Multi-asset trading platform Kudotrade has opened a Dubai office, received initial regulatory approval from the UAE’s Capital Market Authority, and acquired the domain Kudo.com, marking a series of milestones in the company’s expansion into the Middle East. The Dubai office will serve as Kudotrade’s regional headquarters, supporting its growing client base across the Gulf Cooperation Council and the broader Middle East and North Africa region.  The company said the move reflected its focus on proximity to key markets and deeper engagement with institutional and professional trading communities in one of the world’s fastest-growing financial hubs. Alongside the office opening, Kudotrade has rebranded its digital presence to Kudo.com, a change the company explained was designed to establish a more streamlined and globally recognisable identity.  Furthermore, the company believes it fits its evolution into a broader trading ecosystem serving both retail and institutional participants. The receipt of initial approval from the Capital Market Authority, formerly known as the Securities and Commodities Authority, is a step towards full regulatory licensing in the UAE. Finley Wilkinson, Chief Operating Officer at Kudotrade, said the Dubai expansion represented “a strategic commitment to one of the most dynamic financial markets in the world,” adding that securing initial regulatory approval reinforced the company’s intention to grow within trusted compliance environments.The post Kudotrade Opens Dubai Office and Secures Initial UAE Regulatory Approval first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CME Group’s new Avalanche (AVAX) and Sui (SUI) futures contracts began trading this week, with the first transactions executed as block trades between institutional firms FalconX and G-20 Group. The derivatives marketplace said the launch extends its cryptocurrency futures offering, reflecting growing institutional demand for regulated instruments across a broader range of digital assets. The contracts are available in both micro- and standard-sized formats, providing traders with varying levels of capital exposure. Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, said the early uptake signals that clients are seeking regulated tools to manage price risk across a wider range of crypto instruments. The dual contract sizes, he noted, are intended to give market participants greater flexibility in executing investment and hedging strategies. Joshua Lim, Global Co-head of Markets at FalconX, pointed to two broader market trends underpinning demand for the new contracts. First, the growth of altcoin indices for crypto exposure and then the accumulation of assets such as AVAX and SUI by Digital Asset Treasuries on behalf of shareholders. Jonathan Mathai, Head of Trading at G-20 Group, believes large allocators increasingly favor onshore U.S. derivatives where regulatory compliance is a priority, describing CME Group as its venue of choice given its status as a CFTC-regulated entity.The post CME Group’s New Avalanche and Sui Cryptocurrency Futures Begin Trading first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CME Group has launched the U.S. Dollar RepoFunds Rate (RFR USD), a new benchmark designed to provide a measure of overnight funding costs in U.S. repo markets. The benchmark draws on data from centrally cleared overnight U.S. repo trades executed on BrokerTec’s dealer-to-dealer central limit order book (CLOB) platform, which recorded average daily trading volumes of $412 billion in March. The end-of-day rate is published at 3:00 p.m. ET, offering same-day price transparency and serving as an early indicator of market activity ahead of the T+1 daily publication of SOFR rates. Matt Gierke, Global Head of BrokerTec, said the new benchmark enhances market transparency. “BrokerTec’s U.S. repo market is a definitive source of price discovery for U.S. Treasury repo. This new RFR USD benchmark provides enhanced transparency, enabling precise mark-to-market insights for dealers and improved access to valuation data for the broader marketplace,” he said. Administered by CME Group Benchmark Administration, RFR USD uses a volume-weighted median methodology — the same standard employed by the New York Federal Reserve in the calculation of SOFR. It is available via CME Datamine and accessible to BrokerTec CLOB clients, with rates also licensed for use in derived products including OTC derivatives, structured products and floating rate notes. Max Ruscher, Head of Benchmark Services at CME Group, noted that the RFR USD is the latest addition to an existing suite of RepoFunds Rate products already covering euro, sterling and yen sovereign bond markets, which are increasingly adopted as reference rates in OTC swap markets.The post CME Group Launches U.S. Dollar RepoFunds Rate to Track Overnight Funding Costs first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

CME Group announced this week that it plans to launch Bitcoin Volatility futures contracts on June 1, pending regulatory review. The move signals a significant expansion of its digital asset product suite. The world’s leading derivatives marketplace stated in a press release that the contracts will be the first of their kind in regulated form, enabling investors to isolate and trade bitcoin’s volatility independently of price direction, allowing for more precise risk management. The new futures will settle to the CME CF Bitcoin Volatility Index (BVX), a 30-day forward-looking measure of implied volatility derived from real-time CME Bitcoin options order books. Published every second between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. CT, the index tracks market expectations rather than spot price, offering a transparent underlying for precision volatility trading. Giovanni Vicioso, Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products at CME Group, noted that demand from crypto market participants for regulated exposure tools was a key driver. “With our new Bitcoin volatility futures, traders will be able to invest or hedge against the future volatility of bitcoin, allowing them to access a critical new layer of risk management,” he noted. David Schlageter, Managing Director and Head of Derivatives Sales at Morgan Stanley, commented that the launch would help market participants better manage portfolio risk by directly trading volatility. Sui Chung, CEO of CF Benchmarks, described the move as a major step in bitcoin’s maturation as an investable asset, adding that he anticipates a broader ecosystem of regulated financial products will follow the CFTC-regulated contracts.The post CME Group to Launch Bitcoin Volatility Futures on June 1 first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Crypto prime brokerage FalconX has partnered with Kalshi, the world’s largest prediction market by monthly trading volume, to give institutional clients structured access to event-driven contracts spanning politics, macroeconomic indicators and market price movements. The partnership combines FalconX’s prime brokerage and derivatives infrastructure with Kalshi’s regulated exchange, enabling institutional clients to gain exposure to and hedge event-driven risks across crypto, macro and global elections through block trade execution and structured derivatives. Joshua Barkhordar, Head of Sales at FalconX, described the development as a natural evolution of financial markets, where institutional capital, derivatives infrastructure and emerging asset classes converge.  He noted that FalconX’s role was to bring “the scale, liquidity, and risk management frameworks institutions expect” to the prediction markets category. Max Crowley, Vice President of Business Development at Kalshi, said demand for prediction markets was reaching a tipping point, with institutional appetite for event-based contracts growing sharply in recent months.  Furthermore, he argued that access through prime brokerages would be central to broadening institutional participation as the asset class matures. For Kalshi, the agreement represents the latest step in an accelerating push towards institutional adoption.  For FalconX, it extends a broader strategy of bridging traditional and digital financial markets by applying established institutional infrastructure to newer and less conventional asset classes. The firms did not disclose financial terms of the arrangement.The post FalconX and Kalshi Join Forces to Bring Institutional Capital to Prediction Markets first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Corporate payments group Corpay has agreed partnerships with JP Morgan and blockchain payments firm BVNK to add blockchain-based settlement to its cross-border payments platform, enabling round-the-clock stablecoin and tokenised fiat disbursements for its clients. The agreements introduce both private and public blockchain capabilities to Corpay’s existing multi-rail network, which already spans SWIFT, its proprietary iACH system and real-time local payment schemes.  JP Morgan’s contribution comes through its Kinexys private blockchain, whilst BVNK provides stablecoin interoperability across select corridors. Ron Clarke, Chairman and Chief Executive of Corpay, said adding blockchain capabilities allowed the company to “optimise how payments move,” improving speed, flexibility and efficiency for clients worldwide. Mark Frey, Group President of Corpay Cross-Border Solutions, said the platform was built to route each transaction across whichever rail delivers the best outcome for the client, connecting traditional and digital payment infrastructure within a single integrated system. The move reflects growing corporate appetite for blockchain-based settlement as an alternative or complement to conventional correspondent banking networks, particularly for cross-border transactions where delays and fragmentation can add cost and friction. Corpay said it would provide further details on the new capabilities and its cross-border payments business at a dedicated teach-in event scheduled for 13 May 2026.The post Corpay Adds JP Morgan and BVNK Blockchain Rails to Cross-Border Payments Platform first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has struck a global partnership with payments network MoneyGram, enabling Kraken customers to withdraw digital assets as cash across more than 100 countries through MoneyGram’s retail network. The integration allows customers to convert cryptocurrency into hundreds of fiat currencies, with funds available for collection at nearly 500,000 MoneyGram locations across 200 countries and territories.  The companies said payouts would be available instantly or near-instantly, addressing what they described as a persistent barrier to everyday crypto use: the lack of reliable cash off-ramps. Kraken Co-Chief Executive Arjun Sethi said the partnership aimed to build “a scalable bridge between digital asset markets and local cash economies,” arguing that digital assets only achieve meaningful scale when they interoperate with existing financial systems.  MoneyGram Chief Executive Anthony Soohoo said the deal would give Kraken customers access to “the world’s largest crypto-to-cash off-ramp.” Under the arrangement, Kraken retains responsibility for customer onboarding and identity verification, whilst MoneyGram provides licensed money transmission through its regulated global infrastructure. The service will roll out in phases across the United States, Europe, Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia Pacific. The companies indicated the initial launch represented the first stage of a broader partnership, with plans to expand into local bank deposits and cross-border remittance flows through Kraken’s global money app over time.The post Kraken Partners with MoneyGram to Offer Crypto-to-Cash Withdrawals first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Visa has expanded its Agentic Ready programme to Canada, enlisting five of the country’s largest banks as it prepares the domestic payments ecosystem for a new era in which artificial intelligence agents initiate and complete transactions on behalf of consumers. BMO, CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank and TD are among the early issuing partners joining the Canadian rollout, which forms part of Visa’s broader Intelligent Commerce initiative already active in Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the United States. The programme gives Canadian issuers access to a controlled testing environment where agent-initiated payments can be validated using live cards and real merchants.  Participants are able to assess card enrolment, tokenisation, authentication and transaction authorisation, as well as identify operational gaps before AI-driven commerce scales more widely. Michiel Wielhouwer, President and Country Manager of Visa Canada, said the programme offered Canadian issuers “a meaningful head start” in preparing for agent-initiated commerce, providing a structured path to move these experiences “from concept to reality.” Visa said the initiative is backed by its core trust infrastructure, encompassing tokenisation, identity verification, authentication and risk management.  As AI agents move beyond responding to queries towards actively searching, deciding and paying on behalf of users, Visa declared that maintaining transparency, consent and consumer control at every stage of a transaction is essential. The company noted that additional Canadian issuers were expected to join as the programme continued to develop throughout the year.The post Visa brings AI Agent Payments Programme to Canada first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Worldline has finalised the sale of its Electronic Data Management activities to Swiss financial infrastructure group SIX, the French payments company has confirmed. The transaction represents another step in Worldline’s ongoing strategic restructuring, which is aimed at concentrating the group’s operations on core European payment activities that offer the greatest synergies. The divestment is in line with Worldline’s North Star transformation plan, under which the company has been progressively streamlining its portfolio and optimising resource allocation. Worldline said proceeds from the sale would strengthen the group’s financial profile and enhance its strategic flexibility over the medium term, whilst providing additional capital to redeploy towards its priority markets and businesses. The completion follows a broader programme of disposals that Worldline has pursued since outlining its refocus strategy at its November 2025 Capital Markets Day. The group has now concluded a series of transactions spanning multiple geographies, shedding non-core operations as it seeks to simplify its structure and sharpen its competitive focus. SIX, which operates financial market infrastructure across Switzerland and Spain, adds the Electronic Data Management business to a portfolio that spans securities services, banking services, and financial information. Further terms of the transaction were not disclosed.The post Worldline Completes Sale of Electronic Data Management Unit to SIX first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

French payments group Worldline has announced the planned sale of its 51% stake in ANZ Worldline Payment Solutions to its joint venture partner ANZ, for an enterprise value of approximately €107 million on a 100% basis. The deal, announced on 28 April 2026, marks the conclusion of Worldline’s portfolio pruning programme, which was designed to refocus the group’s operations on its core European payments activities.  The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals. ANZ Worldline Payment Solutions is an established merchant acquiring business serving small and medium-sized enterprises as well as large corporate clients across Australia.  Following completion, Worldline will continue to provide technology and software services to ANZ for a transitional period to ensure operational continuity. The Australian divestment is the latest in a series of asset disposals that also include MeTS, Worldline North America, Cetrel, PaymentIQ, Worldline India, and Worldline New Zealand.  Combined net cash proceeds from all announced divestments are estimated at between €590 million and €640 million, with receipts expected during 2026. Worldline stated that the proceeds would strengthen its financial profile, enhance strategic flexibility, and support the redeployment of capital towards core activities.  Management added that it remained focused on executing the group’s North Star 2030 transformation plan, with the aim of restoring revenue growth and robust free cash flow generation.The post Worldline Agrees Sale of Australian Payments JV to ANZ first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Swiss financial infrastructure group SIX has received approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) to merge its digital central securities depository (CSD), SIX Digital Exchange, into its established CSD, SIX SIS AG, bringing digital and traditional asset services together within a single regulated legal entity. FINMA has also approved SIX to offer crypto custody services through the consolidated CSD, a development the group described as a significant milestone in the creation of regulated institutional market infrastructure for digital assets. The combined entity will operate under what SIX calls a “one plug to two worlds” model, offering financial institutions a single access point for both traditional securities and digital assets.  The company said the approach was designed to reduce operational complexity whilst providing the legal certainty and resilience associated with established financial market infrastructure. Rafael Moral Santiago, Head of Securities Services and a member of the SIX Executive Board, said the group’s objective was to provide financial institutions with “a unified, secure, and regulated gateway to digital assets.”  He added that integrating crypto custody into the core CSD offering combined innovation with the regulatory robustness that institutional clients require. The consolidation forms part of SIX’s broader ambition to become a pan-European provider of integrated, digital post-trade solutions by 2030. The post SIX Wins Swiss Regulatory Approval to Merge Digital and Traditional Securities Infrastructure first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Plus500 will tell shareholders today that the group has entered 2026 with strong momentum across its trading businesses, with first-quarter performance coming in ahead of market expectations, driven in part by heightened market volatility. The global multi-asset fintech group will make the comments at its Annual General Meeting, held in London on 5 May.  In a release prior to the event, the board said performance had been supported by the company’s technology-led approach to customer acquisition, which it described as a key competitive advantage underpinning its earnings model. In recent years, Plus500 has pursued a strategy of broadening both its product offering and geographic footprint, moving beyond its core over-the-counter trading business into non-OTC operations.  The group highlighted particular progress in its business-to-business futures ecosystem and prediction markets activities, which it said had expanded its addressable market and further diversified its revenue base. The company added that these initiatives have reinforced its position as a global provider of what it termed “leading, trusted market infrastructure,” with its proprietary technology and cash-generative business model cited as central to sustaining that standing. “The Board remains confident in the Group’s outlook for FY 2026, underpinned by its strong financial position and clear strategic roadmap,” stated Plus500The post Plus500 Reports Strong Start to 2026 first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Broadridge Financial Solutions has reported a strong rise in activity on its Distributed Ledger Repo platform, with average daily volumes reaching $368 billion in April, representing a 268% increase on the same period last year and a near 4% rise from March. The platform, which enables the settlement of repo transactions on distributed ledger infrastructure, processed nearly $8 trillion in total volume during the month.  The figures point to a sustained and growing institutional appetite for tokenised settlement within core financial market infrastructure. Horacio Barakat, Global Head of Digital Innovation at Broadridge, said the results demonstrated how tokenisation could “operate at scale within core market infrastructure,” adding that the firm was expanding into new liquidity management use cases whilst integrating digital and traditional assets within a single framework. The Distributed Ledger Repo platform supports intraday and sponsored repo transactions, enabling real-time collateral mobility across counterparties without requiring firms to adopt parallel systems or duplicative workflows.  Broadridge says the technology helps institutions improve capital efficiency whilst maintaining regulatory alignment. The announcement accompanies Broadridge’s recent strategic investment in HQLAX, a digital collateral mobility specialist, which the company says will extend the platform’s capabilities into broader securities finance markets.The post Broadridge’s Blockchain Repo Platform Growth Surges first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Coinbase has launched a dedicated service for Australian Self-Managed Super Funds (SMSFs), offering retirement investors a route to hold digital assets within their superannuation portfolios. The move comes after Coinbase’s receipt of an Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL), which positions the exchange as a big player in Australia’s growing retirement savings market.  According to the Australian Taxation Office, there are currently over 653,000 SMSFs holding more than $1.05 trillion AUD in assets across 1.2 million members. The new solution includes streamlined onboarding tailored to Australian fund structures, audit-ready reporting compatible with local accounting standards, and the institutional-grade security for which Coinbase is known. John O’Loghlen and Pete Patanapanlert, writing on behalf of Coinbase Australia, said the launch aimed to remove longstanding compliance and reporting barriers that had discouraged SMSF trustees from allocating to cryptocurrency. SMSFs occupy a distinctive position in the global retirement landscape, as one of the few structures that permits direct individual management of digital assets. Coinbase said this flexibility makes them a natural gateway for long-term investors seeking crypto exposure. Coinbase said it intended to be “the most trusted partner for long-term investors” as the country’s crypto landscape continues to mature.The post Coinbase Launches Dedicated Crypto Service for Australian Retirement Funds first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation (DTCC) has announced plans to launch a new tokenisation service in October 2026, with initial limited production trades expected as early as July.  The post-trade infrastructure giant is accelerating efforts to bridge traditional and decentralised finance. The service, developed in collaboration with more than 50 firms through the DTCC Industry Working Group, will enable the tokenisation of real-world assets already held in custody by the Depository Trust Company (DTC), which currently safeguards assets valued at over $114 trillion.  Participants in the working group span a broad cross-section of the industry, including BlackRock, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Lloyds Bank, and crypto-native firms such as Anchorage Digital, Circle, and Ripple Prime. Frank La Salla, DTCC’s President and Chief Executive, said the initiative would “significantly change how markets work and operate, bringing new levels of liquidity, transparency and efficiency to investors.” The service was authorised in December 2025 following a No-Action Letter from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, permitting DTC to offer tokenisation for a defined set of highly liquid assets, including constituents of the Russell 1000 index, major ETFs, and US Treasury securities. DTCC added that the service is designed to ensure that tokenised assets carry the same investor protections and ownership rights as their traditionally held equivalents, with the resilience and accountability expected of systemically critical infrastructure.The post DTCC Sets October Launch Date for Securities Tokenisation Service first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Monday, Western Union announced USDPT, a US dollar-denominated payment stablecoin built on the Solana blockchain.  The payments giant believes the move marks a significant step towards regulated, digital-first financial infrastructure. The stablecoin, backed by US dollars and issued by Anchorage Digital Bank, the first federally regulated crypto bank in the United States, is designed to integrate directly into Western Union’s existing global payments network.  The company says the asset will eliminate the delays and fragmentation associated with traditional correspondent banking. Devin McGranahan, Western Union’s President and Chief Executive, said the launch would create “a more efficient settlement layer” for partners, agents and consumers, whilst preserving the trust that underpins the brand. Several services are being developed around USDPT, including Treasury and Agent Settlement, which aims to enable near-instant, round-the-clock settlement between Western Union and its global agent network.  A consumer-facing product, Stable by Western Union, is also expected to launch later this year across more than 40 countries. Solana Foundation President Lily Liu said the blockchain’s high-throughput, low-latency design makes it well-suited to the demands of real-world financial settlement.The post Western Union Launches Dollar Stablecoin on Solana first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

On Monday, HSBC Mutual Fund announced the launch of RedHex SIF, its dedicated Specialised Investment Fund brand in India. The announcement expands the firm’s product offering in one of the world’s fastest-growing investment markets. RedHex SIF is a SEBI-approved investment structure designed to offer greater portfolio flexibility than traditional mutual funds, while keeping the transparency, governance, and regulatory oversight associated with the mutual fund framework.  The platform is aimed at experienced, institutional, and high-net-worth investors, with a minimum investment threshold of ₹10 lakh. The platform is said to be built around focused, outcome-oriented investment strategies with clearly defined themes, designed to enable more precise portfolio construction.  HSBC Mutual Fund believes that the structure combines the familiarity of the mutual fund framework with the flexibility of more advanced investment solutions, aided by a strong emphasis on risk management and portfolio stability. Kailash Kulkarni, Chief Executive of HSBC Mutual Fund, “RedHex SIF is our innovation-led platform for investors seeking differentiated, outcome-oriented strategies, anchored in the trusted mutual fund framework. As markets evolve, we believe alpha will increasingly come from adaptability, risk awareness and differentiated thinking across shifting cycles.” HSBC Asset Management, the investment management arm of HSBC Group, manages assets totalling $866 billion on behalf of clients worldwide as at 31 December 2025, operating through an international network spanning 20 countries and territories.The post HSBC Mutual Fund Launches RedHex SIF Platform in India first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Last week, Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing announced the introduction of weekly expiries for 17 additional single stock option classes, to be launched in two batches in June 2026, bringing the total number of weekly stock option offerings on its platform to 33. The first batch of ten new weekly stock options will begin trading on 15 June 2026, covering names including ANTA Sports Products, WuXi Biologics, WuXi AppTec, Zijin Mining Group, Laopu Gold, Bilibili, Akeso, Trip.com Group, and Pop Mart International.  A second batch of seven contracts will launch on 22 June, adding Sun Hung Kai Properties, Geely Automobile Holdings, Li Auto, Sunny Optical Technology, China Life Insurance, XPeng, and NetEase. HKEX said weekly stock options had become one of its fastest-growing derivatives instruments since launching in November 2024, with more than 36 million contracts traded to date.  Weekly expiries have consistently accounted for approximately 21% of the volume of corresponding single stock options products in 2026. The expansion supplements existing monthly contracts, giving investors greater flexibility to manage short-term market risks across a broader range of underlying stocks.  The new classes span sectors including technology, electric vehicles, healthcare, gold mining, real estate, and insurance, reflecting the diversity of HKEX’s listed universe.The post HKEX to Expand Weekly Stock Options to 33 Classes first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Cboe Global Markets reported record first-quarter net revenues of $728.9 million last week, up 29% year-on-year, alongside record diluted earnings per share of $3.66, up 54%, as the exchange operator raised its full-year revenue growth guidance and announced the next phase of its strategic realignment. Adjusted diluted EPS rose 48% to $3.70, with operating income up 43% to $505.6 million at an operating margin of 69.4%.  Growth was said to have been broad-based, with record revenues across Options, North American Equities, Europe and Asia Pacific, and Global FX.  Options net revenue rose 33% to $467.6 million, driven by a 29% increase in index options average daily volume. Global FX net revenue surged 38% to $29.4 million on a 36% increase in average daily notional volume. Cboe raised its 2026 organic total net revenue growth guidance to a low double-digit to mid-teens range, up from its previous mid single-digit expectation, and lifted its Data Vantage organic growth target to low double-digit.  Adjusted operating expense guidance was reduced to $838 million to $853 million. Chief Executive Craig Donohue said the strong results accompanied the next phase of a strategic realignment designed to build more agile teams. “Today, we announced the next phase of our plan by realigning our organization to build more agile teams positioned to operate effectively in a fast–changing environment,” he commented. “Our earlier actions to sell, wind down, and optimize certain businesses, combined with today’s strategic realignment, are expected to reduce our workforce by approximately 20 percent.”The post Cboe Reports Record Q1 Revenues and Raises Full-Year Guidance, Announces 20% Workforce Reduction first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.

Cambridge Investment Research has been censured and fined $200,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority after the regulator found the Iowa-based broker-dealer failed to adequately supervise a registered representative who repeatedly recommended that retail customers sell unit investment trusts before their maturity dates, generating high costs. According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent submitted by the firm, the conduct took place between June 2020 and February 2023 and resulted in 184 customers paying at least $389,200 in fees and costs they would not have incurred had they held their UITs to maturity.  The representative’s customers sold 90% of their UIT positions before maturity, typically rolling proceeds into new UIT positions at additional expense. FINRA found that despite supervisory alerts and multiple escalations from compliance personnel highlighting the representative’s pattern of early UIT redemptions, Cambridge failed to adequately investigate or act upon those red flags for an extended period.  The representative generated approximately 60% of all early UIT rollover alerts across the entire firm, whilst accounting for only around 10% of total UIT business. Cambridge terminated the representative in February 2023 following direct escalation to senior compliance leadership and subsequently engaged an outside consultant to calculate customer losses.  The firm voluntarily paid restitution of $389,200 to affected customers in April 2023, prior to the commencement of FINRA’s investigation. Cambridge Investment Research neither admitted nor denied the findings as part of the settlement.The post FINRA Fines Cambridge Investment Research first appeared on LeapRate | Online Trading Industry News, Broker Intelligence & Fintech Analysis.