On October 11, the leaders of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (collectively, the Agencies) issued a joint statement reminding persons engaged in activities involving digital assets of their anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) obligations under the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970 (BSA).
Continue Reading CFTC, FinCEN, and SEC Issue Joint Statement on Activities Involving Digital Assets

On July 22, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, in conjunction with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), issued interpretative guidance to introducing brokers in commodities (IBs) that do not introduce customers to a futures commission merchant (FCM) that carries their customers’ accounts.
Continue Reading CFTC Clarifies That the Customer Identification Program and Beneficial Ownership Rules are Not Applicable to Certain Introduction Brokers

On May 21, the National Futures Association (NFA) submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed amendments to NFA Interpretive Notice Compliance Rule 2-9: Supervision of Branch Offices and Guaranteed IBs. The proposed amendments would replace and supersede an existing Interpretive Notice with the same title.
Continue Reading Proposed Amendments to NFA Interpretive Notice Compliance Rule 2-9: Supervision of Branch Offices and Guaranteed IBs

On April 19, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission approved a final rule revising CFTC Regulation 160.5. The amended rule implements the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act’s (FAST Act) December 2015 statutory amendment to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act) by providing an exception to the requirement that certain futures commission merchants, retail foreign exchange dealers, commodity trading advisors, commodity pool operators, introducing brokers, major swap participants and swap dealers (each, a “covered person”) to provide annual privacy notices to their respective customers. (The obligation to provide an initial privacy notice is unchanged).
Continue Reading CFTC Approves Final Rule Providing Exception to Annual Privacy Notice Requirements

On March 12, the National Futures Association (NFA) published Notice I-19-08, notifying Member futures commission merchants (FCMs) and introducing brokers (IBs) of a March 8 advisory published by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) regarding updates to the Financial Action Task Force’s list of jurisdictions with deficiencies regarding anti-money laundering and combating the financing of

On March 5, the National Futures Association (NFA) submitted with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed amendments to NFA Bylaw 301 and Compliance Rule 2-24. The proposed changes to NFA Bylaw 301(l) are intended to specify that any individual applying for approval as a futures commission merchant (FCM), introducing broker (IB), commodity pool operator (CPO) or commodity trading advisor (CTA) member swap firm or swap associated person of an FCM, IB, CPO or CTA must take and pass the NFA’s Swap Proficiency Requirements to be granted approval as a swap firm or swap associated person (AP). In connection with this change, the NFA also proposed amendments to Compliance Rule 2-24 which, among other changes, would prohibit an FCM, IB, CPO or CTA member from having associated with it an individual engaged in CFTC regulated swap activities, unless such individual has satisfied the aforementioned requirements.
Continue Reading NFA Proposes Amendments to Bylaw 301, Compliance Rule 2-24 and Related Interpretive Notice

On August 9, the National Futures Association (NFA) announced the effective date of its recently adopted Interpretive Notice, Disclosure Requirements for NFA Members Engaging in Virtual Currency Activities. The Interpretative Notice will go into effect on October 31 (“Effective Date”).
Continue Reading NFA Announces the Effective Date of Disclosure Requirements for NFA Members Engaging in Virtual Currency Activities

On June 15, the National Futures Association (NFA) submitted to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission proposed amendments to NFA Compliance Rule 2-9(c) and the NFA Interpretive Notice entitled Compliance Rule 2-9: FCM and IB Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Program (collectively, the Amendments). Rule 2-9(c) requires futures commission merchants (FCMs) and introducing brokers (IBs) to develop and implement anti-money laundering programs designed to achieve compliance with the requirements of the Bank Secrecy Act.
Continue Reading NFA Proposes Amendments to Compliance Rule 2-9(c) and Interpretive Notice: Compliance Rule 2-9: FCM and IB Anti-Money Laundering Program

On March 27, the National Futures Association (NFA) issued Notice I-18-07, reminding commodity pool operators (CPOs), commodity trading advisors (CTAs) and introducing brokers (IBs) to immediately notify NFA by amending the firm-level section of their respective annual questionnaires if they trade any virtual currency products or solicit or accept any order in virtual currency products, as applicable. (See notice I-17-28 and I-17-29, as reported in the Corporate & Financial Weekly Digest edition of January 12, 2018.)
Continue Reading NFA Issues Notice Regarding Reporting Requirements for CPOs, CTAs and IBs That Deal in Virtual Currencies

On December 14, 2017, the National Futures Association (NFA) issued Notices regarding commodity pool operators (CPOs), commodity trading advisors (CTAs) and introducing brokers (IBs), outlining new reporting requirements for CPOs, CTAs and IBs that deal in virtual currencies.
Continue Reading NFA Issues Notice of Additional Reporting Requirements for CPOs and CTAs That Trade Virtual Currency Products and IBs that Solicit or Accept Orders in Virtual Currency Products