A revolution in financial markets is underway. Artificial intelligence is driving a boom in stock markets and has the potential to transform jobs in the financial sector, including legal, operational, risk and trading. Tokenization has the potential to bring greater efficiency to liquidity management and collateral workflows, but will it come with the safety and security that we have today? Regulators are looking at the private credit and equity markets and the perceived systemic threat posed by non-bank financial institutions. On top of this, bank capital rules are set to change following expected publication of the final US Basel III endgame rules.
The 40th AGM will explore this revolution in financial markets and will do so in Boston, which was central to the American Revolution – a fitting location as the US celebrates its 250th anniversary.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2026 |
8:30 – 9:00 AM |
Formal Session of the Annual Meeting of Members (Board Elections & Financial Report)
This session is only available to ISDA Primary Members.
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
Specialty Meetings & Seminars
The ISDA AGM kicks off with specialized meetings and seminars focused on individual topics taking place in the morning through the afternoon. Previous topics have included updates on Accounting Issues, Collateral Management, Regulatory Reporting and Legal Technology. Registration for these events will be available separately from the AGM once confirmed.
4:00 – 7:00 PM |
Early Registration & Arrival Hospitality Lounge
ISDA AGM Registration desk opens. Attendees can pick up their name badge, event collateral and meet up with friends and colleagues in a casual setting. Drinks and snacks will be served.
Sponsored by Haynes Boone
7:30 – 10:00 PM |
ISDA AGM Welcome Reception
Transportation to and from the venue will be provided. Buses depart the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport beginning at 7:00 PM.
Sponsored by LSEG
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2026 |
8:00 AM |
Registration, Networking Breakfast & Exhibition Opens
9:00 AM |
Opening Remarks
Scott O’Malia, Chief Executive Officer, ISDA
9:15 AM |
Keynote Address
A senior policymaker will discuss key priorities for 2026.
9:30 AM |
Keynote Interview
10:20 AM |
Networking Break
10:50 AM |
Approaching the Endgame
US regulators are expected to publish a revised version of their Basel III endgame proposal in early 2026. Will they grasp the opportunity to modernize market risk capital rules, sharpen risk sensitivity and preserve deep and liquid markets? How important is the continued use of internal models to preserve market resilience? Will other jurisdictions modify their rules to avoid fragmentation or is Basel III now a global framework in name only?
11:35 AM |
Keynote Address
A senior policymaker will address the AGM.
11:50 AM |
Navigating the Clarity and Genius Acts
The Clarity and Genius Acts look set to rewire US capital markets, including derivatives, by encouraging use of stablecoins, tokenized securities and other digital assets in core workflows like collateral exchange, settlement and cross‑border payments. In addition, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently launched guidance for tokenized collateral in derivatives markets. What will this mean for financial institutions, existing infrastructure and the financial system as a whole? What regulatory guardrails need to be in place to allow the digital assets market to grow safely and at scale? How will stablecoins and tokenized assets ease long‑standing collateral and liquidity bottlenecks and what new legal and operational risks need to be addressed?
12:35 PM |
Interview: Geopolitical Risks in 2026
ISDA talks to an expert analyst about geopolitical opportunities and challenges in 2026.
1:05 PM |
Lunch
2:15 PM |
NBFI: What’s the Target – and What’s the Remedy?
The growth of private credit and non-bank financial intermediation (NBFI) has raised concerns among policymakers that the potential build-up of leverage and interconnectedness across borders and economic sectors may become a source of systemic risk. What specifically is the threat regulators are responding to, which institutions pose the greatest perceived risk and what is the appropriate remedy? Is more information needed by regulators on exposures or, given the vast amounts of derivatives and financial data already reported, could and should regulators make better use of the information that is currently available?
3:00 PM |
Keynote Address
A senior policymaker will address the AGM.
3:15 PM |
Modernizing the Regulatory Framework
The pace of change in derivatives markets is accelerating, with the rapid emergence of new products, participants and processes. What adjustments to the regulatory framework might be needed to fully support and enable the modernization of markets and open a path to greater innovation, competition and efficiency?
4:00 PM |
Networking Break
4:30 PM |
View from the Trading Desk
In conjunction with Women in Financial Markets (WIFM)
How have derivatives trading desks navigated the challenges of 2026 so far, and what strategies are they adopting? What do traders see as the main risks and opportunities ahead this year?
5:15 – 7:00 PM |
Promise and Precaution – AI in Financial Markets Panel and Reception
This panel will take place over drinks followed by a networking reception.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to completely reshape trading and risk management, eliminating cumbersome manual processes, but robust guardrails are needed to ensure the technology doesn’t compromise safe and efficient market functioning. How is AI already being used among financial institutions, and what does the future hold?
7:30 – 10:00 PM |
ISDA AGM Reception
Transportation to and from the venue will be provided. Buses depart the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport beginning at 7:00 PM.
Sponsored by Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE)
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THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2026 |
8:00 AM |
Registration, Networking Breakfast & Exhibition Continues
9:00 AM |
Welcoming Remarks
Scott O’Malia, Chief Executive Officer, ISDA
9:10 AM |
Chairman’s Remarks
Amy Hong, ISDA Chair, Head of Strategy, Investments and Partnerships, Global Banking & Markets, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
9:25 AM |
Keynote Address
A senior policymaker will address the AGM.
9:40 AM |
Fireside Chat
A senior asset manager will talk about how asset owners are adapting their strategies in the wake of regulatory, market and geopolitical change
10:10 AM |
Aligning Derivatives and SFTs
Securities financing transactions – especially repo – are essential for market liquidity and efficient collateral management, but misalignment between derivatives and SFTs and fragmented regulatory treatment can reduce efficiency, increase costs and amplify disruption during periods of stress. What steps have been taken to create a more holistic legal, regulatory and capital environment for derivatives and SFTs and what more needs to be done? How important are changes to the capital framework to recognize cross-product netting arrangements under a legally enforceable master netting agreement?
10:55 AM |
Networking Break
11:25 AM |
Enhancing Operational Resilience
Stress events can leave legal departments scrambling to understand how a specific counterparty failure should be managed, while operations departments may be stalled by workflow friction and a lack of interoperability with third- and fourth-party providers. What business needs and regulatory requirements are driving the need for improved workflow management? What are financial institutions doing to make these processes more robust, how can firms better manage resiliency risks, and what are the consequences of getting it wrong?
12:10 PM |
Keynote Address
A senior policymaker will discuss challenges and opportunities in 2026.
12:25 PM |
Dealing with Liquidity Shocks
Market disruption can lead to spikes in margin calls and redemptions, putting pressure on firms to quickly source cash or other high-quality collateral, potentially leading to liquidity squeezes. Various policy responses have been developed to improve market resilience and enhance bank intermediation capacity, including recommendations on margin preparedness and the clearing of government bonds and repos. Meanwhile, some firms have taken steps to broaden their eligible collateral options, improve operational efficiencies and interoperability within the collateral management ecosystem and set up credit facilities with a wider universe of counterparties. Are these steps collectively enough to prevent future liquidity stress events?
1:10 PM |
Lunch
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POLICY SPOTLIGHT SESSIONS |
2:15 PM |
Session A
Navigating a Decade of the ISDA SIMM
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the ISDA Standard Initial Margin Model. Over the past decade, the ISDA SIMM has become one of the most widely implemented and rigorously governed industry models – continuously reviewed, assessed and validated by a global community of firms and regulators. As regulatory frameworks evolve – such as the EU’s EMIR 3.0 reform – and additional jurisdictions like China introduce initial margin requirements, the implications for both existing and new SIMM users continue to grow. This session will explore the ISDA SIMM’s role in a rapidly shifting regulatory environment and highlight what firms must do to remain compliant, operationally prepared and strategically positioned for the next decade of the ISDA SIMM’s evolution.
Session B
Renovating the FX Market
Drafting of revisions to the 1998 FX and Currency Option Definitions are now complete, incorporating important updates to how FX derivatives are traded and managed. What are the key amendments, what will they mean in practice and what do market participants need to know about implementation?
3:05 PM |
Session A
Building Derivatives Capacity
Most derivatives trading continues to be concentrated in the major financial centers, led by London and New York, but average daily turnover in certain emerging markets is rising as their economies grow, with local firms increasingly using derivatives to manage risk and create certainty and stability. What steps can be taken to further nurture and encourage this growth, from legal and regulatory reforms to infrastructure developments?
Session B
Global Policy Priorities
This session will delve into the weeds of current US, EU and UK public policy priorities and ISDA’s advocacy work, with the aim of reducing redundancies and unnecessary costs in regulatory requirements and mitigating the negative effect of cross-border inconsistencies.
3:55 PM |
Session A
Digital Assets and Derivatives
Digital assets will undoubtedly have an impact on derivatives markets, but several potentially important matters need to be clarified, including custody, legal, capital and market structure issues. In this session, members of the latest ISDA Future Leaders in Derivatives cohort present the findings of a new whitepaper that explores the intersection of digital assets and derivatives markets and makes recommendations on the path forward.
Session B
Evolution of the DCs
The process to strengthen the structure and governance of the Credit Derivatives Determinations Committees (DCs) is continuing, with the appointment of a governance committee and an invitation to tender for a third-party regulated entity to act as DC administrator. This session will consider what further changes are planned and why, as well as discuss the circumstances behind recent DC credit determinations.
4:40 PM |
40th ISDA AGM Concludes