Jenniskens joins from ABN AMRO, which acquired BUX last year, where she serves as Head of Digital Wealth Products and has played a central role in developing the bank’s next-generation investing and pension tools.  She was also instrumental in integrating BUX into ABN AMRO’s broader wealth strategy, a move seen as critical to the platform’s long-term expansion. In her new role, Jenniskens will oversee the development of BUX’s savings proposition, a strategic priority aimed at unifying saving and investing within a single, intuitive platform.  The initiative forms a core part of BUX’s ambition to expand its appeal among younger and digitally minded investors. She succeeds Yorick Naeff, who led BUX since 2020 and will transition to Head of Innovation at ABN AMRO.  Naeff said it was “a proud moment to pass the helm to Marlou as BUX enters its next chapter,” highlighting her expertise in digital wealth and deep network within the bank. Jenniskens is known for advocating diversity in financial services and supporting the financial empowerment of women.  “BUX has always stood for accessibility and clarity, and I’m excited to build on that foundation,” she said, emphasising her focus on intuitive customer experiences designed to boost financial confidence. The post BUX Names Marlou Jenniskens as New CEO appeared first on LeapRate.

The new segment, available immediately, mirrors the existing structured-products offering but significantly lengthens the trading window compared with the current 09:15–17:15 CET schedule.  SIX said the change is designed to let self-directed investors and brokers react more effectively to market developments, particularly in the U.S., where markets remain open until 22:00 CET. The exchange hosts more than 70,000 structured products, most of them leverage and yield-enhancement instruments. By extending hours, SIX aims to broaden access, boost product visibility and strengthen its appeal to issuers, who gain longer regulated-market access and the potential for increased demand. The extension requires no additional applications or setup, and retail investors can place orders through brokers as usual. SIX said the decision responds to global market dynamics and the growing importance of self-guided investing. Gregor Braun, Co-Head of Cash Markets, said the launch “directly addresses client demand” for longer trading windows, describing it as “pragmatic innovation” aligned with the exchange’s retail focus.  Sébastien Neukom, Head of Structured Products Sales, added that the change helps investors “track U.S. markets and act on developments as they happen”, offering greater flexibility and precision. SIX expects the longer hours to support more diversified product issuance and improved client service across the structured-products ecosystem. The post SIX Extends Trading Hours for Structured Products to Boost Flexibility appeared first on LeapRate.

Integrated into the Antom Merchant Portal, the enhanced Copilot now provides end-to-end support across the payment lifecycle, from onboarding and integration to dispute handling, risk controls and managing payment success rates.  Ant International said the upgraded system operates like a “virtual team of payment experts”, drawing on domain-specific training and real-world cases to deliver faster, more accurate support. Improved multi-turn dialogue, memory capabilities and closer monitoring of operational signals now enable the system to identify risks and opportunities before merchants flag issues, allowing more proactive and customised guidance. The company noted that Antom Copilot, which is powered by an upgraded agentic retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) architecture with dynamic SOP planning, has already demonstrated significant efficiency gains.  The firm said that since its 2024 rollout, 72% of Antom merchants have completed self-service integration using the tool, cutting integration times by 90% and improving dispute-resolution efficiency by 46%. Gary Liu, CEO of Antom, said managing payments “doesn’t have to be a passive and low ROI process”, adding that the aim is to put “advanced AI efficiency tools at the fingertip of every merchant”.  Ant International stated that the upgrades reflect its broader commitment to developing agentic AI designed specifically for global commerce. The company recently introduced EPOS360, an AI-powered app that integrates POS systems, payments, banking and lending to help small- and mid-sized businesses scale more efficiently. The post Ant International Upgrades Antom Copilot to Boost AI-Driven Merchant Payments appeared first on LeapRate.

The Stamford-based operator, which launched trading in October, is the first U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission-approved exchange to offer 23-hour access to U.S. shares each weekday.  Investors worldwide can already trade U.S. equities via approved broker-dealer members from 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.  The company expects to move to full 23/5 trading in the second half of 2026, pending further approvals and system alignment. The investment will help accelerate the exchange’s expansion across Asia and broaden access to U.S. markets for retail and institutional traders in the region.  It follows a similar investment from Japan’s Rakuten Securities earlier this year, underscoring what 24X called growing international recognition of its technology and market-access infrastructure. Dmitri Galinov, founder and CEO of 24X, said the backing from Shinhan “will advance our mission to deliver enhanced liquidity, transparency, and convenience and efficiency to traders in U.S. equities – wherever they may be based.”  Shinhan said the stake forms part of a broader strategy to work with firms “pioneering cutting-edge trading technology.” 24X plans to operate from Sunday evening to Friday evening ET, pausing only for a daily one-hour maintenance window, a model aimed at meeting global demand for continuous access to U.S. markets. The post Shinhan Securities of Korea Takes Stake in 24X appeared first on LeapRate.

The move expands DXcharts’ analytical capabilities and offers brokers using oneZero’s Market Analytics Platform a turnkey deployment option. OneZero’s latest product evolution builds on the Autochartist system, which it incorporated into its capital markets suite earlier this year.  The company said the platform uses advanced algorithms and big-data processing to identify technical trade setups across thousands of instruments, covering equities, currencies, indices, ETFs, and digital assets.  It is said to scan global markets in near real time, flagging chart patterns and relevant signals at speeds beyond human capability. The integration means DXcharts users will now gain access to Autochartist signals alongside the library’s existing offering, which includes more than 100 indicators, over 40 drawing tools, extensive layout options and direct interaction with orders and positions.  The combined solution aims to support faster, more informed decision-making for traders. Andrew Ralich, oneZero’s chief executive and co-founder, said the goal of the collaboration was “to increase the distribution breadth of Autochartist signals and ultimately provide a vehicle for educating traders and market participants”.  He added that brokers would now have “new capabilities at their fingertips”. Denis Krivolapov, product manager for DXcharts at Devexperts, said the integration would help traders “catch market trends and reversals early and stay ahead of the curve”. Devexperts said implementation can be completed in as little as a day. The post DXcharts Adds oneZero Market Analytics appeared first on LeapRate.

The trial is being conducted with support from Amazon Web Services and Fujitsu. Arrowhead, jointly developed by TSE and Fujitsu, first went live in 2010 and has undergone continual upgrades to improve latency, reliability and scalability.  The latest version, arrowhead 4.0, was introduced in November 2024 with the aim of strengthening market competitiveness, operational resilience and user convenience. Japan Exchange Group, TSE’s parent company, already uses AWS as the backbone for J-WS, its common digital infrastructure platform, which supports its data and digital businesses.  Within arrowhead 4.0, AWS hosts the systems used to store and analyse resource and transaction logs. The new proof of concept will examine whether cloud services could eventually support additional core trading functions.  The exchange said the initiative is intended to provide insight into how cloud infrastructure might form part of future upgrades to the cash equities platform. TSE said it hopes the findings from the trial will contribute to “future considerations of the cash equity trading system” from a long-term perspective, as cloud technology continues to mature. The post Tokyo Stock Exchange Tests Cloud Technology for Future Cash Equity Trading appeared first on LeapRate.

The approval allows MoonPay to offer digital asset custody and over-the-counter trading services under one of the world’s most stringent regulatory regimes.  The company said the charter will strengthen its institutional offering and deepen partnerships with global financial firms seeking compliant access to digital asset services. Co-founder and chief executive Ivan Soto-Wright said the authorisation “reflects our commitment to meeting the highest standards of compliance, security, and governance”, enabling MoonPay to bridge traditional and digital finance “in a trusted way”. The company now joins a small group of digital-asset providers that hold both a New York BitLicense and a New York Limited Purpose Trust Charter, including Coinbase, PayPal, Ripple and NYDIG. MoonPay said the new trust company enhances its global regulatory footprint and complements its licences across multiple jurisdictions.  The framework also provides what the firm described as a potentially compliant pathway for future stablecoin issuance, although any additional services would require separate approval from the NYDFS. The launch forms part of MoonPay’s broader push to build secure, scalable infrastructure for institutional and enterprise customers as demand for regulated digital-asset services continues to grow. The post MoonPay Wins New York Trust Charter to Expand Institutional Crypto Services appeared first on LeapRate.

From your perspective, what does the new Cape Town office represent for local partners and the broader market? The opening of our new office reflects Exness’ long-term vision for South Africa. It demonstrates that we are here to stay and ready to build real, lasting connections with local partners and communities. For our partners, this means working together more closely, making faster decisions, and having direct access to local expertise. It is not just about being available by phone or email. It is about meeting face-to-face, understanding challenges firsthand, and creating solutions that truly fit the local market. Having local teams also allows us to adapt our marketing and communication to regional audiences. Partnership projects can now be launched with greater cultural relevance, and our support can be delivered instantly by people who know the market inside out. Ultimately, this office is more than just a new workplace. It is where partnerships grow into shared success stories. It represents our trust in the region’s potential and our confidence in what we can achieve together.   How does having a physical presence in South Africa change the way you support and engage with partners? Having a local presence makes all the difference. It allows us to move from coordination to genuine collaboration, fostering genuine relationships instead of mere transactions. Being on the ground gives us a clear understanding of our partners’ needs, challenges, and goals, which enables us to shape our solutions more effectively. At Exness, we don’t only offer our partners strong benefits but also transparent structures, reliable payouts, and a trading product they can trust completely. With local teams in place, communication is open and feedback is faster, allowing us to keep improving together and maintain the high standards our partners expect. Proximity makes partnerships stronger. It makes them easier, more personal, and based on trust that grows through daily interaction and consistency.   What makes a strong and sustainable partnership in this industry, and how does Exness approach that? Sustainability comes from transparency and mutual respect. A strong partnership is one where both sides win, share information openly, and can depend on each other. At Exness, we focus on consistency and fairness. Our partners know exactly what to expect from us in every area, from support and communication to collaboration and beyond. We believe that trust is built through reliability, by keeping promises and delivering on them every single time. Shared values matter as well. Trust, transparency, and excellence are not just words to us. They are the foundation that enhances the strength of our partnerships , even in competitive and fast-changing environments.   The South African market is highly competitive. What makes Exness a standout choice for partners here? It starts with transparency. Everything we do, from trading conditions to our partner programs, is clear, measurable, and backed by data. While others may focus on volume, we focus on quality and sustainability. Our goal is not short-term success but long-term relationships built on shared growth, fairness, and integrity. Our technology and trading conditions also provide partners with a significant advantage. They can offer their clients better-than-market conditions, stable execution, and features such as instant withdrawals, all supported by the reliability and compliance that define Exness worldwide. This combination of trust, technology, and transparency is what sets us apart and helps our partnerships grow stronger over time.   Looking to the future For Kirk Van Der Walt, the new Cape Town office represents much more than a physical space. It is a place where partnerships, ideas, and innovation come together. As Exness continues to expand across Sub-Saharan Africa, its focus remains the same: to build relationships based on transparency, support, and shared progress. By staying close to its partners and clients, Exness continues to show what it truly means to grow together. In trading, as in business, being close builds trust, and trust leads to success. The post Where proximity builds trust: Inside Exness’ partnership growth in South Africa appeared first on LeapRate.

The partnership will see Nomura adopt OpenAI Deep Research and work with the U.S. AI developer on new services, technology improvements and fresh use cases for generative AI.  By combining its extensive proprietary data with external datasets, Nomura aims to offer “differentiated, high value-added investment advice” and data-driven market insights. Nomura said recent advances in generative AI are reshaping how institutions extract meaning from vast datasets, accelerating the practical application of insights in areas such as asset management.  The bank plans to apply these capabilities while maintaining the security and governance standards required of a major financial institution. Group CEO Kentaro Okuda said generative AI “can fundamentally transform financial services,” adding that the partnership will help the bank deliver more advanced advice while creating “new revenue opportunities beyond traditional business models.” OpenAI said the collaboration reflects the growing importance of safe, advanced AI in reshaping industries. Tadao Nagasaki, CEO of OpenAI Japan GK, said the tie-up “offers a significant opportunity to introduce cutting-edge AI and open up new possibilities,” from innovative services to strengthened operational capabilities. Nomura said the partnership aligns with its corporate purpose of creating a better world “by harnessing the power of financial markets,” adding that it intends to keep developing solutions that blend human expertise with emerging technologies. The post Nomura Partners With OpenAI in Push to Transform Asset Management appeared first on LeapRate.

The 10G option will sit alongside the existing 1G service, offering market participants greater flexibility and improved performance.  It will be available for both production and test environments, with the test environment restricted to subscribers of the 10G production setup. Charges will apply from the date the LME issues a Letter of Authority for installation. At the same time, the LME will implement a revised charging model that differentiates between Trading Participants, such as LME Members and their clients, and Non-Trading Participants, including data vendors and software providers.  From January, Non-Trading Participants will pay 1.5 times the Trading rate for 1G services, while 10G fees will be double the 1G charge for both groups, reflecting higher bandwidth requirements. A second pair of cross connects will be charged at twice the cost of the first pair for all participants. A one-off administration fee will apply to all new connections, and firms with their own LMEnet line will continue to receive a 50 per cent discount. Billing processes and connectivity policies remain unchanged, with quarterly usage reporting still required.  The LME said the new structure aligns fees more closely with participants’ connectivity needs while supporting its broader strategy for developing market infrastructure. The post LME to Launch 10G Cross Connects and Overhaul Charging Model appeared first on LeapRate.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Bank of Japan have renewed their Bilateral Local Currency Swap Arrangement for another three years, extending the agreement until November 2028. The arrangement allows the two central banks to exchange local currencies of up to SGD 15 billion or JPY 1.1 trillion. MAS said the facility enables it to provide yen liquidity to eligible Singapore financial institutions, supporting their cross-border funding and operations when needed. The swap line was first established in November 2016 and has been renewed every three years since. MAS said the continued operation of the agreement underscores ongoing financial cooperation between Singapore and Japan. No additional changes or expansions to the arrangement were announced.   The post Monetary Authority of Singapore and Bank of Japan Renew Currency Swap Pact to 2028 appeared first on LeapRate.

The agreement will see Aquanow’s digital asset platform integrated with Visa’s existing technology stack, enabling issuers and acquirers in the region to settle transactions using approved stablecoins such as USDC.  Visa said the move is aimed at reducing costs, cutting operational friction and accelerating settlement speeds, particularly across borders, where demand for faster and more efficient transfer rails has grown sharply. The company has already been experimenting with stablecoin settlement, having piloted USDC-based obligations in 2023. It now processes more than a $2.5bn annualised volume through those early initiatives. “By harnessing the power of stablecoins and pairing them with our trusted global technology, we are enabling financial institutions in CEMEA to experience faster and simpler settlements,” said Godfrey Sullivan, Visa’s head of product and solutions for the region.  He added that the partnership would help modernise “the back-end rails of payments” by reducing reliance on legacy intermediaries. Aquanow CEO Phil Sham said the collaboration will “unlock new ways for institutions to participate in the digital economy,” noting the combined advantages of Visa’s global network and the transparency offered by blockchain settlement. The post Visa Expands Stablecoin Settlement in CEMEA Through Aquanow Partnership appeared first on LeapRate.

The development, located on the Riverside site in Canary Wharf, would become the firm’s main UK headquarters and its most significant base in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  The new building will have capacity for up to 12,000 employees and is expected to feature state-of-the-art trading floors, collaboration spaces, wellness areas, roof terraces and upgraded public access to the riverside. The bank currently employs 23,000 people in the UK and contributes nearly £7.5bn annually to the local economy.  Construction of the new tower is expected to take six years once regulatory approvals are secured. Foster + Partners, designers of JPMorganChase’s 270 Park Avenue headquarters in New York, have been appointed architects, with Canary Wharf Group as co-developer. Jamie Dimon, JPMorganChase chairman and CEO, said the project reflects a “lasting commitment to the city, the UK, our clients and our people,” describing London as a financial hub with “more than a thousand years” of history. The bank also plans to bring its $1.5tn Security & Resiliency Initiative to the UK, supporting defence, energy and critical supply chain sectors.  The project includes interim upgrades to the bank’s existing Canary Wharf site and will consolidate London employees into the new tower and its Victoria Embankment offices once complete. The post JPMorganChase Unveils Plans for Landmark London Tower appeared first on LeapRate.

The new service, Versus Trade Copy Trading, is said to allow clients to follow chosen strategy providers while maintaining granular control over individual risk settings.  It includes multiple copying models, built-in risk-management tools, automated commission handling and seamless integration into the broker’s existing client area. Co-founder Vitalii Bulynin said copy trading is becoming “a core part of how the new generation of traders enters the market,” adding that the firm aims to make sophisticated strategies accessible “while giving users full control over their risk and transparency at every step.” Brokeree’s Social Trading platform operates across MT4, MT5 and cTrader, enabling brokers to offer multi-server copy trading with configurable exposure limits and pricing frameworks.  It also separates workflows for admins, signal providers and followers, reducing operational bottlenecks. The integration gives Versus Trade access to features such as equity-proportional scaling, drawdown limits, automatic unsubscribes, subscription-level stop-loss settings and support for pending orders and market execution.  Fee structures can be configured daily, weekly or monthly, and the system includes a built-in IB and agent commission-sharing programme. Victor Ivanov, Brokeree’s regional head of business development, said growing demand for “flexible, transparent investment tools” is driving adoption of social trading systems across the industry. Versus Trade expects the launch to strengthen customer engagement and expand its suite of personalised trading solutions. The post Versus Trade Launches New Copy Trading Service with Brokeree Technology appeared first on LeapRate.

The deal brings together Paxos’ regulated custodial framework with Fordefi’s multi-party computation (MPC) wallet architecture, policy engine and decentralised finance integrations. Paxos, which has spent more than a decade building regulated blockchain infrastructure for global enterprises, said the acquisition reflects accelerating institutional adoption of digital assets and the need for secure and modular custody systems.  Fordefi’s platform is already used by nearly 300 institutions. Charles Cascarilla, Paxos co-founder and chief executive, said the company had built a “neutral, enterprise-grade platform that ushers the world’s leading enterprises into the digital asset economy”.  He added that Fordefi offered “an impressive stack and customer base founded on easy-to-use APIs and seamless web3 connectivity”. Fordefi, founded in 2021, will continue to operate its product independently in the near term.  Paxos plans to integrate Fordefi’s technology over time to offer a single platform for issuing stablecoins, tokenising assets and building complex payment flows while maintaining regulated custody standards. Josh Schwartz, Fordefi’s chief executive, said the merger would allow the company to “bring our technology to an even broader audience while maintaining our focus on security, usability and innovation”. The post Paxos Buys Fordefi to Strengthen Institutional Digital Asset Custody appeared first on LeapRate.

According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver and Consent, BMO CMC failed to timely report around 2,400 transactions between January 2023 and September 2024, largely due to manual processes that were not automated until late 2024.  FINRA said the delays deprived market participants of timely pricing information. The regulator also found extensive inaccuracies in the firm’s use of required indicators, including omission of the Dollar Roll indicator in 242 cases, erroneous inclusion or omission of the non-member affiliate-principal transaction flag for 1,786 trades, and failure to include the no-remuneration indicator on more than 320,000 trades over several years.  FINRA attributed these lapses to manual errors and coding issues within automated systems. FINRA said BMO CMC did not maintain a supervisory system “reasonably designed” to ensure accurate reporting, noting that until 2023 the firm had no process to review key indicators and failed to address internal reports showing high rates of late submissions.  The firm’s automated reporting system, introduced in 2024, was not properly tested, resulting in further inaccuracies. BMO CMC corrected its supervisory weaknesses by June 2025. Under the settlement, the firm did not admit or deny the findings. The post BMO Capital Markets Fined $300,000 for TRACE Reporting Failures appeared first on LeapRate.

Eunice, which works with major crypto firms including Coinbase, Crypto.com and Kraken, has developed standardised disclosure templates intended to help firms provide clearer, more consistent information about digital assets.  The aim is to ensure retail investors understand key risks before purchasing cryptoassets. The FCA said the initiative forms part of its broader Crypto Roadmap, which sets out upcoming policy milestones as the regulator prepares final rules in 2026. Insights from the Eunice sandbox test will inform the FCA’s future approach to disclosure requirements. Yi Luo, Eunice’s chief executive and co-founder, said the sandbox represented a place “where regulators and industry participants meet to build the foundations for a safer and smarter digital asset market”, adding that leading the disclosures work was “a great point of pride”. Colin Payne, head of innovation at the FCA, said the regulator had a strong record of helping firms launch beneficial products, and encouraged others with similar proposals to apply to the sandbox. The FCA noted that clear regulation would strengthen consumer protection, improve market integrity and support the UK’s competitiveness.  The sandbox, launched in 2014, has since been replicated by more than 95 global regulators. The post FCA and Eunice Collaborate on New Crypto Disclosure Standards appeared first on LeapRate.

The move follows rapid growth in stablecoin usage, with McKinsey estimating annual transaction volumes of $27 trillion globally. KlarnaUSD becomes the first bank-issued stablecoin to launch on Tempo, a new blockchain developed by Stripe and Paradigm specifically for payments.  Klarna said stablecoin technology could significantly cut cross-border payment costs, with global fees in that segment estimated at $120 billion a year. Chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski said Klarna’s scale, including 114 million customers and $118 billion in annual gross merchandise volume, gives it the potential to “change payments globally.”  He added that crypto is now “fast, low-cost, secure, and built for scale,” positioning stablecoins as a credible challenger to legacy payment networks. KlarnaUSD is built using infrastructure from Bridge, a Stripe-owned platform, and is currently live only on Tempo’s testnet.  The token is expected to launch publicly on Tempo’s mainnet in 2026, giving Klarna time to test and integrate the technology before rollout. It is not yet traded or available for consumer use. The launch deepens Klarna’s partnership with Stripe, which already supports payments infrastructure across its global markets.  Klarna said further crypto initiatives will be announced in the coming weeks, marking the beginning of a broader push into blockchain-based financial services. The post Klarna Enters Crypto with Launch of KlarnaUSD Stablecoin appeared first on LeapRate.

21Shares will initially use Standard Chartered’s newly established custody service in Luxembourg, which is registered with the financial regulator CSSF.  The platform will provide secure and compliant storage for digital assets, supporting institutional investors seeking exposure to cryptocurrency-linked products. The partnership reflects rising demand from institutions looking to enter the digital asset market with greater security and regulatory assurance.  Standard Chartered said its global banking expertise and risk management framework would underpin the custody offering, helping clients meet high standards of safety and compliance. Margaret Harwood-Jones, global head of financing and securities services at Standard Chartered, said the bank was “excited” to extend its expertise into the digital asset ecosystem, adding that the custody service would support the development of crypto-linked investment products.  Mandy Chiu, global head of product development at 21Shares, called the partnership an “important milestone” in providing institutional-grade infrastructure for crypto markets. The move comes as digital assets become more widely adopted in regulated financial products, with investors increasingly seeking trusted intermediaries to safeguard holdings. The post Standard Chartered Named Digital Asset Custodian for 21Shares appeared first on LeapRate.

The deal is a step in SIX’s ambition to deliver integrated and digital post-trade solutions across European markets. Baymarkets, founded in 2007 and based in Oslo, operates a clearing platform that supports both exchange-traded and over-the-counter markets. Its system is designed to handle multiple currencies and asset classes, offering a scalable risk model for derivatives clearing.  SIX said the acquisition will provide it with a “future-proof” platform ready to scale in line with its growth plans. The integration of Baymarkets’ technology is expected to expand SIX’s product offering and enhance its competitiveness, particularly in the fast-evolving derivatives clearing space. Rafael Moral Santiago, head of securities services and a member of the SIX executive board, said Baymarkets’ experience would enable SIX to deliver “faster and more flexible post-trade services,” adding that the combination of technology and talent would help modernise clearing systems across Europe.  The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The post SIX Buys Baymarkets to Boost Clearing Technology Capabilities appeared first on LeapRate.