CME Group has launched round-the-clock trading for its cryptocurrency futures and options products, marking a landmark shift in how regulated derivatives markets operate in the digital asset space. The expanded trading hours went live on Friday, May 29, with the Chicago-based derivatives giant reporting over 7,200 contracts traded across its inaugural weekend — equivalent to approximately $50 million in notional value. The strong opening figures, supported by both retail and institutional participants, signal robust demand for always-on access to regulated crypto risk management tools. Tim McCourt, CME Group’s Global Head of Equities, FX and Alternative Products, framed the move as a natural progression since the exchange introduced its first Bitcoin futures contract back in 2017. “Shifting to an always-on model represents the next natural evolution for the marketplace, ensuring CME Group continues to provide the continuous price discovery and trading confidence global investors require,” McCourt said. The launch has drawn participation from several prominent industry names. Robinhood Markets highlighted that its users can now trade regulated futures contracts at any hour, any day of the week — bridging the longstanding gap between traditional derivatives and spot crypto markets. Meanwhile, Ripple Prime and Wedbush Securities have positioned themselves as key facilitators of the new around-the-clock infrastructure. Also coinciding with the launch, CME Group introduced Bitcoin Volatility futures on a 24/7 basis. These first-of-their-kind regulated contracts allow investors to trade their view on 30-day implied bitcoin volatility without taking a directional price position — adding yet another sophisticated tool to the growing regulated crypto derivatives ecosystem.The post CME Group Goes 24/7 with Crypto Futures and Options Trading first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has concluded enforcement proceedings against Wendelspiess Partners AG, imposing long-term industry bans on two senior individuals and withdrawing the firm’s portfolio management licence following serious breaches of financial services regulations. FINMA launched proceedings in early 2025 after receiving a report from a supervisory organisation, uncovering evidence that the Zurich-based wealth manager had invested client funds into a proprietary foreign fund — established by the firm and managed in-house since 2021 — that was experiencing significant liquidity problems. The regulator’s investigation revealed a pattern of serious misconduct. Wendelspiess Partners AG funnelled the assets of nearly all of its more than 400 clients — the majority of whom had moderate to limited financial knowledge and described themselves as risk-averse — into the in-house fund without obtaining their consent. The fund, which held assets under management of over CHF 83 million at end-2024, invested predominantly in a single investment company domiciled in the canton of Zug and its affiliates, resulting in dangerous risk concentration. It now faces the prospect of a total loss. FINMA found that the firm systematically failed to conduct mandatory suitability assessments, inadequately disclosed conflicts of interest — including the fact that Wendelspiess Partners AG and several of its directors personally held shares in the fund — and withheld material information from the regulator during its licensing procedure. The regulator concluded that client interests were “systematically subordinated” to those of the firm, constituting serious breaches of conduct obligations under Switzerland’s Financial Services Act (FinSA). The ruling, which also sees the firm enter bankruptcy, is not yet final and may be appealed to the Federal Administrative Court.The post FINMA Bans Two Executives and Revokes Licence of Swiss Wealth Manager Over Serious Misconduct first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Robinhood and custodial platform TradePMR have unveiled a suite of new products and services targeting Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) and their clients, announced live at the SYNERGY26 conference in Washington, D.C. The headline launch is the Robinhood Advisor Network, an in-app RIA referral marketplace that connects Robinhood customers directly with independent advisors utilising TradePMR custodial services. Rolling out to a select group of eligible users next week, the feature uses a short questionnaire to match customers with vetted fiduciaries, while offering a unified view of both self-directed and advised assets within the Robinhood app. Alongside the network, Robinhood introduced Robinhood Cortex for Advisors, an AI-powered tool built into TradePMR’s Fusion platform. The tool provides RIAs with automated portfolio digests, AI-generated meeting preparation notes, and task management capabilities — all included at no additional cost. The feature will roll out exclusively to TradePMR RIAs before broader availability. The companies also announced that TradePMR advisors will soon gain access to IPOs and future public offerings from Robinhood Ventures via the Fusion platform. Additional incentives include a flexible RIA incentive programme with forgivable loan structures and reduced margin and securities-backed lending rates. The announcements come as TradePMR’s total Assets Under Administration have grown approximately 15% to $50 billion since joining the Robinhood ecosystem last year. “Together, Robinhood and TradePMR are defining the next era of wealth management,” said Steve Quirk, Chief Brokerage Officer at Robinhood.The post Robinhood Launches Advisor Network and AI Tools for RIAs in TradePMR Partnership Expansion first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Pyth Network, a leading institutional market data provider, has launched Hong Kong equity feeds on Pyth Pro, its next-generation subscription data service — bringing 24/7 pricing for Hong Kong-listed securities to exchanges, trading firms, and onchain applications for the first time. The initial coverage includes marquee names such as Tencent (HKG: 0700), BYD (HKG: 1211), the ChinaAMC CSI300 ETF, and the FTSE China A50 ETF, alongside 70+ additional HK-listed equities. The feeds are delivered via the same API and consistent format as existing Pyth Pro instruments, enabling a single integration point rather than reliance on fragmented regional vendors. The launch addresses a long-standing structural gap in the crypto and onchain finance space. Despite rising demand for equity perpetuals, prediction markets, and tokenised portfolios referencing Chinese and Asian names, access to Hong Kong equity pricing has historically been constrained by regional brokerage requirements, siloed licensing regimes, and high data costs. Pyth Pro’s first-party institutional feeds aim to resolve this with round-the-clock availability across 114 blockchains. “Hong Kong is one of the world’s most important financial centres, and bringing pricing for Tencent, BYD, and other HK-listed names into Pyth Pro provides exchanges and developers with a reliable foundation for building on Asian equities at scale,” said Mike Cahill, CEO of Douro Labs and contributor to Pyth. Cahill added that Korean equities are set to follow, as Pyth works toward positioning itself as a truly global data layer. The announcement builds on Pyth’s existing footprint: over 710 businesses use Pyth data, with nearly 60% of all onchain perpetuals powered by Pyth feeds. Pyth Pro currently covers 2,200+ instruments, supported by more than 135 first-party publishers.The post Pyth Network Expands Pyth Pro with Hong Kong Equity Feeds first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

London-based specialist equity manager Marathon Asset Management has consolidated its front-to-back investment infrastructure on SimCorp One, retiring legacy systems and establishing a unified data layer across the firm. The move, announced on June 3, extends a partnership between the two firms that dates back to 2010. Marathon, which manages more than USD 40 billion in assets, said the consolidation will reduce time spent on data reconciliation and technology management, freeing resources for client service and investment decisions aligned with its Capital Cycle investment philosophy. Andy Flawn, Head of Operations, Technology, Change and Data at Marathon, said the decision was driven by the need to lower cost and risk through system consolidation. “SimCorp understands both our operational and front office needs, which made unifying our front-to-back workflows on a single platform a clear decision,” he said. “Lowering cost and risk through system consolidation was a key factor. Our partnership continues to deliver meaningful technology improvements that drive operational efficiency.” Dean McIntyre, Chief Commercial Officer at SimCorp, added that SimCorp One automates key processes across the investment lifecycle, giving Marathon the operational efficiency to scale. “We’re proud to deepen our long-term partnership with Marathon,” he said. The deal reflects a broader trend across the asset management industry. SimCorp’s 2026 InvestOps Report found that consolidating technology vendors and platforms is the top priority for 58% of investment managers globally. Marathon joins a growing list of firms to have recently selected SimCorp, alongside Pictet Asset Management, AllianceBernstein, and Lindsell Train.The post Marathon Asset Management Unifies Front-to-Back Investment Platform on SimCorp One first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Marex revealed on Tuesday that it has been onboarded as a broker on Deribit, one of the leading platforms for digital asset derivatives trading. The move is expected to further extend the firm’s institutional digital assets offering and broaden client access to global crypto derivatives markets. Through the integration, Marex will provide institutional clients with access to liquidity across crypto options, futures, and perpetuals products, combining its global infrastructure and risk management framework with Deribit’s digital asset derivatives marketplace. The company noted that the development reflects growing institutional demand for digital asset trading solutions that bring together the operational standards and regulatory oversight of traditional finance with the liquidity and innovation of crypto-native markets.  Marex said its digital assets offering is designed to serve both traditional financial institutions entering the crypto space and crypto-native participants seeking high-touch execution and tailored trading solutions. Jonathan Issan, co-head of crypto trading at Marex, said: “This partnership reflects Marex’s commitment to bridging traditional finance and crypto markets, bringing our deep liquidity expertise and agency execution model to a broader client base. As a regulated and trusted counterparty, we aim to deliver tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of both institutional and crypto-native clients.” Luuk Strijers of Deribit described the integration as “another important step in connecting traditional finance with digital asset markets,” saying the combination of Marex’s distribution and risk management expertise with Deribit’s liquidity and derivatives platform would offer clients more efficient and reliable market access.The post Marex Expands Crypto Derivatives Offering with Deribit Broker Onboarding first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

RBC Capital Markets moved to calm investor nerves about the competitive implications of the CFTC’s approval of bitcoin perpetual futures, arguing in a note on Tuesday that the risk posed to established exchanges, CME Group (NASDAQ: CME) and Cboe Global Markets (BATS: CBOE), remains “manageable.” The reassurance from RBC analysts came amid a strong decline in exchange stocks, triggered by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s May 29 approval of perpetual futures contracts on bitcoin for prediction market platform Kalshi. CME shed more than 5% on Monday before a 2.8% decline on Tuesday, while Cboe shed over 9% Monday, with an 8.4% decline on Tuesday as markets fretted that the regulatory green light could eventually extend to other asset classes, including equity derivatives, threatening the core product franchises of traditional exchanges. RBC attributed the declines to investor concern that so-called “perps” could migrate into S&P 500 and other structured products where CME and Cboe hold dominant positions. However, the analyst argued that fundamental structural differences between perpetual futures and exchange-listed contracts, coupled with anticipated leverage limits imposed by clearing houses, should contain the competitive fallout. RBC maintained Sector Perform ratings on both CME and Cboe, suggesting the bank sees limited near-term upside but equally does not view the CFTC move as an existential threat.  The post RBC Capital Says CFTC Perpetual Futures Threat to CME and Cboe Is “Manageable” first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

European payments leader Worldline has teamed up with ING and Mastercard to execute what the companies say is Europe’s first end-to-end agentic payment transaction completed in a live production environment. Announced at Money 20/20 on 2 June 2026, the milestone transaction was completed between an ING cardholder and a merchant in the Netherlands, with the underlying infrastructure also running across Belgium via the Mastercard network. It leverages established authentication and authorisation mechanisms across both acquiring and issuing platforms. The real-world use case is straightforward but significant: an ING cardholder searching for a wedding anniversary gift online is assisted by a merchant’s AI agent, which identifies concert tickets within budget, presents curated options, and only finalises the purchase upon the consumer’s explicit approval. Crucially, each transaction carries identifiers that flag its agentic nature, giving ING full visibility and control through the authorisation process. Madalena Cascais Tomé, Member of the Executive Committee at Worldline, said: “Agentic commerce is no longer theoretical, it is production-ready today. Together with ING and Mastercard, we are making agentic payments a seamless and secure reality.” Brice van de Walle, EVP Core Payments Europe at Mastercard, highlighted that Agent Pay ensures “innovation scales safely — built on trust, aligned across the ecosystem and ready for real-world deployment.” The pilot also lays the groundwork for future use cases, including recurring transactions and delegated purchases within pre-defined consumer parameters — pointing to a broader shift in how AI-driven commerce will operate across European markets.The post Worldline, ING, and Mastercard Complete Europe’s First Live Agentic Payment Transaction first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

LSEG Risk Intelligence has launched Identity Gateway, a new infrastructure layer designed to give organisations a single access point to multiple government-backed and regulated private digital identity schemes across borders — debuting at Money 20/20 Europe in Amsterdam. As businesses expand internationally, integrating identity verification market by market has become a costly and time-consuming challenge. Identity Gateway, built on Microsoft Azure, addresses this by offering a standardised API and unified commercial framework through which organisations can connect to multiple digital identity schemes in one go. LSEG says the solution is designed to cut time-to-market by up to 80–90% compared with independent, market-by-market integration. Initially, the platform provides access to schemes across 10 European markets, including Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Spain — countries where national digital identity schemes are already widely adopted — with further markets and providers expected to follow. Daniel Flowe, Head of Digital Identity at LSEG Risk Intelligence, said: “Digital identity is reaching an inflection point. Identity Gateway helps solve that challenge by creating a standardised access layer that supports scale, reduces complexity and enables more trusted, higher-assurance digital experiences across borders.” The launch comes as fragmentation in digital identity standards intensifies. Under the EU Digital Identity (EUDI) Wallet framework, all 27 EU member states are set to introduce their own implementation — a challenge Identity Gateway is specifically positioned to address. The solution sits alongside LSEG Risk Intelligence’s existing data-based and document-based verification methods, forming part of a broader risk-based identity strategy that adapts checks to market conditions, regulatory requirements, and transaction risk levels.The post LSEG Risk Intelligence Launches Identity Gateway to Streamline Cross-Border Digital Identity Verification first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Payments infrastructure giant Checkout.com has announced the launch of stablecoin acceptance for eligible merchants across its network of more than 1,000 enterprise customers, powered by Coinbase Payments. Under the partnership, consumers will be able to pay using USDC or USDT at participating merchants, while merchants themselves continue to settle in USD through Checkout.com’s existing payment rails — meaning no overhaul of their current payments stack is required. The move comes as stablecoins cement their place in mainstream commerce. According to Visa data cited in the announcement, stablecoin transaction volume hit $10.2 trillion over the past 12 months, marking a 63% year-over-year increase. For Checkout.com’s merchant base — which includes some of the world’s largest digital brands — the integration offers a straightforward route into the stablecoin space. Activation requires no separate crypto integration, with stablecoin acceptance available directly through Checkout.com’s existing platform alongside cards, bank transfers, and digital wallets. The partnership is particularly aimed at expanding merchant reach into markets where card access is limited or local currency volatility is a concern — regions where stablecoin adoption among consumers is already accelerating. Coinbase Payments will handle the buyer and merchant-facing payments experience through its acceptance APIs, underpinned by regulated infrastructure spanning nearly 50 countries and a custody track record of over 14 years. “Leading PSPs like Checkout.com partner with Coinbase Payments to power their stablecoin payments,” the company said in its announcement. The capability is available to eligible merchants starting today.The post Coinbase and Checkout.com Team Up to Bring Stablecoin Payments to Enterprise Merchants first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the partnership model is being redefined by an element that’s even tougher to break through than growth: trust. After years of aggressive acquisition cycles, inconsistent broker performance, and short-term market entrants, the region’s trading ecosystem is becoming more selective and more mature. In this environment, partnerships are no longer judged only by how much activity they generate, but by whether they can sustain credibility over time. In this interview, Saheed Akinbiyi, Exness Country Manager, examines what that shift means in practice. Why retention is becoming a more meaningful signal than volume, how broker performance now shapes partner reputation more directly, and why the most valuable partnerships in Africa are the ones built to last. Q1: The IB and affiliate model in Africa has been through several cycles. Where does it stand today, and what has changed? The model is still growing, but in a much more demanding environment than before. The region has gone through multiple cycles of aggressive acquisition, short-term incentives, and brokers entering the market without building for the long term. That history has shaped trader behavior. Traders are now more informed, more cautious, and much more selective about whom they trust. At the same time, the ecosystem itself has matured. Expectations are higher, and the old growth model, the one that prioritizes marketing over performance, is becoming less effective. The primary factors in decision-making are now platform reliability and stability. This creates structural pressure on the IB model, which now needs to align with long-term trader outcomes rather than short-term onboarding. Q2: Trust is a word that gets used a lot in financial services. What does it actually look like in practice for traders and partners in the region? In our sector, trust isn’t an abstract metric. It’s operational with traders experiencing it in very practical moments, like withdrawal processing without unnecessary friction, execution with limited delay, and favorable trading conditions in general, especially when the market becomes volatile. For partners, trust is even more tangible as their reputation is directly linked to the trader’s experience. If the broker underdelivers, it’s often the partner that absorbs the consequences first. That’s why trust in this market isn’t built through marketing alone but through repeated experience. Q3: The traditional IB model has been the backbone of growth in retail trading across Africa. Where does it fall short? The traditional model was built for acquisition efficiency, not sustainability. It was excellent at rewarding onboarding and activity, but not necessarily at supporting trader longevity or better long-term outcomes. That creates misalignment. The problem is that a model can look successful on paper while still producing high churn and inconsistent experiences beneath the surface. In today’s market, that’s no longer enough. A partnership model has to work across the trader’s entire experience. The way I think about it, the IB ecosystem operates as a trust chain: trader, partner, and broker. Each link depends on the integrity of the next. The traditional model was designed without enough regard for that chain. It focused on the first connection, getting the trader in, that is, without building the conditions that keep the chain intact over time. Q4: You describe the IB ecosystem as a trust chain. What happens when one of those links fails? When the chain holds, everyone benefits. When it breaks, the impact moves through all three levels immediately. If the final layer fails, due to unstable conditions, execution issues, or withdrawal delays, the effect doesn’t stop at the broker level. It moves straight to the partner’s credibility and then to the trader’s experience. That’s why retention should be understood as an ecosystem outcome and not just a performance metric. This way, it indicates whether the relationship holds across all three levels. Q5: What are experienced partners prioritizing when they evaluate a broker today? Has that calculus changed? Experienced partners are increasingly prioritizing the elements that shape long-term trust: execution consistency, spread stability, withdrawal reliability, and overall platform performance and consistency. They are part of the commercial foundation of this partnership. What has changed is that partners are looking more closely at what traders actually experience after the referral. Not just whether they signed up, but whether they stayed, whether they remained active, and their experience matched what the partner promised. That’s a more mature standard, and it’s reshaping the market. Q6: Infrastructure is often talked about in technical terms. How does it impact the partner relationship? Infrastructure has become a reputational layer for partners, which is not how most people think about it. When systems fail, whether due to execution issues or withdrawal delays, the impact is immediate, and that credibility erodes faster than it was built. The practical reality is that a partner’s ability to grow their business depends on what happens after the referral. If the trading environment holds up under pressure, the partner builds a stronger community. If it doesn’t, they spend their time managing complaints rather than building relationships. That distinction has significant commercial consequences over the long term. Q7: The African trading ecosystem is built heavily on communities and networks. How does it shape the way trust is established and maintained? Communities in Africa are not just distribution channels; they are the environment in which trust is formed. A trader’s first decision about who to use is rarely in isolation. It comes through a recommendation, a conversation in a trading group, or an observation of how someone they respect is positioned. That means the quality of the broker’s delivery not only affects individual traders. It affects the entire network around them. A single negative experience shared within a community can travel quickly. A consistently positive one becomes the foundation of organic growth that no acquisition campaign can replicate. For brokers operating in this market, that dynamic is both an opportunity and a responsibility. It means that getting the fundamentals right is not just about the conditions under which community trust can grow.The post Building for the long term: A conversation with Saheed Akinbiyi, Exness Country Manager first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

New York-headquartered private markets index manager, NewVest, has become the first closed-ended private equity fund manager to launch on London Stock Exchange Group’s Digital Market, it was announced on Monday.  NewVest applies the principles of passive investing — including lower fees, rules-based diversification, and broad-based access — to private equity and private debt, asset classes historically characterised by active manager selection, restricted access, and limited transparency.  The firm has committed capital to funds managed by 100 of the industry’s largest and most established general partners. In 2025, NewVest collaborated with S&P Dow Jones Indices to launch the S&P Private Equity 50 Index Series, introducing a benchmark-led approach to private equity performance measurement aimed at improving transparency and comparability across the asset class. Edward Talmor-Gera, founder and chief executive of NewVest, said private markets are entering a new phase of growth and that the shift towards index-based approaches would be among the most significant drivers of institutional and private wealth allocations to the asset class over the coming decade.  He described the collaboration with LSEG as an important step towards making private markets more accessible. Matthew Chapman, partner at NewVest, said the United Kingdom had become one of the firm’s most important markets from both an investor and strategic perspective, and that the partnership with LSEG reflected NewVest’s long-term commitment to the UK and to expanding private markets access through leading infrastructure. NewVest’s launch on LSEG’s Digital Market broadens the platform’s range of investment fund structures available to institutional and wealth investors.The post NewVest Becomes First Private Equity Manager to List on LSEG’s Digital Market first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Binance, the world’s largest digital asset platform by trading volume, has launched 24/5 trading of US stocks and ETFs for its global user base, powered by brokerage infrastructure firm Alpaca. The move is designed to accelerate the exchange’s evolution into a multi-asset financial platform. Through the integration of Alpaca’s Broker API, Binance users can now invest in more than 7,000 US-listed stocks and ETFs with a minimum investment of $5, access near-round-the-clock trading for select equities, and manage cross-border capital allocations using stablecoin funding options including USDC, USDT, and BNB. Shunyet Jan, head of spot and derivatives business at Binance, said the launch responded to growing user demand for more seamless access to both digital assets and traditional financial products, adding that the underlying infrastructure was now mature enough to support a significantly improved user experience. Yoshi Yokokawa, co-founder and chief executive of Alpaca, described the launch as an important example of how digital asset platforms are responding to user demand by broadening choice across traditional and digital markets. The move addresses a gap identified by Binance between digital asset environments and conventional equity markets, where retail investors in many regions face obstacles including high commission fees, fragmented account structures, and expensive currency conversions. Binance also announced plans to release bStocks, a tokenised US securities offering, in the coming weeks. The company said its long-term ambition is to serve its next three billion users through a single, diversified financial platform.The post Binance Launches US Stock and ETF Trading in Partnership with Alpaca first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

U.S. Bancorp revealed on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of BTIG, effective 1 June, bringing the institutional brokerage’s capabilities in equity sales and trading, equity capital markets, electronic trading, and mergers and acquisitions advisory into the American bank’s growing capital markets platform. Founded in 2005, BTIG specialises in investment banking, institutional sales and trading, research, and prime brokerage.  The firm ranks among the top ten US brokers by high-touch equity volume and has participated in more than 1,350 announced investment banking transactions since 2015. “Our teams are energized to get started and begin working together, combining deep market expertise with the strength of our broader franchise to create more opportunities for the firms and institutions we serve,” commented Gunjan Kedia, chairman and chief executive of U.S. Bancorp. Stephen Philipson, vice chair and head of wealth, corporate, commercial, and institutional banking at U.S. Bancorp, described BTIG’s capabilities as “highly complementary” to the bank’s capital markets platform, strengthening its ability to serve corporate and institutional clients across a broader range of needs. Anton LeRoy, chief executive of BTIG, said the acquisition marked an “important next chapter,” highlighting shared cultural alignment and a long history of collaboration with U.S. Bancorp.  He added that the combination would allow deeper client relationships supported by the scale of a larger, diversified financial institution. LeRoy will remain in his role as BTIG chief executive, reporting to Philipson. BTIG co-founder and executive chairman Steven Starker will continue his day-to-day client-facing and business development responsibilities. BTIG will operate as a separate broker-dealer within U.S. Bancorp.The post U.S. Bancorp Completes Acquisition of BTIG first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Capital.com has launched a comprehensive redesign of its mobile trading app and brand identity, centred on a single guiding principle: helping clients make better decisions. The updated platform, available globally on iOS and Android from May 2026, is the result of extensive client research and feedback. According to the London-headquartered online trading firm, users demanded more context, less noise, and interfaces that encourage considered engagement rather than impulsive action. Three headline features anchor the redesigned app. An AI assistant allows traders to search markets, platform features, and FAQs without disrupting their workflow, surfacing relevant information precisely when needed. A new trading analytics tool provides a real-time view of individual trading patterns, enabling users to review their performance before executing their next move. Finally, a refined single home screen consolidates positions, market conditions, and watchlists, eliminating the need to toggle between multiple views. The visual overhaul is equally deliberate. Capital.com has adopted a simplified three-colour system — Midnight, Light, and Gold — designed to keep user focus on data rather than interface aesthetics. Chief Product Officer Sasha Gubochkin said the redesign was tested against one consistent benchmark: “Does this help the client understand their situation more accurately before they decide?” “Well-designed interfaces reduce the cognitive load on clients under pressure,” Gubochkin added. “The updated platform is structured to present information clearly, support conscious engagement, and reduce unnecessary urgency. Every change was tested against one question: does this help the client understand their situation more accurately before they decide?”The post Capital.com Overhauls Mobile App and Brand Identity first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Australian federal prosecutors have discontinued insider trading charges against Andrew Corner, former chief financial officer (CFO) of collapsed ASX-listed technology company Big Un Limited, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) (CDPP) confirmed the decision to drop proceedings following a five-week trial that concluded on 30 March 2026 with a hung jury. The CDPP determined not to pursue a retrial, citing the Prosecution Policy of the Commonwealth. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has since declared the matter finalised. Corner had originally been charged in April 2023 over allegations that he orchestrated the sale of approximately 1.7 million Big Un shares — worth more than $5 million — through private companies under his control while in possession of inside information. The development marks a significant chapter in Australia’s longest-running corporate enforcement saga tied to Big Un’s spectacular 2018 collapse, which wiped out investor wealth and triggered a sweeping regulatory crackdown. Notably, former Big Un CEO Richard Evans — previously known as Evertz — pleaded guilty in April 2026 to one charge of unlawfully communicating inside information to a shareholder, and is due to be sentenced in August 2026. Big Un was delisted from the ASX in 2018 after being placed into voluntary administration and subsequently entering liquidation.The post Insider Trading Charges Against Big Un’s Former CFO Dropped After Hung Jury first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

European payments giant Worldline has finalised the sale of its Mobility & e-Transactional Services division to French technology consultancy Magellan Partners Group, marking a pivotal moment in the company’s strategic pivot back to its core payments business. The transaction, announced on 1 June 2026, carries an enterprise value of €400 million, with net cash proceeds of approximately €280 million — landing comfortably within Worldline’s previously guided range of €250M–€300M. The roughly €120 million gap between enterprise value and net proceeds reflects separation costs, pension obligations, debt-like items, and capital gains tax, with a further ~€40 million of cash held within the divested entity excluded from proceeds. The divestment forms a key pillar of Worldline’s North Star 2030 strategic plan, which targets a sharpened focus on payment services across Europe. CEO Pierre-Antoine Vacheron called the closing “a key milestone in the execution of our North Star plan, achieved on schedule despite the complexity of the operation,” adding that the group’s ambition is to become “the leading partner for merchants and financial institutions.” Worldline will provide transitional technology and software services to Magellan Partners to ensure operational continuity during a handover period. The deal is the latest in a string of disposals that also includes Worldline North America, Cetrel, PaymentIQ, and several Asia-Pacific businesses. Combined net cash proceeds from all announced divestitures are estimated at €590M–€640M, with funds expected to be received throughout 2026, meaningfully strengthening Worldline’s balance sheet and freeing capital for redeployment into its European payments core.The post Worldline Completes €400M Sale of Mobility & e-Transactional Services Unit to Magellan Partners first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

X Open Hub, the institutional liquidity and execution services business, has rebranded as XTB Institutional, aligning its market identity more closely with its parent, the Warsaw Stock Exchange-listed XTB Group. The rebrand is said to reflect the evolution of the business, which has increasingly focused on providing institutional-grade liquidity and execution services to brokers, banks, and professional market participants.  The company explained that the change is designed to make the connection with XTB Group more visible, giving partners and prospects greater clarity about the organisation behind the offering. XTB Group operates under established regulatory frameworks and publishes financial results on a regular basis, providing a level of transparency the company said is especially valuable in B2B finance, where governance and long-term stability are a priority. The rebrand is intended to make those credentials more immediately apparent to existing and prospective partners. “This rebrand is not changing what our partners value us for. It is about making our identity clearer, stronger and more aligned with the Group behind our institutional business,” said Łukasz Mazurek, broker solution specialist at XTB Institutional. The core institutional offering remains unchanged. The company’s partners continue to have access to multi-asset liquidity and execution solutions across more than 5,000 instruments, including foreign exchange, indices, commodities, stocks, ETFs, and cryptocurrencies.  The same relationship managers and technical support teams will continue to service existing clients under the new name.The post X Open Hub Rebrands as XTB Institutional first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

US retail trading platform tastytrade has been censured and fined $200,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority after the regulator said it found the firm had failed to accurately report customer complaints over a four-year period. According to FINRA’s Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, tastytrade violated FINRA Rules 4530(d) and 2010 between at least January 2020 and December 2023 by failing to submit accurate statistical and summary information regarding written customer complaints on a quarterly basis, as required.  A sample review of customer communications from six non-consecutive weeks during that period is said to have found the firm received but failed to report at least 71 written complaints covering a range of subject matters. FINRA also found that tastytrade, owned by FTSE 250 firm IG Group, violated Rules 3110 and 2010 by failing to establish, maintain, and enforce a supervisory system with written procedures reasonably designed to ensure compliance with its complaint reporting obligations.  Whilst the company required staff to escalate customer grievances to its compliance department, its training and written procedures lacked specific factors to guide representatives in determining whether escalation was warranted. The firm, formerly known as tastyworks before a name change in February 2023, has been a FINRA member since March 2016 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. In early 2024, tastytrade revised its training and guidance to include clearer criteria for identifying reportable complaints. Tastytrade neither admitted nor denied the findings as part of the settlement.The post Tastytrade Fined $200,000 by FINRA first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

TrueLayer, a European Pay by Bank network, revealed last week that it has acquired in3, a Dutch fintech specialising in consumer credit via bank payments, making it the only Pay by Bank network on the continent to offer both debit and credit at the point of checkout. Founded in the Netherlands, in3 is a Buy Now Pay Later provider serving millions of consumers and thousands of merchants.  Unlike conventional BNPL firms built on card infrastructure, in3 developed a credit model designed specifically for account-to-account payments, with transparent pricing and no hidden fees. The acquisition allows consumers to choose between paying immediately or over time through the same Pay by Bank experience, with credit delivered directly from their bank account and authenticated at the point of transaction.  TrueLayer said Buy Now Pay Later would be its first credit product to launch, with longer-duration credit products to follow later this year. Francesco Simoneschi, chief executive and co-founder of TrueLayer, said: “Today we are doing for credit what we have already achieved for debit. For the first time, consumers can choose to pay instantly or over time, directly from their bank account, through the same Pay by Bank experience they already know.  “With the addition of in3’s team and their deep expertise in consumer credit, we now have the people, the network and the products to build a truly independent European payments alternative to the card networks.” TrueLayer’s network reaches more than 25 million consumers across 22 countries and processes over $150 billion in annualised payment volume.  The acquisition follows TrueLayer’s purchase of Swedish paytech Zimpler in October 2025 and arrives ahead of the first wave of FCA regulation for the UK deferred payment credit sector, due to take effect in July 2026.The post TrueLayer Acquires Dutch BNPL Firm in3 first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.