CFTC Hikes Fines for Traders to Match Inflation Creep

2026-19290, Privacy Act Regulations

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is reopening the comment period for its proposed Privacy Act rule changes, which affect how insider risk program records are handled. This gives everyone 10 more days, until October 1, 2026, to share their thoughts. No new costs or deadlines beyond this extension are involved, but it’s a key chance to weigh in on privacy protections.

2026-14509, Margin Requirements for Uncleared Swaps for Swap Dealers and Major Swap Participants

Starting August 17, 2026, swap dealers and big swap players get some margin rule relief! New rules say certain new investment funds won’t have to exchange initial margin for up to three years, and more types of money market funds can now count as good collateral. Plus, the rules tweak how much value gets discounted on some assets, making it easier and cheaper to trade uncleared swaps.

2026-05635, Application of the Federal Securities Laws to Certain Types of Crypto Assets and Certain Transactions Involving Crypto Assets

Starting March 23, 2026, the SEC and CFTC are making it clear that some crypto assets and transactions must follow federal securities laws. This means crypto companies and investors need to play by new rules to keep things fair and safe. Expect more transparency and possible costs for compliance as the government steps up oversight in the crypto world.

2026-19338, Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Intent To Extend

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) wants to keep collecting info about off-exchange foreign currency trades and is asking the public to share their thoughts. This is a routine renewal with no new fees or big changes, but comments are due by November 23, 2026. If you’re involved in these currency transactions, this is your chance to speak up!

2026-19006, Whistleblower Award Determination

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission is updating its whistleblower rules to make the award process faster, clearer, and fairer for people who report wrongdoing. These changes, effective October 16, 2026, also fix some technical details and reflect the Whistleblower Office’s move to a new department. Whistleblowers can expect a smoother experience and better protection when helping keep markets honest.

2026-18212, Clearing Requirement Determination Under Section 2(h) of the Commodity Exchange Act for Interest Rate Swaps To Account for CAD and MXN Interest Rate Benchmark Transitions

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Commission or CFTC) is amending its interest rate swap clearing requirement regulations under applicable provisions of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) to address the transition from the Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (CDOR) to the Canadian Overnight Repo Rate Average (CORRA), and the transition from the Mexican Interbank Equilibrium Interest Rate (la Tasa de Inter[eacute]s Interbancaria de Equilibrio, or TIIE by its Spanish acronym) to the TIIE Funding Rate (TIIE de Fondeo or F-TIIE), as benchmark reference rates for interest rate swaps denominated, respectively, in Canadian dollars (CAD) and Mexican pesos (MXN). These transitions are part of an ongoing global effort by market participants, benchmark administrators, regulators, and others to shift away from reliance on certain interbank offered rates (IBORs) that have become unavailable as benchmark reference rates and adopt alternative reference rates, which are predominantly overnight, nearly risk-free reference rates (RFRs). These amendments revise the set of interest rate swaps that are required to be submitted for clearing, pursuant to the CEA and the Commission's regulations, to a derivatives clearing organization (DCO) that is registered under the CEA (registered DCO) or a DCO that has been exempted from such registration (exempt DCO). The amendments modify the Commission's interest rate swap clearing requirement to reflect the market transitions from swaps referencing CAD CDOR and MXN TIIE to swaps referencing, respectively, CAD CORRA and MXN F-TIIE.

Previous: 2025-01453, Revocation of the Kwajalein Island Class D and Class E Airspace in the Republic of the Marshall Islands

The FAA is officially removing the special airspace rules (Class D and E) over Kwajalein Island in the Republic of the Marshall Islands because they don’t have the authority to control airspace there. This change takes effect on April 17, 2025, and mainly affects pilots and air traffic controllers flying in that area. No extra costs or fees are involved—just a cleanup to keep things clear and legal!

Next: 2025-01618, New Mailing Standards for Hazardous Materials Outer Packaging and Nonregulated Toxic Materials

Starting January 19, 2025, the Postal Service is updating rules for mailing hazardous materials and toxic items. They now require special outer packaging for most hazardous goods, remove limits on how much nonregulated toxic material you can send, and simplify lithium battery labeling. These changes help keep mail safer and smoother, especially with more online shopping shipping dangerous stuff.