What is an SEF exactly?

The CFTC has granted two more (temporary) SEF licenses, this time to trueEX and ICE IntercontinentalExchange. trueEX is an interbank exchange for interest rate swaps. And ICE is, of course, the large publicly traded (NYSE:ICE) US commodities exchange, which operates regulated exchanges and clearing houses for energy, agricultural, credit, currency, emissions, and equity index products.

trueEX and ICE join Tera Group’s TeraExchange, BGC Partners, Javelin Capital Markets, Bloomberg,Tradeweb, State Street, GFI, and MarketAxess, with applications still in process for industry giants CME Group and Thomson Reuters, among others.

What is an SEF? The Dodd-Frank Act created the SEF concept as part of its general goal to increase transparency in the OTC derivatives marketplace. SEFs are regulated trading platforms that provide pre-trade information (bids and offers) and an execution mechanism for swap transactions among eligible contract participants. The deadline for SEF registration is October 2.

For a more detailed review of SEFs see papers put out on the subject by law firm Davis Polk and accounting firm PwC.

For more on the global Forex industry see the LeapRate-Dow Jones Forex Industry Report.