Cohen & Steers, Inc. (NYSE: CNS) has appointed Amit Muni as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, effective June 8, 2026. The New York-based real assets investment manager announced that Muni will oversee the firm’s financial operations, financial strategy, and investor relations. He will join the firm’s Executive Committee and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Joseph Harvey. Muni arrives with an extensive financial pedigree, bringing over two decades of experience spanning public markets, asset and wealth management, and capital markets. He joins from CI Financial Corp., the Canadian-based wealth and asset management firm with over $550 billion in AUM, where he held the CFO role. Before CI Financial, Muni served as CFO at WisdomTree, Inc., and has previously held senior finance and accounting positions at the International Securities Exchange, Instinet Group, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and National Securities Clearing Corporation. Speaking on the appointment, Harvey highlighted Muni’s “strong track record of driving strategic growth, executing M&A and financing initiatives, and engaging with the investor community,” adding that his experience would be instrumental in expanding the firm’s global real assets platform, growing its wealth channel presence, and building out private markets capabilities. Muni succeeds Michael Donohue, who has served as Interim CFO since October 17, 2025. Donohue will resume his permanent role as Controller following the leadership transition on June 8.The post Cohen & Steers Names Amit Muni as New CFO first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Nomura Asset Management Co., Ltd., the core asset management arm of Nomura Group, has announced the upcoming launch of a new exchange-traded fund (ETF) designed to track the Nikkei Japan Entertainment Content Stock Index (Total Return). The new fund — the NEXT FUNDS Nikkei Japan Entertainment Content Stock Index Exchange Traded Fund (ticker: 586A) — was approved for listing by the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) on May 22, 2026, with an official listing date of June 9, 2026. From that date, investors will be able to trade the fund on the TSE through licensed securities dealers and traders in Japan. The underlying index is a market capitalisation-weighted benchmark composed of the 20 largest entertainment and content-related stocks listed on the TSE. It tracks price movements across Japanese entertainment and content equities and incorporates dividend income in its total return calculation. The ETF carries an annual management fee of 0.385% (0.35% tax excluded), and the minimum investment is expected to be approximately ¥2,000 for a unit of 10, making it accessible to a broad range of retail and institutional investors. The launch underscores Nomura’s continued effort to expand its NEXT FUNDS suite and provide investors with thematic exposure to Japan’s growing entertainment economy.The post Nomura Asset Management to Launch Entertainment-Focused ETF on Tokyo Stock Exchange first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

An Australian fund manager convicted of insider trading has had his prison sentence reduced by nine months following a successful appeal, though a court has reaffirmed the gravity of his offending. The Full Federal Court re-sentenced former investment manager Rodney Forrest to five years and three months’ imprisonment on 22 May 2026, down from the six-year term originally handed down on 23 January 2026. His three-year non-parole period remains unchanged, leaving him eligible for parole on 23 January 2029. Forrest was convicted of insider trading and procuring others to trade more than AUD $3 million worth of Platinum Asset Management shares. He secretly accessed the computer of Regal Partners’ chair without authorisation, photographing confidential documents relating to a potential takeover of Platinum. He then traded — and encouraged others to trade — in Platinum shares ahead of the public announcement, netting over AUD $300,000 in personal profit after the stock surged 12.5%. The appeal was granted on the grounds that the original sentencing judge erred by allowing Forrest’s false denials during his initial ASIC interview to elevate the assessed objective seriousness of the offence itself, rather than confining that finding to his remorse and the weight of his guilty plea. However, the Full Court stressed that the conduct remained highly serious. “These offences are unquestionably serious. It is a significant example of offences of this nature,” the Court held, describing the behaviour as involving “premeditation, planning, a significant breach of trust and a high degree of sophistication.” General deterrence was cited as a primary sentencing consideration. The prosecution was brought by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions following a six-month ASIC investigation. It represents an early test case for ASIC’s specialist insider trading taskforce, established as part of the regulator’s 2026 enforcement priorities targeting the investigation and prosecution of insider trading conduct.The post Australian Fund Manager Has Insider Trading Sentence Cut After Successful Appeal first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Pacer Advisors has implemented Bloomberg’s order and execution management solutions to automate and streamline its investment workflow. The move is expected to significantly reduce the manual effort involved in high-volume ETF rebalances and improve execution precision. The implementation covers Bloomberg’s Asset and Investment Manager system for order and investment management, and EMSX, Bloomberg’s multi-asset execution management system.  Central to the deployment is the Rule Builder Optimizer, which automates broker allocation across multiple constraints during an ETF rebalance. This is a process that previously required hours of manual work each time it was carried out. The firm explained that, unlike the traditional broker wheel approach, which allocates one order at a time against a single constraint, the RBLD Optimizer evaluates the entire basket simultaneously, optimising across factors including share distribution, dollar imbalance, broker commissions, liquidity footprint, and order cost.  Orders are then allocated and released to brokers in coordinated batches with a single click, creating dollar-neutral, proportionally balanced baskets that help minimise overnight risk and reduce cash drag. Portfolio managers can use Bloomberg’s PM<GO> tool to compare portfolios against benchmarks and targets, with orders automatically generated and routed for execution via RBLD, reducing manual calculations and improving allocation accuracy at scale. “Bloomberg’s RBLD Optimizer has transformed how we approach rebalance execution,” said Danke Wang, Head Portfolio Manager at Pacer Advisors. “By automating an extraordinarily complex allocation problem, we have significantly improved our precision with the optimizer.” Ravi Sawhney, Head of Product for Buy-Side Execution at Bloomberg, said the RBLD Optimizer brings “advanced optimisation directly into the execution workflow,” enabling clients to solve complex, multi-constraint allocation challenges quickly and efficiently.The post Pacer Advisors Automates ETF Rebalancing Workflow with Bloomberg RBLD Optimizer first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

FIS and InvestCloud have launched a long-term partnership to deliver an integrated digital wealth management solution, the companies said Thursday. It is designed to give financial advisers and their clients a more connected and personalised experience, without requiring institutions to replace their existing technology infrastructure. The new FIS digital wealth solution combines InvestCloud’s Adviser Workspace and Client Experience capabilities, which currently support trillions of dollars in wealth assets worldwide, with FIS’s core processing platforms.  Together, they are said to create a single environment spanning adviser tools, client-facing digital experiences, and AI capabilities. Built-in data governance and AI safeguards are designed to ensure that client data is not stored or used to train models. The solution is expected to address a growing challenge for financial institutions managing fragmented systems and disparate data sources, whilst clients increasingly expect the kind of seamless digital experience they receive from consumer applications.  The platform supports mobile access, secure messaging, and account aggregation across trust, advisory, and externally held accounts, surfacing relevant insights and actions for advisers in real time. FIS serves more than 600 financial institutions representing approximately $5.5 trillion in supported assets, spanning large banks, community and regional banks, private banks, trust companies, family offices, and registered investment advisers. Jim Johnson, Co-President of Banking Solutions at FIS, stated: “With InvestCloud, we’re giving clients the flexibility to deliver an intelligent front office while continuing to rely on the FIS platforms that already power their operations.” Jeff Yabuki, Chairman and Chief Executive of InvestCloud, said the partnership places “personalised, high-touch service” and human connection at the centre of wealth management at a time of transformative change.The post FIS and InvestCloud Launch AI-Powered Wealth Management Platform first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Thursday, StoneX Group announced an expansion of its operations in Birmingham, Alabama, opening a new 46,000 square foot office that will accommodate nearly 90 additional employees over the next three to five years. The new office at Protective Center will provide 310 seats and includes state-of-the-art audio and visual facilities, collaboration areas, conference rooms, a cafeteria, coffee shop, and fitness centre.  Birmingham has served as a core operational location for StoneX for more than 25 years, hosting securities clearing functions and infrastructure that support the firm’s international business across securities, commodities, and foreign exchange. StoneX’s heritage in the city includes the legacy of Sterne Agee, historically one of the largest broker-dealers in the Southeastern United States, with origins dating to 1901. Maribeth Williams, Head of Securities Operations at StoneX, said Birmingham’s “deep financial services roots, strong talent base, and supportive business environment make it an ideal location” to continue scaling critical operational capabilities. Local officials welcomed the announcement as a signal of renewed confidence in the region’s financial services sector. Jefferson County Commissioner Mike Bolin described the expansion as an important inflection point, noting that recent years had been characterised largely by industry consolidation, and that StoneX’s growth represents a meaningful shift.The post StoneX Expands Birmingham Hub with 46,000 sq ft Office first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Making a first withdrawal can feel uncertain. The process feels calmer when you understand why payment methods, verification checks and timing rules exist before you submit the request.Understanding Payment Methods for Deposits and WithdrawalsPayment methods do not all work in the same way. A bank card, e-wallet, crypto transfer and bank transfer can have different processing speeds, limits and verification requirements.Where to Find Withdrawals in the TraderoomIn the traderoom, the withdrawal flow starts from the profile area. Go to the IQ Broker traderoom, click the profile icon in the top-right corner, and choose Withdraw Funds. Then select an available method, fill in the details and submit the request.The withdrawal page also shows available methods and expected timeframes. In the example flow, crypto methods such as Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin show 1-3 business days. If the selected method cannot be used because the balance is zero or requirements are not met, the page may ask the user to deposit first.One point matters more than many first-time users expect: withdrawals usually need to return to the same payment system used for the deposit. This is a standard compliance practice used to reduce fraud and prevent money from moving through unrelated accounts.The Withdrawal Policy says a client has the right to withdraw funds only to the payment system used to deposit funds, unless that is technically impossible. It also notes that bank card withdrawals may have priority and may be limited to amounts deposited by card within 180 calendar days from the last deposit.The practical lesson is simple: choose your deposit method with the future withdrawal in mind. Use payment details that match your verified profile.What Is AML and Why Does It Matter?AML means Anti-Money Laundering. It is a set of rules and checks designed to stop financial platforms from being used to move stolen money, hide illegal funds or abuse payment systems. In plain English, it is the security layer that helps platforms confirm money is moving for legitimate reasons.The public Withdrawal Policy refers to a verified account, internal risk assessment and additional supporting documents when needed. Exact verification steps may depend on the account, payment method and platform requirements. In general, AML checks can include identity verification, payment method consistency, transaction monitoring and, in some cases, source of funds verification.Why AML is important is straightforward: it protects users, payment providers and the platform. Without AML and fraud prevention measures, suspicious transactions would be harder to detect.For a first withdrawal, this means a request may not move instantly if the account needs additional verification or if the payment route needs review.What Can Affect Withdrawal Timeframes?According to the Withdrawal Policy, requests move through statuses such as Requested, In Process and Processed. Standard withdrawals are processed within 3 business days, while expedited withdrawals are processed within 1 business day. The traderoom may also show method-level estimates, such as 1-3 business days for some crypto methods.Common reasons a request may take longer include:The account is not fully verified.The payment method details do not match the deposit method or profile.The account is under internal risk assessment.Additional supporting documents are needed.This is why an IQ Broker withdrawal request should be treated as a structured financial request.Common First Withdrawal Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)Mistake 1: waiting until withdrawal day to complete verification.Tip: complete identity and payment verification early.Mistake 2: expecting every withdrawal to be instant.Tip: check the payment method and the stated processing timeframe.Mistake 3: using different payment details for deposit and withdrawal.Tip: use payment methods registered in your own name.Mistake 4: submitting unclear or incorrect details.Tip: double-check wallet addresses, bank details, card information and profile data.How IQ Broker Ensures a Secure and Transparent Withdrawal ProcessIQ Broker uses a structured withdrawal process: users open the withdrawal section from the profile menu, choose an available method, submit a request, and then track it in the Withdrawal requests area.Security checks may include account verification, AML review, payment method consistency and additional document requests when activity requires risk assessment.Approach your first IQ Broker withdrawal calmly:Verify your account before requesting funds.Use the same payment route where possible.Read the payment method requirements.Watch the withdrawal status.Contact support if a requested document or status is unclear.A transparent withdrawal process is not only about speed. It is about knowing what is happening, why checks exist and what you can do to avoid delays. FAQ's What is Aml? AML stands for Anti-Money Laundering. It means checks that help financial platforms detect suspicious transactions and confirm that funds are moving through legitimate accounts. Why does IQ Broker ask for verification? Verification confirms that the account belongs to the person requesting funds. It also supports AML checks, source of funds verification and fraud prevention measures. Can I withdraw to a different payment method? Usually, withdrawals should go back to the same payment system used for the deposit. If that is technically impossible, an alternative method may be used, but details must match the user’s verified personal information. How long does a withdrawal take? The Withdrawal Policy states that standard withdrawal processing is 3 business days and expedited withdrawal processing is 1 business day. Actual timing can also depend on verification, risk review and the payment provider. What is AML and why AML is important for first withdrawals? AML helps protect users and platforms from suspicious money movement. It matters during first withdrawals because the platform may need to confirm identity, payment ownership and the legitimacy of the funds. The post Deposits and withdrawals. What you need to know before you make your first withdrawal first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Pictet Asset Management has selected SimCorp’s integrated investment management platform to consolidate its trading and operations technology infrastructure. The move is expected to reduce system fragmentation and improve trade execution efficiency across its investment teams. Pictet AM, which manages $326 billion in assets, has been a SimCorp client for back-office capabilities since 2008.  The expanded relationship will see the firm adopt SimCorp One, SimCorp’s front-to-back platform built on a unified data layer, to reduce the number of core systems in use and establish a single, coherent data foundation across front-, middle-, and back-office functions.  Implementation is on track for completion by December 2026. The firm will use API connectivity to integrate SimCorp One with its in-house technology, allowing it to retain the specialist tools that underpin its trading strategies whilst gaining the data efficiency and scalability of a unified platform. “As our business has expanded, managing fragmented systems and disconnected datasets across front-, middle-, and back-office functions has become increasingly complex,” said James Frew, co-Head of Fixed Income Trading, Pictet AM.  “SimCorp One provides an integrated front-to-back platform built on a unified data layer, enabling efficient trade execution and faster pre- and post-trade processing.” “A unified data foundation empowers investment teams to make more confident investment decisions. We are excited to strengthen our partnership with Pictet Asset Management and support their investment teams with easier access to centralized, real-time data,” stated Oliver Johnson, Chief Revenue Officer, SimCorp.The post Pictet Asset Management Selects SimCorp One to Unify Technology Infrastructure first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Northern Trust Asset Management said Wednesday that it has appointed Anne-Sophie van Royen as Head of Index and Quantitative Strategies.  The firm places van Royen in charge of one of its largest investment capability areas as it looks to accelerate innovation and expand client solutions. Van Royen will lead the strategic direction, commercial development, and execution of the firm’s index and quantitative investment capabilities across equity, fixed income, and multi-asset solutions.  Northern Trust Asset Management manages $923 billion in index strategies and $47 billion in quantitative strategies as of 31 March 2026, within a total assets under management figure of $1.4 trillion.  She will be based in Chicago and report to Global Co-Chief Investment Officers Anwiti Bahuguna and Christian Roth. Before joining Northern Trust Asset Management, van Royen served as Chief Investment Officer of Quantitative Strategies at Asset Management One USA, where she oversaw strategy development and implementation across multi-asset solutions. She has also held senior roles in quantitative investing and asset allocation at Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, UBS, Modus Quantitative Advisors, and Credit Suisse Asset Management. She holds a PhD and MSc in mathematical economics from the Université de Paris, Sorbonne.The post Northern Trust Asset Management Names Anne-Sophie van Royen to Lead Index and Quantitative Strategies first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Japanese financial giant SBI Holdings has announced it has led an investment round in Temple Digital Group, a New York-based provider of institutional trading infrastructure built on the Canton Network blockchain, marking a significant step in the firm’s digital asset expansion strategy. Temple Digital Group operates an electronic exchange that generates the highest revenue among decentralised exchanges on the Canton Network — a blockchain platform purpose-built for institutional participants in global capital markets. The platform’s recently launched “Lightspeed” system supports sub-second order matching and processes up to 100,000 orders per second, delivering the performance benchmarks required by institutional-scale trading operations. Temple is targeting the second half of 2026 to accommodate regulated markets following the acquisition of securities trading licences. The platform aims to enable the listing and trading of traditional market products, incorporating transaction privacy, instant settlement, and financial application interoperability — all within a self-custody framework that eliminates third-party asset deposit risk. The Canton Network currently counts over 600 participating institutions, including Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas, Franklin Templeton, Broadridge, and Euroclear, with assets under management on the network exceeding $6 trillion. The network’s footprint is expected to grow further as DTCC moves to adopt it for the digital securitisation of US Treasuries later this year. SBI Holdings, already a founding partner and super validator on the Canton Network, said the investment aligns with its broader push into real-world asset (RWA) tokenisation and round-the-clock, regulatory-compliant digital asset trading across Japan and international markets.The post SBI Holdings Leads Investment in Temple Digital Group first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Crown Agents Bank (CAB), the operating subsidiary of London-listed CAB Payments Holdings plc, has received authorisation from the Bank of Guyana to establish a permanent representative office in Georgetown, with the outpost expected to open in the second half of 2026. The move positions CAB to deepen its engagement with what the IMF has identified as the world’s fastest-growing economy over the past four years. Guyana’s GDP expanded at an average rate of 47% between 2022 and 2024, fuelled by rapid development of its energy and natural resources sector alongside broad infrastructure investment. Notably, CAB is one of just three international financial institutions — alongside two major US global banks — invited by the Central Bank of Guyana and the Ministry of Finance to establish a local presence, underscoring the specialist credibility the firm has built across the region over more than three decades. The Georgetown office will serve as CAB’s first permanent base in South America, strengthening the bank’s capacity to facilitate cross-border flows across the Caribbean, South America, and wider Global South markets. It follows the establishment of CAB’s representative office in New York in 2025 and its Abu Dhabi office earlier in 2026. Group CEO Neeraj Kapur said the expansion reflects CAB’s long-standing commitment to the Americas: “For more than three decades, Crown Agents Bank has been at the side of clients in Guyana and across South America and the Caribbean, including during periods when other international institutions stepped back. Our permanent on-the-ground presence will deepen those relationships and strengthen our ability to support flows across the region, connecting clients to our global network and FX & payments expertise.” Kapur added that the Guyana office represents the latest step in CAB’s broader strategy to deliver cross-border payment solutions that “power opportunities across the Global South, delivering prosperity in the markets that we serve.” The announcement comes as CAB Payments itself remains subject to a takeover bid from the Helios Consortium, adding a notable strategic dimension to the firm’s continued geographic expansion push.The post Crown Agents Bank Wins Authorisation to Open Guyana Representative Office first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Coinbase and payments platform Flipcash have announced the launch of USDF, a US dollar stablecoin issued on the Solana blockchain and fully backed by USDC, developed using Coinbase’s Custom Stablecoin platform. The company believes the collaboration marks a step forward in making stablecoin issuance more accessible to businesses, combining Flipcash’s community currency platform with Coinbase’s institutional-grade blockchain infrastructure.  USDF will serve as the settlement and pricing layer within Flipcash’s ecosystem, where users can create fixed-supply currencies and use them as digital cash, with each currency priced and settled in USDF. Coinbase’s custom stablecoin offering allows businesses to create their own branded stablecoin — issued by Coinbase and backed one-to-one by USDC and other US dollar stablecoins — without the need to build the underlying blockchain architecture independently.  For Flipcash, the platform provided branded stablecoin issuance with transparent USDC backing, USDC rewards that scale with circulating supply, straightforward fiat on-ramps for users via Coinbase Onramp, and the reliability associated with Coinbase’s twelve years of cryptocurrency infrastructure development. The launch illustrates the broadening of stablecoin issuance beyond large financial institutions and technology firms.  By abstracting the technical complexity of blockchain deployment, Coinbase’s platform enables businesses of varying sizes to enter the stablecoin market with a branded product, built on compliant and transparent infrastructure, without the significant engineering investment that stablecoin development has historically required. Coinbase said any business can now launch a branded stablecoin without building the underlying infrastructure itself.The post Coinbase and Flipcash Launch USDF Custom Stablecoin on Solana Network first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Bank of America said Wednesday that it has gone live on CLS’s Cross Currency Swaps service, joining a group of global banks using the platform to reduce settlement risk and improve operational efficiency as foreign exchange volumes reach record levels. Cross currency swaps involve large initial and final principal exchanges, creating significant settlement risk exposure. Settling these trades on a gross bilateral basis also leads to operational inefficiencies and liquidity constraints.  CLS’s service is said to mitigate these risks by settling payment instructions through a payment-versus-payment mechanism, designed to ensure both sides of a swap settle simultaneously, thereby eliminating counterparty failure risk on principal exchanges.  The service integrates with OSTTRA MarkitWire’s post-trade processing platform and allows participants to benefit from multilateral netting for FX transactions, reducing daily funding requirements. The CCS service has seen substantial growth, with the average daily settled value of cross currency swaps submitted to CLSSettlement rising 87% in 2025.  The expansion comes amid a broader increase in FX market activity, with the Bank for International Settlements’ 2025 Triennial Survey recording daily turnover of approximately $9.6 trillion in April 2025, up 28% from 2022. Lisa Danino-Lewis, Chief Growth Officer at CLS, commented: “With FX trading volumes at record levels and the average daily settled value continuing to grow, mitigating settlement risk has never been more important. The continued expansion of our CCS service, alongside Bank of America’s go-live, demonstrates meaningful progress in reducing risk across the FX market.” Carlos Fernandez-Aller, co-head of Global FICC Macro at Bank of America, said that in an environment of heightened volatility and increasing intraday liquidity demands, “reducing unsecured settlement risk is a priority.”The post Bank of America Goes Live on CLS Cross Currency Swaps Settlement Service first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The European fintech licensing landscape of 2017 was incomparable with today’s regulations. A securities brokerage could be launched for under a million euros. A regulated Lithuanian EMI – the infrastructure that enables legitimate cross-border money movement – could be acquired for under €350,000. Entry barriers were real but manageable, and well-capitalised smaller operators could genuinely compete. That window has been closed. The question worth examining is why – and what it means for the consultancies that serve this market. The Economics Shifted Faster Than Most Anticipated The trigger was scale. When Revolut, Wise, and N26 entered European markets and began competing aggressively on price and distribution, the unit economics for smaller operators collapsed almost immediately. Maintaining regulatory standing in a tier-one European jurisdiction – staffing a compliance function, meeting capital requirements, keeping pace with reporting obligations – stopped making commercial sense below a certain volume threshold. The cost of a new start-up application plus staff costs has now risen above €2-3 million, with €5 million representing a more realistic working figure. Lithuanian EMI companies, once obtainable for under €350,000, now command €2-3 million plus associated transaction costs. For Zitadelle AG, which has been advising financial services businesses on licensing and regulatory strategy since 2017, the shift has fundamentally changed the nature of client conversations. Early mandates centred on helping founders access European markets cost-effectively. Increasingly, the conversation is now about where European entry no longer makes strategic sense, and which alternative jurisdictions offer the regulatory credibility and operational practicality that clients actually need. The Offshore Turn – and Its Complications The rational response for many operators has been to look beyond Europe for less saturated jurisdictions. Markets where entry costs are lower and regulatory frameworks more accessible. Mauritius, the Seychelles, Curaçao, South Africa – jurisdictions that have invested meaningfully in developing internationally recognised financial regulatory frameworks, often at a fraction of the cost and timeline of their European equivalents. This shift is legitimate and, for many business models, entirely appropriate. But it introduces a risk that is underappreciated by operators making the move primarily on cost grounds. Foreign markets are sometimes easier to enter; however, due to gaps in local regulation or established market practice, certain operations can fall into grey areas that create regulatory friction rather than eliminating it. Moving jurisdiction without proper structural guidance tends to trade one set of compliance problems for another – often less visible ones that surface at the worst possible moment, typically during due diligence or when attempting to bank or process payments through correspondent relationships. The value of proper advisory support in this environment isn’t just technical knowledge of a given jurisdiction’s licensing requirements. It’s the ability to anticipate how a structure will be perceived by counterparties, correspondent banks, and regulators in the markets the business actually wants to reach. Diversification as Structural Response The consultancies that have navigated this period successfully have done so by expanding their jurisdiction coverage in line with where client demand has actually moved – not where it was five years ago. Zitadelle AG started by assisting clients with licensing applications in Labuan, Malaysia, Mauritius, and Cyprus. The firm now covers Curaçao, Estonia, the UK, and the Netherlands, with each addition reflecting real shifts in where regulated structures are being sought and where regulatory frameworks have developed sufficient credibility to support serious financial businesses. Alongside licensing consultancy, the firm has developed adjacent infrastructure – HR compliance services through a sister platform, and a dedicated marketplace at financiallicensemarket.com where operators can assess the acquisition of existing regulated entities as an alternative to greenfield applications. For clients where time-to-market is a critical variable, acquiring an existing licence rather than applying from scratch has become an increasingly viable strategic option. The Broader Market Implication What this trajectory reflects is a structural maturation of the offshore and emerging-market licensing space. A decade ago, these jurisdictions were primarily used for opacity and cost minimisation. Today, the better-governed among them are competing on genuine regulatory credibility, processing times, and the practical ability to support real financial businesses. The consultancies best positioned to serve this market are those that treat jurisdiction selection as a strategic advisory exercise – one that accounts for the client’s target markets, counterparty relationships, growth plans, and long-term regulatory exposure – rather than a simple cost comparison. Regulatory environments will continue to evolve. The firms that survive and grow will be the ones that move with them.”   The post How Regulatory Shifts Are Forcing Fintech Consultancies to Reinvent Themselves first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Euronext has reported a strong quarterly trading performance, with cash equity trading and clearing revenue jumping 30.8% year-on-year to €123.0 million in Q1 2026, fuelled by elevated market volatility and the first full quarter of contribution from Euronext Athens. Total underlying revenue reached €528.5 million for the quarter, up 15.3% on Q1 2025, marking the exchange group’s eighth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth. Cash equity average daily transaction value on the Euronext order book stood at €16.4 billion in April 2026, with Euronext maintaining a 64.1% market share in cash equity trading during Q1. Revenue capture averaged 0.51 basis points for the quarter. In FICC Markets, commodities trading and clearing revenue climbed 13.9% to €33.8 million, driven by growth in intraday and day-ahead power volumes following the successful March 2026 launch of Euronext Nord Pool Power Futures. FX and precious metals hit record trading volumes, with FX revenue up 5.8% to €9.8 million — rising 17.5% on a like-for-like, constant-currency basis. ETF activity was another standout. Since the September 2025 launch of Euronext ETF Europe, average daily value traded surged 84%, reaching €1.6 billion in Q1 2026. Euronext also launched mini ETF options in March 2026 to broaden retail access to the product. In post-trade, Euronext Securities settled over 44.2 million instructions during the quarter, with Assets under Custody totalling €7.6 trillion at the end of March — rising to €7.8 trillion by April. MTS Repo term-adjusted average daily volume stood at €563.0 billion in April. Equity derivatives average daily volume in April came in at 535,400 lots, while commodity derivatives averaged 144,426 lots per day, up 7.4% year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA came in at €343.2 million (+16.7%), with margins expanding to 64.9%. Adjusted net income rose 17.7% to €216.1 million, with adjusted basic EPS of €2.13. Euronext also confirmed a dividend of €3.18 per share, representing a 50% pay-out ratio, payable on 27 May 2026.The post Euronext Reports Record Q1 2026 Trading Volumes Amid High Market Volatility first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The New York-based broker-dealer operated below minimum net capital requirements for 19 months while concealing a multi-million dollar guarantee from regulators. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has censured and fined Dinosaur Financial Group, LLC $85,000 following findings that the New York-headquartered broker-dealer concealed a $4.3 million lease guarantee from regulators and operated below minimum net capital requirements for nearly two years. According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent (AWC) submitted by the firm, Dinosaur Financial guaranteed its parent company’s 10-year commercial real estate lease in April 2022 without providing the required prior written notice to FINRA. The guarantee, valued by the firm and its external auditor at between $2.8 million and $3 million, was not disclosed until FINRA initiated a cycle examination in late 2023. By failing to include the guarantee as a liability in its net capital calculations, Dinosaur Financial operated below its minimum net capital requirement — which ranged between $274,200 and $450,000 — for 19 of 20 months between April 2022 and November 2023. The largest single deficiency reached $2,905,172, with an average shortfall of approximately $1.45 million. Despite this, the firm continued conducting a securities business throughout the period. The firm also filed 20 inaccurate FOCUS reports, maintained erroneous books and records, and failed to provide timely notifications of its net capital deficiencies to FINRA and the SEC, as required under Exchange Act rules. FINRA found Dinosaur Financial in violation of multiple Securities Exchange Act provisions and FINRA rules. Without admitting or denying the findings, the firm accepted a censure and an $85,000 fine.The post FINRA Fines Dinosaur Financial Group $85,000 Over Net Capital Failures first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Miami International Holdings has launched Tini Bloomberg 100 Index Futures on its MIAX Futures exchange.  It is the first in a planned suite of equity index products developed in partnership with Bloomberg Index Services and set to clear at the Options Clearing Corporation. The launch will be followed by Tini Bloomberg 500 Index Futures on 31 May, with a 1 June trade date, and Bloomberg 500 Futures on 7 June, with an 8 June trade date. All three products will be listed exclusively on MIAX Futures. Thomas Gallagher, Chairman and Chief Executive of MIAX, said the new products are designed to help both retail and institutional investors gain and manage exposure to the largest companies in the United States.  “We believe that Bloomberg Indices’ transparent, rules-based methodology provides a meaningful structural advantage among competing futures and options market benchmarks, designed to eliminate subjectivity and delays that the market will come to appreciate particularly as the IPO pipeline improves,” he added. Emanuele Di Stefano, Head of Index Product at Bloomberg Index Services, described the launch as an “important step forward in the evolution of equity index markets,” saying the Bloomberg 500 and 100 were built to set a new standard for US equity benchmarks through systematic construction and the ability to adapt quickly to changes in market composition. MIAX previously announced a licensing agreement with Bloomberg Index Services to develop a broader suite of index futures, options on futures, and cash options products based on Bloomberg’s benchmark portfolio.The post MIAX Launches Tini Bloomberg 100 Index Futures first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Intercontinental Exchange and compute market company Ornn have announced plans to launch a suite of GPU compute futures contracts. The move is expected to extend established financial market infrastructure to the rapidly growing but fragmented global market for artificial intelligence computing power. The contracts will be based on Ornn’s Compute Price Index, which tracks live-traded spot prices for GPU compute across major hardware types and is built exclusively from printed transactions.  The futures will be US dollar-denominated and cash-settled, with contracts expected to cover GPU types including H100, H200, B200, and RTX 5090, with additional types to be added as the market develops. Launch remains subject to regulatory approval. “As AI has rapidly moved from research labs and academic campuses to becoming one of the most important drivers for the global economy, the market for compute has evolved just as quickly and is in desperate need of a globally accepted pricing mechanism and risk management tool,” said Trabue Bland, SVP of Futures Markets at ICE.  He added that Ornn’s index “is a natural fit for futures markets and we’re excited to offer a new tool for price discovery and risk management.” Kush Bavaria, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Ornn, said that “compute has grown into a trillion-dollar market yet it still lacks the pricing and risk-transfer infrastructure that every other major commodity relies upon,” adding that listing futures on ICE puts that risk-transfer layer in front of the institutional buyers and operators who need it most.The post ICE and Ornn Announce GPU Compute Futures Contracts first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CFI Financial Group has launched trading access to more than 40 stocks listed on the Dubai Financial Market. According to the firm, the move is a pivotal moment in its expansion across regional capital markets and its effort to broaden investor access to one of the UAE’s most active exchanges. The launch gives CFI clients regulated access to DFM-listed companies spanning sectors including real estate, finance, logistics, and telecoms.  The firm said it forms part of its broader mission to remove barriers to market entry and connect investors with regulated investment opportunities across the region. Ziad Melhem, Chief Executive of CFI Financial Group, described the launch as more than a product introduction, framing it as a signature moment for investors in the UAE and a delivery on the firm’s commitments around accessibility, transparency, and market innovation.  He said the aim is for every client to be able to invest directly in the region’s future through the DFM. Hamed Ali, Chief Executive of DFM and Nasdaq Dubai, welcomed CFI as a new trading member of the exchange. “CFI brings a strong commitment to investor empowerment, and their entry aligns with DFM’s ambition to continuously expand access, liquidity, and long-term value creation,” he commented.The post CFI Financial Group Launches Dubai Financial Market Stock Trading for Regional Investors first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation said Tuesday that it has expanded its central clearing capabilities to support options-based exchange-traded funds. Under the new framework, ETF shares and eligible components will be centrally cleared through DTCC’s National Securities Clearing Corporation and settled at The Depository Trust Company.  Listed options components will be cleared by The Options Clearing Corporation, with NSCC transmitting instructions to facilitate the transfer of options positions between counterparties.  NSCC does not clear the underlying options directly but works in partnership with OCC to deliver an integrated clearing workflow. The enhancement is said to support options-based ETF structures, including covered-call and FLEX options strategies, which have attracted strong investor demand and considerable product innovation.  DTCC says the expanded model extends central clearing to these structures whilst improving risk management, operational efficiency, and transparency. As part of the same initiative, DTCC has also introduced earlier access to preliminary ETF transaction data to support more timely liquidity estimation. “As ETFs continue to evolve and diversify, it’s critical that the post‑trade infrastructure evolves with them,” commented Arianne Collette, Managing Director and Head of U.S. Equities at DTCC. “This enhancement builds on our existing ETF clearing capabilities and reflects our ongoing commitment to reducing risk, improving liquidity management, and supporting innovation that advances markets and delivers new value.” Mike Hansen, Chief Clearing and Settlement Officer at OCC, said the new capability delivers on what members have made clear they need as options-based ETFs continue to gain traction.The post DTCC Extends Central Clearing to Cover Options-Based ETFs first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.