Americas
Calvin F. Williams Jr is Using His Business to Close the Wealth Gap
From creating investment management strategies to expanding financial education, Calvin F. Williams Jr. runs his business with one clear goal in mind: to close the racial wealth gap. Since age 12 when he first started his own lawn care service, he understood the value of building wealth, yet he also understood that many people lack the financial resources to do that.
This is John Lothian Podcast: Small Exchange SPRE Options to Launch January 25, 2022
The Small Exchange announced plans to launch its first options contract on Small Precious Metals Product (SPRE) index futures on January 25, 2022. I interviewed Small Exchange CEO Donnie Roberts about the new product, Small Exchange’s plans for future options contracts, and the impending deal for the exchange to be acquired by Crypto.com.
Book “Regtech, Suptech and Beyond” Looks at Technological Solutions for Regulatory Oversight
There is a new book out from Risk Books titled “Regtech, Suptech and Beyond.”
The book is a compendium of chapters addressing technology and innovation in regulatory and supervisory oversight in financial services. Different authors explore the emerging best practices in regulatory oversight and financial services that leverage technological solutions.
SEC Special Counsel Laura Harper Powell collaborated with the former President of ICE Trade Vault and current President and Founder of CoinReg Tech Bruce Tupper on a chapter in the book focusing on CFTC regtech implications for virtual currency trading.
Part Two of Scott Early – The History of Financial Futures
Part two of the JLN interview with former CBOT General Counsel Scott Early in The History of Financial Futures series starts with him explaining why the Chicago Board of Trade’s market share went down each year he worked at the exchange. It was because new exchanges all over the world were copying the success of the CBOT and CME and that was growing the overall derivatives markets numbers.
Telstra’s Adam Day Expounds on November Equinix Deal; Opportunities for Trading, Fintech, Crypto, Gaming Into Asia
In early November Telstra partnered with Equinix to enhance the Telstra Octagon financial services solution and expand global access and direct connectivity between North America and eight of the world’s major futures and commodities exchanges. JLN interviewed Telstra’s Adam Day after the FIA EXPO about this deal and what it means for Telstra’s customers and potential clients.
The Telstra Octagon solution uses Telstra’s ultra-low latency global networks to support high-frequency trading activities. And now, with Telstra’s financial trading solution available on Platform Equinix, Telstra can now offer financial organizations improved network connectivity, access to the Equinix data center and colocation and Equinix Fabric interconnection services adjacent to the exchanges.
Broadway 2.0’s Long and Winding Road to Independence
Michael Chin is the CEO of Broadway Technology, which recently went through a rebrand and is now just Broadway. The path to Broadway 2.0, as Chin called it, was an unusual one. Chin was interviewed recently by John Lothian News about its journey from acquisition to independence.
Broadway Technology has been working on a renewal since it was spun out of ION Trading after the U.K.’s Competitive Markets Authority told ION it had to spin back out most of Broadway because of overlap in both firms’ fixed income offerings.
Risky Options Trading Worries Regulators; Bitcoin’s Weekend Woes; CME Unveils Trading Challenge Winners – The Spread – December 10, 2021
OPTIONS NEWS: FINRA seeks to more closely monitor options trading to protect new retail investors; Crypto volatility continues; MIAX notches another record; Top 5 winners of CME Group’s trading contest include Loyola University Chicago, University of Illinois and Southern Illinois University
JOHN’S TAKE: A bittersweet farewell to John J. Lothian & Co.’s office on LaSalle Street
TERM OF THE WEEK: Jermal Chandler looks at American-style option parameters
FIA Expo 2021 Video: IncubEx Primed as Interest In Cap-and-Trade Markets Surges
Timing is everything in the derivatives industry. In the case of IncubEx, which develops financial products in environmental, climate risk and related commodity markets, the company appears to be right on time.
In an interview with John Lothian News at FIA Expo, Dan Scarbrough, the founder, president and COO of IncubEx, described his start in the industry with the Chicago Climate Exchange more than 15 years ago. The Intercontinental Exchange bought the Chicago Climate Exchange and its parent company, the Climate Exchange, in 2010.
FIA Expo 2021 Video: ‘Everyone is Threatened’ by Disintermediation
Robert Fitzsimmons, executive vice president at Wedbush Securities, spoke with John Lothian News at FIA Expo 2021 about his observations, insights and opinions on everything from the conference itself to the state of cryptocurrency today. As executive vice president, Fitzsimmons manages futures, fixed income groups, and securities lending.
Among the talking points from the conference, one topic of concern was the notion of disintermediation, which essentially cuts out the middle men — removing banks, brokers, or other third parties — allowing individuals to invest directly.
FIA Expo Video 2021: CQG Pivots to Next Generation With New Technology Tools
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, CQG is notable for its long run offering real-time and historical trading data, along with technical analysis tools, but its leaders are in no mood to fade into the sunset. Instead, they are pivoting to take on the next generation.
In a video interview with JLN at FIA Expo 2021, Ryan Moroney, CQG Inc. president, and Pat Kenny, senior vice president, talked about a suite of trade execution technologies recently unveiled by the company.
JPMorgan fights Tesla over warrants; Consumers worried, but in a buy-now mood; CME micro minis, MIAX SPIKES futures set records – The Spread – November 19, 2021
— Tesla continues to grab headlines, options trading mostly remains brisk;
— John’s Take: Private equity plays the industry name game;
— Russell Rhoads broadens ‘Terms’ with a China A 50 Index comparison.
FIA Expo 2021: FTX’s Brett Harrison Looks to Hit a Home Run
The story of FTX is, so far, a short but impressive one. As Brett Harrison tells it, the spot cryptocurrency exchange started only about a year ago. Now FTX does about $400 million in spot volume per day “and growing.” That’s after increasing the company’s user base by 50% in the last quarter.
But in an interview with John Lothian News at FIA Expo 2021, Harrison, the president of FTX, focused on the company’s larger ambitions. He noted that FTX recently acquired CFTC-regulated LedgerX, a clearinghouse and derivatives clearing organization (DCO), that it rebranded as FTX US Derivatives.The platform opens the door for FTX to offer crypto derivatives — futures and options — to its U.S. customers, he said.
FIA Expo 2021: Exegy Merger Seen as Solid Marriage of Products, Businesses
Why bring Exegy Inc. and Vela Trading Systems together? The firms combined forces last May and two of their executives talked to JLN about the reason behind their merger at the FIA Expo 2021 in November.
David Taylor, Exegy’s chief technology officer and co-president, said the combination allows the companies to have more scale in the marketplace and gives them more opportunities to invest in the expansion of the company’s offerings. “Growing organically and inorganically was always part of our agenda,” he said.
FIA Expo 2021 Video: Greenwood Project Takes Off Like a Rocket
Bevon Joseph, executive director and co-founder of the Greenwood Project — along with his wife, Elois Joseph — is a victim of his own success. The program has boomed, and he is thrilled.
“The impact has been crazy,” he said. “We didn’t see this coming, but we are happy.”
In a video interview with John Lothian News at FIA Expo 2021, Joseph said the program, which introduces high school and college students in underserved communities to the financial services industry, has seen especially dramatic expansion in 2020 and 2021 with the attraction of new talent and the extension of the project to new cities.
FIA Expo 2021 Video: ICE Exec Says Pandemic Volatility Offers Lessons For Clearinghouses
The intense market volatility seen during the beginning of the global pandemic, particularly in April and May, underscored both the interconnectedness of the markets and the fact that not every participant is at the same level, said Chris Edmonds, global head of closing and risk at the Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.
In a video interview with John Lothian News at FIA Expo 2021 following a roundtable on operational efficiencies, Edmonds said it became clear during COVID-19 and the abrupt move to working at home that more efficient ways to share information sooner are needed.
The curious case of rising stocks in the night-time
First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Congratulations to uber journalist Jacob Bunge on being promoted to the role of Chicago deputy bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal. Bunge has been with the Journal since 2008, when he came over from...
We visit more than 100 financial news websites daily (Would YOU do that?)
The Spread
Stock Market Selloff Worries Investors & Regulators; Adam Dell Launches Domain Money; CME Group Announces Records
ALEX PERRY’S OPTIONSTOPIA: Alex Perry’s Optionstopia” takes a look at this week’s options news highlights: Regulators Crack Down on Trading apps; Adam Dell Launches Domain Money; The CME Group Announces New Options Records
JOHN’S TAKE: John talks with Henry Schwartz, president of Trade Alert LLC, for “John’s Take”
TERM OF THE WEEK: What is The VIX Index Anyway? with Russell Rhoads
Stock Markets: Time to Bet Against VIX After Recent Rising Streak, History Says
Lead Stories Stock Markets: Time to Bet Against VIX After Recent Rising Streak, History Says Akshay Chinchalkar and Joanna Ossinger - Bloomberg Seven straight jumps in the so-called "fear gauge" for the S&P 500 is a signal that it may be time to wager against...
