Relationship Management, Product Development and Research. Park joins from S&P Global, where she served as Managing Director leading cross-divisional partnership strategy. She previously held senior roles at S&P Global’s IHS Markit division for over a decade and holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Chicago. Both appointees will sit on the LME Executive Committee and report to CEO Matthew Chamberlain.The post LME Group Names New CFO and Chief Business Officer first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Interactive Brokers (U.K.) Limited posted pre-tax profit of £34 million for the year ended 31 December 2025, more than double the £13.6 million it reported a year earlier, according to a filing lodged with Companies House. After-tax profit came in at £26 million, up from £10.5 million. Revenue and Cost Breakdown Turnover, which the company derives entirely from commissions on order execution and clearing, rose to £46.2 million from £36 million. Administrative expenses increased to £67 million from £59.4 million, while other operating income reached £10.8 million. The operating line showed a loss of £9.96 million, though that was narrower than the £16.2 million operating loss recorded in 2024. The business relies on finance income to drive profitability. Finance income reached £147.6 million in 2025, broken down as follows: £51.5 million from bank deposits, £47.9 million from interest on client balances, and £48.2 million from intercompany balances. Of the interest on client balances, £34.2 million came from margin lending. Finance costs rose marginally to £103.6 million. On a revenue-per-client basis, Interactive Brokers UK generated approximately £532 in turnover per carrying client at year-end, a figure that reflects the commission-only structure and the broker’s attraction of more active, higher-volume traders rather than casual retail investors. Client Growth Steadies After Exceptional Prior Year The company said it was the carrying broker for 86,798 clients at year-end, a 35% increase from 64,146 in 2024. That is a deceleration from the 142% jump recorded the year before, when client numbers more than doubled from a smaller base. Double-digit annual growth in a mature, competitive UK retail trading market nevertheless represents solid momentum. These figures cover only the UK subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed Interactive Brokers Group. At group level, the parent closed Q4 2025 with revenue of $1.64 billion and earnings per share of $0.65, beating analyst expectations. UK Competitive Context Interactive Brokers UK sits in a market where the performance gap between operators is wide. CMC Markets closed its fiscal 2025 with net operating income of £340.1 million and a 33% jump in pre-tax profit to £84.5 million, a different scale, reflecting CMC’s larger client base and CFD-oriented model. IG Group, the FTSE 100 market leader, has been undergoing a strategic review that could reshape its corporate structure. Interactive Brokers has been expanding in the UK with a multi-asset pitch aimed at self-directed investors, offering global equities, options, futures, FX, bonds and crypto on a single platform with competitive margin rates. The firm launched IBKR Lite, its zero-commission service, for Singapore clients in August 2025, signalling that international expansion remains a parallel priority alongside consolidating its UK position. The strong profit result, commission turnover of roughly £532 per client before the finance income that drives the bottom line reflects the higher-activity profile of Interactive Brokers’ typical UK client compared to passive-investment platforms. With interest rates remaining elevated, the finance income that generated £147.6 million in 2025 continues to underpin profitability across the wider group.The post Interactive Brokers UK Profit More Than Doubles to £34 Million as Client Count Hits 86,000 first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has announced a review into how consumer investment firms handle bereaved customers, examining whether current practices meet the standards expected under the Consumer Duty. The review was launched on 13 May 2026. The FCA will assess the full bereavement journey at investment platforms, financial advisers and wealth managers, from the point at which a firm is first notified of a death through to the settlement or transfer of the deceased’s investments. Specific areas under review include how firms communicate with bereaved customers, how they identify and support those in vulnerable circumstances, the service standards applied to bereaved accounts, and how fees are handled during the bereavement period. The review follows similar work the FCA has previously conducted in retail banking and insurance, where it found inconsistent practices, repeated information requests and avoidable delays were common. FCA research cited in the announcement found that fewer than half of bereaved customers, 47%, felt they received adequate support from their financial provider. The review is in scope for firms that advise on, manage, or administer retail investments. That covers a wide range of authorised firms: investment platforms, discretionary fund managers, financial advice firms and wealth managers holding or administering assets on behalf of retail clients. There is no cross-border dimension to this particular review; it applies to FCA-authorised firms operating in the UK consumer investments market. The FCA may write to selected firms from May 2026 requesting information as part of its evidence-gathering. The FCA intends to publish its findings later in 2026, setting out examples of good practice and areas requiring improvement. The review sits within the regulator’s Consumer Investments Regulatory Priorities and is part of its ongoing Consumer Duty supervisory programme. Firms in scope should expect to demonstrate that their bereavement processes are designed to deliver good customer outcomes and not merely procedural compliance. The FCA’s press release is available on fca.org.uk.The post FCA Launches Review of Bereavement Support Standards at Investment Firms first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a resolution briefing for Central Counterparties (CCPs), providing practical guidance on how national authorities should operationalise the write-down and conversion of instruments tool (WDCI). The briefing was published on 13 May 2026. The WDCI is one of several tools available to National Resolution Authorities (NRAs) under the EU’s CCP recovery and resolution framework. In plain terms, it allows authorities to write down or convert a CCP’s liabilities, including the claims of clearing members, into equity or other instruments as part of a structured crisis response. ESMA’s briefing sets out a methodology for NRAs to follow when incorporating the WDCI into CCP resolution plans. It covers how NRAs should define the data they collect from CCPs to calibrate available resources, how to assess the impact on clearing members and financial market infrastructures, and how to ensure the necessary processes are in place to implement the tool effectively, including arrangements for any post-WDCI reorganisation of the CCP. The briefing follows two earlier publications in the same series covering CCP critical functions and resolution cash calls. The guidance is directed primarily at NRAs across the EU and EEA, rather than CCPs or their clearing members directly. However, clearing members, which include major banks, broker-dealers and futures commission merchants, are explicitly identified as key stakeholders whose interests NRAs must account for when calibrating a WDCI. Firms that clear through EU CCPs should note that this briefing advances the build-out of a more standardised and operationally consistent resolution framework across member states, reducing the risk of inconsistent application in a cross-border stress scenario. The briefing is effective immediately as guidance to NRAs. It forms part of ESMA’s broader programme to construct a single resolution rulebook for CCPs, with a focus on practical operationalisation of existing legal tools. No consultation deadline applies; this is published guidance rather than a rule-making proposal. The full briefing is available on ESMA’s website.The post ESMA Issues Guidance on CCP Resolution Write-Down and Conversion Tool first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged six individuals and two entities — Reign Financial International LLC, Reign Financial International Inc., and Berone Capital LLC — for orchestrating a high-yield investment programme (HYIP) fraud that raised more than $26 million from at least 31 investors. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, names Giorgio Johnson, Gary Mills, Patrick Allen, Jeremiah Beguesse, and Fabian Stone as principals. Reign Financial International and two of its principals — Johnson and Mills — have consented to a judgment requiring disgorgement of $1,116,650 plus prejudgment interest of $372,420 and civil penalties of $1,116,650, totalling approximately $2.6 million. According to the SEC, the defendants operated three fictitious HYIPs, promising investors outsized returns through purported trading strategies. Investor funds were not deployed in any legitimate investment programme. Instead, the SEC alleges, money was misappropriated for personal expenditures including jewellery, luxury vehicles, and private jet travel. The scheme ran over multiple years and targeted investors with promises of guaranteed returns — a classic indicator of HYIP fraud that regulators across multiple jurisdictions have warned about repeatedly. HYIP fraud remains a persistent problem in the retail investment space, particularly in online communities. The SEC and CFTC have brought dozens of similar actions over the past decade, with several resulting in criminal convictions. The Berone Capital name is not associated with the established European asset manager of the same name. The $26 million raised in this case is relatively large for this category of fraud — most HYIP prosecutions involve sub-$10 million amounts — reflecting the operators’ success in sustaining the illusion of legitimacy across multiple entities and investment vehicles. Source: SEC Litigation Release LR-26552The post SEC Charges Reign Financial and Berone Capital Over $26M HYIP Fraud first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has charged 21 individuals in one of the broadest insider trading cases of recent years, alleging that a network of traders systematically exploited confidential merger and acquisition information stolen from multiple global law firms between 2018 and 2024. The complaint, filed on 7 May 2026 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Case No. 26-civ-12068), names attorney Nicolo Nourafchan and businessman Robert Yadgarov as the primary orchestrators of the scheme, which generated millions of dollars in illicit profits across dozens of securities transactions. According to the SEC’s complaint, Nourafchan — an M&A attorney with access to non-public information (MNPI) through his legal work — passed material tips to Yadgarov, who in turn coordinated a broader trading network. The information concerned pending corporate transactions including mergers, acquisitions, and other significant deals handled by the law firms where Nourafchan worked or had contacts. Participants traded in advance of public announcements, generating profits that the SEC describes as running into the millions. The action involves at least five separate law firms and spans a six-year period, making it one of the most sustained insider trading operations targeting legal sector MNPI in recent memory. International regulators including the FCA (UK), CySEC (Cyprus), the Danish FSA, and Switzerland’s FINMA provided assistance to the investigation. Parallel criminal charges have been filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. The scale and duration of this case place it alongside the most significant MNPI enforcement actions of the past decade. The SEC has been intensifying its focus on law firm leakage since at least 2021, when it secured charges in separate cases involving attorneys at major firms. The involvement of four foreign regulators signals that trading activity extended well beyond U.S. borders and involved accounts held across multiple jurisdictions — a pattern the SEC’s Market Abuse Unit has made a stated enforcement priority. At 21 defendants, this action is among the largest single insider trading complaints the SEC has filed. Firms in the legal, investment banking, and advisory sectors should treat this case as a signal that the SEC’s cross-border cooperation capabilities are materially stronger than they were five years ago. Information barriers and MNPI access controls are receiving heightened regulatory scrutiny — the participation of European regulators in a U.S. enforcement action of this scale is a direct illustration of how quickly a domestic investigation can expand internationally. Source: SEC Litigation Release LR-26551The post SEC Charges 21 in Global Insider Trading Ring Tied to Law Firm Data first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has secured a civil judgment against Andrew Middlebrooks and his Delaware-registered entity EIA All Weather Alpha Fund I Partners LLC in connection with a commodity pool fraud that ran from 2017 to 2022. The CFTC’s order, announced on 1 May 2026, resolves the civil claims and imposes permanent bans on both Middlebrooks and the entity from trading on CFTC-regulated markets and from registering with the CFTC in any capacity. The CFTC found that Middlebrooks solicited millions of dollars from dozens of participants in the United States and abroad by misrepresenting the nature, performance, and oversight of the fund. Specific findings include the use of false statements to investors, fabricated audit documents, and falsified account statements designed to conceal the fund’s actual performance and Middlebrooks’ misappropriation of pool assets. EIA All Weather Alpha Fund I was presented as a sophisticated commodity trading vehicle, but the CFTC’s investigation found no legitimate trading programme that matched the representations made to investors. A related criminal case in the U.S. resulted in Middlebrooks pleading guilty to wire fraud; he was sentenced in 2025 to eight years and four months in federal prison and ordered to pay $34,346,948 in restitution to victims. This case follows a familiar pattern of commodity pool fraud that the CFTC has pursued aggressively since 2015 — small-to-mid-size operators raising funds from retail and semi-professional investors using fabricated documentation. The criminal sentence of over eight years is materially longer than the typical range for this category of fraud, reflecting both the duration of the scheme (five years) and the scale of losses ($34 million+ in restitution). The CFTC’s civil order closes the regulatory enforcement loop on a case where criminal justice has already been applied. Source: CFTC Press Release 9225-26The post CFTC Wins Judgment Against Michigan Commodity Pool Operator in Multi-Year Fraud Case first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission has ordered Sidney Lebental, a dual French-American national based in New York City, to pay a $200,000 civil monetary penalty for spoofing Ultra U.S. Treasury Bond futures contracts on the Chicago Board of Trade. The CFTC order, published on 6 May 2026, also imposes a one-month ban on Lebental trading in CFTC-regulated markets and requires him to cease and desist from further spoofing violations. The CFTC found that Lebental engaged in approximately 50 instances of spoofing between January and September 2019. The conduct involved placing bids or offers with the intent to cancel them before execution — a practice that artificially moves prices by creating a false impression of supply or demand. Spoofing in U.S. Treasury futures is particularly significant given the role these instruments play as global benchmarks for interest rate pricing. The CFTC’s order notes that Lebental’s activity spanned the full range of this spoofing definition under the Commodity Exchange Act, Section 4c(a)(5)(C). This action is part of an ongoing CFTC enforcement focus on spoofing that dates to the passage of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 and accelerated following the 2020 JPMorgan precious metals spoofing settlement, which resulted in a $920 million combined penalty. The CFTC has brought spoofing charges against individual traders at large banks, hedge funds, and proprietary trading firms. A $200,000 individual penalty is at the lower end of recent spoofing cases — most institutional spoofing settlements are in the millions — but the accompanying trading ban reflects the CFTC’s position that deterrence requires personal consequences beyond financial penalties. Source: CFTC Press Release 9227-26The post CFTC Orders New York Trader to Pay $200,000 for Spoofing Treasury Futures first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Derivative Path has launched ALM Strategy Builder, a new platform giving banks and credit unions the ability to model, stress-test, compare, and present interest rate hedging strategies within a single environment, addressing what the firm describes as a persistent gap in available tooling for depository institutions. The platform allows treasury and asset-liability management teams to model hedge portfolios across standard rate-shock scenarios, custom shocks, and user-defined rate paths, with all metrics recalculated in real time. Side-by-side strategy comparison evaluates proposed hedges across all scenarios simultaneously, whilst pre-configured templates reduce friction during common strategy builds. Results can be assessed in isolation or in the context of balance-sheet level interest rate risk. A built-in AI assistant enables users to interrogate live portfolio data in plain language — asking, for example, what happens to earnings if a $25 million five-year swap is added — and receive data-driven responses in seconds. The assistant can also interpret portfolio results, flag offsetting exposures and maturity mismatches, and suggest alternative hedging structures. The platform also generates ALCO-ready outputs formatted for board and committee presentations, combining the analytical and presentation layers in a single workflow to reduce the time treasury teams spend reconstructing analysis for different audiences. Pradeep Bhatia, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of Derivative Path, said treasury teams at banks and credit unions are running hedging programmes with real complexity and deserve tooling that reflects that. ALM Strategy Builder is available immediately as a standalone subscription, with no prior relationship with Derivative Path required.The post Derivative Path Launches AI-Powered ALM Strategy Builder for Bank and Credit Union Treasury Teams first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a global leader in payments and financial technology, has announced a strategic collaboration with OpenAI to bring advanced artificial intelligence capabilities directly into the platforms and products serving financial institutions worldwide. The partnership targets four core areas: building AI-powered agents on Fiserv’s newly launched agentOS platform, accelerating bank modernization timelines, developing banking-specific AI capabilities, and strengthening cybersecurity for institutions of all sizes — including community banks and credit unions. Central to the collaboration is agentOS, a platform Fiserv unveiled on the same day as the announcement. The system is designed to automate high-capacity workflows at financial institutions, with Fiserv developing first-party agents in partnership with OpenAI to power the platform’s initial rollout. Bank modernization — long considered one of the most complex and resource-intensive challenges in the industry — is another priority. Fiserv and OpenAI say they are exploring how AI can compress conversion timelines, reduce implementation risk, and allow institutions to upgrade core systems without disrupting daily operations. On cybersecurity, Fiserv, which is already a member of OpenAI’s Trusted Access for Cyber (TAC) program, aims to extend AI-enhanced security capabilities more broadly across its client base. “Financial institutions are dealing with operational challenges that have outpaced what conventional software can solve,” said Dhivya Suryadevara, Co-President of Fiserv. Joint teams from both companies are already underway, with client-facing progress expected throughout the remainder of 2026 and into the future.The post Fiserv Partners with OpenAI to Embed Frontier AI Into Banking Operations first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

UK investment platform Freetrade has announced the appointment of Jenny Zhao as its new Chief Executive Officer, subject to regulatory approval. Zhao brings significant experience scaling high-growth disruptors, having previously held senior roles at energy startup Bulb and digital wills platform Farewill. Her appointment signals Freetrade’s ambition to accelerate growth as it looks to broaden access to investing for everyday consumers across the UK. She succeeds co-founder Viktor Nebehaj, who is stepping down after nearly a decade helping to build the business from the ground up. Under Nebehaj’s leadership, Freetrade, which is now owned by IG Group, has grown to manage over £4 billion in assets under administration (AUA), with the company reporting record customer growth in its most recent period. Announcing the news on LinkedIn, Freetrade described Zhao as bringing “a stellar track record of scaling high-growth disruptors,” adding that she would lead the company “into our next stage of growth.” Nebehaj departs having left the platform in what the company called its “strongest position ever.” His successor will inherit a business that has established itself as one of the UK’s leading retail investment apps.The post Freetrade Appoints Jenny Zhao as New Chief Executive Officer first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

cTrader is launching cTrader AI Agent Connect, the first built-in AI agent solution in FX/CFD trading, combining two MCP servers with a skills library. One prompt is now enough to run operations on cTrader: AI agents connect directly to the platform and can execute trades, analyse accounts, automate trading, perform technical analysis and control charts through simple prompts. With this launch, cTrader reinforces its position at the forefront of trading technology, continuing to deliver cutting-edge solutions to traders and clients worldwide. “Trading is entering a new phase, where AI-powered agents are moving beyond simple question-answering and becoming active participants in how traders analyse markets and execute trades. At Spotware, we have always focused on staying ahead of industry change and building technology around the needs of modern traders. That is why we launched cTrader AI Agent Connect – a new step forward in trading platform technology. It gives traders a reliable way to integrate AI agents securely into their trading workflows, improve decision-making quality and automate much of the manual work.” Ilia Iarovitcyn, CEO of Spotware Systems       What is cTrader AI Agent Connect cTrader AI Agent Connect brings together two MCP servers for remote and local access, as well as a skills library. The solution was built to help traders make better-informed decisions and manage risk more efficiently. They simply describe what they need, and the agent does the work, cutting out the time-consuming steps. cTrader AI Agent Connect includes a set of tools that make cTrader capabilities available to any AI agent through the Model Context Protocol (MCP) – a specification that lets AI agents work with external tools and services. The solution supports Claude Code, ChatGPT Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI and others. Remote MCP server Remote MCP server provides the essential toolset for powering trading activity through AI. To enable remote MCP, you will need access to cTrader Web. The setup is simple: copy the configuration token from the “Remote MCP” section in cTrader Web settings and paste it to your AI agent. Once connected, core trading and account operations are available from your AI agent. Remote MCP server covers account operations, order and position management and market data analysis. Local MCP server Local MCP server covers the widest set of cTrader functions, allowing AI agents to operate inside the trading workspace itself. It requires cTrader Windows and works with any compatible AI agent. By running locally, it provides more control and a broader scope for task automation in cTrader Windows. Local MCP spans three main areas: account and trading operations, market analysis and workspace control. Skills Skills are ready-made AI workflow instructions for cTrader AI Agent Connect. Traders do not need to build instructions from scratch or figure out how to adapt AI Agent Connect to their operations. Instead, they get a set of reusable workflows covering various trading operations, which can be adapted to the trader’s style and used as part of their daily routine. A dedicated Help Centre section will feature the full skills library, with guidance on what each Skill does and how it can be used. Reflecting Traders First approach that guides every cTrader upgrade, cTrader AI Agent Connect advances the trading experience: it saves time, runs the analytics and helps traders act smarter. As trading technology moves into the AI era, cTrader is leading the way, bringing traders one of the most forward-looking solutions in FX/CFD trading. 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 launches official MCP servers for AI-powered trading first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Australian Securities Exchange announced Thursday that it has appointed Anthony Attia as its managing director and chief executive officer, effective September 1, 2026. Attia has almost three decades of exchange experience in both the US and Europe, having previously held senior leadership roles at Euronext, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and NYSE Euronext.  Within those roles, his experience spanned the full value chain of exchange operations, including post-trade services and primary markets and listing franchises, which ASX feels positions him well to lead the exchange. “Following a comprehensive global search process, the Board is delighted to appoint someone of Anthony’s calibre,” commented ASX Chair David Clarke. “He brings deep exchange experience coupled with a proven track record of technology-enabled transformation and a clear understanding of the responsibilities that come with leading critical market infrastructure. I am confident he will build on the momentum at ASX and support the next stage of our transformation.” ASX also noted that as Chief Executive Officer of Euronext Paris and a member of the Managing Board of Euronext from 2014 to 2021, and most recently as Euronext Global Head of Derivatives and Post Trade, Attia has “built a distinguished track record of leadership across global capital markets.” They added that he has previously led major strategic and growth initiatives and developed relationships with customers, regulators, and market participants across several jurisdictions, highlighting his central role in Euronext’s transformation into a leading pan-European market infrastructure group. “I am delighted to join ASX at a pivotal moment in its transformation,” Attia stated. “There is so much potential, and I’m excited to meet everyone at ASX and to engage directly with key stakeholders in Australia’s markets ecosystem.” ASX’s current Managing Director and CEO, Helen Lofthouse, will depart the firm on May 29, 2026. Darren Yip was appointed as ASX Interim CEO and is expected to support the transition to Attia later this year.The post ASX Appoints Anthony Attia as CEO, Effective September first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Broadridge Financial Solutions has announced the opening of a new delivery centre in Glasgow, designed to provide technology-led business process outsourcing services to financial institutions across the UK, Europe, and beyond. The centre has been established in response to growing demand among global financial firms for greater operational resilience, geographic diversification, and access to skilled talent within the UK and European regulatory environment. Services delivered from the hub will span middle office operations, corporate actions, static data management, trade support, transaction processing, and reconciliations. The Glasgow hub has launched with a global investment bank as its anchor client, providing operational services across the trade lifecycle, including corporate actions and income processing. Broadridge says the centre is designed to scale alongside client demand, supporting firms as they move away from single-location operating models to reduce concentration risk. Thomas Giacolone, Global Head of Business Process Outsourcing at Broadridge, said the hub strengthens the firm’s ability to deliver technology-led outsourcing solutions as financial institutions re-engineer their operating models in response to structural shifts including the global move to T+1 settlement, extended trading hours, and rising demand for operational resilience. He added that Broadridge has already delivered a 30% increase in productivity across its BPO business, with a further improvement to 50% in sight. Mike Sleightholme, President of Broadridge International, described Glasgow as a natural choice for the next phase of the firm’s BPO growth, citing the depth of Scottish financial services talent and the city’s emergence as a prominent financial centre.The post Broadridge Opens Glasgow Hub to Bolster Nearshore BPO Capabilities first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Cape Securities Inc., a McDonough, Georgia-based broker-dealer, has been censured by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and ordered to pay $145,072.62 in partial restitution, plus interest, for failing to comply with Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) and for repeatedly ignoring regulatory information requests. The sanctions, outlined in a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC), stem from violations spanning July 2020 through March 2025. FINRA found that Cape Securities failed to establish a supervisory system—including written supervisory procedures—reasonably designed to achieve compliance with Reg BI, which requires broker-dealers to act in the best interest of retail customers. Specifically, Cape Securities failed to adequately supervise representatives who recommended GWG L Bonds to six retail customers—five of whom were seniors with moderate risk tolerances—resulting in up to 43% of those customers’ liquid net worth concentrated in the high-risk, unrated alternative investment. GWG Holdings subsequently defaulted on its L Bond obligations and filed for bankruptcy in April 2022. The firm also failed to supervise recommendations of leveraged, daily-reset non-traditional exchange-traded products (NT-ETPs) to four retail customers, who held the complex instruments for up to 693 days and incurred $15,072.62 in realized losses. Additionally, FINRA found Cape Securities failed to timely respond to eight Rule 8210 information requests, materially delaying the regulatory investigation. Cape Securities, a FINRA member since 1976 that operated approximately 20 registered representatives across eight branches, filed to terminate its FINRA registration in March 2026. No fine was imposed, given the firm’s financial condition and pending withdrawal.The post FINRA Censures Cape Securities, Orders $145K Restitution first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

LSEG announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a collaboration with Google Cloud to deliver licensed financial data and analytics directly into Gemini Enterprise, the tech giant’s agentic AI platform, via a new Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector. The MCP connector grants users access to a wide range of LSEG’s data offerings, including pricing, macroeconomics, fundamentals, news, forecasts and estimates, as well as financial analytical models. The integration is designed to help financial institutions accelerate contextual research and strengthen market monitoring and risk workflows, all within a secure, governed environment. Gemini Enterprise, described by Google Cloud as an end-to-end system built for the agentic era, is said to be capable of executing complex, multi-step work processes, making high-quality, real-time data access a critical component of its effectiveness. Emily Prince, Group Head of Enterprise AI at LSEG, said the partnership was about meeting institutions where they already operate. “By bringing LSEG’s trusted data into Gemini Enterprise through MCP, we are enabling turn-key access to trusted financial content within the environments where they already work,” she said. Graham Drury, Financial Services Director, UK, at Google Cloud, added that the collaboration was designed to remove friction between raw information and actionable insight. “This collaboration allows financial institutions to build sophisticated, data-driven agents all within a secure, enterprise-grade environment,” Drury said.The post LSEG to Deliver Financial Data into Google’s Gemini Enterprise first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

TradingView has integrated ICE Data Indices into its platform, giving users access to more than 3,000 market benchmarks to support more in-depth global market analysis. The popular charting and trading platform announced the addition on May 13, describing the move as part of its ongoing effort to expand data coverage and help users make more informed, data-driven decisions. The new indices come from the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which was founded in 2000 and operates financial exchanges and clearing houses worldwide. ICE is perhaps best known as the parent company of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Its Fixed Income & Data Services division is widely recognized for providing analytics, valuations, and market data solutions across a broad range of asset classes. With the integration now live, TradingView users can access a wide variety of benchmarks spanning multiple markets and sectors. Highlights are said to include the MOVE (Market Option Volatility Estimate) index, which monitors volatility across U.S. Treasuries, and the NYA (NYSE Composite) index, which tracks the performance of all common stocks listed on the NYSE. Also available is the GDM (Arca Gold Miners) index, a market cap-weighted benchmark covering global gold and silver mining companies. The expanded dataset is designed to give traders and analysts a clearer picture of both broader economic conditions and specific industry performance, all within TradingView’s existing charting environment.The post TradingView Adds Over 3,000 ICE Data Indices to Platform first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.