FiSolve Weekly News Digest: March 20, 2026

Here is what we are reading in the news this week...

SEC and CFTC Clarify Federal Securities Laws’ Application to Crypto Assets

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued an interpretation clarifying how the federal securities laws apply to certain crypto assets and transactions involving crypto assets.  The SEC described this as a major step in its efforts to provide greater clarity regarding the SEC’s treatment of crypto assets and complements Congressional endeavors to codify a comprehensive market structure framework into statute.  The CFTC joined the interpretation to provide guidance that the CFTC and its staff will administer the Commodity Exchange Act consistent with the SEC’s interpretation.  Read more here.

FINRA Issues Cybersecurity Alert – Heightened Threats from Iranian Cyber Actors

FINRA has issued a new cybersecurity alert highlighting heightened threats from Iranian cyber actors.  The alert stresses that member firms (and truly all financial services firms) should remain vigilant amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which may increase cybersecurity risks across the financial sector.  While FINRA noted that, as of March 16, 2026, it is not aware of any significant Iran‑related cyberattacks targeting the U.S. financial services industry, it did reference recent reporting indicating that Iranian threat actors are actively targeting U.S. financial institutions and other critical infrastructure sectors.  Financial services firms of all sizes should treat this threat with urgency and proactively review their cybersecurity controls, incident response plans, and vendor risk protocols to ensure they are prepared for potential escalation.  Read more here.

Survey: Workers Spending More Time in the Office,

AI Use Growing

Gensler’s 2026 Global Workplace Survey shows today’s physical workplaces are not keeping pace with how people actually work, with two thirds of employees reporting that they must adapt their workspace to overcome issues such as ergonomics, noise, temperature, and limited access to appropriate rooms for focused or collaborative work.  The survey finds workers now spend more than half of their week in the office.  Many would choose to spend even more time in the office if spaces better supported concentration, collaboration, learning, and overall well-being, underscoring the continued importance of the office as a center of productivity and connection. For financial services firms, where decision quality, regulatory precision, and team-based problem solving are essential, these findings highlight the strategic value of investing in high performing workplaces that reduce friction and enable deeper focus and smoother collaboration. As AI tools become more integrated into daily workflows, employees who use AI most frequently spend less time working alone and more time learning and working with others, which increases the importance of physical environments that can support both concentrated analysis and strong interpersonal connection.  Read more here.

SEC Enforcement Director Resigns

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) announced that Enforcement Director Margaret “Meg” Ryan has resigned, and Principal Deputy Director Sam Waldon has been appointed Acting Director effective immediately.  Chairman Paul Atkins thanked Ryan for her service and emphasized the agency’s renewed focus on Congress’s original intent for Enforcement.  This includes prioritizing fraud, market manipulation, and cases that meaningfully protect investors over technical violations without investor harm.  Under Director Ryan’s leadership, the Division shifted toward high impact matters that strengthen market integrity.  The SEC indicated it expects to name a permanent successor soon.  Based on Chairman Atkins’ comments, Acting Director Waldon and any future appointee are expected to continue driving an enforcement agenda centered on deterrence and investor protection.  Read more here.

CFTC Issues Staff Advisory and Advanced Notice of Proposed Regulations on Prediction Markets

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to gather public input on how to regulate “prediction markets,” which involve trading event-based derivative contracts tied to future outcomes.  The notice seeks comment on how existing statutory and regulatory frameworks, particularly under the Commodity Exchange Act, apply to these markets, including whether certain types of event contracts may be contrary to the public interest, how core regulatory principles should be interpreted, and the potential risks such as market manipulation or misuse of inside information.  It also highlights the rapid growth and increasing diversity of these contracts, raising questions about their economic purpose, legal classification (e.g., swaps or futures), and broader cost-benefit and competition impacts.  The CFTC intends to use the feedback to determine whether and how to pursue future rulemaking governing prediction markets.  Read more here.

Implementation of California’s

Diversity Reporting Law Is Suspended

The California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced that implementation of the Fair Investment Practices by Venture Capital Companies Law (FIPVCC) has been paused pending additional rulemaking.  As enacted, the law would have obligated venture capital firms to register with the DFPI, collect demographic information from the founding teams of their portfolio companies, and submit reports to the agency containing those demographics and other investment-related data.  Read more here.

SEC Proposes Amendments to Exchange Act Rule 15c2-11

The Securities and Exchange Commission proposed amendments to Exchange Act Rule 15c2-11, which sets out certain information gathering and review requirements for broker-dealers that publish quotations for, or maintain a continuous quoted market in, securities in the over-the-counter (OTC) market.  Since its adoption, Rule 15c2-11’s focus has been on preventing certain manipulative and fraudulent trading schemes in the OTC equity markets.  The proposed amendments would amend Rule 15c2-11 to refer to only equity securities.  The SEC is opening a sixty-day comment period on the proposed rule.  Read more here.

FCA Confirms New Incident and

Third-Party Rules to Bolster Resilience

The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) has introduced new rules intended to make incident and third party reporting clearer, more consistent, and easier for firms to follow, aiming to strengthen resilience amid rising cyber threats and growing reliance on third party providers.  The rules establish a streamlined reporting regime shared with the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Bank of England, featuring a single reporting portal, reduced duplication, simplified short form submissions for most firms, and clearer guidance on thresholds, definitions, and responsibilities.  The FCA believes these changes will help it respond more quickly to disruptions such as cyber attacks or outages, provide firms with greater certainty on what and when to report, and ultimately enhance sector wide operational resilience.  Read more here.

Japan’s Financial Services Agency Updates Discussion Points for Promoting the Sound Utilization of AI in the Financial Sector

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (“FSA”) issued a report summarizing key updates to the FSA’s AI Discussion Paper Version 1.1, highlighting emerging consensus on risk mitigation measures for customer facing artificial intelligence services, including improved design and pre testing, clearer customer guidance and risk disclosures, strengthened governance frameworks, and ongoing monitoring practices.  It also clarifies legal and regulatory considerations, such as conditions under which financial institutions may share customer conversation data with systems subsidiaries and emphasizes the need for case specific regulatory interpretation supported by open dialogue with authorities.  Finally, the report notes increasing executive level initiatives to advance practical AI utilization, stressing that high quality data, agile delivery approaches, and industry wide knowledge sharing are essential for responsible AI deployment across the financial sector.  Read more here.

💡FiSolve's Negotiation Tip of the Week💡

Disgruntled Coworkers

A highly effective negotiation tip for managing a disgruntled team member is to reframe the conversation from confrontation to joint problem solving by anchoring the discussion in shared objectives.  Begin by acknowledging the team member’s concerns without judgment.  This approach reduces emotional resistance and signals respect.  Next pivot toward aligning their needs with broader organizational goals.  Use open ended, data driven questions (“What outcome would feel fair to you, given our constraints?”) to uncover underlying interests rather than reacting to surface level complaints. This approach not only diffuses tension but also positions you as a collaborative partner rather than an adversary, enabling you to guide the dialogue toward solutions that protect team cohesion, performance metrics, and the firm’s long term priorities.

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