Regulations

Story: SEC Plans April Options Market Roundtable

By Jean-Luc Maracon

1 / 15

Market Makers Under Microscope. One panel will zero in on market makers and their role in keeping liquidity flowing during…

2 / 15

Global Connections and Surveillance. Cross-border trading will get its own segment, with European Securities and Markets Authority…

3 / 15

The Securities and Exchange Commission dropped news about an April 16, 2026 roundtable focused on options market structure. The event kicks off at 9:00 a.m.

4 / 15

The timing isn't random. Options trading volumes exploded in March 2026, catching regulators' attention and sparking concerns about market stability.

5 / 15

NASDAQ and the New York Stock Exchange will send representatives, along with major brokerages like Charles Schwab.

6 / 15

The AI question looms large too. Goldman Sachs and other major players have been rolling out artificial intelligence-driven trading models, and regulators want to understand how…

7 / 15

FINRA representatives will join the discussions, highlighting the collaborative approach regulators are taking.

8 / 15

Cross-border trading will get its own segment, with European Securities and Markets Authority officials expected to share insights about international market connections.

9 / 15

Brett Redfearn from the SEC's Division of Trading and Markets will lead discussions about surveillance techniques.

10 / 15

The Options Clearing Corporation will face scrutiny too. These clearinghouses manage counterparty risk, and their recent efforts to upgrade clearing processes will probably come…

11 / 15

Consumer protection advocates will get their say during a dedicated investor protection panel.

12 / 15

The commission opened public comment submissions ahead of the roundtable, with a deadline of April 10, 2026.

13 / 15

But don't expect immediate changes. The SEC hasn't telegraphed specific regulatory updates that might follow the roundtable.

14 / 15

Market volatility earlier this year definitely pushed options trading into the regulatory spotlight.

15 / 15

The surveillance discussion could be particularly important. As AI-driven trading spreads and strategies get more sophisticated, regulators need better tools to spot problems…

The Currency Analytics

Want the full story?