Archive:2025

1
United States: Y’all Street to Attract Business With “Pro-growth” Legislation
2
Europe: Ireland Agrees Mutual Recognition of Funds Framework With Hong Kong
3
Asia: MAS Consults on Retail Access to Private Market Investment Funds
4
Europe: Central Bank of Ireland Updates its UCITS Q&A on Portfolio Transparency for ETFs
5
United States: The SEC Takes Another Key Step Toward Crypto Clarity
6
United States: SEC Appears Poised to Bolster Competition on “Y’all Street”
7
Europe: UK’s FCA Axes Proposed “Name and Shame” and D&I Requirements, and Delays Non-financial Misconduct Rules
8
United States: Staff Cedes Jurisdiction Over Certain Stablecoins
9
Europe: UK’s FCA Intensifies Scrutiny on Private Markets Valuations
10
Europe: UK’s FCA Seeks to Simplify Its Rules

United States: Y’all Street to Attract Business With “Pro-growth” Legislation

By: Jessica D. Cohn, Robert H. McCarthy Jr., and Yonathan Y. Tewelde

Growing corporate and financial industry interest in Texas as a viable alternative to Delaware for incorporation is creating a trend, which is being called “Dexit.”

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Europe: Ireland Agrees Mutual Recognition of Funds Framework With Hong Kong

By: Michelle Lloyd and Shane Geraghty

The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) and the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong (SFC) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding on 14 May 2025 establishing a framework for the mutual recognition of funds (MRF) between the two jurisdictions.

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Asia: MAS Consults on Retail Access to Private Market Investment Funds

By: Edward Bennett and Anu L. Jose

On 27 March 2025, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued a consultation paper on a proposed regulatory framework to allow retail investors to access private market investments through authorised long-term investment funds (LIFs).

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Europe: Central Bank of Ireland Updates its UCITS Q&A on Portfolio Transparency for ETFs

By: Lucy Deane, Hazel Doyle, and Nicola McCaffrey

In a move that will be welcomed by asset managers conducting ETF business in Ireland, or those who are hoping to move into the Irish ETF space, the Central Bank of Ireland has moved to allow for the establishment of semi-transparent ETFs by amending its requirements for portfolio transparency.

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United States: The SEC Takes Another Key Step Toward Crypto Clarity

By: Keri E. Riemer, Richard F. Kerr, and Caroline N. Roethlisberger

On the heels of other guidance issued by the US Securities Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Corporation Finance (Division), the Division released a statement (Statement) on 10 April 2025 addressing its views about, among other things, certain disclosure requirements for certain registration forms under the Securities Act of 1933, including Form S-1, and registration forms under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including Form 10. As Form S-1 is used by commodity based exchange-traded products (ETPs), including spot bitcoin and ether ETPs, the Division’s guidance will impact such ETPs and others that follow a similar registration path.

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United States: SEC Appears Poised to Bolster Competition on “Y’all Street”

By: Jessica Cohn and Caroline Roethlisberger

On 4 April 2025, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Texas Stock Exchange’s (TXSE) Form 1 Application and Exhibits, indicating that the SEC intends to grant TXSE’s registration as a national securities exchange. The application provides new details about TXSE, including its proposed listing standards and requirements and the technology to be utilized. TXSE has previously announced that it expects to receive that necessary SEC approval and be listing companies and funds on its exchange by early 2026.

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Europe: UK’s FCA Axes Proposed “Name and Shame” and D&I Requirements, and Delays Non-financial Misconduct Rules

By: Michael E. Ruck, and Laura Scott

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority had proposed a so-called “name and shame” approach that would have allowed it, subject to certain safeguards, to disclose its investigations into firms publicly at an early stage (see our earlier blog); however, following significant criticism from the financial industry and Parliament—largely highlighting risks that early disclosure could potentially cause irreversible damage to firms, including those later cleared of any wrongdoing—the FCA has abandoned the proposal.

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United States: Staff Cedes Jurisdiction Over Certain Stablecoins

By: Cheryl L. Isaac, Richard F. Kerr, Sarah V. Riddell, and Keri E. Riemer

On 4 April 2025, the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance (Division) issued a statement (Statement) providing that the offer and sale of certain “Covered Stablecoins” do not involve the offer and sale of securities within the meaning of federal securities laws. As such, persons involved in the process of offering, selling and redeeming Covered Stablecoins are not required to register those transactions with the SEC or rely on an exemption from registration.

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Europe: UK’s FCA Intensifies Scrutiny on Private Markets Valuations

By: Daniel Greenaway and Flavio Picaro

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has published the findings of its multi-firm review of valuation processes for private market assets. This review follows the highlighting of vulnerabilities in private markets stemming, in part, from opaque valuations, in both the Bank of England’s June 2024 Financial Stability Report and IOSCO’s September 2023 report on emerging risks in private finance markets.

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Europe: UK’s FCA Seeks to Simplify Its Rules

By: Laura Price and Kai Zhang

Acknowledging “longstanding concerns from firms about the length and complexity of [its] rules and guidance”, the UK’s FCA published a call for input in July 2024. It invited firms to comment on whether some FCA rules may be unnecessary following introduction of the outcomes-based Consumer Duty. It has now outlined its proposed approach in a Feedback Statement, explaining that its aims are to achieve more flexibility, more predictability, and improved efficiency. The approach includes:

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