The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has announced that its Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) will hold a meeting on Friday, October 5. The meeting will be held in the Conference Center at the CFTC’s Washington, DC headquarters from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm ET. Representatives of several TAC subcommittees, including the Automated and Modern Trading
Dina Wegh
Statement on Status of the Consolidated Audit Trail
On August 27, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Trading and Markets issued a public statement on the status of the consolidated audit trail (CAT) and the SROs’ (defined below) currently expected timetable for compliance with their obligations under the revised Plan (defined below).
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FINRA Publishes Regulatory Notice Regarding ATS Supervision Obligations
On August 13, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issued Regulatory Notice 18-25 to remind Alternative Trading Systems (ATS) to evaluate their supervisory systems to ensure compliance with their supervision obligations, including, without limitation, with respect to business continuity, recordkeeping, Regulation ATS, Regulation NMS, Regulation SHO and the SEC’s Market Access Rule, to the extent…
CFTC Proposes Amendments to Its Position Limit Rules
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is proposing to amend its position limits rules for security futures products (SFPs) to provide exchanges that list SFPs with greater discretion in setting limit levels, allowing the exchanges to provide a more effective risk management tool.
Specifically, the proposed CFTC amendment would: (1) increase the default level of equity SFP position limits to 25,000 (100-share) contracts, from 13,500 (100-share) contracts; and (2) modify the criteria for setting a higher level of position limits and position accountability levels.
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NFA Interpretive Notice Regarding Engaging in Virtual Currency
On July 20, the National Futures Association (NFA) submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for approval a proposed interpretive notice regarding Disclosure Requirements for NFA Members Engaging in Virtual Currency Activities. The new disclosure obligations will apply to all NFA members engaging in transactions in virtual currency derivatives and virtual currency, as well as other activities in underlying or spot virtual currencies.
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CFTC Staff Issues Interpretive Guidance Regarding Aggregation by Passive Pool Investors
On May 2, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s Division of Market Oversight responded to a request for an interpretation regarding CFTC Rule 150.4(b)(1), which provides an exception from the CFTC’s speculative position limit aggregation rules for certain “passive” investors in commodity pools. Generally, for purposes of calculating compliance with speculative position limits, the CFTC’s rules require persons to aggregate “all positions in accounts for which [such] person, by power of attorney or otherwise, directly or indirectly controls trading or holds a 10 percent or greater ownership or equity interest.” However, in recognition of the limited information and control typically provided to unaffiliated investors in collective investment funds, the rules recognize a limited exception for such investors.
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CFTC Releases Rule Enforcement Review of the North American Derivatives Exchange
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Division of Market Oversight (DMO) recently released the results of a rule enforcement review of the North American Derivatives Exchange Inc. (Nadex). The review covered a one-year target period and evaluated Nadex’s compliance with elements of Core Principles 2 (Compliance with Rules) and 12 (Protection of Markets and Market Participants),…
Proposed Rule Change Relating To Revisions To the Definition of Non-public Arbitrator
On July 11, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority filed a proposed rule amendment to change the definition of a non-public arbitrator under the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Customer Disputes and the Code of Arbitration Procedure for Industry Disputes (collectively, the Codes), to a person who is otherwise qualified to serve as an arbitrator, and…
SEC’s Recent Order Approving FINRA Rule Change Relating To Qualification and Registration Requirements
On July 7, the Securities and Exchange Commission issued an order adopting the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s proposed rule amending the qualification and registration requirements for associated persons. The new rule restructures the current qualification examinations, creates a general knowledge examination called Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) and specialized knowledge examinations, and revises the continuing education…
CFTC Unanimously Approves Revisions to Delegated Authorities and Technical Amendments
As a result of the recent Commodity Futures Trading Commission restructuring, the CFTC recently approved a Final Rule on Revisions to CFTC Delegated Authority Provisions and Technical Amendments.
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