Coming off a busy 2024, we expect that 2025 will be a landmark year for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission). Rostin Behnam’s resignation as Chairman on January 20 marked the end of the Biden...more
3/11/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
CFTC ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Derivatives ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Executive Orders ,
Final Rules ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Markets ,
Proposed Rules ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trump Administration
The CFTC has seen a significant amount of activity since the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20. Chairman Rostin Behnam resigned as Chairman and as a Commissioner. Caroline Pham was elected Acting Chairman...more
2/27/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Derivatives ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
FinTech ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Swap Dealers
A new president, coupled with Republican control of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives — with a number of House races still pending — will fundamentally alter the operation of the executive branch and...more
11/22/2024
/ Administrative Agencies ,
CFTC ,
Congressional Committees ,
Congressional Review Act ,
Election Results ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Political Parties ,
Presidential Appointments ,
Public Policy ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Trump Administration
Until recently, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has limited the ability of US persons to participate in election markets. However, recent developments have allowed event contracts to be made available to US...more
At an industry event in early 2023, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or the Commission) Chairman Rostin Behnam set out a comprehensive agenda to include nearly three dozen rulemaking proposals as well as “business...more
2/28/2024
/ Asset Class ,
CFTC ,
Commodities ,
Compliance ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Congressional Review Act ,
Derivatives ,
Derivatives Clearing Organizations ,
Dodd-Frank ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Form PF ,
Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) ,
Major Swap Participants ,
Regulatory Authority ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Risk Management ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Swaps
On January 25, 2024, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC) Staff issued a request for comment (RFC) on the current and potential uses and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in the markets that the CFTC...more
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Division of Enforcement recently released a new advisory to its staff related to penalties, corporate compliance monitors and consultants, and admissions in CFTC enforcement...more
10/31/2023
/ Admissions ,
CFTC ,
Compliance ,
Compliance Monitoring ,
Consultants ,
Cooperation ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Guidance ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Penalties ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
The year 2022 was a historic year for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC” or the “Commission”). Just four days into the new year, on January 4, 2022, Rostin Behnam was sworn in as the CFTC’s 15th Chairman. Three...more
2/3/2023
/ CFTC ,
Cryptoassets ,
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Statistics ,
New Legislation ,
No-Action Letters ,
Pending Legislation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Standards
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) recently announced enforcement actions that reflected sweeping, and previously unarticulated, views of their respective...more
10/12/2022
/ CFTC ,
Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) ,
Designated Contract Markets (DCMs) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs) ,
Initial Coin Offering (ICOs) ,
Jurisdiction ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Securities Act of 1933 ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Securities Violations
2020 saw continuity in CFTC leadership, programs, and direction from 2019. Overall, the Commission enjoyed an unusually heavy rulemaking calendar and continued the direction of its enforcement program from 2019.
On the...more
3/2/2021
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
CFTC ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Compliance ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Corruption ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Authority ,
Extraterritoriality Rules ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Fraud ,
Price Manipulation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Relief Measures ,
Spoofing ,
Swap Dealers
On October 15, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or the Commission) adopted final rules imposing speculative position limits in derivative contracts referencing 25 agricultural, metals and energy commodities (the...more
On September 10, 2020, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC, or the Commission) Division of Enforcement (Division) director issued a memorandum to Division staff setting forth a framework for evaluating the...more
In 2019, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) experienced significant changes in leadership, including the appointment of Dr. Heath P. Tarbert as the Commission’s 14th Chairman.
The Division of...more
2/3/2020
/ CFTC ,
Cooperation ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Derivatives ,
Derivatives Clearing Organizations ,
Digital Assets ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Enforcement Statistics ,
Examination Priorities ,
Family Offices ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Fraud ,
Intermediaries ,
Market Manipulation ,
Price Manipulation ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Spoofing ,
Swap Clearing ,
Swaps ,
Volcker Rule
Intending to bring greater transparency to the operation of its enforcement program, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission’s (CFTC or Commission) Division of Enforcement (the Division) recently, for the first time, made...more
Introduction: On November 30, 2018, the Southern District of New York issued an opinion reaffirming the long-standing rule that traders cannot be found liable for illegal market manipulation when their trading was motivated...more
Introduction -
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) recently took several steps to further encourage cooperation with and self-reporting to the Commission’s Division of Enforcement (Division). In...more
In 2017, under the leadership of new Chairman J. Christopher Giancarlo, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) adopted a notable shift in its enforcement priorities and regulatory agenda. In March,...more
In 2016, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) continued to pursue high-profile enforcement cases and to test its new enforcement authority under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer...more
On Sept. 30, 2016, Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York issued an order resolving competing motions for summary judgment in the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission's ongoing action against Donald R....more
On September 30, 2016, Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York issued an order resolving competing motions for summary judgment in the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's (CFTC) ongoing action against...more
CFTC continues to bring high-profile, large-penalty enforcement cases; begins bringing cases to enforce Dodd-Frank Act implementing regulations; and embarks on post-Dodd-Frank Act regulatory initiatives.
...more
1/27/2016
/ Benchmark Pricing ,
CFTC ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fraud ,
Indictments ,
Insider Trading ,
Price Manipulation ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Spoofing ,
Whistleblowers