Regulations
Regulatory developments, compliance updates, and policy changes in global finance.
Citi wins CSRC approval for wholly owned Shanghai securities firm with 1.2 billion yuan capital
Citi's Shanghai-based unit will have registered capital of 1.2 billion yuan ($180 million), and the approval ends a nearly five-year journey marked by regulatory friction in Washington and Beijing.
RBI issues final leverage ratio rules with 3.5% to 4% minimums from April 2027
The Reserve Bank of India set minimum leverage ratios of 3.5% to 4% for commercial banks from 1 April 2027, rejecting calls to ease the global bank requirement to 3% or to delay implementation.
Australia proposes raising bank cover pool limit to 12% from 8% and doubling estate withdrawals
Draft rules would raise the covered bond cap from 8% to 12% to give mid-tier banks cheaper funding, as part of reforms the government says will cut compliance costs by $780 million a year.
European regulators questioned Google after cloud outage disrupted major banks
European and UK regulators sought answers from Google after its London cloud outage disrupted banking services, turning a systems failure into an early test of new critical-provider oversight regimes.
OCC issues final GENIUS Act stablecoin rule, effective 18 January 2027
The OCC's final rule implementing the GENIUS Act takes effect on 18 January 2027 and bans direct yield payments by stablecoin issuers, while third-party arrangements will be judged case by case.
Lebanon's Constitutional Council unanimously struck down disputed banking reform provision
Lebanon's Constitutional Council annulled Article 3 of Law 71 and removed two further clauses, leaving bank-restructuring powers under the Code of Money and Credit framework.
FCA banned former Vector Wealth chief over £4 million investor losses
The FCA banned former Vector Wealth chief executive Jeffrey Dawkins and fined him nearly £270,000 after misconduct linked to mini-bonds expected to cost investors about £4 million.
BaFin fined Nomura €320,000 over delayed Commerzbank voting-rights disclosures in Germany
Germany's BaFin fined Nomura Holdings €320,000 for late voting-rights notifications linked to Commerzbank, an enforcement action connected with UniCredit's politically sensitive stake-building period during 2026.
UK CMA proposed lower Apple contactless access fees for payment rivals
Britain’s competition regulator proposed lower fees and broader NFC access on iPhones, where contactless transactions represent 39% of payments, while Apple warned of weaker privacy and security protections.
Bank of England examines Barclays private credit trades as shares fall 2.6%
The Bank of England is examining whether Barclays traders understated the risk of illiquid private credit loans after an insider complaint, and the bank's shares fell 2.6% to 421.4 pence on Monday.
Bank of Ghana proposes credit risk directive to tighten borrower repayment checks
The Bank of Ghana's draft directive would make lenders weigh income and cash flows ahead of collateral, as it targets non-performing loan ratios of no more than 10 percent by end-2026.
Basel Committee adopts average-value reporting to curb G-SIB window-dressing
Banks must report G-SIB indicators on average values over the reporting year rather than year-end values by January 2030, while the committee consults on European Banking Union exposures.