Clearstream has joined the Luxembourg Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LPEA) as it seeks to strengthen its position in Europe’s private markets infrastructure sector.  The company said the membership supports its long-term strategy to advance private market development in Luxembourg and across the region. Clearstream services more than EUR 340 billion in private assets and has built a decade-long track record in semi-liquid private market infrastructure, supporting asset managers and wealth managers with distribution and operational frameworks.  The firm said joining the LPEA provides additional opportunities to share technical expertise, contribute to industry dialogue and collaborate on best practices. The association represents private equity and venture capital interests in Luxembourg, offering a platform for members to engage in regulatory, operational and market developments.  Clearstream said the partnership will help it remain ahead of regulatory and technical changes while strengthening its ability to deliver scalable and secure solutions to clients. Pierre Mottion of Clearstream Fund Services said the company’s membership “reflects our long-term strategy to strengthen the private market ecosystem in Luxembourg and across Europe,” adding that collaborating with industry peers will help drive innovation and operational excellence. The post Clearstream Joins LPEA to Deepen Role in Private Markets Ecosystem appeared first on LeapRate.

Plaee has partnered with Crypto.com’s U.S. derivatives arm to launch a fully CFTC-compliant prediction market technology platform, aiming to serve operators, fintech firms and trading brokers as the sector scales toward an expected $1 trillion in trading volume. The company said the agreement integrates Crypto.com | Derivatives North America’s institutional liquidity and regulatory framework with Plaee’s CRM systems and retention technology.  The result is an API-first, “plug-and-play” infrastructure that allows operators to launch event-based trading products, including sports, politics and macroeconomic contracts, within weeks. Plaee said the technology removes key barriers for operators by simplifying regulatory requirements, providing access to deep liquidity and shortening deployment time. “By partnering with Crypto.com, we are removing the three biggest hurdles for operators: regulatory complexity, liquidity, and time-to-market,” said Plaee CEO Leon Okun. Crypto.com holds designated contract market status with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, meaning all end-users become members of the DCM.  The firm said the partnership ensures trades executed through Plaee’s platform meet the highest regulatory standards. Travis McGhee, Crypto.com’s Global Head of Predictions, said the collaboration allows the company to extend its institutional infrastructure to a wider group of operators and maintain its “lead in the industry.” Key features of the integration include CFTC-licensed event contracts, direct access to liquidity pools for faster execution, and turnkey onboarding with AI-powered retention tools. The post Plaee and Crypto.com Launch CFTC-Compliant Prediction Market Infrastructure in the U.S. appeared first on LeapRate.

Henkel Korea has appointed Deutsche Bank and NHN KCP to provide payment gateway services for its B2B platform. The collaboration links Deutsche Bank’s global payments network with NHN KCP’s market-leading gateway technology.  The upgraded infrastructure will support online payments for major brands such as Schwarzkopf Professional and Shiseido Professional, enabling distributors and customers to complete transactions through credit cards and bank transfers. Hyun-Nam Park, Deutsche Bank’s Chief Country Officer for South Korea, said the appointment highlights the bank’s track record in delivering localised solutions for multinational clients operating in the region.  “We are delighted to support Henkel Korea in this way and look forward to expanding this model to other multinational clients,” he stated. NHN KCP CEO Jun Seok Park believes the partnership showcases strong synergy between Deutsche Bank’s global expertise and NHN KCP’s position as Korea’s leading gateway provider.  He added that the companies aim to help Henkel grow its digital commerce capabilities and strengthen partnerships with global beauty and consumer brands. The agreement builds on the firms’ existing merchant solutions framework, which provides payment processing, settlement and authentication services.  They plan to expand integrated payment offerings across global merchant networks, starting with Henkel Korea’s operations, as digital commerce adoption accelerates in the region. The post Henkel Korea Appoints Deutsche Bank and NHN KCP as Payment Gateway Providers appeared first on LeapRate.

LINE NEXT has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with JPYC Inc. to explore adding the JPYC yen-based stablecoin to its upcoming stablecoin wallet. Under the agreement, the companies will examine opportunities to integrate JPYC, convertible 1:1 with the Japanese yen, across LINE NEXT’s services, including payment features and reward programmes.  Their initial focus is on enabling JPYC within the stablecoin wallet that users will access through LINE Messenger. LINE NEXT and JPYC will also assess technical requirements to ensure safe and compliant use of yen-based stablecoins, while exploring broader applications beyond Web3.  Possible areas include consumer payment services and new digital reward mechanisms. Once integrated, the companies plan to jointly develop campaigns to encourage adoption. Youngsu Ko, CEO of LINE NEXT, said: “For Web3 to truly take root in Japan, it is essential to deliver simple and intuitive experiences powered by yen-based stablecoins.” He described the partnership as an “important first step” toward enabling everyday payments and reward systems. JPYC CEO Noritaka Okabe said incorporating stablecoins into widely used consumer platforms represents “a significant advancement” for digital payments in Japan, noting that expanding convenience in daily life is key to long-term adoption. The post LINE NEXT Partners With JPYC to Explore Adding Yen Stablecoin to Its Services appeared first on LeapRate.

GCEX Group has added Gold Futures CFDs to its product suite, strengthening the digital prime broker’s multi-asset capabilities as it expands across traditional and digital markets.  The introduction marks a significant step for the firm, which serves institutional and professional clients in the UK, EU and UAE. The new products offer an alternative to rolling spot instruments and non-expiring CFDs by providing exposure through a defined contract period.  GCEX’s first listed contract is the GCG26 (February 2026 Gold Future), giving clients access to CFDs based on exchange-listed futures prices. Lars Holst, CEO of GCEX, said the launch “reflects the ongoing development of our product suite and our commitment to supporting client requirements across both traditional and digital markets.”  He added that the company remains focused on institutional-grade instruments backed by strong regulatory governance. The Futures CFDs embed cost-of-carry within the pricing structure and remove overnight financing charges. Contracts must be closed before expiry, after which GCEX will settle positions automatically at the final settlement price. Expiry details are displayed in the company’s XplorTrader platform. The post GCEX Expands Offering With Launch of Gold Futures CFDs appeared first on LeapRate.

Fintel has completed the £11 million acquisition of Pearson Ham Group’s insurance pricing data business, strengthening its Software and Data division and accelerating its push to become a core technology partner to the UK retail financial services sector. The deal, completed through Fintel’s Defaqto business, includes an initial £7.5 million payment and deferred consideration of £3.5 million payable in April and July 2026. Fintel said the acquisition will be earnings-accretive for the full year ending December 2026. The pricing division provides proprietary market-wide pricing data to the insurance sector and will bolster Defaqto’s product and pricing datasets.  Fintel said combining this data with its generative and agentic AI capabilities will support growth of its Matrix 360 platform and strengthen Defaqto ratings, benefiting product manufacturers and price-comparison services. John Milliken, CEO of Fintel Software & Data, said the acquired business was “profitable, growing, cash generative” and offered a “rich historic data set” that would help the industry better understand and deliver consumer value. Fintel CEO Matt Timmins believes the transaction marks an “important milestone” in expanding the group’s data capabilities and reinforces its position as a strategic partner to financial services firms. Pearson Ham’s market-pricing CEO, Stephen Kennedy, stated that the team was “delighted to become part of the Defaqto family,” adding that strong synergies would deliver significant benefits to clients. The post Fintel Buys Pearson Ham Insurance Pricing Unit for £11m appeared first on LeapRate.

Worldline has partnered with embedded-finance platform YouLend to launch Cash Advance, a new funding solution designed to speed access to capital for small and medium-sized businesses across Europe.  The companies said eligible merchants can receive up to €250,000 in as little as 48 hours, with no paperwork and repayments linked automatically to daily turnover. The service uses Worldline’s payments infrastructure and YouLend’s data-driven underwriting technology to deliver personalised offers based on real-time transaction data.  The firms explained that the experience removes traditional friction and uncertainty in the lending process, supporting businesses looking to stabilise cash flow, restock inventory or invest in expansion. Joachim Goyvaerts, Worldline’s head of SMBs, said the aim was “to make business financing as frictionless and personalised as possible,” adding that the collaboration marked a major step in delivering embedded financial services tailored to modern merchants. Luke Trayfoot, YouLend’s global head of strategic partnerships, said the companies had built a “customer-first financing solution” suited to payment service providers seeking to enhance value-added services. Cash Advance has already been rolled out in Belgium and the Netherlands, with further European expansion planned. Worldline and YouLend said additional features would be introduced to meet evolving business needs across different markets. The post Worldline and YouLend Launch Cash Advance appeared first on LeapRate.

The New York Stock Exchange has unveiled plans to develop a tokenised securities platform that would enable 24/7 trading, fractional share purchases and immediate settlement via blockchain technology.  The exchange, part of Intercontinental Exchange, said the initiative remains subject to regulatory approval. The platform will integrate the NYSE’s Pillar matching engine with blockchain-based post-trade processes, supporting settlement across multiple chains. Tokenised shares will remain fungible with traditionally issued securities, with investors retaining dividend and governance rights. The project is a central part of ICE’s broader digital strategy, which includes preparing its clearing operations for round-the-clock markets and exploring the use of tokenised collateral.  ICE is working with major banks, including BNY and Citi to support tokenised deposits across its clearinghouses, enabling members to transfer money and meet margin obligations outside traditional banking hours. “For more than two centuries, the NYSE has transformed the way markets operate,” said Lynn Martin, president of NYSE Group.  She added that moving towards fully on-chain solutions would marry trust and established regulatory standards with modern technology. Michael Blaugrund, ICE’s vice president of strategic initiatives, said supporting tokenised securities marked “a pivotal step” in the firm’s strategy to operate on-chain infrastructure for trading, settlement, custody and capital formation. The post NYSE Plans Tokenised Securities Platform Offering 24/7 Trading appeared first on LeapRate.

The main intrigue within the week, however, was not the interest rate. It was a geopolitical factor: the unrest in Iran and the related threat from the US president Donald Trump to Iran’s authorities, has created a speculation for Crude oil.  Despite the softening rethorics, there’s still a possibility of a strike from the US towards Iran. Markets, however, seem to not bet on any escalation, as volatility dropped across the board, with Gold keeping in the tight trading range, indices shaking within the range, and Crude oil erasing most of the week’s rally. Tech stocks back in play Nasdaq was lagging behind Russell2000 and S&P500 during the first two weeks of January, as basic material, industrial, and oil stocks were moving in a bullish rally. The spread between tech and industrial stocks has reached the lower band of the Bollinger Bands (which stands for 2 standard deviations from the 20-day moving average). Usually, that is a moment for rotation, and Nasdaq might fuel up the rally at the 2nd part of January. XLK/XLI spread: it indicates the ratio between two ETFs representing tech and industrial sectors respectively. If the spread reaches the supposed bottom of the trading range, it’s expected to bounce, which usually means acceleration of the sector in the numerator. Source: Tradingview.com The CNN’s fear-and-greed index also flashes a “greed” mode, having good strength and momentum, whereas breadth (i.e. the stability of the flow) is neutral, but not negative. Next week, traders will await the publication of the PCE index on Thursday (also known as “FED’s inflation”). The World economic forum in Davos will take place between 19 and 23th of January, and traders will also focus on statements and speeches of politicians and central bankers, Now, let’s dive into the performance of Nasdaq and Gold, and try to figure out the possible track for the upcoming period. Gold (XAUUSD) Gold has reached the new all-time-high, not being able to keep the momentum and having locked in a consolidation for several days, as demand for safe haven assets. Volume and open was rising for Gold futures according to the data from Chicago Mercantile Exchange, but the price action didn’t confirm the follow-through. That skews probability for some correction, as the market would need to deleverage before resuming the uptrend. From a technical standpoint, the price is locked in a very narrow trading range (coil), and if the new peak won’t be achieved early in the week, the possibility of a correction would increase: that might push the price towards the $4500 area as shown at the chart. Gold (XAUUSD), D1. Source: Exness.com Nasdaq Nasdaq might be completing the consolidation phase before making another leg up. Technical and financial sectors were lagging behind other sectors (basic materials, industrial, energy sectors), but should the bull market continue, the rotation of sectors might start and drive Nasdaq from the trading range as shown at the chart. The market is entering the earnings season, and many big tech companies were in a drawdown (AAPL, NVDA, PLTR) dragging the Nasdaq down. If the buying activity will get back to techs, we might observe another round of buying for the US tech sector. Nasdaq (USTEC), D1. Source: Exness.com The post Markets are locked in a “wait-and-see” mode appeared first on LeapRate.

FINRA has censured Cetera Advisors, Cetera Wealth Services, and Cetera Investment Services and imposed a combined $1.1 million fine after finding widespread deficiencies in their supervisory and anti-money-laundering (AML) programmes. The regulator said the Cetera Firms’ systems, including written supervisory procedures (WSPs), were not reasonably designed to ensure compliance with Section 5 of the Securities Act between March 2019 and August 2021.  FINRA found that the firms allowed customers to deposit and liquidate millions of low-priced securities without adequate review, despite multiple red flags, including unusual trading patterns and the absence of restrictive legends on shares. FINRA also determined that the firms’ AML programmes failed to detect and report suspicious activity.  The regulator noted that between 2019 and 2021, customers collectively sold roughly 800 million shares of low-priced securities, yet the firms did not implement procedures to monitor for patterns indicative of potential money laundering. Separately, Cetera Advisors was found to have inadequately supervised and retained consolidated reports, which combine a customer’s holdings including assets held away from the firm.  Representatives were able to manually enter information and distribute reports to customers without sufficient oversight, exposing the firm to risks of inaccurate or misleading information. The settlement requires the Cetera Firms to censure, pay the fine, and certify within 180 days that they have remediated deficiencies in Section 5 compliance and AML procedures. The post Cetera Advisors Fined $1.1 Million by FINRA appeared first on LeapRate.

Paysafe has formed a strategic partnership with payment orchestration platform Pay.com, enabling the integration of its card processing and alternative payment solutions across the platform’s merchant network. Under the agreement, Paysafe will become one of the recommended acquirers for credit and debit card transactions for online merchants using Pay.com.  The platform has also integrated Paysafe’s digital wallets, Skrill and Neteller, as well as its PaysafeCard eCash solution, expanding the range of alternative payment methods (APMs) available to merchants and consumers. Pay.com, known for its intelligent payment orchestration, uses a centralised risk engine to improve acceptance and authorisation rates at checkout.  By combining Paysafe’s three decades of experience in payment processing with Pay.com’s technology, merchants across e-commerce, travel, regulated iGaming and financial services sectors can optimise transaction efficiency and offer customers more flexible payment options. Paysafe’s digital wallets, live in over 130 countries and well recognised in e-commerce and iGaming, are expected to strengthen Pay.com’s APM offering globally and within niche markets. The partnership also incorporates PaysafeCard, a voucher-based solution catering to cash-focused consumers. Paysafe is already processing payments for several Pay.com merchants, with more than 20 additional merchants expected to be onboarded by the end of 2026. Rob Gatto, Chief Revenue Officer at Paysafe, said the collaboration “will likely be a game-changer for online merchants, optimising payment routing, enhancing approval rates, and, above all, strengthening their checkouts and ultimately customer relationships.”  Nicholas Banerjee, Chief Revenue Officer at Pay.com, added that the integration “ensures our customers benefit from greater flexibility across card payments and a wide range of alternative payment methods.” The post Paysafe and Pay.com Forge Strategic Partnership appeared first on LeapRate.

Artificial intelligence infrastructure, European defence and quantum computing were the most prominent investment themes among retail investors in 2025, according to new data from trading platform eToro. The biggest increase in holders was recorded by Nebius Group, an AI data centre operator, which saw a 328% rise compared with 2024.  Oracle ranked third with a 228% increase, reinforcing strong demand for companies supporting AI infrastructure. Nvidia remained the most held stock on the platform, ending the year with 21% more holders, while Meta added 19%. Retail ownership of European defence companies also grew sharply. Leonardo saw a 209% rise in holders, with Thales up 167%, Rheinmetall up 165% and BAE Systems rising 141%.  eToro attributed the trend to the European Union’s proposed €800 billion rearmament plan and the sector’s increasing treatment as a long-term strategic allocation. Lale Akoner, Global Market Strategist at eToro, said investors’ interest in AI was shifting from chipmakers to companies benefiting from the accelerating demand for data centres. She added that defence stocks had gained from “clearer policy direction” and multi-year spending programmes that improved earnings visibility. Quantum computing also captured growing interest. Both IonQ and D-Wave Quantum made the list of top risers, reflecting early retail exposure to a technology still in its commercial infancy. eToro said the findings show retail investors becoming more selective within major themes, favouring companies with clearer revenue paths and structural demand drivers. The post AI, Defence and Quantum Computing Led Retail Investing Trends in 2025, eToro Says appeared first on LeapRate.

Fujitsu and SC Ventures by Standard Chartered have unveiled the roadmap for Qubitra Technologies, their new joint venture aimed at accelerating quantum innovation across financial services and advanced computing.  The company, initially incubated in 2025 as Project Quanta, will operate from the UK and integrate quantum computing, AI and frontier technologies into real-world applications. Qubitra plans to focus on two pillars: high-performance, quantum-enabled applications and a digital marketplace platform connecting the global quantum ecosystem.  The applications will target areas such as fraud detection, derivatives pricing and financial markets trading, combining quantum and quantum-inspired techniques with advanced machine learning. Early implementations are under way with financial institutions, hedge funds and family offices, with a first rollout planned for early 2026. The marketplace will host software, hardware and open-source tools from third-party quantum providers, alongside Fujitsu’s own hardware and Digital Annealer technology. The platform will allow users to test and deploy solutions across the quantum stack, with a pilot MVP launch due in 2026. Qubitra’s leadership team includes CEO Vishal Shete, formerly of Terra Quantum; COO Daniel Wynne, previously founding COO at Carbonplace; and CSO Kugendran Naidoo, a former J.P. Morgan and IBM executive specialising in quantum algorithms and machine learning. Alex Manson, CEO of SC Ventures, said the venture aims to “re-invent financial services” with frontier technologies, while Fujitsu’s CTO Vivek Mahajan said Qubitra’s applications are designed to deliver measurable improvements over current market methods. The post Fujitsu and SC Ventures Outline Roadmap for Quantum Joint Venture appeared first on LeapRate.

FINRA has censured ABN AMRO Capital Markets (USA) LLC and imposed a $50,000 fine after finding the firm operated for months without maintaining required net capital, filed inaccurate financial reports and failed to notify regulators of deficiencies. The firm, a FINRA member since November 2023, conducted securities business on 84 days between November 2023 and September 2024, while it did not meet minimum capital requirements. According to FINRA, the deficiencies ranged from about $1,900 to $8.3 million.  The issues stemmed from the misclassification of a reverse repurchase agreement with its parent bank, which the firm treated as an allowable asset despite lacking possession or control of the collateral. FINRA said this caused ABN AMRO Capital to overstate its net capital and file ten inaccurate FOCUS reports that overstated financial resources by $23 million to $25 million. These inaccuracies impeded regulators’ ability to monitor the firm’s condition. The firm also violated notification obligations. Although its net capital fell below required levels on 84 days, ABN AMRO Capital did not file deficiency notices with the SEC or FINRA until September 2024. FINRA said this deprived regulators of timely warning of potential operational or financial problems. ABN AMRO Capital agreed to the sanctions without admitting or denying the findings. The fine becomes payable upon acceptance of the settlement. The firm also waived any claim of inability to pay. The post ABN AMRO Capital Markets Fined $50,000 By FINRA appeared first on LeapRate.

Euroclear has appointed Maurice van Tilburg as Country Head of Euroclear Nederland, succeeding Hugo Spanjer, who retires after 21 years with the company.  The move is effective immediately, following what Euroclear described as close collaboration between the two executives to ensure continuity. Spanjer’s long tenure is credited with strengthening Euroclear’s position in the Netherlands. The company expressed “heartfelt thanks” for his leadership while signalling confidence in the incoming head. Van Tilburg brings significant experience across financial markets and the technology sector. As former CEO of Euronext Amsterdam, he supported growth-stage tech firms seeking capital through initial public offerings.  Earlier roles involved steering major business projects and developing issuer-focused services. His time as Managing Director of Techleap further exposed him to the challenges facing fast-growing technology businesses. He has also advised several start-ups as a board member. Geert Desmedt, CEO of Euroclear Belgium, France and the Netherlands, said van Tilburg’s “strategic vision and deep understanding of financial markets and technology” made him the ideal successor.  He added that the appointment completes a wider regional leadership refresh, following recent hires in operations and business development. Van Tilburg said it was “a privilege to join Euroclear at this exciting moment,” highlighting the company’s scale across 50 markets and its role as Europe’s largest central securities depository group.  He said his focus would include supporting issuers and advisers in accessing capital while pushing innovation and market efficiency. He also characterised Euroclear as “a natural consolidator” in the European post-trade landscape. The post Euroclear Nederland Appoints Maurice van Tilburg as New Country Head appeared first on LeapRate.

Swissquote has reported preliminary full-year 2025 results indicating a strong financial performance, with pre-tax profit expected to come in close to CHF 420 million.  The digital company said net revenues should reach at least CHF 720 million, supported by resilient client activity and customer growth across its global platform. Client assets approached CHF 89 billion at the end of December, reflecting continued engagement across trading, investing and savings products.  Net new monies totalled CHF 8.5 billion during the year, underscoring the expansion of both private and institutional accounts.  Swissquote noted that its results also benefitted from one-time items with a net positive impact of roughly CHF 50 million, largely driven by the revaluation of its original 50% stake in mobile-first platform Yuh after acquiring the remaining half. Headquartered in Gland, the group operates under two brands: Swissquote, which targets mass-affluent and active investors with access to more than three million financial products; and Yuh, a simplified mobile app aimed at younger, digitally savvy customers.  Combined, the ecosystem spans equities, cryptoassets, forex, derivatives and savings products across multiple international offices. Swissquote, which holds banking licences in Switzerland and Luxembourg, said its full report will be published on 19 March.  The post Swissquote Expects 2025 Pre-Tax Profit Near CHF 420 Million appeared first on LeapRate.

Leverate has unveiled what it describes as an industry-first initiative, offering brokers a fully managed MT4/MT5 ecosystem with three months of free access.  The Dubai-based technology provider says the model removes the traditional barriers that typically slow or complicate the launch of a new brokerage, replacing fragmented vendor relationships with a single, integrated operational platform. Brokers usually need to coordinate hosting, liquidity, CRM systems, payment processing and back-office tools before going live.  Leverate claims its consolidated model cuts this timeline from months to days, allowing firms to onboard real clients and execute real trades throughout the promotional period without setup fees or hidden charges. The package includes pre-configured MT4/MT5 services, 99.99% uptime hosting, 24/7 monitoring, liquidity connectivity via Leverate Prime, configurable A/B-Book risk routing and a CRM with a branded client portal. The company also offers migration support for brokers with existing MT4/MT5 licences. Leverate emphasises that the three-month period is not a limited demonstration but provides full operational capability under real market conditions. The intention is to let brokers validate performance and commercial viability before financial commitments begin. COO Shmulik Kordova said the firm is “willing to let brokers experience it fully before asking for any commitment,” while CEO Ran Strauss highlighted the company’s 19-year history refining brokerage infrastructure.  The post Leverate Launches Fully Managed MT4/MT5 Ecosystem appeared first on LeapRate.

CME Group will expand its cryptocurrency derivatives line-up next month with the launch of futures tied to Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar, reflecting rising demand for regulated digital-asset products. The contracts, expected to go live on 9 February pending regulatory approval, will be available in both standard and micro sizes.  The expansion includes ADA futures covering 100,000 tokens and micro contracts for 10,000; LINK futures for 5,000 tokens and micro versions for 250; and Lumens futures for 250,000 tokens and micro contracts for 12,500. Giovanni Vicioso, global head of cryptocurrency products, said clients want “trusted, regulated products to manage price risk” amid strong crypto-market growth. He said the addition of new futures increases choice and capital efficiency for a broad range of market participants. The firm’s industry partners welcomed the move, with Wedbush’s Bob Fitzsimmons saying the listings signal the continued maturation of regulated crypto markets.  Furthermore, NinjaTrader CEO Martin Franchi described the launch as a “watershed moment” that broadens access for retail traders. Volatility Shares co-founder Justin Young said CME’s expansion “sets the standard in innovation.” The new contracts join CME’s growing digital-asset suite, which already includes Bitcoin, Ether, XRP and Solana derivatives. The exchange recorded record activity in 2025, including average daily volumes of 278,300 futures and options contracts. The post CME Group Expands Crypto Futures With Cardano, Chainlink and Stellar Contracts appeared first on LeapRate.

FINRA has fined BNP Paribas Securities Corp. $125,000 after finding the firm failed to properly report hundreds of over-the-counter options positions over a period spanning more than four years. According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, the regulator said the firm failed to report 842 OTC options positions to the Large Options Positions Reporting (LOPR) system in 167,520 instances between October 2019 and April 2024.  The lapses stemmed from a series of coding errors, data-handling mistakes and supervision failures affecting transactions where BNP Paribas acted as an intermediary between foreign affiliates and U.S. clients. In one case, outdated salesperson-location data meant the system did not recognise certain transactions as reportable. Other issues included missing trader information, faulty data fields and human error, such as a salesperson selecting the wrong trader identifier. FINRA said the reporting failures breached Rule 2360(b)(5), which requires members to report large options positions to help regulators monitor potential market manipulation. The watchdog also found that BNP Paribas lacked adequate written supervisory procedures to ensure accurate LOPR reporting, violating Rule 3110. The firm, which has been a FINRA member since 1984, consented to the findings without admitting or denying them. It has since implemented new supervisory procedures and remedied the technical issues. The fine follows a separate 2022 censure related to inaccurate reporting. The post BNP Paribas Securities Fined $125,000 By FINRA appeared first on LeapRate.

Interactive Brokers has enabled 24/7 brokerage account funding using stablecoins, offering near-instant settlement and lower costs for international clients.  The new option is available to eligible clients of Interactive Brokers LLC and allows users to transfer USD Coin (USDC) into a secure wallet, with funds converted automatically into U.S. dollars. The firm said stablecoin funding addresses long-standing challenges in cross-border payments, particularly in regions where U.S. dollar wire transfers are expensive or slow. Transfers settle within minutes and can be initiated at any time, including weekends and public holidays. Chief executive Milan Galik stated that the capability provides “the speed and flexibility required in today’s markets,” allowing clients to begin trading across 170 global markets shortly after submitting a transfer. Interactive Brokers does not charge a fee for stablecoin deposits, though users must cover blockchain network charges. Its partner Zerohash applies a 0.30% conversion fee, with a $1 minimum. Support for Ripple Coin (RLUSD) and PayPal’s PYUSD is expected next week. The move adds another digital-asset feature to the broker’s offering, expanding access for clients who rely on crypto-based transfers for funding efficiency or for navigating restrictive banking systems. The post Interactive Brokers Introduces 24/7 Account Funding via Stablecoin appeared first on LeapRate.