First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff What is the difference between “gaming” and “gambling?” That is a question that needs to be defined by Congress. Or perhaps it will be the Supreme Court? Or the Supreme Court will throw it back to Congress to decide. Prediction markets are disrupting America’s $14 […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Former OCC CEO John P. Davidson today shared a thoughtful personal reflection on the anniversary of September 11 in a LinkedIn post, recounting how his life and routine were disrupted on that day 24 years ago and emphasizing the unity, compassion, and heroism shown in […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Yesterday, the FIA Washington Update was held in Chicago at the CME Group‘s headquarters, located at 20 South Wacker Drive. It was a well-attended event, with a notice included in the registration stating, “No Press.” I registered anyway. When I saw FIA President and CEO […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff My comment letter to the SEC about IEX‘s proposed options exchange has been posted. You can read it HERE. Here is a summary of my position: I’ve observed how technological advances in electronic trading lowered barriers for traders, but also led to consolidation among brokers […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Dr. Richard L. Sandor, Chairman and CEO of Environmental Financial Products, announced the September 20 release of his new book, “Carbon Hunters: Reflections and Forecasts of Climate Markets in the 21st Century,” co-authored with Paula DiPerna. In a LinkedIn post, Sandor explained that the book […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Cboe’s Craig Donohue will be honored with the A. Stamford White Leadership Award by the Pathway to Adventure Council, Scouting America, recognizing his outstanding civic leadership and long-standing support for youth development. The award pays tribute to White-Chicago Board of Trade president, Boy Scouts co-founder, […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Cboe Global Markets launched a new global advertising campaign titled “Life is Better With Options” on September 2, 2025, aimed at expanding awareness and education about the potential benefits of options trading among institutional and retail investors worldwide. The campaign, led by Catherine Clay, global […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff President Trump announced he is deploying Federal troops to Chicago. I take this issue very seriously, but the motto of this newsletter is “Irreverent, but not Irrelevant,” so yesterday, I asked myself, “What if those troops had come to Chicago in 1987 and found themselves […]
Read articleFirst Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff ElectronX has achieved a significant regulatory milestone by becoming the first U.S.-regulated, direct-access electricity derivatives exchange, having received both Designated Contract Market (DCM) and Designated Clearing Organization (DCO) approvals from the CFTC on August 29, 2025. The Chicago-based energy exchange plans to launch later in […]
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