Payments & Settlements

Clearing & Post-Trade

SGX to Roll Out Central Clearing for Bilateral OTC FX Derivatives

By Garima Chitkara | 16/07/2018

Singapore Exchange to launch trading solutions allowing privately negotiated OTC FX trades to be cleared like standard FX futures; launch set for 27 August encompassing five currency pairs, including USD/CNH.

Data Privacy

India Proposes to Relax Payments Data Onshoring Rules

By Emma Zhou | 16/07/2018

New proposal would allow international payments firms to store data offshore while only maintaining a copy in India, following lobbying effort by MasterCard, Visa and American Express.

Trading & Investment

Bond Connect to Get Regulatory Boost from PBOC

By Garima Chitkara | 05/07/2018

PBOC will introduce same day delivery versus payment, block trading and a simpler tax regime for foreign investors; ten additional market makers also added to Bond Connect scheme, including JP Morgan, BAML and Mizuho Bank.

Cryptocurrency

India’s Supreme Court Upholds RBI Crypto Ban

By Emma Zhou | 05/07/2018

RBI ban on financial institutions providing services to companies and individuals dealing in cryptocurrencies was upheld by the Supreme Court on Tuesday; next hearing scheduled for 20 July.

Clearing & Post-Trade

India to Accept AAA-rated Sovereign Securities as Collateral

By Manesh Samtani | 03/07/2018

Clearing arm of BSE’s India INX at GIFT City will accept AAA-rated international sovereign securities with maturities over 5 years as collateral from clearing members and custodians, starting with US treasuries.

Payments & Settlements

China Tightens Rules for Third Party Payment Providers

By Emma Zhou | 02/07/2018

Payment firms required to gradually increase reserves to 100% of client funds and to deposit all reserves at central custodian by 14 January; All online payments to be settled by central bank clearinghouse moving forward.

PEPs & Sanctions

SWIFT and the Death of Global Financial Regulations

By Peter Guy | 02/07/2018

Intense geopolitical rivalries and new technologies threaten a new Cold War by enabling weaponisation of the international payment system and disruption of the international financial order.

Payments & Settlements

Laos Scraps Restrictions on Foreign Currency Loans

By Manesh Samtani | 26/06/2018

The 2016 restriction on lending in foreign currencies has been removed in order to allow banks to inject overseas-sourced funding into the country’s economy.

Payments & Settlements

Singapore Accelerates Shift to Digital Economy

By Manesh Samtani | 21/06/2018

MAS board member Ong Ye Kung pledges to eliminate cheque usage by 2025, while also reducing the need for ATM cash withdrawals, through increased adoption of e-payments.