Cboe Announces JJ Kinahan to Lead Retail Market Expansion and Innovation Efforts

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 31, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Intercontinental Exchange reported its strongest third quarter and year-to-date performance in company history, with third quarter net revenues of $2.4 billion (up 3% year-over-year) and GAAP diluted earnings per share of $1.42 (up 25% year-over-year). The company generated adjusted diluted EPS of $1.71 (up 10% […]

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How prediction markets evolved into sports gambling behemoths

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 30, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Euronext CEO Stephane Boujnah told CNBC he is open to greater consolidation among European stock exchanges, including potentially with the London Stock Exchange, as his company has already aggregated trading and order book platforms that could form the basis for a single European exchange. Japan […]

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Trump Media Plans to Enter Booming Prediction Markets Business

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 28, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Trump Media & Technology Group is partnering with Crypto.com to launch prediction markets on its Truth Social platform, entering the growing event-betting space just as record volumes drive industry interest from major financial players. This move comes after a curious period of regulatory uncertainty for […]

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Trump names Michael Selig to chair CFTC

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 27, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff We have a new nominee for CFTC chairman. The whispers and stories were right, Michael Selig, the front-runner for the role and the SEC Crypto Task Force chief counsel and senior advisor to the chairman, was nominated by President Trump to become CFTC chairman. Selig […]

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Why Meme-Stock Mania Keeps Happening

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 24, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Congratulations to ALTSO on a great Rocktoberfest event last night at the House of Blues in Chicago. It was well attended, the bands were terrific, and there was plenty of cowbell from Diane Saucier, playing with the ALTSO Allstars, which included Ray McKenzie, Jennifer Jucovics […]

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Prediction Market Kalshi Fields Investor Offers at More Than $10 Billion Valuation

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 23, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The FIA announced eight startups selected to exhibit in the 2025 Innovators Pavilion at the Futures and Options Expo on November 17-18 in Chicago. The startups-ADHOC Teknoloji (low-latency trading platform), AiMi Technologies AB (agentic AI for trading and market data operations), D2X Group (a regulated […]

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The Natural Rate of Interest Foretells America’s Fiscal Doom

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 21, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff I have written and said repeatedly that artificial intelligence (AI) will impact us all, that AI is the new epoch. Purdue University’s Senate has approved a plan to embed AI competency into all undergraduate programs, ensuring that every graduate achieves a baseline level of AI […]

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Trump’s tariffs hand surprise win to London Metal Exchange over New York rival

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 20, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff On Friday, the CME released contract specifications for several event contracts, including on E-Mini contracts on the S&P 500, Nasdaq, Russell 2000, and Dow Jones. Additionally, the CME announced the contract specifications on economic reports from the government, including CeP, GDP, Non-Farm Payrolls, Unemployment Rate, […]

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From Sports to AI, America Is Awash in Speculative Fever. Washington Is Egging It On.

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 17, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff America is once again caught in a wave of speculative excess spanning artificial intelligence, crypto, sports betting, and even gold markets, all reflecting what Wall Street Journal columnist Greg Ip calls a “speculative fever” infecting the nation’s political and economic culture. In his story, “From […]

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Kraken Expands US Derivatives Business in $100 Million IG Deal

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 16, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The Futures Industry Association and its affiliated organizations, the European Principal Traders Association (EPTA) and the Principal Traders Group (PTG), announced a new organizational structure under which EPTA and PTG will operate independently of FIA to advocate for their members across multiple markets and asset […]

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HKEX’s Bagri Calls on LME Market to Modernize More Quickly

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 15, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Bloomberg crypto reporter and author Zeke Faux has a genuine Faux smile on his face today. Federal prosecutors seized $15 billion in cryptocurrency. They charged Chen Zhi, a Chinese emigre who built Cambodia’s Prince Group conglomerate, with money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy in connection […]

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Why the New York Stock Exchange just crowned a Gen Z billionaire

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 13, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Sad news to start the week as two notable industry contributors passed away recently. Yesterday morning, the longtime futures industry accountant Harlan Ten Pas passed away peacefully, surrounded by his wife and two sons. Also, on September 30, Eli Watson Tullis, Sr. died at the […]

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Did Wall Street Just Admit It’s a Casino After All?

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 10, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff U.S. bond markets will be closed on Monday, October 13, in observance of Columbus Day, a holiday that many celebrate as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Stock markets, however, will remain open. Notably, Columbus Day marks the anniversary of the 2005 announcement of the accounting problems at […]

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Africa’s Biggest Bourse Appoints Reddy CEO as Fourie to Retire

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 9, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The London Metal Exchange has published a roadmap to modernize its options market through a phased approach beginning in early H2 2026. It will begin with automated expiry processes and a shift from American to European expiry style, followed by the launch of electronic outright […]

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Eventus launches Frank AI, new technology purpose-built for financial compliance, surveillance analytics

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 8, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff President Trump called for the imprisonment of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker in a Truth Social post on Wednesday, claiming the Democratic leaders have “failed to protect ICE officers” amid ongoing immigration raids in Chicago, according to a Wall Street Journal […]

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Sports-Betting Stocks Face Growing Threat From Prediction Rivals

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 6, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) today launches its ninth annual World Investor Week (WIW), a global event dedicated to promoting investor education and protection. Taking place from October 6 to 12, WIW is marked by coordinated efforts worldwide to raise awareness about safe […]

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Christine Lagarde calls for tougher rules on ‘darker corners’ of finance

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 3, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff Alexander Osipovich reports in The Wall Street Journal that traders are increasingly betting on a prolonged U.S. government shutdown amid stalled negotiations between President Trump and congressional Democrats. According to the prediction market Kalshi, the odds of the shutdown lasting more than 10 days have […]

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Robinhood CEO Says Tokenization ‘Freight Train’ Will ‘Eat’ Finance

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 2, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The CME/CBOT class action lawsuit is back for round two, as the plaintiffs have appealed the case. The introduction to the suit says: “Plaintiffs now respectfully move for judgment notwithstanding the verdict or, alternatively, a new trial on their breach of contract claims. Applying the […]

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White House Is Pulling Quintenz’s Nomination for CFTC Chair

Industry News supplied by John Lothian

Date: Oct 1, 2025

First Read Hits & Takes John Lothian & JLN Staff The White House last night pulled the nomination of Brian Quintenz to be chair of the CFTC without notice or explanation, according to a source close to the situation. The news upended the commentary I was working on; however, I gave it an update based […]

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