Leading regulated digital prime broker GCEX (GCEX Group) has acquired GlobalBlock Europe UAB, a specialist crypto brokerage and asset management firm focused on high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) with over $60 million in client assets.  This strategic transaction marks a natural expansion for GCEX from its established OTC, conversion and technology business into a broader digital assets proposition for asset and wealth managers. The partnership combines GCEX’s strength in regulated multi-asset trading and deep Tier 1 liquidity provision and GlobalBlock’s proven capabilities in wealth management and fintech innovation. Both firms have built a strong reputation around service, security and transparency, and expect to achieve significant synergies across client onboarding, technology integration, and scaling globally. The acquisition leverages GCEX’s multi-jurisdictional licenses across the UK (FCA), Denmark (FSA/EU), and Dubai (VARA). Together, operating in line with applicable regulatory requirements, GCEX and GlobalBlock will accelerate client onboarding by combining GCEX’s liquidity and regulatory framework with GlobalBlock’s proprietary AI-driven fund management technology, and expand products and market reach globally. Lars Holst, Founder & CEO of GCEX Group, commented: "Acquiring GlobalBlock is a strategic leap forward for GCEX, expanding our footprint, our client base, our team, and our capabilities. GlobalBlock’s founders have built a standout, profitable firm, with world-class products, providing innovative diversification strategies for clients. Our firms have complementary technology and shared values in terms of innovation, service and integrity.” “By joining forces with GlobalBlock we are strengthening our position to compete in the top tier of Digital and TradFi. Our combined clients will gain access to broader product suites, market leading pricing, and cutting-edge trading platforms, with the highest levels of data security.” David Thomas, Co-Founder of GlobalBlock, added: "We are excited to join forces with GCEX. Their strong regulatory licenses and global reach perfectly complement our business model. This partnership allows us to expand our wealth management and digital asset solutions while continuing to operate under the GlobalBlock brand that our clients trust." GCEX’s Chairman, Jesper Ronald Petersen concluded; “It is with great pleasure to be able to announce the friendly acquisition of GlobalBlock. Acknowledging each company’s core strengths and values and the market trends, both sides went into this transaction with a positive mindset, seeing the obvious benefits for the combined business. Add to this the constructive process from our main investor, True Global Ventures, and the DLA Piper deal team, we set off and completed fast and strong. This bodes well for a seamless integration by our highly skilled employees with benefits to both shareholders and, most importantly, our clients.” GCEX Group empowers institutional and professional clients to access deep liquidity in CFDs on digital assets and FX, alongside spot trading and conversion of digital assets. The company also offers a comprehensive range of Forex brokerage and crypto-native technology solutions under its XplorDigital suite. XplorDigital features, its XplorDigital App, innovative plug-and-play solutions, ‘Crypto in a Box’ and ‘Broker in a Box’ which encompass technology-agnostic platforms addressing regulation while covering trusted custody solutions, staking solutions, safety of funds, tier 1 and deep liquidity, connectivity to the biggest price makers, advanced risk management, and innovative technology partnerships. GlobalBlock Europe, UAB is a private limited liability company registered in accordance with the applicable laws of the Republic of Lithuania as a virtual currency depository wallet operator. In the Wealth and Asset Management space, GlobalBlock services include GB10, a diversified portfolio of the top 10 cryptocurrencies weighted by market cap and rebalanced every month. Its proprietary technology provides asset managers with a digital portfolio service to tailor clients’ objectives via an App. GlobalBlock’s payment solutions allow clients to settle invoices or receiving payments in cryptocurrency as well as purchasing or selling cryptocurrencies for treasury management. Headquartered in London, with multiple offices across the globe, GCEX is regulated by the UK’s FCA, registered with the Danish FSA as a VASP and currency exchange and has a Virtual Asset Service Provider license by the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. True Global Ventures are investors in GCEX. For further information, please visit www.gc.exchange or LinkedIn   Risk Disclaimer The content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation or a solicitation to conclude a transaction. It is intended exclusively for professional and institutional clients and is not directed at Retail Clients or at residents of any jurisdiction where FX, CFDs and/or Digital Asset trading is restricted or prohibited by local laws or regulations. FX, CFDs and Digital Assets are high-risk and leveraged products that may not be suitable for all investors. They can result in losses exceeding your deposit, and you should carefully consider your objectives, financial situation, experience and risk appetite before trading. Cryptoassets carry a particularly high risk, and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. Do not invest unless you are prepared to lose all the money you invest.

Global Fintech leader, Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), today announced that it has delivered full ISO 20022 cash processing capabilities for its global bank and broker/dealer clients. This positions clients well ahead of the November 2025 Swift Standard Release. "At Broadridge, we are committed to making sure that our clients are positioned to use mandatory change as a springboard for growth,” said Danny Green, Head of International Post-Trade Solutions at Broadridge. “The Swift ISO 20022 transition marks the most significant change in Swift messaging that the financial markets have seen in more than 20 years. As an industry leader, we have implemented this change across our post-trade platform, de-risking the transition for clients and minimizing their cost to implement. As a result, our clients are not only compliant with the November 2025 deadline, ahead of schedule, but are positioned to take advantage of the enhanced capabilities that ISO 20022 provides.” The ISO 20022 migration enables more sophisticated message processing with significantly enhanced data structure and flexibility compared to the relatively limited scope of legacy formats. The new messaging standard allows for more structured and detailed business information, providing greater transparency in financial transactions. Broadridge's implementation strategy has focused on creating a foundation for future enhancements, ensuring clients are positioned for potential future expansions of the ISO 20022 standard. This approach demonstrates how Broadridge helps clients navigate mandatory market changes through its proactive product management and collaborative implementation methodology. With the November 2025 deadline approaching, when Swift will discontinue processing ISO 15022 payment messaging formats, Broadridge's timely preparation and successful client implementations underscore the company's position as a trusted partner in critical market infrastructure transitions.

StoneX Group Inc. (NASDAQ: SNEX) announces today that the Payments Division of its London-based subsidiary, StoneX Financial Ltd (“SFL”), has entered into a correspondent banking relationship with Hana Bank’s London branch, marking a significant expansion of StoneX’s exiting strategic partnership with Hana Bank’s head office in Seoul. Hana Bank, one of South Korea’s foremost commercial and foreign exchange banks, leverages StoneX Payments’ market-leading cross-border FX payment platform to provide cost-effective and seamless access to local currency payments in Latin America, the Middle East, and Asia. This partnership will allow Hana Bank to better serve the needs of its international corporate clients operating across global markets. The new arrangement between SFL and Hana Bank London builds on the strong foundation already in place between the parties and represents the next phase of the successful partnership. By integrating Hana Bank into SFL’s global network of correspondent banks, both institutions will be able to better serve increases in Korean won (KRW) flows into Korea. The new initiative will greatly enhance SFL’s ability to settle KRW transactions into Korea and strengthen Hana Bank’s ability to deliver comprehensive FX and remittance services to its broad client base. Chiwoo Lee, Deputy General Manager, Hana Bank London, said:“With our FX expertise, it’s great to not only contribute to StoneX’s KRW payment capabilities, but also to align with the Korean government’s intent to open up the FX market with extended operation hours for KRW transaction facilitation.” Commenting on StoneX Payments’ strategic expansion, Thiago Vieira, Global Head of StoneX Payments, said:“Hana Bank’s growing global ambitions make them an ideal partner for our financial institution client platform. As we continue to execute on our Asia expansion strategy, we are thrilled to take our partnership with Hana Bank to the next level—providing customers with access to broader emerging-market currencies while offering StoneX clients a more efficient way to execute payments into Korea.” Adding a local market perspective, Won Kyung Cho, Head of StoneX Payments Korea, said:“We see immense potential in leveraging Hana Bank’s expertise to deepen our capabilities and support ever-increasing KRW payment demand. Through the advanced capabilities both organizations bring to the table, we anticipate this partnership will unlock new opportunities and business potential for Korea-related companies.”

ING, Banca Sella, KBC, Danske Bank, DekaBank, UniCredit, SEB, CaixaBank and Raiffeisen Bank International – have joined forces to launch a MiCAR-compliant euro-denominated stablecoin. This digital payment instrument, leveraging blockchain technology, aims to become a trusted European payment standard in the digital ecosystem. The stablecoin will provide near-instant, low-cost payments and settlements. It will enable 24/7 access to efficient cross-border payments, programmable payments, and improvements in supply chain management and digital asset settlements, which can vary from securities to cryptocurrencies. The stablecoin will be regulated by EU's "Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation" (MiCAR), and is expected to be first issued in the second half of 2026. The stablecoin consortium, with the aforementioned banks as founding members, has formed a new company in the Netherlands, aiming to be licensed and supervised by the Dutch Central Bank as an e-money institution. The consortium is open to additional banks joining. A CEO is expected to be appointed in the near future, subject to regulatory approval. The initiative will provide a real European alternative to the US-dominated stablecoin market, contributing to Europe's strategic autonomy in payments. Individual banks will be able to provide value added services, such as a stablecoin wallet and custody. "Digital payments are key for new euro-denominated payments and financial market infrastructure. They offer significant efficiency and transparency, thanks to blockchain technology's programmability features and 24/7 instant cross-currency settlement. We believe this development requires an industry-wide approach, and it's imperative that banks adopt the same standards," states Floris Lugt, Digital Assets Lead at ING and joint public representative of the initiative.

The 38th edition of the Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI 38) was published today by Z/Yen Group in partnership with the China Development Institute (CDI). New York held onto the top position in the index and has now been in first place since GFCI 24, published in September 2018. London remains in second place and has further closed the gap in the ratings with New York. Hong Kong retains third position ahead of Singapore. Only one rating point now separates each of the top four centres in the index. San Francisco, Chicago, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Seoul are unchanged in fifth to tenth positions. In the top 20 centres, Dubai is up one place to 11th position and Frankfurt down one place to 12th. Tokyo and Zurich entered the top 20, replacing Beijing and Amsterdam. The rating for almost all centres improved very slightly, with the average rating across all centres up 0.6%. The largest increase in average ratings was in Eastern Europe & Central Europe, at 1.36% and the lowest was in the Middle East & Africa where average ratings rose by 0.22%. Hong Kong takes top position in the separate FinTech ranking, followed by Shenzhen, with New York falling to third place. Singapore has overtaken London to take fourth position. Chinese and US centres continue to feature strongly, with six US centres and six Chinese centres in the FinTech top 20. We have researched views on the aspects of regulation that are most important to the development of financial centres. The most important factor was predictability, followed by flexibility, the quality of regulation, and the speed of regulatory response. Cost was identified as the least important aspect by those responding to the survey. The top 20 centres in GFCI 38 are shown in the table below: Full details of GFCI 38 can be found at www.globalfinancialcentres.net. Professor Michael Mainelli, Chairman of Z/Yen, said: “The extremely close ratings of centres in the index shows the intensity of competition among leading financial centres from the highest rated to the lowest. Most are now separated by only a single point on a 1,000 point scale. The common core competitive component is regulation. Predictability and flexibility of regulation provide a secure platform for financial markets to grow, far ahead of cost as a basis for competition.”

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is proposing amendments that would codify existing no-action positions for certain of the CFTC’s business conduct and documentation requirements applicable to swap dealers and major swap participants.  The proposed amendments, if adopted, would further harmonize the CFTC’s rules with those of the Securities and Exchange Commission and Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.Comments must be submitted on or before Oct. 24, 2025.  RELATED LINKS Federal Register

At the end of the settlement date of September 15, 2025, short interest in 3,341 Nasdaq Global MarketSM securities totaled 14,035,983,054 shares compared with 13,901,511,651 shares in 3,315 Global Market issues reported for the prior settlement date of August 29, 2025. The mid-September short interest represents 2.49 days compared with 2.39 days for the prior reporting period. Short interest in 1,673 securities on The Nasdaq Capital MarketSM totaled 3,110,176,592 shares at the end of the settlement date of September 15, 2025, compared with 3,057,145,541 shares in 1,673 securities for the previous reporting period. This represents a 1.08 day average daily volume; the previous reporting period’s figure was 1.10. In summary, short interest in all 5,014 Nasdaq® securities totaled 17,146,159,646 shares at the September 15, 2025 settlement date, compared with 4,988 issues and 16,958,657,192 shares at the end of the previous reporting period. This is 2.01 days average daily volume, compared with an average of 1.97 days for the prior reporting period. The open short interest positions reported for each Nasdaq security reflect the total number of shares sold short by all broker/dealers regardless of their exchange affiliations. A short sale is generally understood to mean the sale of a security that the seller does not own or any sale that is consummated by the delivery of a security borrowed by or for the account of the seller. For more information on Nasdaq Short interest positions, including publication dates, visithttp://www.nasdaq.com/quotes/short-interest.aspxor http://www.nasdaqtrader.com/asp/short_interest.asp.    

NYSE today reported short interest as of the close of business on the settlement date of September 15, 2025. SETTLEMENT DATE EXCHANGE TOTAL CURRENTSHORT INTEREST TOTAL PREVIOUSSHORT INTEREST(Revised) NUMBER ofSECURITIES with aSHORT POSITION NUMBER of SECURITIESwith a POSITION >=5,000 SHARES 09/15/2025 NYSE 16,062,355,050 15,637,402,897 2,869 2,572 09/15/2025 NYSE ARCA 2,297,798,924 2,160,260,301 2,406 1,638 09/15/2025 NYSE AMERICAN 820,434,628 769,926,344 298 254 09/15/2025 NYSE GROUP 19,180,588,602 18,567,589,542 5,573 4,464 *NYSE Group includes NYSE, NYSE American and NYSE Arca           Reports will be archived here.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission have announced the agenda and panelists for their joint Sept. 29 roundtable on regulatory harmonization efforts. The roundtable, announced earlier this month, will be held at the SEC's headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The event will be open to the public and webcast live on the SEC’s website. Doors will open at noon. For online attendance, registration is not necessary. A webcast will be available on the roundtable webpage. For in-person attendance, please register in advance. Agenda and Panelists: 1 p.m. – Opening Remarks Paul Atkins – Chairman, SEC Caroline Pham – Acting Chairman, CFTC Caroline Crenshaw – SEC Commissioner 1:20 p.m. – Panel 1: How We Got Here This panel will focus on the history of SEC and CFTC relationship. Moderator: J. Christopher Giancarlo, Former CFTC Chairman Panelists: Kenneth Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA Craig Lewis, Vanderbilt University Scott Litvinoff, Interactive Brokers Walt Lukken, FIA Scott O’Malia, ISDA Jim Overdahl, Delta Strategy Group 2 p.m. – Break 2:10 p.m. – Panel 2: Platforms This panel will focus on how regulatory harmonization efforts could unlock economic value for platforms while continuing to protect investors. Moderators: Jill Sommers, Former CFTC Commissioner Jamie Selway, SEC Division of Trading and Markets Director Panelists: Shayne Coplan, Polymarket Craig Donohue, Cboe Global Markets Terrence Duffy, CME Group Adena Friedman, Nasdaq Tarek Mansour, Kalshi Arjun Sethi, Kraken Jeffrey Sprecher, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Don Wilson, DRW Holdings 3:25 p.m. – Remarks Mark Uyeda – SEC Commissioner 3:30 p.m. – Break 4 p.m. – Panel 3: Participants This panel will focus on how regulatory harmonization efforts could increase choice for market participants and reduce costs for investors. Moderators: J. Christopher Giancarlo, Former CFTC Chairman Troy Paredes, Former SEC Commissioner Panelists: Stephen Berger, Citadel Ryan Louvar, WisdomTree Nick Lundgren, Crypto.com JB Mackenzie, Robinhood Markets Dave Olsen, Jump Trading Group Sonali Theisen, Bank of America Brad Tulley, J.P. Morgan 5:20 p.m. – Closing Remarks Hester Peirce, SEC Commissioner

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Ken Johnson, who has been serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO) since December 2017, will retire from the agency in December. “Ken has been an integral leader at the SEC for more than two decades,” said Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “I have had the pleasure of knowing him both as a Commissioner and now as Chairman. He has served this agency and the country with ultimate integrity, furthering our mission with his adept oversight of SEC operations and administrative functions. I will certainly miss his wise counsel and wish him the very best in his next pursuits.” As COO, Mr. Johnson has overseen the SEC's operational and administrative functions, including the agency's Office of Human Resources; Office of Acquisitions; Office of Financial Management; Office of Information Technology; EDGAR Business Office; Office of the Chief Data Officer; and Office of Support Operations, which includes the agency's Freedom of Information Act, Records Management, and Facilities Management functions. “I want to thank Chairman Atkins, the Commissioners, and so many friends and colleagues over the years,” said Mr. Johnson. "It has been the honor of a lifetime to work with the exceptional staff of the SEC. I also want to extend a special appreciation to the Commission’s operational and administrative professionals, who work skillfully behind the scenes to make sure the agency can continue its critical work on behalf of investors and our markets.” In addition to his time serving as COO, Mr. Johnson served as the SEC’s chief financial officer from 2010 to 2017 and as a management analyst and chief management analyst between 2003 and 2010. Mr. Johnson came to the SEC in 2003 from the Congressional Budget Office. Mr. Johnson received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and earned his master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) reported on the performance of first-lien mortgages in the federal banking system during the second quarter of 2025. The OCC Mortgage Metrics Report, Second Quarter 2025 showed that 97.5 percent of mortgages included in the report were current and performing at the end of the quarter, an increase from 97.3 percent one year earlier. The percentage of seriously delinquent mortgages – mortgages that are 60 or more days past due and all mortgages held by bankrupt borrowers whose payments are 30 or more days past due – decreased from the second quarter of 2024. Servicers initiated 7,163 new foreclosures in the second quarter of 2025 showing a decrease from the previous quarter and an increase from a year earlier. Servicers completed 8,419 modifications during the second quarter of 2025, a 6.7 percent increase from the previous quarter’s 7,889 modifications. Of these 8,419 modifications, 7,968, or 94.6 percent, were “combination modifications” — modifications that included multiple actions affecting the affordability and sustainability of the loan, such as an interest rate reduction and a term extension. The first-lien mortgages included in the OCC’s quarterly report comprise 20.0 percent of all residential mortgage debt outstanding in the United States or approximately 10.8 million loans totaling $2.7 trillion in principal balances. This report provides information on mortgage performance through June 30, 2025, and is available on the OCC’s website. Related Link OCC Mortgage Metrics Report, Second Quarter 2025 (PDF)

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) will be holding a virtual roundtable: OSC Roundtable: Pathways to Truth and Reconciliation, where we will explore and discuss our draft Action Plan for Truth and Reconciliation. It is also one of the last chances to consider the draft and to provide us with your comments before the feedback period closes on October 31, 2025. We encourage rightsholders in Ontario, Indigenous organizations, market participants, regulators, investors and investor advocates to attend virtually, listen in and provide feedback. Date: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (ET) Location: Virtual (link will be shared with registered attendees prior to the event) Registration: Register for OSC Roundtable: Pathways to Truth and Reconciliation  Speakers Opening: Grandmother Dorothy Peters, Aboriginal Legal Services Roundtable panel: Cherie Brant, Partner and National Leader, Indigenous Law, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Clint Davis, Chief Executive Officer, Cedar Leaf Capital Carol Anne Hilton, Chief Executive Officer, Indigenomics Institute Tom Hunter, Senior Advisor of Indigenous Engagement, Canadian Securities Administrators Myan Marcen-Gaudaur, Director, Social Impact & Reconciliation, Scotiabank Scott Munro, Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Financial Management Board For speaker bios and more event details, please visit the OSC website.

The Ontario Securities Commission (OSC) has released an analysis of the impact on failed trades as part of the move to a T+1 settlement window. The research found that Canada’s market participants were able to adjust to the shortened settlement window without any major market disruption. On May 27, 2024, the trade settlement cycle for listed securities was shortened from two days after the trade date (T+2) to one day after the trade date (T+1). Failed trades occur when the seller does not deliver securities or the buyer does not provide funds by the settlement date. OSC Staff examined failed trades pre- and post-T+1 implementation for different security types and listing markets to assess the impact of the change. “Understanding the impact of changes to our regulatory system is essential for maintaining trust in our capital markets,” said Leslie Byberg, Executive Vice President, Strategic Regulation. “The smooth transition to a T+1 settlement cycle demonstrates the ability of Canadian capital markets participants to collaborate and cooperate to modernize markets without compromising stability.” OSC Staff analyzed data from the Canadian Depository for Securities Limited (TMX CDS) from January 2021 to June 2025 to evaluate the impact of the shortened settlement cycle on the prevalence of failed trades. The analysis did not find significant change either in the proportion of securities with failed trades or the proportion of total traded value that failed to settle on time after T+1 settlement was introduced. The mandate of the OSC is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, to foster fair, efficient and competitive capital markets and confidence in the capital markets, to foster capital formation, and to contribute to the stability of the financial system and the reduction of systemic risk. Investors are urged to check the registration of any persons or company offering an investment opportunity and to review the OSC investor materials available at https://www.osc.ca.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have announced the agenda and panelists for their joint September 29 roundtable on regulatory harmonization efforts. The roundtable, announced earlier this month, will be held at the SEC's headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The event will be open to the public and webcast live on the SEC’s website. Doors will open at noon. For online attendance, registration is not necessary. A webcast will be available on the roundtable webpage. For in-person attendance, please register in advance. Agenda and Panelists 1 p.m. – Opening Remarks Paul Atkins – Chairman, SEC Caroline Pham – Acting Chairman, CFTC Caroline Crenshaw – SEC Commissioner 1:20 p.m. – Panel 1: How We Got Here This panel will focus on the history of SEC and CFTC relationship. Moderator: J. Christopher Giancarlo, Former CFTC Chairman Panelists: Kenneth Bentsen, Jr., SIFMA Craig Lewis, Vanderbilt University Scott Litvinoff, Interactive Brokers Walt Lukken, FIA Scott O’Malia, ISDA Jim Overdahl, Delta Strategy Group 2 p.m. – Break 2:10 p.m. – Panel 2: Platforms This panel will focus on how regulatory harmonization efforts could unlock economic value for platforms while continuing to protect investors. Moderators: Jill Sommers, Former CFTC Commissioner Jamie Selway, SEC Division of Trading and Markets Director Panelists: Shayne Coplan, Polymarket Craig Donohue, Cboe Global Markets Terrence Duffy, CME Group Adena Friedman, Nasdaq Tarek Mansour, Kalshi Arjun Sethi, Kraken Jeffrey Sprecher, Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) Don Wilson, DRW Holdings 3:25 p.m. – Remarks Mark Uyeda – SEC Commissioner 3:30 p.m. – Break 4 p.m. – Panel 3: Participants This panel will focus on how regulatory harmonization efforts could increase choice for market participants and reduce costs for investors. Moderators: J. Christopher Giancarlo, Former CFTC Chairman Troy Paredes, Former SEC Commissioner Panelists: Stephen Berger, Citadel Ryan Louvar, WisdomTree Nick Lundgren, Crypto.com JB Mackenzie, Robinhood Markets Dave Olsen, Jump Trading Group Sonali Theisen, Bank of America Brad Tulley, J.P. Morgan 5:20 p.m. – Closing Remarks Hester Peirce, SEC Commissioner

The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced that Jon Kroeper has been named deputy director of the agency’s Division of Trading and Markets, effective Sept. 29. Mr. Kroeper twice served at the SEC before joining the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), where he worked from 2007 to 2024 as executive vice president in the market regulation department. He led a team of more than 280 analysts, investigators, and managers that conducted automated surveillance and investigations into potential wrongdoing across U.S. equity, exchange-traded products, and fixed income markets. Most recently, Mr. Kroeper was a senior consultant at Patomak Global Partners where he provided consulting and advisory services for the financial services industry. During his first SEC tenure from 1994 to 2000, he was an attorney-advisor, senior counsel, and counselor to a commissioner. At the SEC from 2005 to 2007, Mr. Kroeper served as both counselor to a commissioner and counselor to the chairman, advising on rulemaking, enforcement, and policy matters before the Commission with an emphasis on market structure, exchanges, and broker-dealers. “I welcome Jon back to the SEC as part of the Division of Trading and Markets leadership team, joining Director Jamie Selway,” said SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins. “He has deep market experience stemming from his previous service at the SEC and his many years at FINRA. Working together with our colleagues in the division, he and Jamie will further the SEC’s mission on behalf of market participants and investors.” Director Selway said, “Jon is a great addition to the Trading and Markets team. I look forward to collaborating with him and Chairman Atkins to support innovation and protect the greatest markets in the world.” Mr. Kroeper said, “I am thrilled to rejoin the Commission under Chairman Atkins and Director Selway. I am excited to get to work in the Division of Trading and Markets, which is so critical to maintaining fair, orderly, and efficient markets.” Mr. Kroeper received his J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law and his B.A. in government from Georgetown University.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) has announced the arrangements for the adjustment to WH Group Limited (WH Group) structured products and options to account for WH Group’s special dividend issuance. Corporate action overview Corporate Action Special Dividend of HK$0.3 per share Ex-date 6 October 2025   For more details, please refer to the announcement made by WH Group on 22 September 2025. Investors should consult their brokers for further details, or if they have any questions regarding the arrangements. Structured products with shares of WH Group as underlying asset The listing documents of all existing structured products with the shares of WH Group as underlying asset contain provisions that deal with a cash distribution including a special dividend.  Structured product issuers will make announcements in the evening of a business day immediately prior to the ex-date regarding the relevant adjustments (including the adjusted entitlement and adjusted exercise price) and investors should read the contents of such announcements. Adjustments of WH Group Options For detailed trading, clearing and settlement arrangements of WH Group Options after adjustments, please refer to the circular posted on HKEX website. Investors should note that the adjusted and standard stock options will have different contract sizes. There will not be any changes to the number of open positions and other contract terms after the transfer of positions.

The Vienna Stock Exchange is expanding its range of Exchange Traded Funds for the third time this year. As of today, 50 additional index funds from Amundi, BNP Paribas, Deka and iShares, which track the performance of regions, sectors and asset classes, are available for trading. Since the beginning of the year, the ETF range on the Vienna Stock Exchange has more than doubled. "ETFs are enjoying growing popularity as they offer investors an efficient and cost-effective way to invest in entire markets or sectors. The Vienna Stock Exchange is responding to this development and, with its steadily growing range of products, is providing an attractive trading venue for domestic investors. The sharp rise in ETF turnover to record levels confirms that we are on the right track here," says Manuel Kurz, Deputy Head of Member Sales & Business Development at Wiener Börse AG. As market maker, Lang & Schwarz guarantees high price quality and ensures continuous tradability. There is now a total of around 340 ETFs listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. When trading on the domestic national stock exchange, investors benefit from favourable conditions without foreign fees and subscription fees. Complete list of new ETFs (pdf-file 135 KB)

TransFICC, the specialist provider of low-latency connectivity and workflow services for Fixed Income and Derivatives Markets, today announced that it has successfully completed a strategic sourcing agreement and implemented its One API service for Wells Fargo. The initial deployment includes integration with Tradeweb, Bloomberg, Octaura, GLMX, Aladdin, LTX and Investortools. Additional venues are planned for the future.TransFICC’s One API translates data, trading, and post-trade APIs from multiple venues into a single normalised format providing fast and simple venue integration for its clients.  Steve Toland, co-Founder of TransFICC said, “Wells Fargo are a major force in US Fixed Income, and we are happy to enable their automation of Rates, Credit, Muni, Mortgage and Loan markets. TransFICC will further ease Wells Fargo’s connectivity to European and Asian trading venues via our global network.” TransFICC provides trading technology for Fixed Income, resolving the issue of market fragmentation, and delivering workflow efficiencies to banks and asset managers globally. It provides connectivity to multiple trading venues while supporting a wide variety of workflows across asset classes such as Rates and Credit Bonds, Repos, Mortgage Backed Securities, Loans and Interest Rate Swaps. TransFICC has 17 sell-side clients, 4 buy-side clients, and 3 Exchange groups. Clients include Citi, NatWest, NAB, Santander and Wells Fargo.

The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) is prepared to expand the investment universe for Thai investors with leveraged and inverse ETF products. SET Senior Executive Vice President Rinjai Chakornpipat revealed that SET will launch leveraged and inverse (L&I) ETFs to broaden investment options for Thai investors. Leveraged ETFs employ investment policies that deliver amplified returns in positive correlation with the daily performance of their benchmark indices, making them suitable for investors anticipating upward market movements. Conversely, inverse ETFs generate returns opposite to those of their benchmark indices, offering profit-making or hedging opportunities for investors expecting market declines. With a diverse selection of leverage ratios of each ETF, investors can flexibly tailor their strategies based on their preferences and risk profiles. Investors are advised to thoroughly study the features and associated risks of L&I ETFs before making investment decision. These instruments are suitable for short-term investment, as the compounding effect may cause actual returns to deviate from the expected benchmark returns when held for an extended period. The inaugural suite comprises three L&I ETFs tracking SET50 Total Return Index (SET50 TRI) with Bangkok Capital Asset Management Co., Ltd. (BCAP) as issuer and Bualuang Securities pcl (BLS) as distributor and market maker. L&I ETFs will commence trading on SET on September 26, 2025. For additional information, please visit www.set.or.th/th/market/product/etf/leveraged-and-inverse-etf.

Key Points – September Report Introducing the updated MNI China Money Market Index (MMI), formerly the MNI China Liquidity Index, which has been adapted to reflect the PBOC's monetary policy. China interbank money market traders see the PBOC maintaining a tighter stance on liquidity provision in Q4, MNI ’s China Money Market survey showed. - The MNI China Money Market Index was a shade higher in September as traders sighter conditions.  The MNI China Money Market Current Conditions Index were higher in September ahead of the National Holidays in October.  The MNI China Economic Outlook Index fell sharply in September as sentiment soured. The MNI survey collected the opinions of 49 traders with financial institutions operating in China's interbank market, the country's main platform for trading fixed income and currency instruments, and the main funding source for financial institutions. Interviews were conducted September 8 to 18.