We highlight what to expect this spring and recap Q1’s key regulatory developments.
FinReg’s Q2 Game Changers:
- COVID-19, of course. It goes without saying that things are far from normal both now and for the foreseeable future. While COVID-19 is primarily a global health and societal issue, regulators remain primed to act should they need to as the market impacts evolve. Based on initial actions, the regulatory response is likely to be a contradictory mix of targeted regulatory relief married to areas of increased scrutiny. To catch up on recent regulatory developments, check out our latest coverage:
- Expect the unexpected. At the start of this year, we had a regulatory agenda rife with significant regulatory developments, many of which had sizeable operational impacts attached to them: LIBOR, CSDR, SRD II, and much more. Will these go off as planned? It depends…
What else happened in Q1:
- Crypto gained steam. The global policy debate is intensifying, with some regulators slowly cracking the door to the potential uses of digital money.
- Cayman made moves. The Cayman Islands recently introduced new legislation which aims to solidify the country as a leading domicile to investments funds.
- The EU leads the ESG pack. The EU stands as an emblem of environmental action with the passing of its trillion dollar “Green Deal.” The question remains: will other regions follow the EU’s example?
- Brexit debates took a breather. Remember Brexit? In late January, the UK left the EU heralding the finale to a seemingly endless debate. Hold that thought – for the next nine months the UK will follow EU rules until the official transition ends in January of next year.
- Fund liquidity was top of mind. Fund liquidity again took center stage thanks to a number of high-profile fund suspensions last year. With COVID-19 spurring market volatility, this is an area of focus that isn’t going away anytime soon.