Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR) announced an expansion of its cryptocurrency trading capabilities on Tuesday, adding nine new tokens through zerohash and three additional tokens through Paxos, while also introducing the ability to transfer funds to external wallets via stablecoin. The new zerohash additions include Aave, Aptos, Canton, Lido DAO, Monad, NEAR Protocol, Plasma, Pax Gold and Uniswap. Aave, Uniswap and Pax Gold are also now available through Paxos Trust Company. Clients can now withdraw USD from their IBKR accounts via automatic conversion to USDC, PYUSD or RLUSD, building on stablecoin deposit functionality already in place. According to the company, funding and external transfers process near instantly, 24/7, including weekends and holidays. “We believe digital assets should be integrated into a client’s broader financial experience, not treated separately,” said Milan Galik, CEO of Interactive Brokers. He added that the firm remains focused on giving clients access to digital assets alongside its wider range of products and markets. Interactive Brokers says its crypto offering is built on four pillars: competitive pricing, stablecoin funding flexibility, full crypto transfer capability between custodial and non-custodial wallets, and a unified multi-asset platform. The broker charges crypto commissions starting between 0.12% and 0.18% of trade value, with a $1.75 minimum per order and no added spreads or custody fees, a rate it claims undercuts many competitors by up to 85%. Stablecoin funding is not available to clients of Interactive Brokers UK or Ireland, and the new tokens are excluded for Irish clients. Availability varies by affiliate and jurisdiction.The post Interactive Brokers Expands Crypto Offering with New Tokens and Stablecoin Transfers first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Tuesday, Visa announced the launch of an AI Financial Assistant designed to help cardholders manage spending and reach their financial goals directly through their banking apps. The tool allows users to chat with an AI assistant about their card activity, receive personalized savings recommendations, and learn about offers from their financial institution, all without leaving their existing app. Michele Herron, head of North America value-added services at Visa, stated that the assistant offers a familiar, conversational experience while being fully integrated into a user’s account. Rather than requiring cardholders to manually input income or spending details, the assistant pulls data directly from banking records to generate tailored suggestions and benchmark users against similar consumers. The assistant will support monthly spending summaries, category-level breakdowns, and goal tracking for things like large purchases. It can also help with account actions such as locking a card or setting spending alerts. Financial institutions will be able to upload their own data so users can get insights on rewards, offers, and other banking products. A key differentiator, Herron noted, is security. Because the assistant operates within an issuer’s own app, cardholders avoid linking their bank information to third party platforms. Visa’s AI Financial Assistant will be available to U.S. financial institutions for piloting starting in August. The launch comes as AI adoption in personal finance accelerates. According to Visa, a 2026 TD Bank report found 55% of Americans already use AI to manage finances, with nearly half open to using AI for routine banking tasks.The post Visa Rolls Out AI Financial Assistant for Banking Apps first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) announced Monday the introduction of 18 single stock option classes in three batches, launching on 10 August, 17 August, and 31 August 2026. The firm revealed that both weekly and monthly expiries will be available for the new contracts from the first day of trading, broadening investor choice and enabling market participants to select the expiry profile that best matches their trading and risk management needs. Single stock options are said to be among HKEX’s fastest-growing derivatives products, with average daily volume exceeding 942,000 contracts in the first half of 2026, up 9% from the same period last year.  Weekly single stock options, launched in November 2024, have also gained strong traction, with more than 43 million contracts traded to date, consistently accounting for around 21% of volume in the corresponding single stock options products.  With the new additions, HKEX’s weekly single stock options will cover 52 listed companies across a range of sectors. The first batch, commencing 10 August, includes Minimax-W, ZTE, Knowledge Atlas, Kingsoft Cloud, YOFC and UBTech Robotics. The second batch, commencing 17 August, includes SD Gold, Zhaojin Mining, Weichai Power, Beke-W, Leapmotor and NIO-SW. The third batch, commencing 31 August, includes Meitu, 3SBio, Sanhua, Goldwind, XtalPi and VGT. Contract months for the first two batches run from August 2026 through June 2027, while the third batch runs from September 2026 through September 2027.The post HKEX to Launch 18 New Stock Option Classes with Weekly and Monthly Expiries first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission revealed Monday that Deutsche Bank has paid a penalty of A$2 million after misreporting more than 260,000 over-the-counter derivative transactions, undermining the accuracy of data used to monitor Australia’s financial markets. ASIC issued an infringement notice to Deutsche Bank after identifying breaches of the ASIC Derivative Transaction Rules (Reporting) 2024 between 21 October 2024 and 15 August 2025. The regulator said it had reasonable grounds to believe Deutsche Bank failed to take all reasonable steps to accurately report “direction” fields data for 20,483 outstanding transactions and 244,091 terminated or matured transactions across 208 separate business days.  The transactions related to foreign exchange and commodities OTC transactions. The direction fields are mandatory data elements under the ASIC Rules, indicating whether the reporting entity is acting as the effective buyer or seller of a transaction at a specified price. ASIC stated that the failures were systemic and reflected deficiencies in Deutsche Bank’s internal reporting framework. “Accurate reporting is necessary to enhance the capacity of regulators to oversee and monitor systemic risk and help detect and prevent potential market abuse,” ASIC wrote. Deutsche Bank has cooperated with ASIC’s investigation, paid the penalty, and is implementing measures to prevent further reporting errors. Compliance with the infringement notice is not an admission of guilt or liability. ASIC has previously issued infringement notices for alleged derivative transaction reporting failures against AMP Life Limited and AMP Capital Investors Limited in March 2020, and Westpac Banking Corporation in 2017.The post Deutsche Bank Fined $2m for Systemic Trade Reporting Failures first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Payoneer (NASDAQ: PAYO), the global financial technology company powering cross-border business growth, announced on July 13, 2026, the launch of a new innovation hub in Gurugram, India. The site will serve as a key center for both technology development and business operations. The Gurugram hub currently houses teams across engineering, go-to-market, and Workforce Management, with plans for continued expansion as Payoneer deepens its investment in innovation and global growth. The hub will play a central role in advancing the company’s artificial intelligence capabilities, bringing together engineering, product, data, AI, compliance technology, and operational teams to build core platform capabilities and AI-enabled experiences. Payoneer said it selected Gurugram for its strong engineering and AI talent pool and its ability to support round the clock collaboration across global time zones. Oren Ryngler, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Payoneer, said India is central to the company’s future as it works toward becoming an AI native business, adding that Gurugram is part of the company’s worldwide innovation strategy rather than simply a support site. Gaurav Gupta, SVP and Platform Site Leader for India, said the country offers one of the world’s deepest pools of fintech and AI engineering talent, positioning it well as AI moves from experimentation into enterprise deployment. Payoneer has been expanding its footprint in India, holding in principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to operate as a Payment Aggregator. The company also recently acquired Skuad, now known as Payoneer Workforce Management. The Gurugram hub officially opens at the Sector 42 office on July 13, 2026.The post Payoneer Opens New Innovation Hub in Gurugram, India first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Binance said agentic payments now support x402 payment flows on BNB Chain for AI agents It lets AI agents and apps pay for online services automatically, without needing a human to approve each transaction. B402 is built on x402, a payment protocol that uses the HTTP “402 Payment Required” code. It allows businesses to charge for access to APIs, data, or content, while buyers, including AI agents, pay using stablecoins on BNB Smart Chain. Supported tokens include U, USD1, USDT and USDC. The firm explained that when a client requests a paid service, the seller replies with a request for payment. The buyer then signs an approval off-chain, without needing to hold any crypto for gas fees. The seller sends this to B402, which verifies it and completes the payment directly on-chain between the two wallets. B402 covers the gas costs itself. This setup is aimed at businesses that want to charge small amounts per API call, let AI agents pay for tools or data on their own, or put content behind simple pay-per-view style paywalls. Sellers can also list their services on something called B402 Bazaar, making it easier for AI agents to find and pay for them automatically. B402 is currently live on BNB Smart Chain’s test network, with companies able to apply for full access. Binance plans to bring the system to other blockchain networks in the future as demand grows for payments between machines and AI systems.The post Binance Says Agentic Payments Now Supports x402 Payment Flows first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Webull EU, the European arm of Nasdaq-listed Webull Corporation (NASDAQ: BULL), has been granted MiCAR (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) approval, clearing the way for the platform to offer crypto assets to clients in the European Union. The approval was issued by the AFM, the Dutch financial regulator, making Webull one of the first dual-regulated investment firms in the Netherlands to receive MiCAR authorization. Under the new framework, Webull users will be able to place orders for crypto assets directly through the Webull platform, with custody handled by Webull EU. Trade execution will be managed through a partnership with Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. Andries van Luijk, CEO of Webull Securities (Europe), called the approval an important milestone for the company’s growth in the region. He said it reflects Webull’s commitment to giving clients secure, compliant access to digital assets under the EU’s regulatory standards. The MiCAR framework requires firms to meet strict investor protection and operational requirements, giving European clients added assurance when trading and holding crypto assets through regulated platforms. Webull EU expects to launch crypto operations in late 2026. Approval currently covers the Netherlands, with passporting requests submitted for other EU markets. Webull operates in 16 markets worldwide, serving more than 27 million registered users. Its platform offers trading across stocks, ETFs, options, futures, fractional shares and digital assets, alongside market data, community tools and investor education resources.The post Webull Secures MiCAR Approval to Offer Crypto Assets in the EU first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

SBI Holdings, Inc. has announced a strategic collaboration with Solana Foundation aimed at building an on-chain financial market originating from Japan, with plans to expand real-world assets (RWAs) and stablecoins across Asia and global markets. The partnership was unveiled on July 13 and involves SBI R3 Japan Co., Ltd., which is set to change its trade name to SBI Solana Global Co., Ltd. (tentative). The company will continue to be backed by existing shareholders SBI Holdings and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, as it pursues a new growth strategy alongside Solana. According to the announcement, Solana’s involvement marks a significant step not just for Japan’s financial sector but for the broader global digital finance industry. The collaboration is centered on the growing trend of on-chain finance, where issuance, distribution and settlement of financial assets occur entirely on blockchain networks. SBI cited Japan’s deep financial asset pools, wide base of market participants and advanced legal framework as key advantages that, when combined with Solana’s global network, could position the country as a central hub for on-chain finance in Asia. SBI Solana Global’s planned initiatives include supporting the issuance of stablecoins such as JPYSC, structuring tokenized RWAs including bonds and real estate, building cross-border settlement infrastructure, and developing payment systems tailored for institutional investors and AI-driven applications. Looking ahead, SBI Group and Solana said they intend to expand this framework beyond Japan, working toward new financial infrastructure suited for the on-chain era across Asian and global markets.The post SBI Holdings Partners With Solana Foundation to Build On-Chain Financial Market From Japan first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Global bank valuations rose sharply in the second quarter of 2026, with European lenders among the standout performers as higher interest rates, capital returns and a revival in investment banking activity reshaped the rankings, according to research by GlobalData. According to the firm, JPMorgan Chase retained its position as the world’s most valuable bank, with market capitalisation up 8.9% year-on-year, reflecting investor confidence in its diversified business model and consistent fee generation.  Morgan Stanley jumped from eighth to fourth place globally, with a 45.9% gain driven by record wealth management revenues and a resurgent initial public offering and mergers and acquisitions pipeline.  Goldman Sachs rose 37.4%, while Citigroup surged 50.2% as chief executive Jane Fraser’s restructuring programme improved efficiency and enabled share buybacks. HSBC was among the most notable movers, rising 54.4% to fifth globally. GlobalData attributed the gains to chief executive Georges Elhedery’s overhaul, record pre-tax profit and the benefit of higher-for-longer interest rates on its large deposit base. European banks delivered some of the strongest valuation expansion globally. Santander rose 65.4%, BBVA gained 59.6%, UniCredit climbed 29.7% and BNP Paribas advanced 27.1%.  GlobalData analyst Murthy Grandhi said rotation from expensive U.S. technology stocks into cheaper European value amplified the gains. Japanese banks also attracted renewed interest, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group up 42.2% and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group rising 53.9%, as the Bank of Japan’s gradual monetary policy normalisation improved long-term earnings prospects. Not all banks participated. HDFC Bank fell 27.4% following a governance shock, while ICBC slipped amid weaker Chinese credit demand and property market stress.The post European Banks Among Biggest Winners as Global Bank Valuations Surge in Q2, GlobalData Finds first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

TradingView revealed on Friday that it has integrated overnight session data directly into its main symbol experience for U.S. stocks, allowing traders to analyse regular trading hours, extended hours and overnight activity within a single continuous intraday chart for the first time. Previously, overnight data was accessible only through separate BOATS symbols, requiring traders to switch between tickers and rebuild analysis across different sessions.  However, the charting platform said the new 24-hour session feature consolidates all three trading periods into one chart, eliminating that friction whilst preserving the standard charting interface. The integrated chart supports drawing tools, indicators and other analysis features across the full 24-hour intraday time series, enabling traders to examine overnight moves in direct relation to pre-market momentum, opening gaps and regular-session price action.  Trading periods are visually separated within the chart, maintaining clarity without breaking the continuity of the price series. The feature is also said to extend beyond the chart itself. Symbol pages, watchlists and alerts all support the 24-hour session, meaning traders can monitor overnight price movements and set alerts for activity outside regular market hours without switching to separate symbols.  The platform also displays the current market phase and, during overnight sessions, shows the last sale price and price change in real time. TradingView stated that mobile support is currently in development, with overnight session visibility across devices expected to follow.The post TradingView Brings Overnight Session Data into Main Stock Charts for Continuous Analysis first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Bank of England, the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will begin jointly overseeing the UK’s first Critical Third Parties (CTPs) starting Monday, 13 July 2026, following formal designation by HM Treasury (HMT). HMT has named four global technology providers as the first CTPs under the new regime: Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL, Google Cloud EMEA Limited, Microsoft Ireland Operations Ltd, and Oracle Corporation UK Limited. These firms supply critical infrastructure to the UK financial sector, meaning any disruption to their services could ripple across multiple institutions simultaneously, posing risks to financial stability. Under the new proportionate regulatory framework, the three regulators will work collectively with designated CTPs to manage systemic risks and strengthen resilience across the financial system. CTPs will be required to identify and mitigate risks to their critical services, and maintain clear communication with regulators and client firms, especially during major incidents. Officials stressed the regime does not replace existing rules requiring individual firms to manage their own third-party risk, due diligence and contingency planning. Sarah Breeden, the Bank’s Deputy Governor for Financial Stability, said the oversight approach would help safeguard stability as reliance on such providers grows. FCA Chief Executive Nikhil Rathi added that concentrated reliance on a handful of providers means “a single failure can reverberate across the financial system,” making the new regime essential to maintaining confidence in UK markets. HMT retains authority over future designations and de-designations, with regulators set to periodically review CTPs’ compliance and effectiveness of oversight going forward.The post UK Regulators to Begin Oversight of Critical Third Parties from July 2026 first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Circle Internet Group, Inc. (NYSE: CRCL) has secured final approval from the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) to establish a national trust bank, marking a regulatory milestone for the company. The newly chartered entity, First National Digital Currency Bank, N.A., will operate under the name Circle National Trust. The approval places Circle National Trust under direct federal oversight, strengthening the infrastructure behind USDC, described as the world’s largest regulated stablecoin, through federally regulated custody. Reserve management is planned as a future capability. Upon opening, Circle National Trust will provide fiduciary digital asset custody services for Circle and its affiliates. Depending on demand, the bank may eventually extend custody services to a limited number of institutional customers, particularly banks and regulated derivatives organizations. Jeremy Allaire, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Circle, said the approval represents a defining step in bringing blockchain technology into the core of the U.S. financial system. He added that federal oversight sets a new standard for transparency and governance, enabling financial institutions to build on public blockchains with greater confidence. Circle submitted its application to the OCC on June 30, 2025, and received conditional approval in December 2025. The move builds on Circle’s broader regulatory track record, which includes being the first company to receive a BitLicense from New York regulators in 2015, compliance with the EU’s MiCA framework in 2024, and licenses across the UK, Singapore, Bermuda, and Abu Dhabi.The post Circle Receives Final OCC Approval to Establish National Trust Bank first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

MSCI Inc. (NYSE: MSCI) and UBS Group AG have announced a strategic partnership designed to bring greater transparency to private markets, combining the two firms’ respective strengths in data, analytics and alternatives expertise. Announced July 9, 2026, the partnership pairs MSCI’s independent data, analytics and modeling capabilities with UBS’s alternatives expertise and global client insights. The companies plan to expand MSCI’s AI-powered platform, which addresses long-standing industry issues in private markets such as fragmented data and limited transparency. Drawing on UBS’s perspective as a Limited Partner, wealth manager and asset manager, the partnership aims to create a more connected, standardized experience across the private markets investment lifecycle. UBS will be an early adopter of the platform and will work alongside MSCI to push for wider market adoption and standardization. Henry Fernandez, Chairman and CEO of MSCI, said the company has long focused on bringing independence and transparency to global investors, adding that private markets are becoming an increasingly significant part of the investment landscape. Sergio P. Ermotti, UBS Group CEO, said the partnership builds on a long relationship with MSCI and reflects a shared ambition to improve transparency in private markets, noting UBS’s Unified Global Alternatives business brings deep client insight to the collaboration. The platform unifies fund discovery, portfolio management, analytics and benchmarking within a single ecosystem, while streamlining data management and bridging private and public markets. Automated data processing and independent performance data are intended to give investors more timely, consistent insights. The collaboration also aims to build an ecosystem connecting General Partners with institutional and private wealth investors, potentially reshaping how private markets are managed and evaluated going forward.The post MSCI and UBS Announce Strategic Partnership to Boost Transparency in Private Markets first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Admirals Group AS has announced it will early redeem its Tier 2 Subordinated Bonds, first issued on 5 February 2021 with a follow up issuance on 31 May 2021, and registered under ISIN code EE3300001999. The redemption follows the terms set out in the Base Prospectus and the Terms and Conditions governing the bonds. Under those provisions, the issuer is permitted to redeem the bonds in full or in part once five years have passed since the issue date, provided it has secured approval from its supervisory authority and given bondholders at least 30 calendar days’ notice. That approval has now been granted. The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission, which serves as the competent consolidated supervisory authority for Admirals Group AS, signed off on the early redemption on 22 June 2026. The redemption will cover all 27,016 outstanding bonds, each carrying a nominal value of EUR 100, bringing the total nominal value redeemed to EUR 2,701,600. Bondholders will receive the full nominal value of their holdings plus any accrued and unpaid interest, with the total payout set at EUR 100.11 per bond. Admirals Group confirmed that the redemption payment date is 10 August 2026. Eligibility for payment will be based on bondholder records as of the close of business on 6 August 2026 within the Nasdaq CSD settlement system, serving as the official record date. Once the redemption amounts are paid in full, the affected bonds will be treated as redeemed and subsequently removed from the register.The post Admirals Group AS Sets August 10 Payment Date for Early Redemption of Tier 2 Subordinated Bonds first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CME Group said Thursday that it has launched a broad-based Agriculture Index designed to provide a unified price benchmark tracking the aggregate performance of five sectors central to the global farm economy. The index integrates futures prices across Grains, Oilseeds, Livestock, Dairy and Lumber, and will be updated on a monthly basis.  CME Group said the five-sector structure allows the benchmark to comprehensively track structural changes in supply chains, shifting industrial demand and evolving consumer habits affecting the cost of farm goods worldwide. John Ricci, Managing Director and Global Head of Agricultural Products at CME Group, stated: “Agriculture doesn’t move one commodity at a time — and neither should the benchmarks that track it.  “By aggregating futures prices across five sectors on a single platform, the CME Group Agriculture Index gives producers, traders and analysts a more complete read on the farm economy and where it’s headed.” The index methodology is said to be designed to neutralise price differences between delivery months for futures contracts while applying appropriate weightings across different markets, providing what CME Group described as a fair representation of commodity costs. The Agriculture Index complements the existing Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer, a monthly nationwide survey of 400 agricultural producers measuring sentiment and outlook on the farm economy.The post CME Group Launches Agriculture Index to Track Global Farm Economy Across 5 Commodity Sectors first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CME Group announced on Thursday its plans to launch Treasury Link, a new service designed to connect U.S. Treasury futures and cash markets through a single spread trading mechanism. The derivatives marketplace described the service as an industry first, adding that it is expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026 subject to regulatory review. It is expected to enable transparent, centralised spread trading between CBOT Treasury futures and BrokerTec cash Treasuries on CME Globex.  CME explained that by leveraging the technology behind its existing FX Link product, Treasury Link will allow market participants to transact the differential between futures and cash markets via a single submission, eliminating legging risk for the first time. “Treasury Link will connect the cash and futures markets in a way that wasn’t possible before — delivering faster, more efficient execution to market participants and unlocking new spread trading opportunities across fixed income,” commented Mike Dennis, Global Head of Fixed Income at CME Group.  Reed Staub, Head of North American Futures Execution at Morgan Stanley, said the introduction of Treasury Link “removes a significant variable — legging risk — from the equation, and represents a major leap forward in market structure efficiency.” The launch comes as CME Group’s fixed income complex continues to see strong trading volumes. In the first half of 2026, interest rate futures and options average daily volume rose 9% year-on-year to 16.6 million contracts, with BrokerTec overall average daily volume up 13% to $1.067 trillion.  U.S. Treasury futures set a single-day volume record of 37.6 million contracts on 26 May.The post CME Group to Launch Treasury Link to Connect Cash and Futures U.S. Treasury Markets first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:BR) has announced that Centralised Raiffeisen International Services & Payments S.R.L. (CRISP), the shared service centre for Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), has upgraded to the company’s next-generation reconciliation platform, BRx Match. The implementation is designed to support CRISP’s expanding business needs, improving efficiency, transparency and accuracy across markets in Europe and Asia while reducing risk exposure. The new platform will also help CRISP manage a projected fourfold increase in transaction volumes across its operating regions. Andreea-Beatrice Manea, General Manager at CRISP, said a modernised and scalable reconciliation platform is essential for maintaining operational excellence and meeting regulatory requirements. She added that the long-standing partnership with Broadridge continues to deliver value, with BRx Match providing the technology needed to support CRISP’s growth ambitions while ensuring compliance with current industry standards. The agreement builds on a business relationship between the two companies dating back to 2009 and represents a significant step forward in CRISP’s reconciliation infrastructure. Sandeep Saggi, General Manager, Regulatory Solutions and Data Control at Broadridge, said the expanded partnership highlights the company’s ability to support complex, multi-market reconciliation needs as institutions modernise their operations. BRx Match’s cloud-based architecture offers enhanced automation, improved exception management and integration with ISO 20022 messaging standards. The platform will support CRISP’s operations across 14 markets, including the DACH region, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia, covering both new implementations and migrations from earlier Broadridge solutions.The post Broadridge Upgrades Raiffeisen Bank’s Reconciliation Technology with BRx Match first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has issued a circular ordering internet brokers and virtual asset trading platform operators (VATPs) in Hong Kong to abandon one-time passwords (OTPs) in favour of phishing-resistant authentication methods, as account takeover attacks targeting client credentials continue to rise. The regulator’s directive, published on 9 July 2026, requires firms to stop using OTPs for both client login and device binding, citing well-documented vulnerabilities in the technology alongside the emergence of more secure alternatives such as passkeys and bound-device recognition. Firms have up to 12 months to comply, though the SFC expects larger internet brokers to move immediately. Phishing remains a dominant threat vector, accounting for 57% of security incidents reported to the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre in 2025. The SFC first flagged concerns over OTP reliance in a February 2025 circular on cybersecurity reviews of licensed corporations. Beyond authentication upgrades, the SFC is pushing firms to strengthen monitoring for suspicious login, trading and withdrawal activity, notify clients promptly of key account events, and respond swiftly to hacking incidents. Dr Eric Yip, the SFC’s Executive Director of Intermediaries, said protecting client accounts demands a layered approach. “Licensed firms should strengthen their first line of defence with robust authentication solutions, stay alert to suspicious activities, and respond swiftly before harm is done,” he said. The SFC stressed that senior management at internet brokers and VATPs bear ultimate responsibility for account security, warning it will hold firms accountable for client losses stemming from control failures. Investors, meanwhile, are being urged to use strong, unique passwords, keep devices updated, access accounts only via official channels, and report suspicious activity immediately to their firms and relevant authorities.The post Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission Orders Phishing-Resistant Logins for Brokers, Crypto Platforms first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CMC Markets, a FTSE 250 company and global multi-asset financial services firm, has expanded its CMC Invest platform by launching fractional investing. The company revealed that fractional investing is now available across CMC Invest’s Stocks & Shares ISA, Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP) and General Investment Account (GIA). The launch enables clients to buy and sell fractional shares and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), allowing them to invest from as little as £1. The brokerage explained that by investing based on value rather than needing to purchase whole shares, clients can build more diversified portfolios tailored to an investment amount that suits them, all while continuing to benefit from commission-free investing. The move is said to reflect CMC Markets’ ongoing investment in its wealth proposition, aiming to broaden access to investing through a simpler and more flexible experience that gives retail investors greater choice and control over how they manage their money. Lachlan Rourke-Davies, Senior Product Manager at CMC Markets, commented on the launch, saying that investing should be defined by an investor’s goals rather than the price of a single share. He added that fractional investing gives clients greater flexibility to build diversified portfolios in a way that works for them, helping them invest with more confidence, while reinforcing the company’s continued focus on making investing more accessible to everyone. The launch of fractional shares comes as part of a broader push by CMC Markets to strengthen its position in the wealth management space, as the company continues to roll out features designed to lower barriers to entry for everyday investors across the UK.The post CMC Markets Launches Fractional Investing on CMC Invest Platform first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Marex Group Limited (NASDAQ:MRX), the diversified global financial services platform, announced on July 9 that it has agreed to acquire Bright Point International (BPI), an Asian focused clearing business, in a move designed to strengthen its presence across Asia Pacific and open up access to Chinese markets. BPI, based in Singapore, is a multi-asset clearing business with established relationships across the Asia Pacific region and China. The company gives clients access to commodities and financial products, including FX, index futures and options, and digital asset derivatives. Through the acquisition, Marex will gain around $800 million in client balances and more than 70 employees based in Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Norway and the United Kingdom. The transaction remains subject to regulatory approval, with completion expected by late 2026 or early 2027. Thomas Texier, Group Head of Clearing at Marex, said the deal would bring in an experienced team while driving additional revenue through new clients and increased balances. He added that the acquisition should also deliver synergies from internalizing certain clearing activities and would improve Marex’s ability to serve clients throughout Asia while offering better access to Chinese markets. Kenny Mah, Group CEO of BPI, described the announcement as the start of a new chapter for the business, saying the move to Marex would accelerate growth and widen the range of solutions available to clients, while giving staff access to a larger global platform. Marex operates in more than 50 offices worldwide and serves over 3,400 active clients across commodity and financial markets.The post Marex Group Agrees to Acquire Bright Point International, Expanding Asia Pacific Clearing Business first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.