The round was led by Addition, with participation from investors including T. Rowe Price, Activant, Lingotto, Robinhood Ventures and TIAA Ventures. The company said the investment will fuel its expansion in the U.S. and other key markets, and accelerate hiring and product development, particularly in artificial intelligence.  Airwallex said it will deploy more than $1 billion from 2026 to 2029 to scale its U.S. operations. As part of the strategy, San Francisco has been designated as a second global headquarters. Co-founder and CEO Jack Zhang stated: “We believe the future of global banking will be borderless, real-time, and intelligent.” “We’re building a modern alternative, a single platform that powers global banking, payments, billing, treasury, and spend on top of proprietary financial infrastructure.” The company said annualised revenue surpassed $1 billion in October, up 90% year-on-year, while annualised transaction volume doubled to more than $235 billion. Airwallex now holds about 80 licences globally and expanded into 12 additional markets in 2025. Airwallex also unveiled plans to deploy specialised AI agents to automate financial workflows.  “Airwallex connects the full spectrum of a customer’s financial operations,” commented Zhang, adding that this proprietary visibility “is what powers agentic finance.” The company said the new capital will strengthen its position in the U.S. and other major markets. The post Airwallex Raises $330m at $8bn Valuation appeared first on LeapRate.

The company said the approval covers its global platform through three separate regulated entities in ADGM,  an exchange, a clearing house and a broker-dealer, each holding distinct permissions.  Nest Services Limited, soon to be renamed Nest Exchange Limited, has been approved as a Recognised Investment Exchange with permission to operate a multilateral trading facility. Nest Clearing and Custody Limited has been approved as a Recognised Clearing House with additional custody and CSD permissions, while BCI Limited, to be renamed Nest Trading Limited, has been approved as a broker-dealer. Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said: “Achieving regulatory status through ADGM’s respected framework reflects our deep commitment to compliance, transparency, and user protection.”  He added that the licence “provides regulatory clarity and legitimacy, enabling Binance to support its global operations from ADGM.” His Excellency Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi, Chairman of ADGM, said: “We are pleased to welcome Binance.” “Their presence underscores Abu Dhabi’s standing as a leading international hub for innovation, sustainable growth, and the future of finance.” Binance said the approval cements its position at the forefront of regulatory progress in digital finance.  The platform, which has more than 300 million registered users, will begin operating ADGM-regulated activities on 5 January 2026. The post Binance Secures Global Licence Under ADGM Framework appeared first on LeapRate.

In a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent, FINRA said the Pennsylvania-based firm conducted a securities business on 90 days while failing to maintain the required minimum net capital.  The regulator said the firm also “failed to timely report a net capital deficiency,” “maintained inaccurate books and records,” and “failed to establish and maintain a supervisory system reasonably designed to ensure compliance with net capital and recordkeeping rules.” FINRA said two of the deficiencies were caused by the firm’s failure to use the accrual method of accounting, leading to receivables and payables being recorded on dates other than the closing dates of transactions.  Three additional deficiencies are said to have stemmed from the firm’s failure to provide its Financial and Operations Principal with timely and accurate information. The regulator also said the firm “failed to file a timely same-day notification for a net capital deficiency it identified in November 2021,” leaving FINRA and the SEC unaware of the issue until it was identified by examiners. FINRA added that the firm’s written supervisory procedures provided “no guidance” regarding when net capital should be computed and that its FINOP lacked access to key financial information until 2023. The firm updated its accounting processes in May 2024. Alden Associates accepted and consented to the findings without admitting or denying them. The post FINRA Fines J. Alden Associates Over Net Capital and Supervisory Failures appeared first on LeapRate.

Effective immediately, the companies will combine regulated market infrastructure with crypto-native capabilities to deliver “frictionless institutional access” across asset classes, spanning trading, custody, settlement, collateral management and tokenised assets. The first phase will see Kraken integrate directly with 360T, the foreign-exchange trading venue owned by Deutsche Börse Group.  The move will give Kraken clients access to “competitive, bank-grade FX liquidity” through one of the largest global liquidity pools and improve fiat on- and off-ramp efficiency. The partnership will also expand institutional crypto access through Kraken Embed, enabling banks and fintechs to offer compliant digital asset services.  Eurex-listed derivatives will be made available to trade on Kraken, while Clearstream and Crypto Finance will support custody and trading services for Deutsche Börse clients. The firms will work together on tokenisation by integrating xStocks within the 360X ecosystem and enabling the distribution of securities in tokenised form to Kraken clients. Kraken co-CEO Arjun Sethi said: “Our partnership with Deutsche Börse Group demonstrates what happens when two infrastructures designed for scale and trust intersect.”  Deutsche Börse Group CEO Stephan Leithner said the collaboration “underscores our ongoing commitment to shaping the future of financial markets by combining the trust and resilience of our regulated infrastructure with the innovation of the digital asset ecosystem.” The agreement establishes a “two-way gateway” connecting U.S. and European institutional markets across traditional and digital assets. The post Kraken and Deutsche Börse Seal Partnership to Link Traditional and Digital Markets appeared first on LeapRate.

Mr Wellauer, who became Chairman in 2020, will step down at the end of 2025 but remain on the board until the Annual General Meeting on 6 May 2026 to support the transition. Mr Helfenstein has served on the SIX board since 2020 and previously ran Credit Suisse’s Swiss business from 2020 to 2024 as CEO of Credit Suisse (Switzerland) Ltd.  His earlier career included senior roles across private, corporate and institutional client businesses after joining the bank in 2007, and more than a decade as Partner & Managing Director at Boston Consulting Group. Mr Wellauer said: “It has been a privilege to lead SIX as Chairman of the Board of Directors and to contribute to the further development and growth of the company – at a time of significant political and economic challenges and changes.  “I congratulate André on his appointment and am confident that SIX will continue to strengthen its position under his leadership. The company can build on its innovative strength and stability, as well as its first-class services for Swiss and international financial markets.” Mr Helfenstein said: “I am very pleased to take over as Chairman of the Board of Directors of SIX and greatly appreciate the trust placed in me by my colleagues.” “Together with the Board of Directors and the Executive Board, I will focus on driving forward the successful development of SIX, continuously strengthening our services and infrastructure, and offering our customers and shareholders clear added value.” The post SIX Names André Helfenstein as New Chairman from January 2026 appeared first on LeapRate.

The Australian financial services group said the appointment remains subject to necessary approvals and will bring the board to nine members. Macquarie said Mr Vereker brings “significant global financial services experience, including organisational change management and managing risk.” Chair Glenn Stevens stated: “We are delighted to welcome William to the Macquarie Group Board. His deep knowledge of financial services and his international perspective will be of great value to Macquarie and his appointment, as part of our continuing process of renewal, contributes to our Board remaining an effective steward of Macquarie’s diverse and dynamic global business”. Mr Vereker currently serves as a non-executive director and Chair of the Board Remuneration Committee at London Stock Exchange Group.  He is also a member of the investment committee of Delancey Real Estate Credit Fund, an advisory board member of Celonis GmbH, and Chairman of the Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, Advisory Board. He previously chaired Santander UK until August 2025. Macquarie said the appointment aligns with its strategy of board renewal as it continues to expand its global reach. The post Macquarie Names William Vereker to Board as Non-Executive Director appeared first on LeapRate.

Total repo volumes reached $7.4 trillion for the month, highlighting strong momentum behind the use of distributed-ledger technology to modernise post-trade infrastructure.  The DLR platform enables participants to execute and settle repo transactions using tokenised securities, aiming to improve liquidity, transparency and operational efficiency. Horacio Barakat, head of digital innovation at Broadridge, stated that tokenisation had “moved from concept to real-world transformation,” adding that platforms capable of operating at institutional scale were “unlocking new levels of efficiency, liquidity, and investor access.” Broadridge notes that institutions increasingly rely on trusted infrastructure partners as they transition towards integrating digital and traditional financial ecosystems.  The firm sees tokenisation as a structural shift in market architecture, providing benefits in settlement speed, collateral mobility and operational resilience. The rapid growth in DLR adoption reflects wider industry interest in tokenised assets, blockchain-based settlement and interoperable ledger systems. The post Broadridge DLR Platform Processes $368bn in Daily Trades as Tokenisation Accelerates appeared first on LeapRate.

AEGIS Markets, regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, provides a centralised venue for producers, consumers and financial institutions to hedge energy and commodity exposures.  In volume terms, two million contracts equate to roughly two billion barrels of crude oil hedged since inception. Chief executive Bryan Sansbury believes the milestone showed “how quickly the industry is embracing modern market infrastructure,” adding that all market participants “deserve transparent and efficient execution.” The platform has recorded substantial growth in 2025, with year-to-date trading activity up 48 percent and customer-managed trading up 175 percent. AEGIS currently has 38 active dealers providing liquidity and 278 hedgers executing trades. The company added that the adoption reflects a shift away from opaque bilateral channels towards digital execution, enhanced price discovery and automated post-trade processing.  AEGIS Markets has expanded its tools to reduce friction, improve back-office efficiency and provide analytics for more confident hedging decisions. Andrew Furman, president of AEGIS Markets, noted that the platform reached its first million contracts in 26 months and its second in just 13 months, adding: “We are only just beginning.” Any firm hedging commodity exposures through bilateral swaps is eligible to use the marketplace. The post AEGIS Markets Passes 2 Million Contracts as Digital Hedging Demand Rises appeared first on LeapRate.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said Friday that FXCM’s TMD inappropriately included investors with a medium risk appetite, despite CFDs being high-risk derivatives.  The watchdog argued that the characteristics of FXCM’s CFDs, including leverage, volatility, liquidity constraints and pricing risk, made them “unlikely to be suitable” for such investors. The order prevents FXCM from issuing CFDs to retail clients or opening new accounts for those wishing to trade CFDs referencing currency pairs and forex baskets, commodities and treasuries, stock indices, equities, equity baskets and cryptocurrencies. Existing clients may continue to vary or close positions. ASIC stated that the intervention was necessary because distributing the products under the current TMD was “unlikely to be consistent” with the needs, financial objectives or circumstances of the target market. The temporary order, which lasts 21 days unless revoked earlier, aims to prevent consumer harm while the firm reviews its obligations. The regulator stressed that issuers of retail derivatives must define an appropriate target market and ensure products are distributed accordingly. CFDs have been subject to enhanced regulatory scrutiny since ASIC’s product intervention orders in 2020, which followed several reviews showing that most retail traders lose money. The action comes after recent ASIC reports highlighted widespread weaknesses in compliance with design and distribution obligations among OTC derivatives issuers, including over-reliance on questionnaires and inadequate monitoring of distribution channels. The post ASIC Issues Stop Order Against FXCM Over CFD Targeting Concerns appeared first on LeapRate.

The enhancement covers funds domiciled across the UAE, including structures based in the Dubai International Financial Centre and Abu Dhabi Global Market.  Clearstream explained that the new capability applies to a broad range of products, from open-ended mutual funds to closed-ended private equity and venture capital funds. Vestima, which Clearstream describes as the world’s largest cross-border fund processing platform, is said to provide a single point of access for order routing, safekeeping and processing across mutual funds, ETFs and alternative funds such as ELTIFs, private equity, real estate and hedge funds.  The addition of UAE-domiciled funds expands the geographic scope of the platform and adds further diversity to the range of funds accessible to global clients. Clearstream said the development marks an important step in its strategy to broaden its international footprint and increase the variety of fund types available through its infrastructure. The post Clearstream Adds UAE-Domiciled Funds to Vestima Platform appeared first on LeapRate.

The agreement will allow Equiti to broaden product access, enhance execution quality and support new asset classes across regions.  TraderEvolution’s technology is designed to provide improved performance, smoother operational flows and more advanced tools for traders navigating volatile and fast-moving markets. Equiti said the partnership is a core part of its plan to deliver faster, more flexible trading.  Husam Al Kurdi, CEO of Equiti Cyprus, said the deal “aligns with our ambition to widen the product range and market access available to our clients,” adding that the firm’s priority is to ensure traders have “the reach and usability required to navigate global markets confidently.” The move is expected to support Equiti’s work to provide a seamless trading experience, building on its existing infrastructure while expanding the number of instruments and trading environments it can support. TraderEvolution CEO Roman Nalivayko stated that the firm was seeing a rising number of established global brokerages adopt its technology, noting that its “multi-asset strengths and back-end-first architecture give brokers unparalleled control and flexibility.” The post Equiti Partners with TraderEvolution to Boost Multi-Asset Trading Capability appeared first on LeapRate.

The broker, which serves more than 15 million clients worldwide, said the approval reflects its commitment to “robust regulatory standards” and reinforces its focus on maintaining a “secure, transparent and client-first trading environment.” Co-CEO Menelaos Menelaou said the UAE had established itself as “a world-class financial hub”, adding that SCA authorisation “underscores our commitment to long-term growth and trust in the region.” The licence allows XM to offer its full suite of trading services directly to clients across Dubai and the wider Emirates.  The firm has launched a dedicated UAE platform, xm.ae, available in both Arabic and English, offering access to its trading products, analytical tools, educational materials and support services. XM said the authorisation brings local clients closer to its global ecosystem, enhancing onboarding and giving UAE traders direct access to its established international infrastructure.  The approval also enables the company to deepen its regional footprint at a time of growing investor interest in regulated multi-asset trading platforms. The post XM Secures UAE Licence as Broker Expands Regional Footprint appeared first on LeapRate.

The combined entity, to be named SIX Clearing, is intended to streamline operations, enhance efficiency and strengthen the company’s position across European financial markets. The move remains subject to regulatory approval. SIX currently operates the two CCPs separately, though they already cooperate operationally.  By integrating them into one structure headquartered in Madrid, with additional presences in Zurich and Oslo, the group aims to gain scale and improve processes across asset classes.  The integration builds on SIX’s earlier acquisition of BME, which created a platform for wider pan-European growth. The new CCP is designed to offer interoperable links in the cash equity segment, with existing interoperability functions from SIX x-clear transferred into the combined unit.  The company expects this to make SIX Clearing a “true pan-European interoperable cash equity CCP,” and give it access to European Central Bank euro liquidity, as well as T2 and T2S infrastructure, through BME Clearing’s existing EU licence. Rafael Moral Santiago, Head of Securities Services and Executive Board Member at SIX, said the project would help the company “diversify into other asset classes and expand the reach of our offering,” positioning it to compete internationally with a more integrated post-trade solution. SIX said the timeline and final structure of the merger will depend on securing all required regulatory approvals. The post SIX Moves to Create Single Pan-European Clearing House appeared first on LeapRate.

The rollout is part of the company’s LSEG Everywhere AI strategy, which aims to deliver trusted, AI-ready data at scale.  The first phase will integrate LSEG Financial Analytics, with additional datasets and features to follow. The connector is expected to go live from the week of 8 December 2025. The integration will enable users to work with LSEG’s proprietary content, including decades of historical data, when generating analysis inside ChatGPT. Emily Prince, LSEG’s Group Head of AI, said the connector combines “a secure, enterprise AI platform” with the “depth, breadth and quality” of the group’s data and commentary. LSEG also plans to give an initial 4,000 employees access to ChatGPT Enterprise, enabling teams to streamline workflows, improve productivity and build new internal AI-driven solutions.  The firm will work with OpenAI’s technical specialists to support the adoption of new models and capabilities. OpenAI’s Head of Revenue, Ashley Kramer, said integrating LSEG’s data directly into ChatGPT would help customers “ask complex questions and move quickly with confidence.” The collaboration adds to LSEG’s expanding list of AI partnerships, which already includes Microsoft, Snowflake, Databricks and Anthropic’s Claude, as the group seeks to embed AI tools across financial markets and enterprise operations. The post LSEG Deepens OpenAI Partnership With New MCP Connector for ChatGPT appeared first on LeapRate.

CLSNet, which supports more than 120 currencies, automates and standardises post-trade matching and netting for transactions outside CLSSettlement, including many emerging-market and same-day trades.  The company said that adoption has been accelerating, with the service recording an average daily netted value of $169 billion in the first half of 2025, up 18 percent on the same period a year earlier.  The network now includes the world’s top 12 global banks and a rising number of regional institutions, funds and corporates. Standard Chartered said the move reflects its commitment to improving liquidity management and operational efficiency across FX.  Tony Hall, the bank’s Global Head of Global Markets, said the lender would deliver “safer, faster and more efficient post-trade processing, freeing up intraday liquidity and reducing settlement risk for our clients.” The expansion comes as regulators and market participants focus on reducing settlement exposure, particularly in emerging-market currencies, where usage of automated netting platforms is recommended under Principle 35 of the FX Global Code. CLS said additional Asian banks are joining the network. Taiwan’s CTBC has already gone live, while Malaysia’s Maybank and Taiwan’s Taishin have committed to join, with an emphasis on reducing risks in Asian currency pairs such as USD/CNH. CLS’s Chief Growth Officer Lisa Danio-Lewis said growing participation would enhance the “network effect,” further increasing the efficiency benefits for users as adoption widens. The post Standard Chartered Joins CLSNet as Settlement Risk Remains a Focus in FX appeared first on LeapRate.

Shah brings over 25 years of financial technology experience, joining from FlexTrade, where he served as Head of Sales for Sell-Side Solutions in EMEA.  His career includes senior roles at Cosaic and a long tenure at Fidessa, where he oversaw EMEA sales and account management across the firm’s product suite. TT said Shah will lead the regional sales strategy as the company expands beyond its flagship futures and options platforms. The firm now offers services across the trade lifecycle and is developing new tools for additional asset classes. Alun Green, TT’s EVP and Managing Director for Futures and Options, said Shah “brings terrific and very relevant experience” and has “a proven track record of success in designing and executing sales and business growth strategies”. He added that TT’s broadened product suite allows the sales team to deliver “end-to-end and bespoke solutions”. Shah holds a computer science degree from Cardiff University and is expected to help deepen TT’s client relationships across major financial hubs in Europe and the Middle East. The post Trading Technologies Hires Rajiv Shah to Lead EMEA Sales Push appeared first on LeapRate.

Total new capital quoted reached $10.9 billion, more than double the $4.3 billion reported in the same month last year.  Net new capital quoted rose to $9.3 billion, compared with $4.3 billion a year earlier, helped by a significant increase in other capital raised, including scrip-for-scrip transactions.  Year-to-date net new capital now stands at $19.3 billion, a dramatic swing from the negative $15.3 billion recorded in the prior period. Trading volumes also accelerated. The average daily number of cash-market trades increased 54% year on year, while average daily on-market traded value rose 26% to $7.26 billion. Total cash-market value for the month stood at $178.5 billion, up 26%. Volatility picked up, with the average daily movement in the All Ordinaries Index rising to 0.7%, compared with 0.5% a year earlier. The S&P/ASX 200 VIX averaged 12.4, marking a 10% rise. Derivatives activity also expanded. Average daily futures volume increased 24% year on year, while options on futures saw an 84% jump. OTC interest-rate derivatives clearing surged 63% to $748 billion in notional value. ASX settlement systems showed continued growth, with CHESS holdings up 7% and Austraclear holdings up 8%. Participant numbers remained stable, with no admissions or resignations during the month. The post ASX Trading Activity Surges in November as Capital Raisings Climb appeared first on LeapRate.

The new ETFs, each offered in two currencies, allocate at least 80% of assets to either European or U.S. companies listed on regulated markets.  The funds are actively managed with reference to the MSCI Europe and Russell 1000 indices, respectively, and aim to provide targeted, high-conviction exposure within core equity allocations. Their debut expands SIX’s already extensive ETF universe. The exchange now hosts 35 ETF issuers offering 2,100 ETFs, including 298 new listings this year. Of those, 111 actively managed ETFs have launched, its highest tally in eight years. Eva Maria Hintner, Columbia Threadneedle’s Country Head for Switzerland, said the market environment demands solutions that can “deliver attractive returns after costs, cushion downside risk and avoid the concentration risks” of major indices.  She added that the firm’s active equity ETFs offer “genuine active management in an ETF wrapper” and are designed to sit at the core of client portfolios. SIX’s Senior ETFs & ETPs Sales Manager, Danielle Reischuk, said the arrival of Columbia Threadneedle “further broadens the range of actively managed ETF products” and reinforces the strength and diversity of the exchange’s marketplace. Columbia Threadneedle oversees more than $675 billion in client assets globally and manages a research-driven investment platform with 550 investment professionals across North America, Europe and Asia. The post Columbia Threadneedle Joins SIX as ETF Issuer With Two Active Funds appeared first on LeapRate.

Nelson has served as interim Chair since 1 October and joined the board in 2023. A long-standing figure in financial services, Nelson previously led KPMG’s Global Financial Services Practice, where he advised international banks, and has held board roles at BP, RBS and HSBC.  The bank stated that his extensive governance and industry experience was central to the board’s decision. Senior Independent Director Ann Godbehere, who led the appointment process, said she was “delighted” with the decision, adding that Nelson has shown “excellent leadership capabilities backed by his strong banking and governance credentials”. Nelson said he was “honoured to be HSBC Group Chair” and looked forward to working with the board and the executive team, including Group CEO Georges Elhedery, to deliver on the bank’s strategic and financial objectives. He will continue to chair the Group Audit Committee until HSBC publishes its 2025 results in February 2026, after which the bank will outline plans for his successor in that role.  The appointment comes as HSBC continues to advance its technology and operational transformation plans while navigating a complex global interest-rate environment and shifting regulatory landscape. The post HSBC Appoints Brendan Nelson as Group Chair appeared first on LeapRate.

The AIM-listed firm has signed a three-year Private Cloud agreement with a major Canadian bank, worth $1.5 million, and an additional £2 million Proximity Cloud extension with a large FX broker.  The latter brings the total value of that contract to £4 million over five years. Revenue from both deals will begin in the second half of FY26. Beeks believes the latest wins demonstrate “continued sales momentum” across its portfolio.  The firm explained that its Private Cloud platform offers a dedicated, scalable environment tailored to a single client and hosted in a preferred data centre. Proximity Cloud is said to provide a high-performance, low-latency trading environment owned by the client and deployed in global locations. Chief Executive Gordon McArthur stated the company has “a wide range of opportunities progressing through our sales pipeline,” reflecting increasing appetite for specialist cloud infrastructure in financial markets.  He added that development of Market Edge Intelligence, Beeks’ newest product, is progressing as planned and opens “a significant additional market for the Group”. McArthur also highlighted that several Exchange Cloud contracts are nearing completion, reinforcing the firm’s confidence in delivering further growth.  The company said the wins build on a strong start to the financial year and position the business well for sustained operational and commercial momentum. The post Beeks Announces Two Major Contract Wins appeared first on LeapRate.