Oceania Reg Desk

Wednesday, 2026-08-12 · covering the last 24h

Australia

Shareholder to seek court approval for derivative action against former ASX officers over the failed CHESS blockchain project. ASX disclosed on 12 August that shareholder Rosherville plans to seek Federal Court leave under sections 236–237 of the Corporations Act to bring a statutory derivative action against certain former ASX officers and directors, alleging breaches of duty over the abandoned blockchain-based CHESS replacement; ASX said the allegations target named former officers/directors, not the company or current management. It follows the Federal Court's July penalty against ASX over misleading CHESS-replacement disclosures, and is governance fallout rather than a new rule, but is structurally relevant given CHESS's centrality to clearing and settlement; ASX shares fell as much as 2.5% intraday on the news. Reuters, via TradingView

No other material new regulatory or market-structure developments from ASIC, ASX, Cboe/TMX Australia or the RBA in the last 24 hours. ASIC's CP 390 (pre-IPO advertising flexibility, feedback closes 11 September), the ASX scrip-funded M&A shareholder-approval consultation, and CHESS Release 2 (Drop 2/Drop 4 documentation issued 6 July) are otherwise unchanged.

New Zealand

No material new items in the last 24 hours from the FMA or NZX. The MBIE capital-markets-reform consultation (closes 25 August) is unchanged.

Informational only — summaries of public regulatory sources; not advice.