Federal banking agencies urged banks to pursue innovative approaches to meeting Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering ("BSA/AML") compliance obligations. In a joint statement, the Federal Reserve Board, the FDIC, FinCEN, the National Credit Union Administration and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the "agencies") stated that innovation - including the use of artificial intelligence, digital identity technologies and internal financial intelligence units - has the potential to augment banks' programs for risk identification, transaction monitoring, and suspicious activity

The National Futures Association ("NFA") provided guidance on the annual affirmation requirement for entities that are currently exempt from commodity pool operator ("CPO") and commodity trading advisor ("CTA") registration. In a Notice, the NFA stated that, in accordance with CFTC requirements, any individual that claims an: (i) exemption from CPO registration, (ii) exclusion from CPO registration or (iii) exemption from CTA registration must "annually affirm the applicable notice of exemption within 60 days of the calendar year end, which is March 1, 2019, for this affirmation cycle." The

The SEC adopted new rules and amendments intended to encourage broker-dealers to publish research reports on SEC-registered investment companies and business development companies. New Securities Act Rule 139b extends the current "safe harbor" available under Securities Act Rule 139 to a covered investment fund research report. Under the rule, a covered investment fund research report by a broker-dealer would not be considered an "offer for sale or offer to sell a security that is the subject of an offering," even if the broker-dealer is participating or may participate in a registered

A trader agreed to settle Chicago Mercantile Exchange "spoofing" charges for placing multiple orders without an intention to execute.

The Department of Finance Canada, the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit of Mexico, and the U.S. Department of the Treasury established a financial regulatory forum.