Modern Money SmartPod

Ken Hullings, EVP Client Success - Institution Channel at LPL Financial, stops by the show to discuss the state of the financial advisory industry and outline key findings from LPL's Institution Benchmark Report. The report analyzes growth trends across more than 1,000 banks and credit unions on the LPL platform, representing over 7,000 financial representatives. This year's findings reveal a critical vulnerability: despite strong year-over-year growth; just 20% is organic, leaving most institutions exposed to market shifts and advisor turnover that they cannot control. Ken also discusses four key trends firms would do well to embrace and also shares his bold predictions about how the advisory industry will evolve in the next year.  Read the full Institution Benchmark Report.

It's time to end our fantastic week at the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference. And who better to help us bring this incredible week to a close than Nicholas Garrow, the Chief Strategy Officer at Trading Technologies (TT). Garrow shares his insights on 24/7 trading and discusses the bifurcation of interest in prediction markets between financial and non-financial events. Garrow also recaps key points from the panel TT hosted on prediction markets for institutional traders. He then outlines TT's new FX trading capabilities, fixed income initiative, and how the recent acquisition of Open Gamma helps clients with margin optimization. Additionally, Garrow highlights the growing interest in energy and power trading, emphasizing TT's multi-asset strategy and commitment to enhancing trader services.

Prediction markets have been a hot topic at the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference ... and that has been music to the ears of Fateen Sharaby, Head of Index Derivatives at Bloomberg. Sharaby joins the show to discuss the work Bloomberg is doing to source data for prediction markets. He also explains how Bloomberg is expanding into new products like credit index futures and equity futures. And finally, Sharaby notes Bloomberg's partnership with MIAX and the anticipation surrounding the upcoming launch of MIAX Bloomberg 500 and Bloomberg 100 Index futures and options.

Day 3 at the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference kicks off with a conversation with Gregory Yu, Head of Markets at Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX). Yu highlights HKEX's expanded focus on retail participation, noting a 20-25% increase in weekly stock options volume and plans to launch 20 more retail-friendly options. Yu provides an update on Hong Kong's FIC market development roadmap and delves into the launch of China government bond futures and revamped gold futures. And finally, Yu predicts that future discussions at FIA Boca will likely center on the practical implementation of tokenization, Blockchain settlement and other new technologies.

JB Mackenzie, Vice President and General Manager, Futures and Prediction Markets at Robinhood, makes a triumphant return to our FIA Boca lineup. During our conversation at last year's conference, Mackenzie predicted that prediction markets would be a hot topic at this year's Boca. Guess what: JB was right.During this year's chat on the sidelines of the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference, JB highlights the growing participation of retail investors in futures markets, particularly in volatile sectors like metals, crypto and energy. JB discusses the rapid evolution of prediction markets and emphasizes the importance of market controls to prevent manipulation. JB then predicts what the future holds for discussions on 24/7 trading, the integration of prediction markets into financial ecosystems and the potential of perpetual futures.

Day Two of our coverage from the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference continues with this conversation with Euronext Chief Diversification Officer Camille Beudin. Beudin shares his insights on some of the key topics at FIA Boca, including 24/7 trading, tokenization, and prediction markets. Beudin also outlines how Euronext's strategy focuses on three main objectives: growing non-volume-related revenues, expanding into FICC, and launching new products. Upcoming initiatives include power derivatives in Europe, container freight futures, and new dairy contracts.

After missing last year's FIA Boca, CoinFund President Chris Perkins is back this year and he is pumped up about many of the issues that are hot topics here at the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference.  Perhaps what's most exciting for Perkins is that this year's Boca seems to represent a 'dance party,' whereby TradFi firms appear to be searching for crypto firms to dance with and accelerate their reach into digital assets. Perkins also discusses:The rise of decentralized protocols like Hyper Liquid, which now handle 30% non-crypto volumes. The importance of the Clarity Act for institutional adoption, along with the SEC and CFTC working closely together to harmonize and clarify regulations.The role of AI agents in optimizing yields as they become a major market force.

If you think policy moves by the Trump Administration have throttled the market for renewable energy certificates and other clean energy marlets, you are mistaken. Day Two of our coverage from the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference continues with this conversation with IncubEx CEO Dan Scarbrough, who explains that despite regulatory challenges, environmental commodity markets are thriving, especially in North America. Scarbrough also discusses:The work IncubEx is doing on a financially settled California carbon allowance futures contract, the first of its kind in the market.The growth of state-based programs like Virginia's re-entry into the Reginoal Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) program and New Mexico's low carbon fuel standard.How recent volatility in European carbon markets due to political and regulatory changes has led to significant activity in the option market.

Day Two of our coverage from the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference kicks off with this conversation with Meaghan Dugan from Cboe. Dugan expands on Cboe's announcement here in Boca that it is launching a new derivative-based product relevant to prediction markets. Dugan explains how the new event contracts expand on the binary outcome possibilities of "Yes or No" by adding a "Plus" or "Payout Zone". Dugan also discusses:Cboe's goal of designing new products that appeal to retail investors.Continued efforts at The Options Institute offers educational content in multiple languages to reach global investors.Cboe's aim to move faster and more aggressively in the market between TradFi and DeFi worlds.

Day One of our coverage from the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference concludes with this conversation with Michael Blaugrund, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). Blaugrund outlines ICE's focus on building next-generation infrastructure for trading, clearing, settlement and capital formation. Blaugrund also discusses:The recent move by ICE to launch a tokenized equities platform, offering 24/7 tokenized trading with on-chain settlement versus stablecoins.ICE's investment in Polymarket and plans to use the platform's signals in traditional markets, including crypto, FX rates, equity indices and single names.How ICE leverages its exclusive relationship with Reddit to parse data and generate trading signals and sentiment data, providing unique insights for market participants.

Our coverage from the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference keeps rolling along as we catch up with Bill Gulya, Managing Director and Head of the Americas at SGX Group. This was Gulya's second consecutive year joining the show in Boca, where he shared his insights on numerous topics, including:SGX's goal to round out its multi-asset approach with the addition of Asia government bonds.The nuanced approach SGX is taking to prediction markets.How the war in the Middle East has impacted various markets, including freight. SGX's partnership with NASDAQ to advance listings between the two exchanges.

To kickoff our week at the Futures Industry Association's Global Cleared Markets Conference, I connected with NinjaTrader Chief Executive Officer Marty Franchi. We covered a lot of ground during our coversation, including:NinjaTrader's efforts to serve retail traders as product offerings continue to expandHow prediction markets are shifting the industry agendaWhat being acquired by Kraken has meant for NinjaTrader's expansion goalsWhat NinjaTrader Live is and what that platform means for traders

In what is an annual tradition for this podcast, Futures Industry Association President and CEO Walt Lukken stops by the show to preview what's in store at the annual Global Cleared Markets Conference in Boca Raton, Florida. The agenda in Boca is always packed with fireside chats, speeches and panel discussions featuring some of the most influential leaders in the derivatives industry. Lukken also shares his insights on key issues that are likely to be top-of-mind in the Florida sun, including:Prediction markets, digital assets, 24/7 trading and Treasury clearingThe importance of tokenization and other advancements in improving market efficiencyWhat the presence of new regulators in the US means for policy prioritiesThe FIA's work and achievements since last year's gathering in BocaHoosier Walt!!!: We also had a bit of fun during our conversation. Walt was in South Florida earlier this year to watch Head Coach Curt Cignetti, Heisman Trophy-winner Fernando Mendoza and the rest of the Indiana Hoosiers win the college football national championship. As a proud Hooiser alum, Walt says he might have a few surprises up his sleeve in Boca to help mark IU's iconic achievement. 

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the better part of the last year, you know tariffs implemented by the Trump administration have wreaked havoc on global trade. And now that the US Supreme Court declared a large swath of those tariffs illegal, I've invited an expert onto this show to help make sense of this tariff mess. Marc Busch is a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and he joins the show to share his insights on what to expect as the story of Trump’s tariffs continues to evolve. Marc is also a co-founder at TariffWizard, which has launched a new tool that helps importers and other businesses navigate tariff codes. Marc's dynamic way of describing the complexity of tariffs -- including examples that cite X-Men action figures and Snuggies -- helps explain the maze of details companies are facing as they try to make heads or tails of tariff policy. Episode highlightsMarc's reaction to the Supreme Court decision - (2:17)How businesses have responded to tariffs - (4:39)Details about TariffWizard - (7:33)How TariffWizard is helping businesses save money - (10:54)X Men and Snuggies navigate tariff codes - (19:56)Will tariff refunds actually happen? - (22:52)

Intercontinental Exchange is launching the Reddit Signals and Sentiment Tool. The tool is designed to offer investors actionable insights about topics and trends that are prominent on Reddit. Considering the rise of Reddit, and the high profile that platform has enjoyed among traders since the pandemic, this collaboration makes perfect sense. Chris Edmonds, the President of Fixed Income and Data Services at Intercontinental Exchange, stopped by the show to share details about how the tool was created and potential use cases across markets.

Regulatory changes and shifting market dynamics are shining a spotlight on repo clearing. Amid all the changes, Yama Darriet, Head of OTC and Repo Expansion at Euronext, stops by the show to discuss the factors that are driving more firms to turn to repo clearing. Darriet also outlines Euronext's Repo Expansion Initiative, which aims to boost market access, liquidity provision and collateral optimization across Europe. Darriet also provides an update on Euronext's effort to bring the buy side into clearing via the build out of its Sponsored Access solution.

With rising energy prices making headlines, Amperon Co-Founder and CEO Sean Kelly stops by the show to discuss the strategies utilities, policymakers and traders are employing to tackle market volatility. Kelly highlights the significant demand growth in Texas and notes the impact of PJM's recent auction results. Kelly emphasizes the need for a diverse energy mix, including nuclear, solar, and natural gas, to meet future demand. Kelly also outlines the solutions traders are leveraging to manage their positions and highlights the importance of AI and machine learning in forecasting and managing energy demand.

Matt Judge, European Head of Sales for Singapore Exchange (SGX), helps power our road trip to the International Derivatives Expo (IDX) in London across the finish line. Matt touts SGX's continued effort to boost its emerging market currency offerings by sharing an update on the recent launch of Brazilian Real futures, in partnership with B3. Matt also highlights SGX's success with T+1 and outlines other initiatives aimed at providing clients with cross-border connectivity across various asset classes.

Our road trip to the International Derivatives Expo continues with this conversation with Chris Edmonds, President of Fixed Income and Data Services at Intercontinental Exchange. Chris highlights how markets have handled recent volatility, citing the impact of the Israel-Iran conflict and US tariff policies. Edmonds noted that the industry has managed volatility well, with processing reaching 1.3 trillion messages in a single session. Chris also looks back on the lessons learned from  FTX's clearing proposal and shares an update on the progress of ICE's Treasury clearing solution. Finally, Chris expresses what an honor it has been to serve as one of the co-heads of the Mission (Im)Possible Kilt Challenge that is rasising funds to benefit Futures for Kids.

Fresh off his panel at the International Derivatives Expo in London, Derek Sammann, Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Commodities Markets at CME Group, joins the show to discuss how markets are handling recent volatility events. CME Group has seen record volumes in energy markets and has also seen growth across agricultural and metals, with significant increases in EMEA and APAC regions. Sammann emphasized CME Group's dual focus on risk management and price discovery, and notes how retail participation -- particularly in gold -- is surging, driven by inflation hedges.

Day Two of International Derivatives Expo kicks off with a conversation featuring Chris Rhodes, President of ICE Futures Europe. Fresh off his appearance on the Exchange Leaders panel, Rhodes joins the show to outline how ICE Futures Europe continues to foster innovation amid a landscape of regulatory divergence. Rhodes explains how ICE leverages its global footprint to deliver products that meet regulatory standards across various jurisdictions. Rhodes also shares his views on how energy commodites and weather derivatives continue to evolve and present new market opportunities. 

Alun Green, EVP and Managing Director of Futures and Options at Trading Technologies, joins the show from the International Derivatives Expo in London to discuss the growing importance of integrating technologies like AI and cloud computing as markets adjust to new variables like the boom in energy demand. Green outlines the challenges of 24/7 trading, emphasizing the need for real-time risk management and consolidated platforms. Green also notes the trend towards unified trading tools that integrate best practices from various asset classes, aiming to streamline the trading experience for end users.

Iouri Saroukhanov, the Head of European Derivatives at Cboe Global Markets, checks in from the International Derivatives Expo to provide an update on the the trading landscape for options and other derivatives. Saroukhanov shared some of the highlights from a panel discussion he participated in at IDX about the Future of Options Markets in Europe. To that end, Saroukhanov also outlines some of the key points from a white paper titled "Policy Recommendations to Unlock Retail Participation in Europe's Options Markets"  that was published earlier this week by Cboe.

Charlotte Alliot, the Head of Financial Derivatives at Euronext, joins the show from the sidelines of the International Derivatives Expo in London to discuss trends that are shaping European markets. Alliot highlights Euronext's growth in equity options and explains the cultural differences in European derivatives trading. Alliot outlines Euronext's initiatives to enhance interest in retail trading, including educational programs in multiple languages and the launch of mini options for high-nominal stocks. Alliot also details the upcoming launch of mini futures on European government bonds, aimed at both retail and buy-side investors, to enhance liquidity and market access.

With some of the biggest names in the financial services industry gathering in London next week for the International Derivatives Expo (IDX), Futures Industry Association President and CEO Walt Lukken stops by the show to preview some of the highlights from the agenda. Lukken also shares his views on how the industry has performed during these times of increased market volatility and details some of the important work the FIA has undertaken in recent months related to issues like tokenization and regulation. More resourcesFIA White Paper on TokenizationDerivatives Market Institute for Standards (DMIST)

Usually, when guests on this show discuss forwards, futures and options, we're talking about financial derivatives products. But for this episode, we are shifting gears to spread the word about an organization that is helping young people around the world look forward to brighter futures with more options.Futures for Kids is a charitable foundation that raises funds to support the lives of disadvantaged children and young people. Emma Davey is the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Futures for Kids and if her name is familiar to you, that’s because before her recent retirement, Emma was the Chief Commercial Officer at the Futures Industry Association (FIA). Emma is here to tell us more about the history of Future for Kids and share details about the important work the organization does around the world. She is also here to help promote a black-tie Gala Dinner to benefit Futures For Kids that the FIA is hosting at the conclusion of the International Derivatives Expo in London.More resourcesFutures For KidsThe Mission (Im)Possible Kilt ChallengeInternational Derivatives Expo 

Technology has long been a key component of any operations strategy in financial services. But the recent rise of AI is changing the operations landscape at a rapid pace. Ryan Clare, Global Head of Capital Markets - Go To Market at ServiceNow, outlines how technology is powering today's markets and how AI is being leveraged to help operations evolve today - and in the future.Key highlights (with timestamp)What are the hottest topics in capital markets tech right now? (0:50)What kind of impact is AI having on market infrastructure? (1:57)How is AI reshaping trading? (3:01)How is AI playing a role in risk management? (4:15)What is the future of AI when it comes to compliance? (6:26)How is increased automation changing the operations landscape? (7:54)What are the biggest concerns around the deployment of AI and other technologies? (9:32)Are there enough developers with the skills needed to create all these products? (10:37)Aside from AI, what other technologies are you keeping an eye on? (12:11)Do you have any bold predictions for what we're going to be talking about when it comes to technology and capital markets two or three years? (16:03)How can operations professionals prepare for all this rapid change? (16:58)

We wrap up our road trip to the International Futures Industry Conference via a conversation with Anthony Attia, the Global Head of Derivatives & Post Trade at Euronext. Anthony shares some of his key takeaways from a busy week in Boca, including: Discussions about the feasibility and business case for 24/7 trading at the industry level.Relatively little talk about AI -- which might indicate industry maturity on the topic.Euronext's recent announcement that it will clear crypto ETFs and ETPs.Outlining Euronext's strategic initiatives around listed derivatives, OTC derivatives, clearing, and post-trade services to drive more trading and clearing business.

The puns were flying around fast and furious on the final day of the 50th annual International Futures Industry Conference as JB Mackenzie from Robinhood joined the show to discuss the evolution of prediction markets. Prediction markets have made headlines in recent months around events like the presidential election, but as their popularity grows, JB shares his view on just how far prediction markets might push into areas like politics and sports. JB also outlines expansion efforts under way at Robinhood and explains why the new generation of investors that has embraced prediction markets and 24/7 trading is likely to drive innovation in other areas of the financial ecosystem.   

The continued growth of retail trading has been a hot topic this week at the 50th annual International Futures Industry Conference in Boca Raton, Florida. CME Group Chief Commercial Officer Julie Winkler stopped by the show to discuss what the exchange is doing to meet the needs of increasingly sophisticated retail traders. At the other end of the retail spectrum, Winkler shared details about CME Group's Trading Challenge, which introduces new investors to futures markets. Winkler also outlined ways CME Group is leveraging its partnership with Google Cloud to not only make data more accessible to traders, but also build out its matching engine's disaster recovery site.

Data has been woven into the DNA of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) since its inception. And as markets continue to expand at a rapid pace, managing the underlying data in a resilient, scalable and accessible way remains a key priority for ICE.  In this quick update from the sidelines of the 50th annual International Futures Industry Conference, ICE Chief Operating Officer Stuart Williams details how quickly messaging traffic is growing across ICE's markets. Williams also outlines the planning and investment ICE is putting into data centers and other critical elements of market infrastructure. 

To kick off the second day of the International Futures Industry Conference, Shawn Creighton, the Director of Index Derivatives Solutions at FTSE Russell, joins the show for the second year in a row to discuss the issues that are creating the most buzz at Boca50. During this quick, 10-minute podcast, Creighton delves into an array of topics, including:Interest in digital assets indices continues to expand, while the rise of cryptocurrencies powers the launch of perpetual contracts for Bitcoin and Ethereum futures.Geopolitical risks are driving continued growth of 0DTE options.Investor interest in products linked to sustainability has waned in the US, but remains steady in other markets.'Finfluencers' and other channels are being leveraged to boost awareness of the Russell 2000 in markets outside the US.Say goodbye to your weekend because the push to offer 24/7 trading is only going to get stronger.

It's Day One at the International Futures Industry Conference and Bill Gulya, Managing Director and Head of the Americas at Singapore Exchange (SGX), kicked things off by joining this podcast to discuss a couple of announcements from SGX that are making their way into the headlines.SGX has a reputation for making big news each year at #FIABoca and this year the exchange operator did not disappoint. After starting the day with an announcement about launching open-ended Bitcoin futures contracts, SGX followed up with news that it would be partnering with exchange operator B3 to launch futures contracts for the Brazilian real later this year.Bill outlined what those initiatives mean in the wider landscape for crypto and currency futures and also shared his insights about the increase in trading activity SGX is seeing that is linked to US tariff announcements and other geopolitical ructions.And of course, it wouldn't be Boca50 if we didn't discuss this year's musical entertainment: Cheap Trick. Bill shared his own anecdote about grooving to Cheap Trick as a middle schooler. It's a funny and all-too-relatable story.

In what has become an annual tradition for this podcast, Futures Industry Association President and CEO Walt Lukken stops by the show to preview what's in store at the annual International Futures Industry Conference in Boca Raton, Florida. It is the 50th anniversary of Boca, so this year's gathering is a big one. While the agenda is packed with fireside chats, speeches and panel discussions featuring some of the most influential leaders in the derivatives industry, Lukken shared his insights on a few other topics, including:How Boca has evolved throughout the yearsWhat will be this year's hottest topic? (Spoiler alert!: Trump, Trump and Trump)What a shift in regulators' views on capital might mean for the industryA stage-diving Walt???: We also had a bit of fun during our conversation. With Cheap Trick set to perform in concert at this year's conference, Walt reveals an interesting piece of personal music trivia when he explains how long he has been a fan of the band. When I asked Walt if one of the exchanges at the conference should launch an Event Contract based on whether he will do a stage dive during the concert, Walt said ... well ... you'll have to listen to hear his answer!

The SEC might have delayed the implementation of its US Treasury clearing mandate, but that doesn't mean market infrastructure experts will be taking much of a break in their preparations for the rule. Paul Hamill, the chief commercial officer at ICE Clear Credit, says the SEC's delay of at least one year will be leveraged to prepare the best possible clearing solutions for market participants. In this interview, Hamill explains:What the delay means for the industryHow clearing will impact liquidity and other aspects of trading for firms of all sizes within the Treasury marketHow best practices learned from the clearing of swaps and other products are being applied to clearing for the massive US Treasury marketWhat kinds of risks might remain even after clearing is implemented

Sponsored by ION MarketsOur road trip to the 49th annual International Futures Industry Conference has come to an end. But before we said goodbye to Boca, we touched base with Rohit Bhat, Managing Director, Capital Markets, Digital Assets, & Exchanges at Google Cloud. With cloud technology and artificial intelligence at the center of countless conversations this week, Bhat was the perfect closing guest to help us understand what the cloud can do in capital markets and separate the signal from the noise when it comes to the hype surrounding AI. We also had a little bit of fun hearing what 'Rohit's Cloud' ... aka Cloud 3.0 ... will feature and how soon it might become a reality. Sign up for the FIA SmartBrief newsletter.

Sponsored by ION MarketsWith Bitcoin soaring to new heights, the 49th annual International Futures Industyr Conference is the perfect time to check in with CoinFund President Chris Perkins. In this wide-ranging conversation, Perkins shares his insights about cryptocurrency trends and other exciting developments in decentralized finance. Perkins also explains the essentials of CoinFund's CESR periodic rate, which measures the average annualized yield awarded to all eligible validators staking ether on the Ethereum blockchain. And finally ... Perkins shares breaking news about the completion of the first fixed-floating swap using CESR.Sign up for the FIA SmartBrief newsletter.

Sponsored by ION MarketsShawn Creighton, director of index derivatives solutions at FTSE Russell, joins the show at the 49th annual International Futures Industry Conference to discuss what's happening on the ground in Boca. Creighton outlines trends in fixed income index trading, growth in digital assets and how conversations about sustainability and carbon trading differ in various regions around the world. Creighton also weighs in on the expansion of zero days to expiration (0DTE) options trading in the US, and how markets in EMEA and APAC are watching and learning from what happens in the US.Remarkably ... Creighton manages to avoid talking about AI!Sign up for the FIA SmartBrief newsletter.

Sponsored by ION MarketsIt's no surprise that an industry veteran like Chris Edmonds, president of fixed income and data services at Intercontinental Exchange, would have a few insightful (and entertaining) thoughts to share about the buzz surrounding artificial intelligence. This chat with Edmonds at the 49th annual International Futures Industry Conference features his view on where AI fits in the long history of advancements in humans' ability to compute at greater speed. Edmonds reflects on what happens when he asks people to define 'artificial intelligence' and he also sneaks in a great reference to the 1980s film "War Games" to explain how trust can go wrong when it comes to AI. How does this all relate to data trends in capital markets? Tune in and let Edmonds explain.Sign up for the FIA SmartBrief newsletter.

Sponsored by ION MarketsIf you are going to talk about cloud technology and capital markets, sooner or later you are going to end up talking about artificial intelligence. This interview from our road trip to the 49th annual International Futures Industry Conference features Magnus Haglind, SVP and head of products, marketplace technology at Nasdaq. Haglind outlines the current 'State of Play' regarding how the cloud is being utilized in capital markets and what lies ahead as firms leverage the cloud to expand their AI capabilities. If you want to learn more about how cloud technology is being put to use in markets, register to attend the following webinar on March 20, 2024:What's Next: How Firms Are Future-Proofing Operations Via The Cloud, presented by Nasdaq with Amazon Web ServicesSign up for the FIA SmartBrief newsletter.

Sponsored by ION MarketsOur road trip to the 49th annual International Futures Industry Conference continues as we hear from Ivan Han, deputy chief risk officer at SGX. While the market landscape in China is uncertain at the moment, India is catching the eye of investors and Japan is resurgent. Han explains how enhanced access to markets in Asia is helping investors manage risk within the region and around the world. Sign up for the FIA SmartBrief newsletter.

With the 49th annual International Futures Industry Conference getting underway today in Boca Raton, Florida, Futures Industry Association President and CEO Walt Lukken joins the show to offer a peek at what to anticipate at this year's gathering. Lukken previews some of the key issues that are bound to be hot topics in Boca, including US Treasury clearing, the Basel III endgame proposal and work the FIA is doing to help advance standards and modernize markets. Lukken also highlights panel sessions that he thinks will be popular among attendees, such as the 'Moneyball' session focused on what the sports world has learned from financial markets.Sign up for the daily FIA SmartBrief newsletter.

The digital transformation of financial markets has spawned incredible connectivity and efficiency, but it has also created plenty of challenges. Roland Chai, executive vice president for market technology at Nasdaq, joins the show to outline how new technologies are enhancing market resiliency -- even in the face of extreme volatility events like interest rate moves, wars, bank failures, the GameStop frenzy and the pandemic.Roland explains how investors are leveraging algorithmic trading and other technologies to manage risk in globally connected markets and he also delves into numerous other areas where Nasdaq is expanding its suite of offerings, including cryptocurrency custody and the tokenization of carbon credits. And, of course … you can’t talk about technology these days without talking about artificial intelligence, so Roland covers that ground as well.Key highlightsThe impact of digitalization on markets in recent years - (5:28)Maintaining market resiliency through extreme volatility events - (9:26)How the speed of news and other information is reshaping markets - (11:02)Should the use of circuit breakers be expanded? - (13:33)Challenges presented by digital transformation - (17:43)Artificial intelligence in markets - (20:14)The people behind trading algorithms -  (24:17)Areas where Nasdaq is expanding its footprint - (26:41)

Our third  and final day of coverage of the International Futures Industry Conference … aka ... FIA Boca.And since we are closing the book on yet another Boca, we decided to continue what has become a fun tradition for this podcast when we road trip to Futures Industry Association events. We invited FIA President and CEO Walt Lukken onto the show to wrap things up and hear his thoughts on everything that was seen and heard throughout the week. Walt always does a great job of hosting FIA Boca, so we promise you’ll enjoy his insights. 

We're back for another day of coverage from the International Futures Industry Conference … or as it’s more commonly known: FIA Boca.Day 2 just wrapped up, so here's a quick recap of some of the highlights:CFTC Chairman Rostin Behnam delivered his keynote address, during which he lauded the resiliency of global markets as they've navigated numerous crises in recent years.CoinFund President Chris Perkins joined the show for a 1-on-1 conversation about the impact the recent banking crisis has had on the startup sector and what lies ahead for digital assets. The annual panel of regulators tackled questioned related to the LME nickel situation, FTX and the overall cryptocurrency landscape.Representatives from the crypto industry weighed in with their thoughts on what the future looks like for the sector.CoinFund President Chris Perkins joined the show of a 1-on-1 conversation about the impact the recent banking crisis has had on the startup sector and what lies ahead for digital assets. 

It’s March ... so that means it’s time for another Road Trip! This episode comes to you from sunny Boca Raton, Florida, where we’re excited to bring you our second year of coverage from the International Futures Industry Conference … or as it’s more commonly known: FIA Boca.The first day’s events just wrapped up, so here’s a quick recap of what went down here at the conference. Walt Lukken kicked things off with a recap of what has been an eventful year for the industry. In what is an annual tradition here at Boca, the leaders of some of the largest exchanges in the world took the stage for a panel discussion about news and trends that are shaping the industry.A one-on-one conversation with CFTC Commissioner Summer Mersinger to hear her insights on the hot topics at Boca.

When cloud technology was first introduced in markets, many people in the financial services sector were hesitant. There were concerns about security and even questions about overall use cases. Well, it is safe to say that things have changed. Today, the cloud is being used by finance pros in ways that would have been hard to imagine just a few short years ago.Joining me today to provide an update on the current cloud landscape in financial services is Rohit Bhat from Google Cloud. Rohit leads Google Cloud’s efforts in Capital Markets, Digital Assets, and Exchanges in North America. His focus areas include technology enablers for accelerated quantitative research, pattern and anomaly detection, market data distribution, and insights-based risk and underwriting.Rohit shares his insights about how the cloud is helping finance firms tackle all manner of tasks right now, but he also shares his view on what the future of the cloud might look like. Advancements in things like machine learning and artificial intelligence mean there are a lot of incredible capabilities on the way. More resourcesLearn more about Google Cloud for Capital Markets Check out the whitepaper: Building the financial markets foundation for the future from Google CloudIONAutomation positively transforms the lives of people and business.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

The rise of ESG investing has investors clamoring for accurate and transparent data. Larry Lawrence, Head of Sustainable Finance - US at IntercontinentalExchange (ICE), outlines the crucial role data plays in the ecosystem of sustainable finance.  Public companies have ginormous reporting obligations, so Larry and the team at ICE help organizations sort through seemingly endless reams of data to satisfy stakeholder expectations and regulatory expectations associated with ESG investing.So when you hear a company announce a bold net-zero commitment, chances are that company is relying on someone like Larry to help navigate the maze of data needed to report progress on those goals. But ICE doesn’t just serve the needs of big companies with household names. When a small company – or maybe even one of the many oh-so-hot ClimateTech startups – is considering going public, Larry helps guide those businesses through the complexity of that process. With more than two decades of experience working in sustainable finance, Larry has seen trends come and go. The insights he shares on topics ranging from carbon markets and greenwashing to Know Your Data principles and the individual intricacies of the "E" the "S" and the "G" in ESG are definitely worth a listen.More resourcesUsing climate data to understand the greenhouse gas emissions reporting landscapeMFS Investment ManagementDo more than survive. See how we strive to make the most of changing bond markets.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

If you're a business leader looking to offset the emissions from your organization's operations, how exactly do you go about doing that? And in a world where accusations of greenwashing abound, how do you offset your emissions in a transparent and responsible way? Blake Lawrence from Cool Effect joins the show to answer those questions and more. The team at Cool Effect works to use science, expertise and transparency to give organization's the confidence to purchase carbon offsets that will deliver positive results for the world around us. There are all kinds of carbon offsets -- and some of the offsets Blake describes are probably NOT what you think of when you think of carbon offsets.Blake also walks through a primer Cool Effect put together that outlines five questions every person should ask before buying carbon offsets. More resourcesCool Effect ModelSeller's PledgeOffsetting TravelBusiness Offset CalculatorMFS Investment ManagementDo more than survive. See how we strive to make the most of changing bond markets.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Some regulators in the world of finance take office during periods of relative market calm. Other regulators ... not so much.When Commissioner Summer Mersinger was sworn in at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission in March of 2022, global markets were still dealing with the shock from Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Throughout the summer, commodities markets felt the impact from geopolitical tensions, an energy crisis and other pressures. And as summer faded into fall, the energy crisis continued and headlines about a crypto winter morphed into headlines about crypto perp walks.Through it all, Commissioner Mersinger has kept her eye on the markets and brought unique insights to the CFTC and the wider regulatory ecosystem. This episode covers a lot of ground as Commissioner Mersinger offers her perspective on topics ranging from crypto and geopolitics to agriculture commodities and renewables. She even draws entertaining (and accurate) parallels between youth soccer tactics and the task of regulating some of the wildest corners of today's financial markets. Enjoy the show!MFS Investment ManagementDo more than survive. See how we strive to make the most of changing bond markets.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.