Given the growing interest in prediction markets in Canada, the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) and the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) want industry and investors to be aware of the applicable requirements governing prediction markets and event contracts (also known as prediction contracts and forecast contracts).  Prediction markets are platforms that facilitate trading of event contracts, which pay out based on the outcomes of future events. Anyone trading, or facilitating trading, in event contracts which are securities or derivatives, must follow applicable requirements under securities or derivatives legislation, such as registration or recognition requirements. For instance, in some CSA jurisdictions, Multilateral Instrument 91-102 Prohibition of Binary Options prohibits any person from advertising, offering, selling or otherwise trading a binary option having a term to maturity of less than 30 days, with or to an individual. Failure to comply with applicable requirements under Canadian securities and derivatives laws may lead to enforcement action.  On March 26, 2026, CIRO published a bulletin, Application of CIRO Requirements to Event Contracts. At present, two CIRO members have been authorized to facilitate Canadian client access to event contracts, including contracts executed on foreign regulated prediction markets. Facilitating trading of event contracts by CIRO dealer members is subject to certain terms and conditions imposed by CIRO, in consultation with CSA members, which relate to what types of products may be offered to Canadian clients and how these products may be traded. The CSA and CIRO continue to review these terms and conditions, which may be subject to change for these dealer members and/or any others in the future. While these CIRO members may facilitate Canadian client access to event contracts, traded on non-Canadian markets, to date, no prediction market has been recognized as an exchange or registered as a dealer (or exempted from those requirements) by the CSA.  The CSA and CIRO continue to monitor developments involving prediction markets and event contracts and intend to issue further guidance on how securities or derivatives legislation applies to them. Due to regulators’ ongoing concerns around prediction markets, the CSA and CIRO will also consider whether other regulatory action is required, including changes to the terms and conditions in the above-mentioned CIRO bulletin. Any industry participant interested in trading, or facilitating trading, in event contracts with Canadian investors, should contact their local CSA member and CIRO before doing so. The CSA, the council of the securities regulators of Canada’s provinces and territories, coordinates and harmonizes regulation for the Canadian capital markets. The Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) is the pan-Canadian self-regulatory organization that oversees all investment dealers, mutual fund dealers and trading activity on Canada’s debt and equity marketplaces. CIRO is committed to the protection of investors, providing efficient and consistent regulation, and building Canadians’ trust in financial regulation and the people managing their investments. For more information, visit www.ciro.ca.  

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered an order granting the CFTC’s motion for summary judgment against James R. Velissaris, finding that he engaged in a fraudulent scheme in violation of the Commodity Exchange Act. The order imposes a $2.2 million civil monetary penalty and permanently enjoins Velissaris from engaging in further violations of the CEA, trading in any CFTC-regulated markets, entering into any transaction involving commodity interests, and registering with the Commission.  The court cited the egregiousness of Velissaris’s misconduct, which lasted for years and resulted in substantial investor losses. The court also noted the significant sanctions imposed upon him in a related criminal case, including a 15-year prison sentence, $125,969,962 in criminal restitution, and $22 million in forfeiture.  The summary judgment order resolves the CFTC’s enforcement action filed Feb.17, 2022, which charged Velissaris with operating a fraudulent scheme to overvalue assets managed by his multi-billion-dollar hedge fund, Infinity Q Capital Management LLC, a CFTC-registered commodity pool operator. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8495-22] According to that complaint, from 2018 – 2021, Velissaris engaged in a fraudulent valuation scheme to inflate the value of swaps held by two commodity pools managed by Infinity Q. He repeatedly represented that the funds valued their over-the-counter derivative positions using an independent third-party system without any substantive input from Infinity Q. In reality, Velissaris made manual adjustments in the system to artificially increase the reported value of the funds’ OTC derivative positions. These adjustments artificially inflated the funds’ net asset values and created a false record of success. Infinity Q then used those inflated values to charge inflated fees, induce additional investments from existing pool participants, and lure in new participants. Ultimately, the scheme resulted in customers paying more than $125 million in excess fees, of which approximately $22 million Velissaris used for his own benefit. RELATED LINKS Summary Judgement Order: James Robert Velissaris

The market opened for four trading days this week as the Federal Government declared Friday April 3 and Monday April 6, 2026, as Public Holidays to commemorate the Easter Celebration. Meanwhile, a total turnover of 2.856 billion shares worth ₦113.597 billion in 215,287 deals was traded this week by investors on the floor of the Exchange, in contrast to a total of 3.950 billion shares valued at ₦201.312 billion that exchanged hands last week in 359,642 deals. Click here for full details.

The OCC (Options Clearing Corporation) March 2026 Monthly Volume Report shows a total trading volume of 1,519,967,103 contracts, a 23.1% increase compared to March 2025. The average daily volume (ADV) for the year-to-date (YTD) also rose by 19.8%, reaching 69,172,625 contracts.  Contract Volume   March 2026 Contracts March 2025 Contracts % Change 2026 YTD ADV 2025 YTD ADV % Change Equity Options 680,088,296 603,733,346 12.6% 33,718,151 30,973,457 8.9% ETF Options 678,860,777 513,096,542 32.3% 28,928,643 21,751,675 33.0% Index Options 153,712,199 112,098,007 37.1% 6,247,057 4,760,534 31.2% Total Options 1,512,661,272 1,228,927,895 23.1% 68,893,851 57,485,666 19.8% Futures 7,305,831 5,984,504 22.1% 278,774 245,326 13.6% Total Volume 1,519,967,103 1,234,912,399 23.1% 69,172,625 57,730,992 19.8%   Securities Lending   March 2026 Avg. Daily Loan Value March 2025 Avg. Daily Loan Value % Change March 2026 Total Transactions March 2025 Total Transactions % Change Market Loan + Hedge Total 218,805,050,284 181,451,990,995 20.6% 310,510 311,828 -0.42% Additional Data Market share volume by exchange Open interest Historical volume statistics

Kaiko, the global independent leader in digital asset market data, analytics, indices, and pricing, today announced a collaboration with Bruce Markets, which operates the after-hours Bruce ATS, to incorporate its trading data into Kaiko’s 24/7 equity Reference Rates. The partnership comes as participation in overnight trading continues to grow, driven by global investor demand and an increasingly around-the-clock news cycle. Kaiko’s Reference Rates combine equity data from multiple institutional sources into one rate, and with this partnership, Kaiko will ingest market data from Bruce ATS, enhancing Kaiko’s ability to deliver accurate, representative pricing by incorporating data from one of the fastest-growing venues in the overnight market. “No single overnight ATS can give you a comprehensive picture of the market, and pricing infrastructure needs to evolve accordingly,” said Ambre Soubiran, CEO of Kaiko. “Incorporating data from Bruce Markets alongside our existing sources strengthens the accuracy and resilience of our equity Reference Rates, ensuring they reflect true market conditions at all hours.” “The overnight session is here to stay, and we’re seeing both overall participation and our share of that activity continue to grow,” said Jason Wallach, CEO of Bruce Markets. “We’re proud to partner with Kaiko to ensure that high-quality overnight market data is reflected in the pricing infrastructure that traders and institutions rely on.” As platforms launch equity perpetual products, they need a dependable underlying reference price that’s accurate and always available. Kaiko’s real-time 24/7 equity Reference Rates are designed to meet that demand, delivering consolidated, institutional-grade pricing that enables seamless trading across both on-chain and off-chain markets.

Multiplier: 2XReason: In maintenance of a fair and orderly market.Time: OPENING and INTRADAYSubject Summary: Please be advised, effective for trade date April 2, 2026, the MIAX Regulatory Department has granted 2 times OPENING and INTRADAY quote parameter relief for all symbols on MIAX Options and MIAX Emerald Options. Please note, standard quote width is $5 wide, two (2) times width is $10.  The quote width listed in the following will be two (2) times the listed width.https://www.miaxglobal.com/markets/us-options/miax-options/market-maker-requirementshttps://www.miaxglobal.com/markets/us-options/emerald-options/market-maker-requirementsFor questions or comments, please contact the Regulatory Department at regulatory@miaxglobal.com.

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology, has published the Fiserv Small Business Index for March 2026, indicating that U.S. small business sales continued to grow steadily in March, despite consumers being more selective in their spending. Higher average ticket sizes helped offset slower transaction volumes as small businesses closed out Q1 on solid footing. The seasonally adjusted Index rose to 144. Year-over-year sales grew (+1.3%) despite transactions (foot traffic) slowing (-1.3%). Month-over-month sales (+0.7%) and foot traffic (+0.5%) both grew slightly compared to February. With total transactions easing, sales growth was buoyed by higher average tickets, which grew both year over year (+2.6%) and month over month (+0.2%). “March reflects a small business economy that remains durable, supported by continued growth in consumer spend, but with signs of cautious behavior,” said Prasanna Dhore, Chief Data Officer, Fiserv. “With energy prices rising, households began weighing tradeoffs carefully. Their selectivity was visible with consumers eating out less and making more deliberate purchases.” Key Takeaways Higher gas prices influenced spending decisionsGeopolitical disruption sent Gasoline Station sales higher month over month (+10.3%), driven mostly by a jump in average tickets (+7.2%). Year-over-year sales (+12.7%) grew in line with the rise in average tickets (+12.9%). Consumers may have partially offset higher gas prices by moderating spend at Food Services and Drinking Places (-1.0% year over year). Limited-service restaurants saw sales decline year over year (-2.9%) as foot traffic fell sharply (-4.2%). Full-service restaurant sales were less affected, with sales growing slightly (+0.4%) and foot traffic declining (-0.3%) year over year. Retail sales accelerated from February, while year-over-year growth was modestTotal retail sales rose month over month (+1.2%) and year over year (+0.7%). Gasoline sales accounted for most of the monthly gains. Building Materials (+3.5%), Motor Vehicle Parts (+1.6%) and Furniture (+1.7%) also contributed, with growth in these subsectors driven by higher foot traffic. Food and Beverage Stores (grocery) sales continued to soften (-0.5% month over month and -1.5% year over year) as consumers made more budget‑conscious purchasing choices. Discretionary and essential spending patterns were largely unchanged in MarchEssential spending outpaced discretionary spending for the 12th consecutive month, reinforcing a consistent pattern of prioritization among consumers. Discretionary categories grew year over year (+0.8%) and month over month (+0.8%); essential categories also grew (+1.9%) year over year and (+0.6%) month over month. To access the full Fiserv Small Business Index, visit fiserv.com/FiservSmallBusinessIndex. About the Fiserv Small Business Index® The Fiserv Small Business Index is published during the first week of every month and differentiated by its direct aggregation of consumer spending activity within the U.S. small business ecosystem. Rather than relying on survey or sentiment data, the Fiserv Small Business Index is derived from point-of-sale transaction data, including card, cash, and check transactions in-store and online across approximately 2 million U.S. small businesses, including hundreds of thousands leveraging the Clover point-of-sale and business management platform. Benchmarked to 2019, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides a numeric value measuring consumer spending, with an accompanying transaction index measuring customer traffic. Through a simple interface, users can access data by region, state, and/or across business types categorized by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Featuring the most detailed classification available, the Fiserv Small Business Index provides visibility into 56 standardized level-6 national industries across 26 subsectors and 13 sectors, allowing users to track sales trends with precision and understand the diverse dynamics shaping the U.S. small business economy. 

Click here to download Cboe Global Markets 2024 Annual Report.

Record monthly ADV of 41.1 million contracts in March Record quarterly ADV of 36.2 million contracts in Q1 Record quarterly ADV across interest rate, energy, metals, equity index, agriculture and foreign exchange products Record quarterly ADV in U.S. Treasury and SOFR complexes CME Group, the world's leading derivatives marketplace, today reported its average daily volume (ADV) reached a monthly record of 41.1 million contracts in March, up 33% year-over-year, and a quarterly record of 36.2 million contracts in Q1, up 22% year-over-year. Additionally, for the first time ever, quarterly volumes reached record levels across interest rate, energy, metals, equity index, agriculture and foreign exchange products. Market statistics are available in greater detail at https://cmegroupinc.gcs-web.com/monthly-volume. "Credible markets are more critical than ever as investors at every level seek to manage risk in an increasingly uncertain environment," said CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy. "The all-time record volumes we achieved in Q1, and throughout March, attest to the value our clients find in the deep liquidity, unmatched efficiencies, and price transparency CME Group provides across asset classes." March 2026 monthly highlights across asset classes include: Interest Rate ADV increased 42% to 20.8 million contracts Record SOFR futures and options ADV of 9.4 million contracts Record U.S. Treasury options ADV of 2.4 million contracts 10-Year U.S. Treasury Note futures ADV increased 21% to 2.9 million contracts 5-Year U.S. Treasury Note futures ADV increased 29% to 2 million contracts 2-Year U.S. Treasury Note futures ADV increased 69% to 1.5 million contracts 30-Day Fed Funds futures ADV increased 18% to 560,000 contracts Energy ADV increased 91% to a record 5.1 million contracts Record WTI Crude Oil futures ADV of 2 million contracts Record Micro WTI Crude Oil futures ADV of 655,000 contracts Record RBOB Gasoline futures ADV of 349,000 contracts Record NY Heating Oil futures ADV of 296,000 contracts Metals ADV increased 86% to a record 1.4 million contracts Micro Gold futures ADV increased 291% to 535,000 contracts Micro Silver futures ADV increased 720% to 131,000 contracts Equity Index ADV increased 5% to a record 10.1 million contracts Record E-mini S&P 500 futures ADV of 2.2 million contracts Micro E-mini Nasdaq-100 futures ADV increased 3% to 2.3 million contracts Agricultural ADV increased 19% to 2.2 million contracts Soybean futures ADV increased 33% to 323,000 contracts Soybean Oil futures ADV increased 85% to 273,000 contracts Chicago SRW Wheat futures ADV increased 30% to 169,000 contracts Foreign Exchange ADV increased 18% to a record 1.6 million contracts Record Australian Dollar futures ADV of 207,000 contracts Euro FX futures ADV increased 17% to 393,000 contracts British Pound futures ADV increased 39% to 185,000 contracts Cryptocurrency ADV increased 19% to 210,000 contracts ($7.98 billion notional) Ether futures ADV increased 53% to 19,000 contracts Micro Bitcoin futures ADV increased 6% to 77,000 contracts International ADV increased 43% to a record 13.3 million contracts, with record EMEA ADV of 9.6 million contracts and record APAC ADV of 3.2 million contracts Micro Products ADV Micro E-mini Equity Index futures and options ADV of 4.7 million contracts represented 46% of overall Equity Index ADV, Micro Energy futures accounted for 13% of overall Energy ADV and Micro Metals futures accounted for 60% of overall Metals ADV BrokerTec overall average daily notional value (ADNV) increased 22% to a record $1.151 trillion in March BrokerTec U.S. Repo ADNV increased 17% to a record $412 billion European Repo ADNV increased 15% to €389 billion U.S. Treasury ADNV increased 13% to $135 billion EBS Spot FX ADNV increased 13% to $86 billion and FX Link ADV increased 42% to 59,000 contracts ($6.3 billion notional per leg) Customer average collateral balances to meet performance bond requirements for rolling 3-months ending February 2026 were $147.8 billion for cash collateral and $167.1 billion for non-cash collateral Q1 2026 quarterly highlights across asset classes include: Interest Rate ADV increased 24% to a record 18.7 million contracts Record U.S. Treasury futures and options ADV of 10.6 million contracts Record SOFR futures and options ADV of 7.5 million contracts Record 10-Year U.S. Treasury Note futures ADV of 2.9 million contracts Record 5-Year U.S. Treasury Note futures ADV of 2.2 million contracts Record 2-Year U.S. Treasury Note futures ADV of 1.4 million contracts Energy ADV increased 37% to a record 4 million contracts Record Henry Hub Natural Gas futures ADV of 752,000 contracts Record WTI Crude Oil options ADV of 320,000 contracts WTI Crude Oil futures ADV increased 70% to 1.7 million contracts Metals ADV increased 127% to a record 1.7 million contracts Record Micro Gold futures ADV of 714,000 contracts Record Micro Silver futures ADV of 263,000 contracts Gold futures ADV increased 20% to 282,000 contracts Equity Index ADV increased 8% to a record 8.7 million contracts Record Micro E-mini Nasdaq 100 futures ADV of 2.1 million contracts Record Micro E-mini S&P 500 futures ADV of 1.5 million contracts E-Mini Russell 2000 futures ADV increased 25% to 254,000 contracts Agricultural ADV increased 4% to a record 2 million contracts Record Soybean Oil futures ADV of 243,000 contracts Soybean futures ADV increased 16% to 335,000 contracts Chicago SRW Wheat futures ADV increased 17% to 170,000 contracts Foreign Exchange ADV increased 4% to a record 1.2 million contracts Record Australian Dollar futures ADV of 154,000 contracts Japanese Yen futures ADV increased 2% to 198,000 contracts Cryptocurrency ADV increased 57% to 310,000 contracts ($9.3 billion notional) Micro Ether futures ADV increased 29% to 98,000 contracts Micro Bitcoin futures ADV increased 8% to 83,000 contracts  Ether futures ADV increased 62% to 21,000 contracts

BPX, the UK FCA-authorised institutional venue for issuing, trading and lending both traditional and tokenised alternative assets, today announced the appointment of Charles McManus as Advisor. Charles McManus, Co-founder and former CEO of ClearBank, one of the UK’s first new clearing banks in over 250 years, joins BPX at a pivotal moment for global financial markets. He brings extensive experience in building and scaling regulated financial infrastructure. He continues to work with financial institutions, fintechs and industry bodies in advisory and board roles. His appointment comes as market structure and infrastructure continue to evolve, driven by advances in blockchain, smart contracts, digital money, programmable payments and AI. A profound structural shift is underway: traditional finance is evolving toward digitally native, tokenised, and increasingly decentralised models. BPX is leading this transition—working alongside regulators and institutions to build the infrastructure and frameworks required for safe, scalable institutional participation in this new financial ecosystem. Charles McManus on joining BPX as Advisor: “Having spent my career at the intersection of banking, fintech and securities markets, BPX represents a compelling convergence of these domains at a pivotal moment for the industry. Financial services are entering a new era, where digital assets, digital money and tokenised infrastructure are redefining how markets and leading players operate. BPX is addressing this shift through the development of a regulated securities marketplace for traditional and tokenised assets, designed not only to support innovation, settlement and custody, but to enable institutional adoption within a robust regulatory framework. This is critical to unlocking the full potential of tokenisation of securities in global capital markets. I am excited to support BPX’s mission as its platform evolves alongside regulators and market participants. The transformation of financial markets is underway, and BPX is well positioned to play a leading role in this new ecosystem.” BPX is building next-generation market infrastructure that goes beyond traditional regulated systems, unlocking a significant commercial opportunity at the intersection of institutional finance and digital innovation. Ali Celiker, Founder and CEO of BPX, said: “We are delighted to welcome Charles McManus to BPX as an advisor at such a pivotal moment for capital markets. Charles brings a rare combination of deep banking expertise, fintech innovation experience, and a proven track record of building and scaling regulated financial institutions from the ground up—experience that is directly aligned with BPX’s mission. His insight and relationships will be invaluable as we continue to develop BPX as a next-generation market infrastructure, enabling the issuance, settlement, and trading of digital securities within a trusted regulatory framework. Charles’ perspective, shaped through close collaboration with regulators, institutions, and market participants, strongly aligns with our vision to modernise capital markets through tokenisation. We look forward to working together as we accelerate the transition towards more efficient, transparent, and accessible financial market.” BPX is progressing the build-out of its digital securities marketplace in close collaboration with regulators, institutional participants and strategic advisors. The appointment of Charles McManus further strengthens this effort, bringing additional expertise in navigating regulatory frameworks and scaling financial market infrastructure. BPX is among a select group of firms participating in the joint Bank of England and FCA Digital Securities Sandbox, where it is testing and refining its infrastructure to support both traditional and digital assets within a controlled environment. Through this work, and in collaboration with its members, BPX is contributing to the development of next-generation market models and helping define the future architecture of global financial markets.

Tamam Finance, a leading digital financial service, chose TrafficGuard to protect mobile attribution integrity and drive growth by eliminating ad fraud. By implementing TrafficGuard’s Mobile App fraud prevention solution, Tamam and global media agency partner OMD MENA were able to take real-time control over mobile attribution quality. This enabled them to redirect investment towards genuine, incremental performance, resulting in US$120,000 in projected annual media efficiency improvements.   TrafficGuard’s solution allows Tamam to make better informed budgetary decisions with clean, trustworthy attribution signals. The analysis flagged that up to 66% of Tamam’s installs were potentially invalid or misattributed traffic, reinforcing the need for advanced fraud prevention controls. It was deployed and integrated at click level, install level, and post-attribution level to prevent fraudulent clicks and impressions from reaching the mobile measurement partner (MMP) from the first interactions. This enabled OMD and Tamam to protect mobile app budgets, improve MMP attribution, and ensure future growth in a more secure and transparent mobile advertising environment.   “Mobile ad fraud prevention has become increasingly critical for fintech growth teams. Fraudulent installs, misattributed conversions, and invalid post-install activity are draining budgets, distorting optimisation signals, and redirecting spend away from genuine customer acquisition," said Mathew Ratty, CEO at TrafficGuard. "By deploying TrafficGuard's Mobile App solution, Tamam and OMD MENA are proactively blocking invalid traffic across the full install journey, from click validation through to post-attribution analysis. With clean MMP data powering their decisions, they have the confidence that their campaigns are driving real users and genuine growth."   Tamam Finance is a digital financing service and the first company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be licensed by the Saudi Central Bank to provide digital financial solutions tailored to individuals. Tamam offers Shari’a compliant instant approval financing for up to 50,000 Saudi Riyals in a quick, easy, secure and fully digital solution.   When user acquisition decisions are grounded in verified attribution data, optimisation becomes significantly more effective," said Thamer Almuhaysin, Digital Marketing Manager at Tamam. "With TrafficGuard validating installs and filtering invalid traffic across our app campaigns, we've been able to trust our MMP data, sharpen budget allocation, and drive genuine, sustainable growth.   TrafficGuard is a multi-award winning platform that detects, mitigates, and reports on digital invalid traffic and ad fraud before it hits advertising budgets, trusted by thousands of global businesses including enterprise brands operating across highly competitive verticals such as finance, eCommerce, travel, and gaming. In February, TrafficGuard expanded its operations in the U.S. as part of a robust growth pipeline, with plans to significantly expand its team in the region and enable brands to boost their revenue and confidently scale advertising campaigns by eliminating non-genuine, non-incremental, and wasteful traffic across paid media.

We are changing the publication dates of the Decision Maker Panel (DMP) and Agents’ summary of business conditions (ASBC) so that they no longer fall on the same day as publication of the Monetary Policy Report (MPR). New publication timetable for the Decision Maker Panel In MPR months, the DMP data will now be published on the Friday in the week before MPR publication. For other months, publication will move back one day from Thursday to Friday. New publication timetable for the Agents’ summary of business conditions In both MPR and non-MPR months, the ASBC will be published on the Friday in the week before the Monetary Policy Committee announcement. Publication dates for the remainder of 2026  Friday 24 April Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – April 2026Agents’ summary of business conditions – April 2026  Thursday 30 April  April MPC Summary and minutes and April Monetary Policy Report  Friday 5 June  Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – May 2026  Friday 12 June  Agents’ summary of business conditions – June 2026  Thursday 18 June June MPC Summary and minutes  Friday 3 July  Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – June 2026  Friday 24 July  Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – July 2026Agents’ summary of business conditions – July 2026  Thursday 30 July  July MPC Summary and minutes and July Monetary Policy Report  Friday 4 September  Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – August 2026  Friday 11 September  Agents’ summary of business conditions – September 2026  Thursday 17 September  September MPC Summary and minutes  Friday 2 October  Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – September 2026 Friday 30 October  Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – October 2026Agents’ summary of business conditions – November 2026  Thursday 5 November  November MPC Summary and minutes and November Monetary Policy Report  Friday 4 December  Monthly Decision Maker Panel data – November 2026  Friday 11 December  Agents’ summary of business conditions – December 2026  Thursday 17 December  December MPC Summary and minutes    Background The Decision Maker Panel is a monthly survey of Chief Financial Officers from small, medium and large UK businesses. The Agents’ summary of business conditions summarises intelligence from the Bank’s Agents considered by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). This information is collated ahead of each MPC meeting.

KEY POINTS SET and LSX have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation and connectivity between the two capital markets, with a focus on supporting Dual Listing to expand fundraising and investment options. The collaboration spans business ecosystem development, research, regulatory knowledge, and personnel exchange. The Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and the Lao Securities Exchange (LSX) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking a significant milestone in strengthening cooperation and connectivity between the Thai and Lao capital markets. The partnership represents a major step towards regional capital market integration, unlocking new opportunities for investors and market participants in both countries. The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration in key areas of mutual interest, including cross-border market development, business opportunities, joint research, information sharing, and personnel exchange. Under this agreement, SET and LSX will explore initiatives to foster cross-border connectivity and facilitate dual listings to expand investment access and market liquidity. The partnership will also promote business ecosystems through networking initiatives, business matching activities, and investor engagement programs. In addition, both exchanges will collaborate on research and share market insights, operational expertise, and regulatory knowledge to enhance market efficiency and transparency, while supporting staff exchange programs to enhance mutual understanding and institutional capabilities. SET President Asadej Kongsiri said that this partnership reflects SET’s commitment to strengthening regional capital market connectivity. By working closely with LSX, we are unlocking new cross-border investment opportunities, enhancing market accessibility, and supporting sustainable growth for both markets. This is fully aligned with our vision: “The Trusted Gateway to Inclusive Opportunities” — anchored in SET’s priorities of building a Trusted Marketplace through diverse, high-quality, and relevant products and services, and Empowering Market Participants — both domestic and international — to grow and thrive together sustainably. Furthermore, this partnership reinforces SET’s commitment to developing Purposeful People Who Transform, by creating meaningful opportunities for capacity-building and professional development across both exchanges. Furthermore, this partnership reinforces SET’s commitment to fostering Purposeful People Who Transform, by creating opportunities for capacity-building and professional development across both bourses.  LSX CEO Siosavath Thirakul said that the MOU with SET represents an important step forward for the Lao capital market. Through this collaboration, we will enhance our market capabilities, expand investment opportunities, and promote greater integration with regional markets for the benefit of all stakeholders. This collaboration underscores the shared vision of SET and LSX to advance deeper regional integration, enhance market development, and create long-term value for investors and stakeholders in both countries.

Today, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”) (NASDAQ: HOOD) announced that it will release its first quarter 2026 financial results on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, after market close. Robinhood will host a video call with Chairman & Chief Executive Officer  Vlad Tenev and Chief Financial Officer  Shiv Verma to discuss its results at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET on the same day. The video call and supporting materials will be available at investors.robinhood.com. The event will also be live streamed to YouTube and X.com via Robinhood’s official channels, @RobinhoodApp, and within the Robinhood mobile app. Following the call, a replay and transcript will also be available at investors.robinhood.com. Ahead of the call, Robinhood shareholders can visit https://app.saytechnologies.com/robinhood-markets-2026-q1 to submit and upvote questions for management using the Q&A platform developed by Say Technologies. The Q&A platform will be open for question submission starting Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET. Shareholders will be able to submit and upvote questions until Monday, April 27, 2026, at 2:00 PM PT / 5:00 PM ET. Management will address a selection of the most upvoted questions relating to Robinhood’s business and financial results on the earnings call. Shareholders can email hello@saytechnologies.com for any support inquiries.

Clearstream Banking S.A., Luxembourg („Clearstream“), a 100 per cent subsidiary of Deutsche Börse AG, learned today that a US court in the so-called Peterson II case (see annual report of 2025, page 261) issued a decision in favor of creditors of Iran who had brought a lawsuit seeking turnover of  at least approximately USD 1.7 bn that are attributed to the Iranian central bank (”Bank Markazi“) and held in custody at Clearstream in Luxembourg in a client account. Clearstream is assessing appealing the decision.Since 2018, Bank Markazi also as part of an action filed in Luxembourg against (among others) Clearstream is asking for restitution of considerable amounts of assets including the abovementioned amount of approximately USD 1.7 bn (see ad hoc announcement of Deutsche Börse AG of 18 January 2018). This action is currently still being briefed in the first instance proceedings. Clearstream after legal consultation believes the claims made against it in Luxembourg to be without merit.Clearstream, after comprehensive legal consultation and within the scope of its potential courses of action, will weigh all relevant interests and responsibilities as to how to deal with the assets at issue while complying with Clearstream's legal and regulatory obligations. Clearstream will continue to analyze the overall legal situation.Based on the legal assessment of the mentioned cases, today’s decision does not cause any material change to the overall risk that would require Clearstream or Deutsche Börse AG to make provisions in this context.

Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) has scheduled its first quarter 2026 financial results announcement. Who: Nasdaq’s CEO, CFO, and additional members of its senior management team     What: Review Nasdaq’s first quarter 2026 financial results     When: Thursday, April 23, 2026Results Call: 8:00 AM Eastern     Senior management will be available for questions from the investment community following prepared remarks. All participants can access the conference via webcast through the Nasdaq Investor Relations website at http://ir.nasdaq.com/. Note: The press release and results presentation for the first quarter 2026 results will be posted on the Nasdaq Investor Relations website at http://ir.nasdaq.com/ on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at approximately 7:00 AM Eastern.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today announced the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a supplemental consent order against Nishad Singh, the former head of engineering at FTX.  The order imposes disgorgement of $3.7 million, requires Singh to continue cooperating with the Commission, and imposes a five-year trading ban and an eight-year registration ban — both from the date of entry of the initial consent order. The initial consent order and supplemental consent order resolve the CFTC’s enforcement action against Singh. [See CFTC Press Release No. 8669-23] The court entered an initial consent order in April 2023 against Singh, finding him liable on both counts of the CFTC’s complaint, including fraud by misappropriation and aiding and abetting such fraud. It also permanently enjoined Singh from violating the antifraud provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act and Commission regulations as charged, and from willfully aiding and abetting such violations. “The injunctions and monetary relief imposed here demonstrate the significant benefits that may be achieved through cooperating with the CFTC,” said Director of Enforcement David Miller. “The defendant engaged in, and aided, significant violations of the Act and CFTC regulations as the former FTX head of engineering, and the consent orders reflect the severity of these violations. But this resolution also reflects the Commission’s commitment to rewarding and incentivizing material assistance in Division investigations.” The supplemental consent order acknowledges that the Commission is not seeking restitution and/or a civil monetary penalty at this time, based in part upon Singh’s cooperation in the Commission’s investigation and related proceedings, including the parallel criminal action, United States v. Singh, Crim. No. 22-cr-673 (S.D.N.Y. 2023), in which Singh pled guilty to six counts, including conspiracy to commit commodities fraud. RELATED LINKS Supplemental Consent Order: Nishad Singh

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) today released a list of Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) performance evaluations that became public during the period of March 1, 2026, through March 31, 2026. Under the CRA, the OCC assesses an institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with the safe and sound operation of such institution. The list includes the national banks, federal savings associations, and insured federal branches of foreign banks that have received CRA ratings. Possible ratings assigned are outstanding, satisfactory, needs to improve, and substantial noncompliance. The CRA evaluations released are: InstitutionCityStateCRA Rating BNC National Bank Glendale AZ Satisfactory Evergreen National Bank Evergreen CO Outstanding Windsor Federal Bank Windsor CT Satisfactory BayFirst National Bank St. Petersburg FL Satisfactory Intercredit Bank, National Association Coral Gables FL Satisfactory RBC Bank (Georgia), National Association Atlanta GA Satisfactory First National Bank in DeRidder DeRidder LA Satisfactory The First National Bank of Jeanerette Jeanerette LA Outstanding First National Bank & Trust Iron Mountain MI Satisfactory Northwestern Bank, National Association Dilworth MN Satisfactory Walden Savings Bank Montgomery NY Satisfactory Wallkill Valley FS & LA Wallkill NY Satisfactory The First National Bank and Trust Co. Chickasha OK Outstanding Gilmer National Bank Gilmer TX Outstanding Baker Boyer National Bank Walla Walla WA Satisfactory American National Bank - Fox Cities Appleton WI Satisfactory The Stephenson National Bank and Trust Marinette WI Satisfactory City National Bank of West Virginia Charleston WV Satisfactory   The OCC's website offers access to a searchable list of all public CRA evaluations issued since April 1996. The OCC also publishes a list of institutions to be examined for compliance with the CRA in the next two calendar quarters.  

During my November congressional testimony before the Senate Agriculture Committee, I pledged to work tirelessly as Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to maintain the agency’s status as a world-class financial markets regulator. I committed to protect our farmers and ranchers, roll back outdated rules and regulations, and deliver on President Trump’s promise to make America the crypto capital of the world. I’m pleased to report that in the 100 days since being sworn in, I’ve made significant progress on those goals. The CFTC is moving rapidly to deliver a new Golden Age for America’s financial markets. Many Americans have never heard of the CFTC, but the agency is one of the world’s most important financial regulators. The agency, which regulates futures, options, and swaps, oversees more than $500 trillion in notional value of financial activity in the U.S. every year. These products are used by farmers who hedge their risk from drought and rising input costs and by airlines that need stable prices for jet fuel. At a more practical level, the CFTC helps ensure that Americans have steady prices for things like groceries, gas, and other everyday products. The agency has recently seen an increased interest in prediction markets and products involving crypto assets and AI data center compute. My approach since being confirmed to lead the agency has been simple: how can we continue to deliver robust markets for all Americans as we embark into a new frontier of finance? I have begun by undoing some of the actions and policies of the Biden administration. The agency’s so-called Climate Risk Unit has been dismantled, and I’ve rescinded several other climate-related initiatives that don’t make sense for our agency or market participants. The CFTC is a serious financial regulator, not an agency used to pursue political pet projects The Biden-era approach of regulation through enforcement has also come to an end. Instead of working with innovators and job makers, the prior administration pursued legal action against them and refused to set clear rules, which forced the world’s most cutting-edge technology companies to flee offshore, killing American jobs and businesses in the process. Thankfully, federal courts have rejected many of these claims, but we're still working to undo the damage. In addition to righting the wrongs of the previous administration, the agency has been moving full speed ahead to deliver on the President’s priorities. To start, I’ve launched an Innovation Advisory Committee comprising academics, financial industry incumbents, and new entrants, and revitalized the Agricultural Advisory Committee to make sure that farmers, credit providers, and agricultural market participants have a seat at the table. The origins of our markets are in the trading of agricultural commodities. The CFTC was created to enable these markets to be deep, liquid, and fair, because our nation’s farmers and ranchers need access to strong risk management tools. Importantly, the agency is looking to implement changes to the Commitment of Traders (COT) report and publish it on a more frequent basis, a long-time request from agricultural businesses. Under my leadership, we’re returning confidence back to our growers and producers. Another key priority is to lower the compliance burdens and energy costs for small businesses. To help, the agency is working to finalize de minimis threshold exemptions to provide regulatory relief to energy, agriculture, and critical mineral producers that have been blocked from fully accessing commodity swaps markets. This action will provide access to more market participants, which will work to stabilize and contribute to lower commodity prices in the long term. As new asset classes emerge and with the possibility of Congress passing crypto asset market structure legislation soon, the CFTC is ready to take responsibility for a $3 trillion crypto asset market that is growing larger by the day. In January, we partnered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Project Crypto—creating a joint effort between the SEC and the CFTC to harmonize federal oversight of crypto asset markets. In March, the agency took several steps to improve the regulatory environment: providing no-action relief to a digital wallet software developer, publishing the first crypto asset classification system, referred to as a taxonomy, that makes clear the differences between digital securities and digital commodities, delivering further clarity concerning tokenized collateral, and launching an Innovation Task Force—dedicated to advancing clear rules of the road for American innovators building novel products within U.S. derivatives markets. The same regulatory clarity being delivered to the crypto industry is being developed for prediction markets, which can serve as powerful tools for information discovery and are regulated by the CFTC under the Commodity Exchange Act. Not only did Commission staff issue a Prediction Markets Advisory, but the agency recently published a notice soliciting early public input before considering new regulations for prediction markets. I have been humbled to be a part of the Trump administration’s effort to break from the restrictive regulatory practices of the past and create a derivatives market that works for everyone. Our derivatives markets are among the most sophisticated and liquid in the world, and as the financial markets continue to fully digitize and move onchain, regulators must be disciplined enough to administer the minimum effective dose of regulation, otherwise innovation moves elsewhere and our nation suffers the consequences If the past is prologue, the next 100 days—and the years beyond—will build on this transformative foundation as the CFTC remains the gold standard for smart, effective oversight of financial markets. This op-ed was originally published in the Breitbart.

Nodal Exchange and IncubEx announced today the successful launch and first trade of financially settled California Carbon Allowance (CCA) futures and options contracts on March 30, 2026. DRW and Gator Trading Partners were parties to the first exchange trade for financially settled CCA futures, brokered by Tullett Prebon. The trade volume was 10 contracts (10,000 CCAs) of Dec-26 Financial CCA futures at a price of $29.18.  “As a longstanding participant in global carbon markets, DRW is proud to support this next step in the evolution of California’s compliance carbon market,” said Mark Hillinger, Portfolio Manager at DRW. “We are committed to developing innovative products that expand access and deepen liquidity—and to harnessing the power of markets to help address complex challenges like climate change.” “Getting the opportunity that IncubEx, in collaboration with Nodal Exchange offer, to trade novel and unique products that are desired by market participants is welcome in this space,” said Mike Schneider, Partner, Gator Trading Partners LLC. “We are proud to have brokered the first trade in financially settled California Carbon Allowance futures and to support the continued evolution of the carbon markets,” said Tullett Prebon. “This milestone reflects our long‑standing commitment to backing innovation and providing our clients with high quality and sustainable liquidity in new and emerging markets. As participation in environmental markets continues to broaden, we remain focused on helping market participants navigate complexity, manage risk and unlock opportunity.” The first of their kind financially settled California Carbon Allowance (CCA) futures and corresponding options on futures expands the growing suite of carbon products available on Nodal Exchange, including physically delivered CCA futures and options, Auction Clearing Price (ACP) and California Carbon Offsets (CCOs) contracts. These new contracts expand the hedging and investment tools available and expand access to the robust California carbon market. “The participant base in carbon markets continues to evolve and this first trade in financially settled CCA futures demonstrates the value proposition to leading market participants that are looking for new and innovative ways to access, manage risk and invest in carbon markets,” said Dan Scarbrough, IncubEx Chief Executive Officer. “We appreciate the support from these early adopters and look forward developing further liquidity in Financial CCA futures alongside the suite of environmental contracts on Nodal Exchange.” “Nodal and IncubEx have worked together to pioneer products that meet the needs of our customers in the environmental space,” said Paul Cusenza, CEO of Nodal Exchange. “The participation on day one is a great sign for ongoing growth in US carbon markets.”