The headline CDM 7 developments include:

• completion of the transition from legacy synonym-based mappings to functional ingestion mappings, significantly improving the transparency and accessibility of FpML-to-CDM ingestion, and enabling the development ingestion functions for other data formats into the CDM
• introduction of the first major components of the Smart Contracts Framework
• expansion of the Legal Agreement model
• continued harmonisation of the Asset, Product and Observable models
• substantial enhancements to lifecycle processing, collateral, securities finance and reference data.

CDM 7 now runs on Rune DSL 10 (the open-source Domain-Specific Language underpinning the CDM), adopts a new serialization format for JSON, and supports a generated Python implementation distributed through PyPI, expanding the ways in which organisations can adopt and work with the CDM.

Together, these changes make CDM 7 one of the most significant releases in the evolution of the model. It provides a richer representation of financial contracts and business processes while making the model easier to adopt by improving ingestion, validation, extension and integration into modern technology environments.

Why is CDM 7 important?

CDM 7 is important because it advances the model in three interconnected ways:

1. Increased Representation: It expands what can be represented. The model now provides richer support for legal agreements, financial products, assets, lifecycle events, collateral and securities finance.
2. Improved Model Development & Maintenance: It improves how the model is developed and maintained. Functional ingestion mappings, stricter validation, Rune DSL 10 and infrastructure modernisation make the model more transparent, robust and accessible.
3. Expanded Model Use: It expands how the model can be used. The new serialization format and Python implementation make it easier to integrate CDM into modern technology environments.These changes are particularly significant because they move the CDM beyond being simply a standardized data model. By providing a common representation framework, CDM 7 reduces the distance between financial contracts, source data and executable business processes.

The result is a more comprehensive, accessible and technically robust model which is better positioned to support the continued digitalisation of financial markets.

Who benefits?

The benefits of CDM 7 extend across the full lifecycle of CDM adoption:

• For developers and contributors, functional ingestion mappings and improved modelling tooling make the model easier to understand, modify and extend.
• For organisations adopting CDM, expanded product and legal agreement coverage provides a richer foundation for representing their business.
• For technology teams, the new serialization format and Python implementation make it easier to integrate CDM into existing systems and data workflows.
• For market participants, greater standardisation of lifecycle processes, legal agreements, collateral and securities finance data improves interoperability between systems.
• For future development, the Smart Contracts Framework and strengthened modelling foundations provide a platform for further automation of contractual and lifecycle processes.

What's new in CDM 7?

This release delivers enhancements in twelve key areas:

Migration considerations

CDM 7 includes several backward-incompatible and migration-impacting changes.

Organisations upgrading from CDM 6.x should review changes to:

• The Product, Asset and Transfer models
• Asset and AssetType harmonisation
• Qualification function locations and behaviours
• The migration from legacy synonym mappings to functional ingestion mappings
• Legal Agreement model namespaces and structures
• Removed deprecated types, enums and namespaces
• Generated code packages and dependency versions
• The new serialization format

These changes should be assessed as part of any CDM 7 migration to identify impacts on existing integrations, generated code, data models and implementation workflows.

CDM 7 is therefore both a significant capability release and an important architectural milestone. By combining a broader model with more accessible ingestion, stronger validation, improved tooling and expanded language support, it provides a stronger foundation for the next stage of CDM adoption.

Get Involved

Attend a Working Group Meeting

Interact with the CDM Community

References

• CDM code base in the FINOS GitHub repository: https://github.com/finos/common-domain-model
• CDM Documentation : https://cdm.finos.org/docs/home
• CDM 7 navigation and visualisation in Rosetta: https://ui.rosetta-technology.io/
• CDM 7 release note: https://github.com/finos/common-domain-model/releases/tag/7.0.0
• CDM release schedule: https://github.com/finos/common-domain-model/blob/master/SCHEDULE26.md
• Need help? Visit: https://cdm.finos.org/docs/get-involved

Authors: Lionel Smith-Gordon, Head of Client Services, and Ben Page, CDM Release Manager, REGnosys