Sam Boughedda
LeapRate Analyst
blockchain
October 03, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

BBVA Joins SWIFT Blockchain Project

The initiative, led by SWIFT, aims to create a common infrastructure that enables real-time international payments, transfers, and transactions with stablecoins and tokenised assets.  By recording and validating transactions through smart contracts, the platform is expected to cut costs, eliminate intermediaries, and operate 24/7 across borders. SWIFT, which connects more than 11,500 institutions in 200…

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October 03, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

CME Group to Launch 24/7 Trading for Crypto Futures and Options in 2026

The world’s leading derivatives marketplace said the move reflects rising demand from clients seeking to manage crypto risk every day of the week.  “While not all markets lend themselves to operating 24/7, client demand for around-the-clock cryptocurrency trading has grown as market participants need to manage their risk every day of the week,” said Tim…

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State Street Corp offices
October 03, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

State Street Completes Transfer of Mizuho’s Global Custody Business

The deal, first announced in February, includes Mizuho’s offshore securities services, such as global custody, cross-border fund servicing in Cayman, the Bahamas and Luxembourg, a European securities agency business, and U.S.-based sub-custodian and securities lending services.  The businesses, previously managed through Mizuho Trust & Banking (Luxembourg) S.A. and Mizuho Bank (USA), represent around $580 billion…

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deriv logo 2024
October 03, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Deriv Secures UAE SCA Licence to Accelerate Growth in Region

The approval marks a strategic step in Deriv’s regional expansion as it seeks to offer regulated, locally compliant trading services in one of the world’s most dynamic financial centres.  The company, which has a 26-year heritage and serves more than 3 million clients worldwide, said the move aligns with its mission to democratise access to…

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Hong Kong
October 03, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

S&P Dow Jones Indices Names Catherine Clay as New CEO

She succeeds Dan Draper, who will step down and remain as a Special Advisor for a period. Clay will also take Draper’s seat on the S&P Dow Jones Indices Board and report directly to Martina Cheung, President and CEO of S&P Global.  Based in New York, she will become part of the company’s Executive Leadership…

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October 03, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Paxos Expands Partnership with Solidus Labs

The blockchain and tokenisation infrastructure platform has worked with Solidus Labs since 2023, deploying its crypto-native systems to safeguard trading activity and ensure adherence to global standards.  The expanded engagement is said to reflect the increasing importance of regulatory clarity and institutional adoption in the digital assets sector. Solidus Labs, a specialist in crypto risk…

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Hong Kong
October 02, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

MoneyGram and Plaid Expand Open Banking Partnership to Europe

The integration enables MoneyGram customers in Europe to connect and authenticate their bank accounts through Plaid’s open banking technology.  The firms said this provides a faster, seamless and secure way to fund international payments, supporting MoneyGram’s ambition to build what it calls a “borderless financial world.” “The international expansion of our partnership with Plaid reflects…

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Clearstream
October 02, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Clearstream Extends Vyntra Partnership to Boost Transaction Transparency

The deal was formalised at the Sibos conference in Frankfurt, underscoring its strategic importance. As one of the world’s leading providers of post-trade services, Clearstream faces growing transaction volumes and operational complexity.  The company said the extended partnership with Vyntra reflects its commitment to next-generation technology as it seeks to maintain its reputation for reliability…

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FINRA building
October 02, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

FINRA Fines Velocity Clearing $1m Over Supervisory Failures

According to a Letter of Acceptance, Waiver, and Consent published by FINRA, the failings spanned from December 2019 to the present and involved breaches of FINRA Rules 3110 and 2010.  The regulator explained Velocity’s written supervisory procedures did not provide sufficient guidance on how to assess alerts for spoofing, layering, wash trades, cross trades and…

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October 02, 2025 BY Sam Boughedda

Marex Becomes First Clearing Firm to Offer Margin Benefits via FMX and LCH

The move enables clients to use LCH’s Portfolio Margining Service, providing portfolio margin benefits across futures positions on FMX and interest rate swaps (IRS) portfolios on LCH. The first client accessed the service on 22 September. By consolidating margining across futures and swaps, the initiative is said to be designed to reduce counterparty risk and…

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