On May 21, 2026, the CFTC and the National Hockey League said they signed a memorandum of understanding to set up an information-sharing and cooperation framework tied to professional hockey and related event contract markets. The agreement names points of contact for ongoing coordination, confidential exchanges, and communications on market integrity and oversight, and it can be ended by either party with 30 days' written notice.

On May 19, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission proposed wide-ranging rule changes affecting registered securities offerings and public-company reporting. The agency said the package aims to modernize U.S. public capital markets, lower compliance friction for issuers, and preserve investor protections. Key elements include broader shelf-offering eligibility, expanded communication and research flexibility, and reporting relief that the SEC said could apply to about 81% of current public companies.

On May 19, 2026, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Minnesota to stop a newly enacted law that would make operating or helping run a prediction market a state felony. The agency said it is seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the statute from taking effect on Aug. 1 and argues the measure conflicts with the federal derivatives framework under the Commodity Exchange Act.

On May 18, 2026, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Bank of England published a joint vision to expand tokenisation and distributed ledger technology across wholesale financial markets, aiming to help the shift from pilot projects to live production use. The plan pairs regulatory work with infrastructure changes, including a consultation on near-24/7 settlement operations and updated prudential guidance covering tokenised exposures and stablecoins.

On May 14, the Senate Banking Committee voted 15-9 to advance the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act, outlining how U.S. regulators would oversee crypto markets. The bill would clarify SEC and CFTC roles, create a joint advisory committee, and set frameworks covering DeFi decentralization tests, stablecoin reward limits, and tokenized securities treatment.

On May 15, 2026, the FCA, the Bank of England and HM Treasury said frontier AI models are raising cyber risks for regulated financial firms and financial market infrastructures. They urged firms to reinforce operational resilience and cybersecurity to counter AI-driven attacks that can be faster, more scalable and lower cost.

On May 12, 2026, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission said it filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in litigation involving KalshiEx LLC. The agency argues Congress created a comprehensive federal derivatives framework under the CFTC that preempts state laws when applied to CFTC-regulated prediction markets.

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2026 — CFTC Chairman Michael S. Selig said the agency is working more closely with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to better align oversight, rulemaking and enforcement across securities and derivatives markets, including digital assets. He said the agencies have entered a memorandum of understanding and started joint efforts such as a harmonization initiative, participation in the SEC's Project Crypto, and work on a "common-sense" crypto asset taxonomy.

On May 12, 2026, Elliptic announced it raised $120 million in a Series D round led by One Peak, with participation from Nasdaq Ventures, Deutsche Bank and the British Business Bank. The company said the financing values Elliptic at $670 million and will fund expansion of its blockchain analytics and compliance infrastructure for banks, fintechs, government agencies, exchanges and payments firms.