Prediction market platforms saw record trading volumes in June driven by the FIFA World Cup. Kalshi reported more than $31 billion in notional volume, Polymarket's international exchange exceeded $10.8 billion, and Rothera, a new platform, saw $2 billion. The surge in activity tests the platforms' ability to handle high volumes and maintain market integrity.

The European Securities and Markets Authority has issued guidance stating that event contracts, which pay based on the outcome of future events, will be treated as financial derivatives under existing regulations, falling under the same rules as binary options. ESMA has warned that while not all event contracts are financial instruments, many are derivatives under the EU Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II and are therefore subject to a ban on marketing, distribution and sale to retail clients.

The Taiwan Futures Exchange plans to reduce the size of gold and non-finance electronics sub-index futures contracts to less than NT$200,000 to decrease trading costs and increase liquidity. The size of US dollar-denominated gold futures will be cut from 10 troy ounces to 1 troy ounce, and the size of gold options will be reduced from 5 Taiwan taels to 1 Taiwan tael.

Options Clearing Corp. set a monthly record by clearing 1.6 billion contracts in June, a 45% year-on-year increase. The surge was driven by exchange-traded fund options, which saw a 70% increase in volume to 689 million contracts. Equity options volume rose 28.6% to 778 million contracts, while index options volume increased 44% to 135 million contracts. The futures clearing business also saw a 40% increase in volume. CME Group reported a record average daily volume of 30.6 million contracts, up 19% year on year.

CME Group reported record average daily volume in June, reaching 30.6 million contracts, a 19% year-over-year increase. The company also achieved its second-highest quarterly volume, with 29.8 million contracts in Q2. International ADV rose 17%, with notable growth in equity index and agricultural products.

Dealers are struggling to manage the risks associated with exotic yen options structures, particularly reverse knockout calls, that hedge funds are using to speculate on Bank of Japan intervention. These trades create significant volatility exposures for dealers, especially when intervention fears peak and hedging becomes most expensive.

The metals market has experienced significant volatility in the first half of 2026 due to the Iran war, particularly Operation Epic Fury, which began in February, Andy Home writes. Aluminum prices surged to a four-year high after missile strikes on Gulf smelters, while copper faced confusion from potential US tariffs and a sulfuric acid shortage. Zinc outperformed expectations despite a supposed supply surplus, and nickel's performance was tied to Indonesia's mining quotas. Tin benefited from a supply deficit narrative, while lead struggled with surplus.

The European Securities and Markets Authority has proposed a unified transaction reporting framework based on a "report once" principle to reduce costs and complexity from duplicated reports, estimating that the initiative could yield annual savings of €1 billion.

The Australian Securities Exchange has been fined a record $20.5 million after a Federal Court ruling that it misled investors about the progress of the CHESS replacement project. The court found that ASX's statement on Feb. 10, 2022, that the project was "progressing well" was misleading, given internal concerns about delays and risks. The project was paused in November 2022, with a write-off of up to $255 million.

A Risk Quantum analysis finds almost 75% of banks would have been worse off if the Federal Reserve's proposed averaging reform had been in place for the 2025 and 2026 Dodd-Frank Act Stress Tests. The reform, which was proposed in April 2025, would change the calculation of the stress capital buffer by averaging stress-test results over two years.