Week of  March 2-8, 2026

🗓️ March 2, 2026

• CFTC Chairman Selig Announces Mel Gunewardena as Director of the Office of International Affairs and Senior Markets Advisor to the Chairman. Washington - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig announced Mel Gunewardena as the director of the Office of International Affairs and Senior Markets Advisor to the Chairman, highlighting Gunewardena’s extensive experience in global financial markets and international regulation. Gunewardena, who previously served as chief market intelligence officer at the CFTC and held leadership roles at major financial institutions, is committed to advancing the Commission’s pro-innovation agenda and ensuring the U.S. remains a leading marketplace for investors and risk managers. Selig also expressed gratitude to Mauricio Melara for his service as acting director and confirmed his continued role in the International Affairs Office. 🔗 Read more
• CFTC Chairman Selig Announces Alan Brubaker as Director of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. Washington - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig announced Alan Brubaker as the new Director of the Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs. Brubaker, with extensive experience in government service and congressional policy matters, aims to support the CFTC in advancing free market and pro-innovation policies. Previously, he served as a senior advisor to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and held roles at Prudential Financial. 🔗 Read more
• CFTC Chairman Selig Announces David I. Miller as Director of Enforcement. Washington - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig announced that former federal prosecutor David I. Miller will be the CFTC’s director of enforcement, bringing extensive experience in federal prosecution and white-collar defense. Miller, who joins from private practice, has a background in commodities and securities enforcement and has previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. Paul Hayeck will continue to serve the Commission as chief of the Enforcement Division’s Complex Fraud Task Force. 🔗 Read more
• The EBA publishes its final Guidelines on instruments for the capital endowment requirement for third-country branches. The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published its final Guidelines on instruments for the capital endowment requirement for third-country branches under the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD). These Guidelines list eligible instruments, such as those issued by central or regional governments and central banks, and specify minimum operational conditions to ensure these instruments are available to protect local depositors and satisfy creditors in case of resolution or winding-up. The overall objective is to ensure that capital endowment assets are accessible for immediate use to absorb risks or losses. 🔗 Read more
• President Lagarde launches EuroSteps Walking Challenge at event promoting women’s financial literacy. The European Central Bank hosted an event on International Women’s Day to address financial literacy with a focus on the gender gap, featuring a panel discussion with key financial figures. The ECB also launched the EuroSteps Walking Challenge, a pan-European initiative combining physical activity with financial education, aiming to promote financial literacy in an engaging way across euro area countries. Registration for the challenge opens today, with the step counting challenge starting on 1 April and lasting for four weeks. 🔗 Read more
  

🗓️ March 3, 2026

• Federal Reserve Board issues enforcement actions with former employee of East Cambridge Savings Bank and former employee of United Bank. The Federal Reserve Board announced enforcement actions against Jacob Hilton, a former employee of United Bank in Fairfax, Virginia, for embezzlement of bank funds, and Klaus Koberstein, a former employee of East Cambridge Savings Bank in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for misappropriation of customer funds. Both individuals have been issued consent prohibition orders. 🔗 Read more
• New investment funds drive reduction in costs to investors. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published its 2025 market report, highlighting that ongoing costs in the EU retail investment products market declined in 2024, primarily due to new funds with lower fees. The report shows improved performance across UCITS, with equity and mixed funds achieving their second-best results since 2020, and bond funds reaching their highest returns, while ESG funds underperformed non-ESG funds. Additionally, interest-rate linked structured products gained market share, reaching 27% in 2024. 🔗 Read more
  

🗓️ March 5, 2026

• The EBA sets out harmonised reporting standards to enhance oversight of third‑country branches. The European Banking Authority (EBA) has released its final Report on the draft Implementing Technical Standards (ITS) for supervisory reporting of third country branches under CRD VI, aiming to provide high-quality information with proportionality, clarity, and operational feasibility. The new framework introduces uniform formats, definitions, and reporting frequencies, with enhancements like postponing the first reporting date to 31 March 2027 and extending remittance deadlines. Third-country branches will report using two sets of templates, with a “core + supplement” approach where smaller branches submit key data and larger branches provide additional details. 🔗 Read more
• AUSTRAC publishes guidance on use of new compulsory examination powers. AUSTRAC has released guidance on its new compulsory examination powers under section 172A, introduced in 2025 with the AML/CTF Amendment Act 2024, to clarify expectations for businesses and individuals. The guidance emphasizes that these examinations are not routine or punitive but are used to understand money laundering risks and gather accurate information to disrupt serious and organized crime. It also highlights the importance of witness welfare, including the right to legal representation and consultation with a health professional, and reassures that receiving a notice does not imply wrongdoing. 🔗 Read more
• Agencies clarify the capital treatment of tokenized securities. The federal bank regulatory agencies issued answers to frequently asked questions to clarify the capital treatment of tokenized securities, stating that eligible tokenized securities should generally receive the same capital treatment as non-tokenized securities. They emphasized that the capital rule is technology neutral, meaning the technologies used to issue and transact in a security do not generally impact its capital treatment. Additionally, banks holding tokenized securities must apply sound risk management practices and comply with applicable laws and regulations. 🔗 Read more
• Federal Reserve Board announces termination of enforcement action with Wells Fargo. The Federal Reserve Board announced the termination of its 2018 enforcement action against Wells Fargo, as the bank met all required conditions. The enforcement action required the bank to demonstrate improvements in its governance and risk management program, complete two third-party reviews, and spanned nearly a decade. An asset cap imposed under the action was removed in 2025 when the firm satisfied the conditions for removal. 🔗 Read more
• SEC Investor Advisory Committee to Host March 12 Meeting. Washington - The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on March 12 at 10 a.m. ET at SEC Headquarters in Washington D.C. to discuss public company disclosure reform, fund proxy voting, and a potential recommendation regarding the tokenization of equity securities. The meeting will be webcast and feature two panels: “Public Company Disclosure Reform” and “Fund Proxy Voting: Challenges, Costs, and Pathways to Modernization.” The committee, established by statute to advise the Commission on investor-related interests, will also consider submitting findings and recommendations to Congress. 🔗 Read more
• SEC Announces Roundtable on Options Market Structure Reform. Washington - The Securities and Exchange Commission announced a roundtable on April 16, 2026, to discuss the U.S.-listed options market structure, focusing on competition, customer experience, and growth opportunities. The event will be open to the public, held at the SEC’s headquarters, and streamed live on SEC.gov, with a recording available later. Public comments on the market structure can be submitted electronically or on paper, referencing File Number 4-887, and will become part of the public record. 🔗 Read more
• Agencies Clarify the Capital Treatment of Tokenized Securities. Washington - The federal bank regulatory agencies issued answers to frequently asked questions to clarify the capital treatment of tokenized securities, stating that eligible tokenized securities should generally receive the same capital treatment as their non-tokenized counterparts. They emphasized that the capital rule is technology neutral, meaning the technologies used for issuing and transacting securities do not typically affect their capital treatment. Additionally, banks holding tokenized securities must apply sound risk management practices and comply with applicable laws and regulations. 🔗 Read more
• FDIC Issues List of Banks Examined for CRA Compliance. Washington - The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has released a list of state nonmember banks evaluated for compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) as of December 2025. The CRA, a 1977 law, mandates the FDIC to assess a bank’s efforts in meeting the credit needs of its community, including low- and moderate-income areas, while ensuring safe operations. Public disclosure of these evaluations has been required since July 1, 1990, and can be accessed from the FDIC’s Public Information Center or directly from the banks. 🔗 Read more
  

🗓️ March 6, 2026

• SEC Obtains Final Judgment as to Investment Adviser in Cherry-Picking Scheme. The United States District Court for the Southern District of California entered a final judgment against Defendant Matthew J. Werthe, dba HSR Wealth Management, for engaging in a cherry-picking scheme, making misrepresentations to his clients, and violating his fiduciary duties. The Court found that Werthe violated several federal securities laws and ordered him to pay disgorgement of $507,996.42, prejudgment interest of $112,340.03, and a civil penalty of $507,996.42. The investigation was conducted by Kelly Bowers and supervised by Robert Conrrad, while the litigation was handled by Daniel S. Lim and supervised by Stephen Kam of the SEC’s Los Angeles Regional Office. 🔗 Read more‍
• CFTC Chairman Selig Announces Departure of Senior Advisor Brigitte Weyls. Washington - Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael S. Selig announced that Brigitte Weyls, senior advisor, will depart the Commission after more than 17 years of public service. Weyls joined the CFTC in August 2008 and significantly contributed to litigation, policy, and rulemaking initiatives, particularly in emerging markets like prediction markets, digital assets, and precious metals. She held various roles, including establishing the Triage Unit in the Division of Enforcement. Weyls later served as chief counsel to Commissioner Caroline D. Pham and as senior counsel to acting Chairman Pham. She also served as the designated federal officer for the Global Markets Advisory Committee and the Agricultural Advisory Committee. Weyls is a graduate of Denison University and DePaul University College of Law. 🔗 Read more

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