Prediction Markets Still Count as Binary OptionsThe European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said on 3 July that products marketed as “event contracts” may still fall under the EU’s ban on binary options for retail clients, regardless of how they are branded. The statement was directed at both firms and national competent authorities and comes amid growing global interest in prediction markets and increased retail participation.ESMA describes event contracts as agreements with a binary outcome, offering either a fixed payout or nothing depending on the result of a future yes-or-no event. However, the regulator noted that not all event contracts qualify as financial instruments. Their classification depends on whether the underlying question relates to areas covered under MiFID II.Meanwhile, prediction markets exceeded $50 billion in monthly trading volume for the first time in June, a 75% jump from May, according to Artemis data, driven in part by event-based demand during the FIFA World Cup. Kalshi led the market with about $33 billion in volume, while Polymarket handled $14 billion across its international platform and newly launched US-regulated exchange. Rothera, backed by Robinhood, contributed approximately $2 billion.Plus500 targets prediction marketsStill with the prediction markets, Plus500 expanded its US prediction markets offering by adding CFTC-regulated sports event contracts. It marked another step in its broader push into the fast-growing retail trading segment. The London-listed firm has been steadily building its presence in this space, positioning itself as part of the infrastructure supporting the category’s growth. The broker now offers Kalshi’s sports-based contracts, including markets on the NFL, NBA, and MLB, through its Plus500 Futures platform, its US retail brand. The rollout follows its February launch of prediction market contracts covering economic, financial, and geopolitical events, also powered by Kalshi.ASIC warns crypto perps evade CFD rulesAustralia’s corporate regulator has warned that crypto perpetual futures are expanding faster than the country’s regulatory framework. These leveraged contracts, which have no expiry date, offer exposure similar to contracts for difference (CFDs) but are typically sold to Australian users through offshore platforms beyond the regulator’s direct oversight. ASIC said perpetual futures and CFDs are increasingly similar in structure, as both provide leveraged exposure to assets without ownership and operate on margin. The key difference lies in how they are structured: CFDs are over-the-counter products where providers set terms such as fees and margin, while perpetual futures use a funding rate mechanism exchanged between long and short positions.cTrader restricts US prop firm access after reviewSeveral US retail prop trading firms have recently revised their onboarding policies to stop offering cTrader accounts to new clients in the country. The changes have been introduced gradually over the past few months, effectively limiting access to the platform for US-based traders. Firms including The5ers, FundedNext, and Goat Funded Trader have implemented such restrictions. The5ers updated its guidelines in June to make cTrader available only to non-US clients, while FundedNext has blocked new cTrader accounts for US users since March and now directs them to Match-Trader. Goat Funded Trader made a similar move in April, offering alternatives such as Match-Trader, TradeLocker, and Volumetrica to its US clients.South Africa’s ODP rules drive out foreign brokersElsewhere, South Africa’s Over-the-Counter Derivatives Providers (ODP) license registry shows a notable shift among non-bank firms. Of the 70 entities listed, four have surrendered their licences, while 26 withdrew their applications altogether. IG Group, one of the more prominent entrants, established operations in the country but later exited completely, highlighting a broader trend of foreign brokers pulling back from the market.Industry participants point to the Financial Sector Conduct Authority’s (FSCA) strict regulatory framework as a key factor. ODP licence holders face high operating costs, tighter supervision, and increased audit and compliance obligations. According to SALVUS Funds Managing Director Nikolas Xenofontos, the cost of maintaining an ODP licence has become significantly elevated. Requirements include maintaining a physical office with staff, dedicated compliance and accounting functions, appointed key individuals, and at least three locally based executive directors.FCA eases stablecoin rules after backlashThe UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has revised its proposed stablecoin rules, cutting the capital requirement for issuers from 2% to 1%. The change follows sustained industry criticism, with David Geale, the FCA’s head of payments and digital finance, acknowledging that the original threshold may have been too high for current market conditions. In addition to lowering the capital buffer, the FCA has eased its approach to redemption timelines and public disclosure requirements. The updated framework is scheduled to come into force in October 2027.CMC Markets lands Everton shirt sponsorshipCMC Markets has signed a multi-year agreement to become the main partner of Everton Football Club. As part of the deal, the company will serve as the front-of-shirt sponsor for Everton’s senior men’s, women’s, and under-21 teams. Its branding will also be displayed at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Goodison Park, and Finch Farm, as well as across the club’s matchday and digital platforms. The partnership is part of CMC Markets’ broader strategy to expand awareness of its financial services beyond traditional trading. The company said it aims to reach long-term investors, active traders, and institutional clients through its investing, trading, and wealth offerings.Shares in CMC Markets surged about 23% to around 570 pence on Wednesday, hitting a record high after the London-listed broker upgraded its annual profit forecast. The rally pushed the stock above its previous peak of 559 pence, set in April 2021 during the pandemic-driven trading boom.Brokers rethink engagement in post-bonus marketBrokers have long relied on aggressive marketing and bonus-driven incentives to attract new clients, a strategy that delivered strong growth but left them exposed to regulatory and market shifts. That approach is now becoming less viable as stricter regulations, increased scrutiny, and ongoing margin pressure reshape the industry, forcing firms to move away from many of their traditional growth tactics. At the same time, acquiring new clients has become more difficult and expensive due to tighter rules and advertising restrictions on major online platforms. In response, brokers are shifting their focus from rapid acquisition to long-term client retention. Success in the current environment depends more on building meaningful relationships and delivering consistent value, rather than relying on short-term incentives. This has led firms to rethink their engagement strategies, placing greater emphasis on relevance, trust, and sustainable growth.Autochartist evolves into oneZero’s engagement layer after acquisitionLastly, more than a year after oneZero completed its acquisition of Autochartist, the integration is beginning to show clear results. While the two firms initially appeared to operate in different parts of the capital markets technology stack, their combined offering is proving complementary, strengthening the overall product suite as integration progresses. Autochartist brings over 15 years of experience in automated analytics and signal generation, transforming real-time market data into actionable insights for financial institutions. oneZero, in contrast, has built its position as an enterprise-grade trading infrastructure provider, offering pricing, connectivity, liquidity distribution, and risk management solutions at the core of operations for brokers, banks, and liquidity providers worldwide.Fed’s new test, SpaceX’s biggest betFinancial markets reacted cautiously earlier this year when Donald Trump nominated Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve chair. Warsh, a former Fed governor, had long been on Trump’s radar and was widely expected to align more closely with the administration’s views on interest rates—unlike Powell, who had faced public criticism from Trump for not cutting rates quickly enough. Warsh has been a vocal critic of the central banking system, calling for what he described as a “regime change” and arguing that inflation risks had not been taken seriously enough. However, his reputation as a policy hawk—typically associated with higher interest rates—appears to contrast with Trump’s preference for lower rates, creating some uncertainty over the direction of future monetary policy.Executive moves of the week: Pepperstone, IG, and Crypto.comPepperstone appointed Reed Sayer as its new Head of UK, where he will be responsible for leading growth strategy, managing client relationships, and supporting the company’s expansion in the region.At IG Group, Chief Operating Officer Jody Dunn will step down later this year after nearly 24 years with the company. Her departure marks the end of a long tenure that saw her rise from the sales desk to one of the firm’s most senior operational roles.Meanwhile, Crypto.com executive Karl Mohan left the exchange after almost five years. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Financial Services and General Manager International. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

The rapid rise of proprietary trading firms in Asia-Pacific is masking a more uneven reality beneath headline growth, as operators grapple with low-value retail flows, regulatory ambiguity, and a fragmented regional landscape.That was the central message from a panel at the Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, where industry executives debated whether APAC’s prop trading boom reflects sustainable expansion or a regulatory grey zone ripe for disruption.Growth Without DepthAPAC now accounts for a significant share of glof1qbal prop trading activity—more than 30%, according to Lubomir Marasi, Commercial Director at Axcera, but much of that growth is concentrated in high-volume, low-value markets.“India dominates the flow,” Marasi said, noting that while user numbers are large, “the average client… spends around $150 per challenge.” By contrast, traders in more developed markets such as Singapore or Taiwan spend closer to $700, highlighting a stark divide between participation and monetization.Jakub Roz, CEO of For Traders, framed this as a structural challenge. “For us as an operator, it’s fundamentally a different business to run high volume, low value versus low volume, high value,” he said, pointing to higher support, infrastructure, and acquisition costs tied to mass-market segments.Continue reading: “The Mistake Is Treating Loyalty as a Reward Layer When It Should Be a Growth Engine”: FM Singapore Summit 2026 FocusThe disparity underscores a key theme of the discussion: headline signup growth in APAC does not necessarily translate into meaningful funded trader activity or sustainable revenue.Regulation Lags InnovationDespite its growth, prop trading remains largely unregulated globally, a point both speakers emphasized. Roz described the model as “pure demo trading… more like a trading simulator than real trading,” which allows firms to operate across jurisdictions more freely than traditional brokers.This regulatory gap has created opportunities—particularly in markets where leveraged trading is restricted. In India, where CFDs are banned, prop firms have effectively stepped in as an alternative route to market exposure.“No local regulators are chasing prop firms as of now,” Marasi observed, adding that this dynamic has enabled firms to “bridge the gap” left by regulatory constraints.However, the workaround extends beyond market access into payments infrastructure. In stricter jurisdictions, crypto has become the dominant payout rail. “The majority of payouts are withdrawn by crypto rails,” Marasi said, reflecting both regulatory limitations and the region’s broader digital asset adoption.A Fragmented, Mobile-First MarketPanelists highlighted the operational complexity of scaling across APAC, where language barriers, cultural differences, and uneven financial literacy complicate expansion.“The APAC region… doesn’t know and doesn’t understand prop trading,” Marasi said, stressing the need for significant user education. Roz echoed this, noting that in markets such as Vietnam, language isolation limits exposure to global platforms and comparison tools.Customer acquisition strategies also diverge sharply from Western markets. With restrictions on financial advertising in countries like India, firms rely more heavily on community-driven and organic channels rather than paid media.At the same time, trading behavior differs markedly. According to Roz, “74% of traders from APAC… are trading just gold,” with limited engagement in US indices—a staple in Western markets. Crypto, however, is gaining traction, driven by regional demand and the entry of exchanges into the prop space.Blurring Lines Between Brokers and Prop FirmsOne of the more notable shifts discussed was the convergence between prop firms and traditional brokers.“We are seeing that prop firms are now becoming brokers, and brokers are entering the prop firm space,” Marasi said, attributing this partly to infrastructure needs such as access to platforms like MetaTrader.Both speakers suggested the distinction may eventually disappear altogether. Prop firms are increasingly viewed as acquisition funnels for younger traders, particularly those aged 18 to 25, who may later transition into fully funded brokerage clients.“It could be a great lead generation tool,” Marasi said, describing how firms can build early relationships with traders before they accumulate significant capital.Continue reading: “The Question Is No Longer If You Hold Gold, but How and Where You Hold It”: Topics from FM Singapore Summit 2026Roz outlined a similar lifecycle strategy, from free trading tournaments to paid challenges and eventually live trading accounts. His firm runs monthly competitions with more than 50,000 participants, using gamification as both an onboarding and retention mechanism.Saturation, or Untapped Opportunity?While the global prop trading market is often described as crowded—with more than 500 firms in operation—panelists disagreed on whether APAC fits that narrative.Roz argued the industry is “extremely saturated,” with many firms failing to meet operational standards. Marasi countered that saturation is largely confined to mature markets such as the US and Europe. “I think APAC is a gold mine,” he said. “Once there’s a group who can do the business right… this could be huge.”Yet unlocking that potential will require local expertise. Both speakers emphasized that firms headquartered in Europe or the Middle East often lack the cultural and linguistic understanding needed to succeed in Asia.“The future is having a local presence,” Marasi said, predicting that regional specialization—long a hallmark of brokerage expansion, will become essential in prop trading as well.An Industry at a CrossroadsThe discussion ultimately pointed to an industry in transition. Rapid growth, driven by regulatory arbitrage and retail demand, is colliding with rising expectations around transparency, sustainability, and user protection.“There has been a lot of drama… a lot of prop firms… closed the shop,” Marasi noted, referencing past failures and “rug pulls” that have dented trust in the sector.In the absence of formal oversight, larger firms and technology providers are increasingly taking it upon themselves to impose standards. “We need to regulate the business, even though it’s unregulated,” he said.Whether APAC becomes the next engine of prop trading growth—or exposes the fragility of its current model—will depend on how effectively the industry navigates that tension between scale and structure. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Belgian authorities have arrested a 19-year-old suspected of playing a leading role in a European phishing and money-laundering network that allegedly stole more than €500,000 from victims through online scams.The case reflects a rise in phishing and impersonation scams across the financial sector. Earlier this year, blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis reported that impersonation scams increased more than 1,400% in 2025 as criminal groups increasingly used artificial intelligence, phishing-as-a-service tools and professional money-laundering networks to target victims. Belgian Investigation Led to Teen's ArrestAccording to Belgian police, the Federal Judicial Police opened the investigation in March 2026 after phishing attacks became a priority in the region. Investigators said the group targeted victims with fake government emails and phone calls. The messages were designed to persuade victims to install remote-access software, allowing the attackers to gain access to their devices and financial accounts.Police arrested the suspect at an Airbnb property in Antwerp, where they also detained a second suspect. The main suspect later appeared before an investigating judge, who issued an arrest warrant.Authorities said the criminal network relied on money mules and cash carriers to move stolen funds before laundering the proceeds through cryptocurrencies.❗️ Belgian police arrested a 19-year-old from Antwerp suspected of being a key figure, possibly the ringleader, in a European phishing and money-laundering network, picking him up in an Airbnb on June 29 after he returned from Dubai.Prosecutors say the group stole over… pic.twitter.com/lxGoh7Hm05— International Cyber Digest (@IntCyberDigest) July 3, 2026Another Teen Faced Crypto Theft ChargesThe Belgian case follows another recent prosecution involving social engineering and cryptocurrency theft. Last month, a Canadian man pleaded guilty in the United States after prosecutors said he had been charged at age 19 with stealing more than $13 million in cryptocurrency through social engineering schemes. Prosecutors said he and his co-conspirators impersonated employees of Google, Coinbase and hardware wallet firm Trezor to gain access to victims' crypto accounts. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

FX-EDGE has added CFDs referencing SpaceX and OpenAI to its CFDs on Perpetuals range, bringing the continuously traded line to seven instruments. Brokers can now source all seven – Gold, Silver, WTI, US100, US500, and the two tech names – as standard, cash-settled CFDs through one wholesale liquidity relationship, on the platforms they already run.The addition lands in a market that has spent the year fragmenting. As exposure to SpaceX, OpenAI, and other private-tech names spreads across crypto tokens, crypto perpetual futures, spread bets, and funded accounts – each aimed at the end trader – brokers fielding the same client demand have faced a product-by-product integration: a new feed, a new counterparty, and a new risk model for every name. FX-EDGE's proposition offers one relationship that covers the whole continuous range.How the 24/7 CFDs Are PricedAll seven instruments in the range are standard, cash-settled CFDs traded around the clock, carrying no equity ownership, voting rights, or dividend claims – the same structure brokers already run on CFDs referencing indices, commodities, and FX. They share a single underlying mechanism: priced against external or secondary-market data, with an internal price-discovery mechanism for the hours when reference venues are closed.The two new names extend the range rather than sitting outside it:SpaceX – a CFD on the company, which completed its public listing on Nasdaq on 12 June 2026. It references the live market in trading hours and an internal order book outside them.OpenAI – a pre-IPO CFD on the still-private company, offered unleveraged and on a reference-only basis. It is not equity, conveys no shareholder rights, and is not issued, endorsed by, or affiliated with OpenAI.The instruments are available across Match-Trader, MT4, MT5, cTrader, and FIX API, with no technical changes for existing clients. Commercial terms, including leverage and position limits, are set per instrument and available to brokers on request.Seven Instruments, One Onboarding for BrokersThe launch reflects how FX-EDGE positions the range: as a single liquidity relationship rather than a catalogue of point solutions. For a broker, the cost of adding a name was rarely the trade – it was onboarding a counterparty, wiring a feed, setting risk parameters, and monitoring behavior across every platform. Sourcing the full continuous range from one provider replaces that name-by-name overhead with a single onboarding, a single counterparty, and one consistent approach to pricing and off-hours coverage.The addition of SpaceX and OpenAI follows a period of rapid movement in the names themselves: SpaceX listed on 12 June, and OpenAI filed confidentially for a public offering on 8 June, with reported windows pointing to late 2026 or 2027. FX-EDGE expects further names to follow the same pattern, added to the existing range as they become tradable.About FX-EDGEFX-EDGE, the strategic liquidity partner of Match-Trade Technologies, is a B2B liquidity provider serving prop firms and growth-stage brokers. Its Prime of Prime offering provides access to 430+ instruments with sub-3ms execution, HawkEye RMS toxic-flow filtering, custom liquidity pools, and an A/B-Book bridge at no additional cost. For prop firms, FX-EDGE absorbs 100% of funded-phase risk in exchange for a fixed fee per funded account – converting payout variance into a predictable cost. Risk WarningCFDs are complex instruments and carry a high risk of rapid loss, amplified by leverage and volatility. Instruments trading outside their primary venue's hours – weekends, overnight, or ahead of a public listing – carry specific risks tied to thinner liquidity, discontinuous price discovery, and event-driven moves. The pre-IPO CFD referencing OpenAI tracks a private company on a reference-only basis: it is not equity, conveys no ownership or shareholder rights, and is not issued, endorsed by, or affiliated with OpenAI. Brokers offering these instruments to their clients are responsible for compliance with the regulatory requirements applicable in their jurisdiction. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Pepperstone has appointed Reed Sayer as its new Head of UK, the broker announced today (Friday). He will oversee the company's growth strategy in the UK, manage client relationships and support the expansion of its business in the market.Former XTB Executive Takes Pepperstone RoleSayer joins Pepperstone from XTB, where he worked for more than a decade. Most recently, he served as Head of UK Sales. According to the company, he has more than 10 years of experience in financial services, with a background in online trading and financial markets.Commenting on his appointment, Sayer said it was "a really exciting moment" for Pepperstone's UK business. He added that he was "thrilled to be part of it" and looked forward to using his experience "to help take things to the next level."Pepperstone Highlights UK Momentum, Welcomes SayerThe hire comes as Pepperstone highlighted recent recognition for its UK business. The company said the 2026 Investment Trends Leveraged Trading Report ranked it first in six service categories, including Value for Money and Spreads.It also follows a year of higher earnings for Pepperstone's UK business. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2025, the broker's UK subsidiary reported profit before tax of £24.1 million, up from £13.3 million a year earlier, while net profit increased to £18 million from £9.9 million, according to accounts filed with Companies House. Trading revenue also rose to £15 million from £13 million.Marc Boever, Pepperstone's Head of EMEA, also commented on the appointment, saying the company was "pleased to welcome Reed" and describing him as bringing "commercial experience" and "strong credibility in the UK market."Pepperstone Expands Crypto Business with FireblocksSeparately, Pepperstone recently expanded its digital asset business. Earlier this year, the broker confirmed that its Australian spot cryptocurrency exchange uses Fireblocks' infrastructure for digital asset custody, transaction policy controls and compliance. The company also said it plans to expand its crypto offering to include staking and decentralized finance (DeFi) capabilities, although it did not disclose a timeline. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Brokers of the Year Africa 2026: Feature OverviewThe African retail trading ecosystem operates on entirely different operational demands compared to entrenched European or North American hubs. Winning the title of "Broker of the Year" within this rapidly expanding continent requires abandoning standard legacy onboarding parameters. Operational success in Africa relies on physical domestic localization. A broker must securely integrate domestic mobile payment gateways, eliminate high baseline minimum deposits, and establish deep compliant roots under the South African FSCA.In this overview, we dissect the regional penetration mechanics of three massive brokers dominating the African retail landscape entering 2026: Headway, JustMarkets, and LiteFinance. We evaluate how their specific Micro-account architectures and localized engineering successfully onboard high volumes of traders.Risk Warning: Trading Contracts for Difference carries a high risk to your capital. You can lose more than your initial deposit. Make sure you fully understand the mechanics of margin trading and the risks before you open a live account.Framework for EvaluationEvaluating broker operations inside the African continent requires observing how they actively lower the friction of trade execution. We mapped Headway, JustMarkets, and LiteFinance against three hyper-localized pillars.First, we mapped minimum capital entry requirements. To adequately service the mass demographic across specific African nations, a broker must actively facilitate Cent or Micro accounts. By dropping entry deposits down to micro thresholds, they remove the primary barrier to entry.Second, we evaluated local funding methodologies. International wire transfers often fail across emerging markets due to extreme banking friction. We verified whether these brokers seamlessly plug into domestic alternative networks, like M-Pesa.Finally, we analyzed physical regional security. We verified their adherence to tier-one legacy safety protocols and their utilization of South African regulatory mapping, alongside actual physical domestic representation.Quick Technical OverviewHeadway Broker: Top Features for African TradersHeadway rapidly achieved phenomenal retail success by deliberately removing standard entry barriers. Built by a veteran executive team familiar with emerging market friction, the trading broker strictly focuses on raw speed, immediate localized funding, and extreme inclusion.Financial Inclusion and Micro AccountsThe fundamental innovation behind Headway is making live trading more accessible. The broker officially sets a minimum deposit requirement of just $1.By integrating Cent trading accounts directly into MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5, traders across growing African markets can start trading with very small position sizes and lower risk exposure. This removes the need for beginners to rely only on demo environments before moving into live trading conditions.Localized Payment PipelinesHeadway bridges the structural global banking gap brilliantly. Rather than forcing clients into heavy international SWIFT delays, Headway securely embeds API pathways to regionalized funding structures. Clients execute capital deposits using dominant domestic mobile banking wallets. By converting local African currencies without applying predatory USD exchange delays, Headway broker accelerates deposit times to less than five minutes.Islamic IntegrationThe African continent supports an enormous Islamic trading demographic. Headway responds by encoding Swap-Free logic directly into their matching engines. They do not manually widen raw spreads on MT4 simply to punish Islamic account generation.Using Headway Broker for Trading: Pros & ConsJustMarkets FeaturesJustMarkets historically functioned as a highly recognized international offshore entity before aggressively shifting their core developmental logic entirely toward the African and Asian continents. They achieved massive legacy dominance regionally by explicitly securing highly competitive authorization directly inside Africa.Regulation and ComplianceJustMarkets differentiates its operation by holding an active, physical authorization from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in South Africa. This license guarantees that JustMarkets operates under strict local African client auditing structures reliably. Furthermore, they are governed by CySEC within Europe, solidifying their trust parameters globally.ECN AccessibilitySimilar to Headway, JustMarkets removes massive capitalization friction dynamically. The broker maintains a $1 minimum entry for their Standard Cent configurations. However, JustMarkets heavily innovates by extending this extreme high accessibility to their Raw Spread ECN infrastructures.Traders looking to execute completely outside synthetic dealing desk structures can activate zero-pip ECN matching for a significantly fractional margin limit. This brings institutional pipeline grading seamlessly into the localized retail space.Deep Currency Conversion MatchingJustMarkets secures African trust by allowing users to deposit and operate accounts scaled directly into local domestic currencies. Rather than forcing automated USD account mirroring, this mechanic protects low-volume traders from daily fluctuating global exchange rate variances.Pros & ConsLiteFinance FeaturesLiteFinance operates as one of the oldest legacy entities directly focusing on emerging market integrations globally since 2005. While other massive brokers dominate Africa digitally via offshore hubs, LiteFinance systemically establishes physical dominance.Physical Domestic LocalizationLiteFinance generates absolute operational trust across Africa by successfully deploying physical corporate office spaces directly inside major economic hubs like Nigeria, alongside expanding East African domains.This specific regional operational footprint allows LiteFinance to deploy native, localized customer support personnel flawlessly. Traders handle complex documentation verification utilizing native regional languages, completely bypassing the need to rely on distant third-party automated centers.Copy Trade IntegrationLiteFinance deliberately focuses heavily on passive operational strategies. The proprietary structural ecosystem safely embeds a massive Social Trading portal, functionally mapped directly into the user interface.Regional retail participants natively match their micro trading volume to highly vetted professional statistical veterans without executing standalone third-party plugins separately.Proprietary Interface AgilityWhile fundamentally offering basic MT4 and MT5 routing systems, LiteFinance built a highly tailored, dedicated web platform dynamically. The platform seamlessly processes internal mobile transaction data feeds seamlessly, optimized specifically for locations experiencing complex network latency and bandwidth constraints.Pros & ConsSummary of African Regional OperationsConquering the African retail infrastructure mandates highly specific regional adaptation, rather than generic global data duplication.Headway fundamentally secures specific mobile dominance by mapping MT4 server speed seamlessly to extreme micro-level localized payment network execution.JustMarkets establishes a massive institutional legacy inside Africa, completely backed by the trusted South African FSCA.LiteFinance leverages massive local domestic physical office networking, heavily combining localized trust with proprietary integrated copy integration.Frequently Asked QuestionsAre mobile payment gateways actually secure for trading?Yes. Top-tier brokers API directly into massive, trusted regional transactional channels like M-Pesa. This ensures explicit multi-factor local verification and completely bypasses standard global SWIFT delays reliably.Why are Cent accounts fundamentally necessary?Cent accounts physically multiply your visual baseline. Depositing exactly $10 into a precise cent account translates visibly to 1,000 cents. This manipulation allows retail end-users to test complex Expert Advisors safely, testing strict money management rules naturally and effectively.Is the FSCA reliable internationally?The Financial Sector Conduct Authority, operating out of South Africa, exists as the premier strict compliance standard within the entire African continent. They reliably enforce strict, daily capital audits comprehensively.Does execution speed inherently drop locally in Africa?While raw physical Equinix server ping inevitably differs compared to sitting adjacent to Tokyo or New York, top-tier legacy brokers utilize massive dynamic internal cloud routing. This serves to entirely reduce latency and keep execution speeds consistent and dependable.Do these brokers trade against their clients?No. Standard, reliable brokers like JustMarkets operate clean hybrid ECN models. They pass complex systemic risk purely and safely to massive external liquidity pools, matching trades correctly and securely.Disclaimer: CFDs are highly complex instruments and come with a significant risk of losing money rapidly due to the mechanics of financial margin. You should carefully consider whether you fully understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Always align your personal trading decisions with your current financial situation, available capital, and overall risk tolerance. This article was written by Finance Magnates Staff at www.financemagnates.com.

As brokers continue expanding into emerging markets, payments have become a key factor in client acquisition and retention. While many firms focus heavily on trading platforms and marketing, payment experience often determines whether a client successfully completes their first deposit.Speaking with Yam Yehoshua, Editor-in-Chief at Finance Magnates, Tatjana Meluskane, Chief Commercial Officer at SPAYZ.io, explained why payment localisation, market knowledge, and collaboration between brokers and payment providers are becoming essential competitive advantages.Local Payment Methods Drive Better Client ExperienceSPAYZ.io provides payment infrastructure across more than 35 countries, specialising in Asia and Africa with over 55 alternative payment methods.According to Meluskane, brokers need to adapt their payment experience to the habits of each market instead of relying on a one-size-fits-all approach."We are focusing on providing local payment methods in different regions. We are specialising in Asia and Africa, covering more than 35 countries with over 55 alternative payment methods."Supporting local currencies, familiar checkout experiences, and region-specific payment options creates a smoother deposit process and helps brokers improve client satisfaction from the very first transaction.Why Brokers Lose DepositsMany brokers focus on attracting new traders but overlook why potential clients abandon deposits.Meluskane believes the biggest issue is a lack of understanding of regional payment behaviour."If you are supporting local currency and your interface is created specifically for the region, together with the right payment methods, it becomes a very important advantage," she explained.She also stressed that choosing the right payment partner goes beyond technology."They need partners who understand their business specifics, the geographies they cover, user behaviours, payment methods and local currencies."Card Payments Are Not Always the Right ChoiceOne of the biggest misconceptions in global payments is assuming that card payments dominate everywhere.In many emerging markets, this simply isn't the case."Card is not the most popular payment method in those regions."Meluskane explained that:Mobile money dominates across many African countries.QR code payments are widely used throughout Asia.Local bank transfers remain the preferred option in several markets.As a result, brokers that depend primarily on card payments may experience unnecessary payment failures and lower conversion rates."Clients don't want to put card data. It's better for them to use payment methods they already have," she said.Market Analysis Never StopsExpanding into a new region requires much more than simply enabling additional payment methods.Meluskane emphasised that brokers should continuously analyse customer behaviour, payment trends, regulations, and legal requirements."It's never-ending. You need to make analytics and check what is going on in the markets all the time."SPAYZ.io continuously reviews payment performance and market changes, allowing the company to adjust both its payment infrastructure and legal framework when necessary.Conversion Rates Are a Shared ResponsibilityWho owns payment conversion rates — the broker or the payment provider?According to Meluskane, the answer is simple: both.While payment providers optimise gateways, routing, and infrastructure, brokers remain responsible for the overall customer experience before a payment even begins.She believes success comes from continuous cooperation rather than assigning responsibility to one side."It's cooperation. We suggest improvements on our side and on their side. We work together to make it better."She also advises brokers to begin with one critical step:Analyse exactly where clients abandon the payment process.Identify the stage causing friction.Take immediate action based on the findings.Work closely with the payment provider to improve weak points.Partnerships Fuel Long-Term GrowthAs the interview concluded, Meluskane highlighted the importance of long-term relationships between brokers and payment providers.Rather than acting as a service vendor, SPAYZ.io aims to become a strategic partner that helps clients adapt to changing markets and customer behaviour."Everything starts with partnership."She added:"We are focusing on growth through partnerships, close cooperation, fast reaction, improvements and developments."For brokers expanding internationally, choosing a payment provider with regional expertise and a collaborative approach may prove just as important as selecting the right trading platform.Watch the Full InterviewThis summary covers only part of the conversation with Tatjana Meluskane.Watch the full interview to hear more about:How brokers should evaluate payment providers before entering new markets.Why local payment preferences directly impact deposit success and client retention.How SPAYZ.io helps brokers adapt to changing regulations and payment trends across different regions.Before you watch, ask yourself:Which payment mistakes are costing brokers the most clients today?Why do card payments perform poorly in many emerging markets?What practical steps can brokers take immediately to improve payment conversion rates?▶ Watch the full Finance Magnates interview with Tatjana Meluskane for the complete discussion and expert insights into the future of global payments for brokers. This article was written by Finance Magnates Staff at www.financemagnates.com.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued a public statement on 3 July reminding firms that products marketed as "event contracts" may still be subject to the bloc's long-standing prohibition on binary options for retail clients, regardless of their commercial branding.Old Rules, New WrapperThe statement, addressed to both firms and national competent authorities (NCAs), responds to the rising popularity of prediction markets globally and growing retail participation in them. ESMA defines event contracts as agreements with a binary financial outcome, either a fixed payout or nothing, that hinges on a yes-or-no answer to a question about a future event.According to the regulator, not every event contract qualifies as a financial instrument. That classification depends on whether the underlying event question relates to matters covered by MiFID II.Read more: CySEC Chair on Crypto Perps, Prediction Markets and the High-Wire Act of EU RegulationWhere they do qualify, ESMA states these contracts are derivatives and fall within the scope of national product intervention measures on binary options, which prohibit their marketing, distribution or sale to retail clients across all EU member states. Those measures trace back to a temporary EU-wide prohibition ESMA introduced in 2018, which was later replaced by permanent national rules mirroring the original decision.ESMA was explicit that the name a firm gives a product does not affect how it is categorised under MiFID II. The statement says firms must carry out a careful legal analysis of a product's structure and functioning to determine whether product intervention measures apply, and must do so while meeting their obligation to act honestly, fairly and professionally in clients' best interests.The statement also addresses a common feature of some event contracts: a "coupon" or "reward" representing interest earned on funds paid in. ESMA clarifies that the presence of such a coupon does not change the underlying binary nature of the contract itself.Authorisation Required Even for Non-Retail ClientsSeparately, ESMA reiterated that offering investment services involving financial instruments in the EU requires authorisation under MiFID II, irrespective of the client category served. This means firms distributing event contracts that qualify as financial instruments need this authorisation even if they only serve non-retail clients.The regulator noted that event contracts may also be classified as bets under national gambling legislation, or, where they take a tokenised form and are not financial instruments, as crypto-assets regulated under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).ESMA added that participating in activities designed to circumvent the product intervention measures is prohibited. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

On election night in November 2024, before a single swing state had been called, a number was already moving. Not a poll, not a network projection — a probability on Polymarket, drifting with quiet certainty toward Donald Trump while cable anchors hedged and statisticians shrugged. By the time Pennsylvania was called, Polymarket had already priced the outcome for hours. It did not predict the result. It preceded it.Six weeks into 2026, the machinery spoke again. A Polymarket account called “Burdensome-Mix” placed $32,537 on Nicolás Maduro’s removal from power at odds of 5.5 percent. Hours later, Trump announced on Truth Social that Delta Force commandos had seized Maduro from his Caracas home. The account collected $436,759. Congress opened an inquiry. Then, on the night of February 27, as U.S. and Israeli aircraft prepared for strikes on Tehran, a trader named “Magamyman” placed $32,000 on the strikes occurring the following morning. Polymarket’s own odds sat at 17 percent. By dawn, Khamenei was dead. Magamyman collected $553,000.Each time, a betting exchange knew before the governments, the press, or families. And each time, when the outrage came, the platforms offered the same quiet defense: the market was right. What It Means for Truth to Be OwnedOur truth-telling institutions have failed us in ways now beyond dispute: the CIA’s unanimous WMD consensus, the Fed's eleven months of 'transitory' inflation, three straight elections that the polling industry lost to a betting exchange. The question is not why they failed, but why prediction markets keep getting it right.?FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 3rd, 2026 Kalshi “Khamenei Out” InvestigationPremier Plaintiff Law Firm, Lieff Cabraser has been retained to investigate Kalshi for unfair and improper practices connected to its “Ali Khamenei out as Supreme Leader” markets where consumers…— RealBenGeller (@RealBenGeller) March 3, 2026Friedrich Hayek’s answer, offered in 1945, is that markets impose a cost for falsehood that no briefing room or press conference ever reliably does. You lose money for being wrong. The penalty is immediate, personal, and unappealable.The Challenger disaster is the cleanest proof. On January 28, 1986, the shuttle disintegrated 73 seconds after launch. Within 21 minutes, Morton Thiokol’s stock was halted while all three other component manufacturers recovered. The Rogers Commission spent five months reaching the same conclusion the market had reached before lunch: Morton Thiokol’s O-rings had failed.But here is what the Challenger story is almost never used to illustrate: the market knew, and nothing happened. The knowledge evaporated into a payout and disappeared.JUST IN: @Kalshi surpasses $10B in Weekly Notional Volume for the first time ever pic.twitter.com/TvBV6lPGJ1— KalshiData (@kalshidata) June 28, 2026This is the distinction the prediction market debate almost never reaches: the difference between truth that is accurate and truth that is owned. When Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein published their Watergate reporting, the truth arrived with someone attached to it — names on a byline, an editor who judged the story worth the risk, a newspaper staking its reputation. It was owned: by people who had decided to tell it, who bore consequences, who stayed accountable for what they set in motion. It built — into testimony, impeachment, a resignation, a body of law. 'Magamyman' knew what was coming in Iran. He was right, and bore no obligation to tell anyone. His knowledge was extracted, priced, and closed out. Price signals do not accumulate. They correct, they resolve, they leave no record a society can act on.How Much Is the First Second of Truth Worth?The prediction market’s accuracy derives from a mechanism that rewards whoever is closest to the truth and asks no questions about how they got there. Hayek understood this as pure gain: the surgeon who knows the outcome before the family possesses knowledge markets can harvest without it ever being explained. But Hayek’s framework depends on a distinction it cannot enforce: the difference between knowing something and controlling it. The surgeon’s advantage is passive — she is present, and presence is knowledge. The official who authorized the operation she is performing is different. The mechanism that harvests the surgeon’s passive knowledge cannot distinguish it from the official’s active one. It sees only a position and a payout.Whether these were insider trades or extraordinary inference, current law has no clean answer — because prediction markets were built to reward exactly what insider trading law was built to prohibit: acting on information others don’t have, regardless of how you came to have it..@CFTC Sues Kentucky to Prevent Violation of CFTC’s Exclusive Jurisdiction: https://t.co/7XZ57xPil2— CFTC (@CFTC) June 23, 2026At Super Bowl 55, Yuri Andrade found a prop bet at +750 odds on whether a fan would run onto the field. He pooled $50,000 across friends’ accounts, put on a pink leotard, and sprinted onto the field. Bovada declined to pay. But Andrade’s logic was identical to “Magamyman”: he did not predict an outcome, he manufactured one. The prediction market could not tell the difference. A system that rewards knowing, without asking how you know, will always be gamed by whoever can close the distance between knowing and doing.The Probability SurfaceEvery other information system runs through hierarchies — career preservation, source protection, narrative consistency — that don't make people dishonest, but careful in ways that compound into distortion. A prediction market has only money, which flows toward accuracy with a directness that no other system matches.In the weeks before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, prediction market probabilities rose above 60 percent weeks ahead of official government assessments. For anyone trying to understand what was actually about to happen, the market was the most reliable instrument available.Finally, The US has sanctioned Iskander Makhmudov and Andrei Bokarev, the owners of the odious armaments company Transmashholding and Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company.Hight time, but now they are sanctioned.Now go for Rosatom!https://t.co/skSlQ5pE2s— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) September 14, 2023Thomas Schelling spent his career studying how conflict outcomes cluster around visible, salient signals — focal points. A prediction market probability is the most salient signal: one number, universally visible, updated in real time, backed by real money. A market pricing invasion at 67 percent does not observe the situation from outside. It enters it — becoming the coordinate around which every party calculates its response. Their accuracy depends on independence from the events they price. Their scale destroys that independence.A small prediction market on a geopolitical outcome is a forecast. A large one — $500 million wagered on the timing of the Iran strikes — is a participant. When Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour announced his platform’s “death carveout” after Khamenei was killed, he acknowledged what the platforms had long denied: that the market had become entangled with the event itself. You cannot take half a billion dollars in bets on when a head of state will die and remain a neutral forecaster. The Simulation We Are Choosing“Burdensome-Mix.” “Magamyman.” A man in a pink leotard at the Super Bowl. None conspired. None were irrational. Each saw a market, read an incentive, and acted. The mechanism converted their private knowledge — or their proximity to power, or their willingness to manufacture an outcome — into a price, a payout, a resolved contract. The market did not know which of them it was rewarding or why. It only knew the outcome had been produced.Accuracy is not the only thing a truth-telling institution provides, and it is not the thing we are giving up. When we replace institutions that lied to us occasionally with a mechanism that is honest about everything, we lose the social weight of being told the truth by someone who decided to tell it — who had other options, who bore consequences, who stayed accountable. We lose the difference between the Washington Post on June 17, 1972, and “Magamyman” on February 28, 2026. Both knew something. Only one of them had to decide what to do with what they knew. That decision — to tell the truth, under your own name, bearing the weight of what you are setting in motion — is the act by which a society holds itself accountable. When that act is replaced by a price signal, accountability does not become more efficient. It disappears. This article was written by Vugar Usi at www.financemagnates.com.

As regulatory requirements continue to grow across the financial services industry, brokers face tougher decisions about where to establish operations, how to expand internationally, and how to manage compliance costs.Speaking with Finance Magnates at iFX Expo International 2026, Nicos Kezarides, CEO of A.P. Standard Chartered Corporate Services Ltd, shared his views on today's licensing landscape, why some firms are reconsidering established jurisdictions, and where he believes the industry is heading next.A One-Stop Shop for Licensing and Corporate ServicesNicos described A.P. Standard Chartered as a boutique corporate services provider offering licensing, legal, compliance, accounting, auditing, with presence and ongoing operational support across several jurisdictions, including Cyprus, Seychelles, Hong Kong, Mauritius and UAE.Unlike firms that rely on external partners, AP provides these services under one roof."We are truly a one-stop shop for somebody looking to establish a regulated brokerage, crypto business or gambling operation, and we continue supporting them long after the licence is issued."According to Nicos, this model allows clients to receive faster support while reducing costs by avoiding multiple service providers.Regulation Is Becoming More DemandingThe interview focused heavily on how regulatory expectations continue to increase across global financial centres.Nicos explained that obtaining and maintaining a licence has become significantly more expensive, particularly in Cyprus, where firms must have much of their operational structure in place before approval.He noted that some brokers are now questioning whether maintaining a Cyprus licence remains commercially worthwhile."Nobody has a million to burn while waiting one or two years just to receive a licence."He also pointed to growing operational requirements in other jurisdictions, including local director obligations and limited talent pools that make compliance increasingly difficult.Why UAE Continues to Attract BrokersWhile discussing global regulatory competition, Nicos highlighted the rapid growth of the UAE as a preferred destination for financial firms.Rather than attempting to create a perfect regulatory system from the start, he believes UAE regulators have focused on building practical frameworks that improve over time.This pragmatic approach, combined with faster licensing processes, has helped attract brokers, professionals, and investment from around the world.Greece Emerges as an AlternativeOne of the more surprising points raised during the discussion was Greece's growing appeal for FX and CFD firms.According to Nicos, Greece provides greater certainty because regulators operate within legally defined approval timelines.Unlike some jurisdictions where delays can extend well beyond expectations, applicants know when to expect a decision.This predictability, he explained, has made Greece increasingly attractive for firms planning European expansion.Compliance Starts Before Problems AppearManaging compliance, according to Nicos, requires far more than submitting regulatory reports.His team assigns dedicated compliance officers to clients while maintaining regular communication about expansion plans, client onboarding, and jurisdiction-specific requirements.Rather than waiting for compliance issues to arise, A.P. works proactively to reduce future regulatory risk.Choosing the Right Licence Matters More Than Having More LicencesNicos challenged the assumption that brokers should simply collect licences across multiple jurisdictions.Instead, he believes firms should first understand their commercial objectives before expanding.Different regulators impose different sanctions policies, crypto rules, and client eligibility requirements, making some licences more suitable than others depending on business goals."We're not the type of company that will sell a licence simply because somebody wants one. First we need to understand why they actually need it."Customer Support as a Competitive AdvantageWhen discussing why clients choose A.P. Standard Chartered, Nicos pointed to direct access and long-term relationships.He explained that every client receives dedicated account management, while he personally remains available whenever serious issues arise.His commitment extends well beyond phone calls."Eight months of the year I personally travel to visit clients. I even flew to Australia for one day just to meet a client."Prediction Markets Could Be the Next Major TrendLooking ahead, Nicos believes the industry will continue to change as regulation reshapes existing business models.After the rise of proprietary trading firms, he expects prediction markets to become the next major growth area as firms search for new products.He believes regulatory attention will eventually follow this segment, much like previous industry developments.Key TakeawaysA.P. Standard Chartered positions itself as a full-service licensing and compliance provider.Rising regulatory requirements are increasing operational costs across major jurisdictions.Greece is becoming an attractive alternative due to clearer licensing timelines.UAE continues attracting brokers through practical regulation and faster implementation.Compliance should focus on ongoing communication rather than reactive reporting.Firms should choose licences based on business strategy rather than quantity.Prediction markets may become one of the industry's next major growth sectors.Watch the Full InterviewWant to hear Nicos explain why brokers are leaving certain jurisdictions, why Greece is gaining momentum, and why prediction markets could reshape the industry?▶ Watch the full Finance Magnates interview for the complete discussion. This article was written by Finance Magnates Staff at www.financemagnates.com.

The number of brokerage firms operating out of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) rose to 72 at the end of March, up from 49 in 2022, while their combined net profit reached a record $301 million last year, according to the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The pace of new arrivals has been fading, though, and Finance Magnates Intelligence expects the count to settle near 76 by the end of 2026.The full profit series, the slowing firm growth and the FM Intelligence projections sit in the newest analysis you can find here.Dubai has kept pulling in brokers, a trend FinanceMagnates.com tracked when the DIFC's OTC derivatives market doubled to $13 trillion on the back of FX and rates activity.Growth Cools as Profit PeaksThe regulator counted nine new firms in 2023, six in 2024 and four in 2025, with another four in the first quarter of 2026. The arrivals kept coming as the DFSA moved to cut licensing times by roughly a third, yet the annual pace has clearly cooled.Profit followed a bumpier line. Net income was $160 million in 2022, dropped to $80 million in 2023, then recovered to $218 million in 2024 and $301 million in 2025, according to the DFSA, with $132 million booked in the first quarter of this year.One figure is worth a second look. The DFSA describes the firm count as rising 68% since 2022, but the numbers it discloses, 49 firms growing to 72, work out to a 47% increase, and FM Intelligence uses the calculated figure. Individual authorizations, meanwhile, still take time, as Pepperstone found before securing its DFSA license following a multi-year application.Where FM Intelligence Sees the Count LandingApplying the 2022-to-2025 compound annual growth rate of 11.6% to the 2025 total of 68 firms, Finance Magnates Intelligence puts the base case at about 76 firms by year-end, with a bear case near 73 to 74 and a bull case of 78 to 80. It assigns the highest probability to the base case and says the estimate will be revised as more 2026 data lands.The same DFSA review also flagged control gaps, with 18% of surveyed firms holding no documented staff-dealing policy and 32% keeping no register, ground Finance Magnates covered when it reported that Dubai brokers grew faster than their staff-trading rules.The base, bull and bear scenarios, the full headcount and profit series and the methodology behind the projections are laid out in the FM Intelligence analysis. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has unveiled a plan to simplify transaction reporting across the EU, targeting up to €1 billion in annual savings for market participants. The proposal introduces a “report once” model designed to reduce duplication and improve data quality used by regulators.Fragmentation Drives CostsTransaction reporting plays a key role in monitoring risk and detecting market abuse. However, ESMA found that overlapping rules under MiFIR, EMIR, and SFTR have created duplication and inconsistent requirements. Firms often submit similar data multiple times, which increases operational costs.Verena Ross, ESMA Chair, said: “Transaction reporting is central to market transparency, risk monitoring and detecting market abuse. However, over time, fragmentation has led to duplication, inconsistent requirements and increased costs for market participants and authorities.”You may also like: CySEC Chairman Backs EU Supervision Push, Wants a "Level Playing Field"ESMA also pointed to frequent regulatory changes and dual-sided reporting obligations as key drivers of complexity. The regulator proposes a single integrated reporting system that allows firms to submit transaction data once. The system would use a modular structure to reflect different asset classes while enabling authorities to reuse the data across supervisory functions.“Report Once” FrameworkRoss said the approach could “significantly reduce costs while improving the quality and usability of data for supervisors.”A cost-benefit analysis shows that the model could deliver annual net savings of €250 million to €1 billion. Recurring costs could fall by around 22% to 24%, with total net benefits reaching up to €4.9 billion over ten years. ESMA expects implementation costs to be recovered within three to four years.Alongside the long-term plan, ESMA proposed interim measures. These include expanding delegated reporting, simplifying intragroup exemptions, and removing duplicative requirements.The regulator will now engage with EU institutions on the proposal. The rollout will require legislative changes, phased implementation, and coordination with industry stakeholders on data standards and reporting systems.European regulators are pushing for stronger centralized supervision as cross-border trading exposes gaps in national oversight. ESMA Chair Verena Ross and CySEC Chairman George Theocharides said that different interpretations of EU rules across member states create inconsistency and risk. Ross noted that firms operating across the bloc face up to 27 supervisory approaches, especially in fast-moving sectors like crypto and artificial intelligence. The push comes as complaints against Cyprus-based brokers rise and regulators tighten rules to curb arbitrage. Both ESMA and CySEC also highlighted crypto and AI as key focus areas, with ongoing efforts to align supervision, expand oversight, and prepare for potential legislative changes at the EU level. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Desmond Leong’s presentation at the FM Singapore Summit 2026 argued that broker loyalty programs should be treated less as a giveaway scheme and more as a structured retention engine that shapes client behavior across the full lifecycle, from onboarding to re-engagement. The core message was simple: acquisition costs are rising, and brokers that still frame loyalty as “trade more, earn more” are leaving retention, lifetime value, and platform activity on the table.As client acquisition becomes more expensive and broker offerings increasingly converge around the same familiar promises of tight spreads, fast execution, and standard trading platforms, loyalty programs are emerging as a new battleground for differentiation. Brokers Turn to Loyalty as Acquisition Costs Climb Speaking at the Craft Stage during the FM Singapore Summit 2026, Returning.AI CEO Desmond Leong argued that many brokers are approaching the opportunity the wrong way, treating loyalty as a transactional rewards scheme instead of a broader retention system built to influence behaviour, deepen engagement, and ultimately improve lifetime value.Keep reading: “The Question Is No Longer If You Hold Gold, but How and Where You Hold It”: Topics from FM Singapore Summit 2026Leong, whose company develops gamified engagement and loyalty tools for brokers, framed the issue bluntly: the real value of loyalty programs lies not in handing out points after trades, but in creating a retention layer that nudges users through the entire customer journey.In his telling, the strongest programs reward progress, not just volume, meaning brokers should think beyond lots traded and incentivise milestones such as KYC completion, first deposit, first trade, daily activity, and redeposits. From Spins to Streaks: Gamification for Predictable Activity That logic extends even further into social engagement, where some brokers are rewarding clients for liking, commenting on, or reposting company content, turning passive account holders into visible contributors to the brand’s online credibility.One of the clearest themes in the session was that gamification works best when it is tied to repeat behaviour rather than one-off excitement. Leong pointed to the now-common “spin the wheel” mechanic but argued that its real power lies in streaks, multipliers, and routines that pull traders back into the client portal day after day.He described examples in which brokers tied spins to daily logins or activity across multiple asset classes, creating habits that persisted even through holiday periods and quieter trading windows. Controlling Reward Costs Without Killing MotivationThe business logic, he suggested, is less about the short-lived dopamine hit and more about predictability: once traders have built a streak, brokers are in a stronger position to present campaigns, prompts, and redeposit offers while the client is already engaged inside the platform.Cost control formed the second major pillar of his argument. Loyalty programs can quickly become expensive if they simply award more points to bigger traders without any cap or structure, especially when heavy-volume clients are able to redeem top-tier rewards almost immediately. Leong’s proposed fix was to introduce what he called a premium currency, a separate reward layer unlocked after a trader reaches a daily threshold. Rather than presenting this as a hard cap, the broker reframes the experience around unlocking access to benefits that “money can’t buy,” preserving motivation while keeping the underlying economics manageable.Turning Reward Stores Into Trading Engines That same commercial discipline, he argued, should also shape the reward store itself. Aspirational prizes such as iPhones, AirPods, gold bars, or even cars may help attract attention, but they can also alarm finance teams worried about cash leakage and redemption costs. The smarter approach, Leong said, is to redirect value back into the trading ecosystem through non-withdrawable trading credit. By offering clients a slightly higher notional value if they choose credit instead of physical delivery, brokers can make the reward feel more attractive while reducing the true cost of fulfilment.More from then event: “Gold Is Where Speculators Go, Because It’s Cheapest to Leverage”: FM Singapore Summit 2026 NotesThe principle, as he described it, is to maximise perceived value while minimising actual cost. Perhaps the most interesting insight from the session came from his discussion of introducing shared loyalty logic across retail traders and introducing brokers. Many firms still separate the two, building one rewards system for clients and another for partners. Leong said some brokers that aligned the programs more closely saw an unexpected behavioural shift: introducing brokers became less likely to withdraw commissions immediately and more likely to move funds into retail trading accounts in order to participate in the same incentive structure. Aligning IB and Retail IncentivesWhat began as a loyalty design choice, in other words, ended up influencing wallet behaviour and internal fund flows in ways the brokers had not initially planned for.Leong’s final warning was against treating loyalty as a static add-on. In his view, the most effective programs function as a live operating tool for sales and marketing teams, not merely a passive rewards ledger. A broker that sees a client’s activity slowing, for example, can use boosters, streak-saving interventions, or targeted incentives to intervene before churn takes hold. Sales teams, meanwhile, can use spins, points, or limited-time loyalty perks as low-cost closing tools when trying to convert prospects in a market where product differences are often marginal. In Asia especially, he noted, relationship-building still matters, and loyalty mechanics can give brokers a more systematic way to create goodwill at scale.From Cosmetic Feature to Retention Infrastructure Taken together, the presentation was less a celebration of rewards than a critique of shallow incentive design. Leong’s five mistakes all pointed back to the same broader lesson: loyalty programs only work when they are built as part of a broker’s retention, marketing, and revenue strategy rather than bolted on as cosmetic differentiation. At a time when brokers are under pressure to justify acquisition spend and extend client lifetime value, that distinction is becoming harder to ignore. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Ondo Finance has launched what it describes as the first live third-party tokenized U.S. securities solution operating within the existing U.S. regulatory framework. The company partnered with Broadridge Financial Solutions to provide shareholder communications and proxy voting rights for token holders.The launch comes as competition in tokenized equities accelerates. Finance Magnates recently reported that the market has grown rapidly as firms build compliant infrastructure for blockchain-based securities. Earlier coverage also noted that many tokenized stock offerings do not provide shareholder rights, an issue Ondo aims to address through Broadridge's voting and communication services.Ondo Launches SEC-Outlined Tokenized Securities StructureThe launch follows the model outlined in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's January 2026 statement on tokenized securities. The SEC described a custodial structure in which a third party holds the underlying securities while issuing crypto tokens representing investors' interests.Ondo said its tokenized versions of the BlackRock iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and Micron Technology shares are the first production deployments of that model in the United States.Under the structure, the underlying shares remain in the traditional U.S. regulated custody system. Ondo's registered transfer agent issues Ethereum-based tokens backed one-for-one by those shares, which are held by regulated custodians.Ian De Bode, CEO of Ondo Finance, said tokenized securities should not be viewed as requiring a single regulatory or product model. He said the company has built infrastructure to support different approaches and that the launch shows tokenization can "meet both market and regulatory requirements."As America turns 250, U.S. securities have come onchain on U.S. rails.Today, Ondo Finance announced the first-ever live solution of third-party tokenized U.S. securities operating entirely within the existing regulatory perimeter in the U.S., in partnership with @Broadridge… pic.twitter.com/auHGrXFtrv— Ondo Finance (@OndoFinance) July 2, 2026Broadridge Enables Governance for Tokenized SecuritiesAccording to the company, token holders receive the same shareholder rights as investors using U.S. brokerage accounts, including issuer communications and proxy voting through Broadridge's ProxyVote.com platform. Transfer restrictions are handled by the participating broker-dealer, transfer agent and custodian in line with existing regulatory requirements.The company said the structure differs from earlier tokenized securities offerings, many of which operated outside the United States or relied on issuer sponsorship. It said the model keeps the underlying shares within the existing U.S. custody system while recording ownership on the blockchain.Broadridge said the launch supports its strategy of providing governance services for different tokenized securities models. Doug DeSchutter, President of Broadridge's Investor Communication Solutions business, said tokenization will scale only if it delivers "both innovation and investor confidence." This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

CMC Markets published in June its preliminary full-year results for the period ended 31 March 2026. The company delivered a record performance, driven by a successful institutional-first strategy, continued expansion through wholesale partnerships, and an increasingly diversified multi-asset business.CMC reported a 15% year-on-year increase in net operating income to £392.6 million. Statutory profit before tax rose by 20% to £101.3 million, representing the company's strongest operational performance since FY 2021, excluding the exceptional market conditions experienced during the Covid period.This momentum has prompted the board to issue FY 2027 net operating income guidance of between £460 million and £480 million, implying expected growth of at least 17% year-on-year. Rather than focusing solely on the headline figures, it is worth looking more closely at the structural themes highlighted in the CMC's recent presentation, which provide greater insight into the operational drivers behind these results.B2B and API DistributionThe main driver behind CMC's recent performance has been the rapid expansion of its business-to-business (B2B) operations. Over nearly four decades, the company has invested in building institutional-grade trading infrastructure, which it is now deploying through API connectivity to accelerate growth across multiple markets.The effectiveness of this strategy is evident in CMC's neobank API partnership, where account openings increased by 2,400% in less than a year. This model allows the company to expand into markets where it has little or no direct physical or marketing presence, with 70% of these new accounts originating from markets where CMC previously had no meaningful presence.The Capital Flywheel: Funding Retail GrowthImportantly, CMC is using the scale of its institutional business to support a renewed expansion of its retail operations. As stated in the broker’s presentation, the company is using revenue generated from its wholesale business to fund its direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategy.Rather than relying on expensive digital marketing campaigns to acquire retail clients, CMC has built a capital allocation strategy around four key operational pillars.Read the full analysis with all the data and insights on the FM Intelligence Portal. This article was written by Sylwester Majewski at www.financemagnates.com.

Bitcoin traded near $61,200 and Ethereum near $1,650 on Thursday, July 2, 2026, both recovering from multi-month lows one day after Citigroup cut its 12-month targets on the two largest cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin gained 2.17% on the session and Ethereum 2.42%, a relief bounce off this week's floor near the lowest levels since late 2024. Citi lowered its Bitcoin target to $82,000 from $112,000 and Ethereum to $2,240 from $3,175, citing record ETF outflows and stalled US crypto legislation. My Bitcoin and Ethereum price prediction stays bearish: the bounce is a retest from below, not a reversal.Follow me on X for real-time Bitcoin and Ethereum analysis: @ChmielDkWhy Are Bitcoin and Ethereum Falling? Citi Cuts Both TargetsCitigroup's downgrade landed on July 1, with the bank slashing its 12-month net ETF inflow assumption to zero from $10 billion. Bitcoin (BTC) ETF flows have turned negative, down about $3.3 billion so far in 2026, and Citi expects broader adoption to stall until a new catalyst arrives. The bank also flagged slow progress on US crypto legislation and the risk of selling by digital asset treasury companies. Its bear case values Bitcoin at $53,000 and Ethereum at $1,094 over the next year.Paul Howard, Senior Director at Wincent, called June's roughly $4 billion in US spot Bitcoin ETF outflows "part of a wider portfolio reallocation rather than a structural loss of confidence." Howard argued that investors rotated into higher-conviction bets, particularly high-profile IPOs and equities offering more immediate upside. Elevated rates and geopolitical uncertainty pushed institutions to trim exposure to higher-volatility assets, he added.The selloff has a clear structure:Citi's cut: 12-month Bitcoin target down to $82,000 from $112,000, Ethereum to $2,240 from $3,175ETF inflow assumption: reduced to zero from $10 billion, with 2026 flows already down $3.3 billionRecord redemptions: US spot Bitcoin ETFs shed roughly $4 billion in June, the largest monthly outflow on recordCapital rotation: allocators moved into the SpaceX IPO and AI equities, draining crypto liquidityStalled legislation: no progress on US digital asset market structure to anchor institutional allocationsBitcoin Technical Analysis: The $60,000 Trendline Holds, for NowMy chart shows Bitcoin bouncing 2.17% off the $59,900 shelf, defending both this week's low and the ascending trendline that has framed price since the February bottom. Wednesday's long candle rejected the move under $60,000 and closed back near $61,200, a bullish wick on the daily. That candle and the trendline confirm my Tuesday analysis rather than contradict it. The $60,000 zone is broken weekly support, and price is now retesting it from below.Two exponential moving averages cap the tape. The 50 EMA sits at $66,144 and the 200 EMA at $76,037, both above spot and both sloping down, the bearish stack that has defined Bitcoin since February. In 15 years reading daily charts, 10 of them at FinanceMagnates.com (my analyst page), a bounce into a falling 50 EMA is a sell candidate until price reclaims it.As my Tuesday analysis detailed, last week's weekly close below $60,000 flipped former support into resistance under the polarity principle and broke the ascending trendline drawn from December 2022 lows. My primary target stays at $44,100, the 100% Fibonacci extension of January's decline and a 25% drop from spot, a level I first mapped in my earlier $45,000 forecast. The first shelf below sits at $53,700, the summer 2024 low.A weekly reclaim of $60,000 and the 200 EMA near $76,000 is what invalidates the bear case.Ethereum Technical Analysis: Consolidating Below the $1,800 ShelfEthereum (ETH) added 2.42% to $1,648 on Thursday, but my chart shows price consolidating below the 2026 lows near $1,800, the shelf marked by the $1,761 level. The rebound has not changed the structure. Local support sits at $1,550, the floor set by the early June lows, and a daily close below it opens the path lower.The moving average grid is stacked against ETH. The 50 EMA runs at $1,809 and the 200 EMA at $2,275, both well above spot and both pointed down. Spot trades nearly 38% under the 200 EMA, a gap that measures how far the Ethereum downtrend has stretched. Ethereum sits roughly 66% below its August 2025 record, and until it reclaims the $1,809 average, every rally is a lower high in my framework.My two bearish targets still wait for a print. The first is $1,407, the April 2025 low I marked as Target 1. The second is the round $1,000 handle near the $1,074 November 2022 low, Target 2 on my chart. As my February Ethereum analysis mapped, the $1,760, $1,400, and $1,000 levels form the descending target stack, and my November forecast flagged the same $1,400 April zone as the medium-term destination.Maxime Seiler, CEO and Co-Founder at STS Digital, reads the weakness as flow-driven. He called June's drop "less macro and more a simple lack of fresh capital," pointing to the SpaceX IPO pulling allocation out of crypto entirely. Seiler sees institutions still deploying, only slower, with the AI narrative and the SpaceX listing offering cleaner return asymmetry than a range-bound market.How Low Can Bitcoin and Ethereum Go? Price PredictionsCiti's revised numbers sit above my chart targets but below consensus bull calls, and each reads differently against my levels. Citi's $82,000 Bitcoin base case assumes flat ETF flows, a level my structure reaches only on a weekly reclaim of $60,000 first, which has not happened. Its $53,000 bear case sits just above my $44,100 target, so on the downside my chart is more aggressive than Citi's. For Ethereum, Citi's $2,240 base case would need ETH to clear the $1,809 and $2,275 EMAs, a move the chart shows no sign of, while its $1,094 bear case aligns almost exactly with my $1,000 Target 2.The bull case leans on institutions stepping in lower. Paul Howard expects the $50,000 region to attract renewed institutional interest, a level that sits between my $53,700 shelf and my $44,100 target. Maxime Seiler sees the four-year cycle intact and argues capital returns once regulatory clarity and price momentum realign. Standard Chartered's prior $7,500 Ethereum target and Bernstein's $150,000 Bitcoin call remain the far bull markers, both requiring a macro turn neither chart confirms.FAQ, Bitcoin and Ethereum Price PredictionWhy did Citi cut its Bitcoin and Ethereum price targets?Citi lowered its 12-month Bitcoin target to $82,000 from $112,000 and Ethereum to $2,240 from $3,175 on July 1, 2026. The bank cut its expected net ETF inflows to zero from $10 billion, citing negative flows, weak investor appetite, and stalled US crypto legislation. Its bear case values Bitcoin at $53,000 and Ethereum at $1,094.How low can Bitcoin go in 2026?My chart targets $44,100, the 100% Fibonacci extension of January's decline and a 25% drop from the $61,200 spot price. The first support shelf sits at $53,700, the summer 2024 low. A weekly close reclaiming $60,000 and the 200 EMA near $76,000 would invalidate that bearish path and shift focus higher.How low can Ethereum go?My two bearish targets are $1,407, the April 2025 low, and the round $1,000 handle near the $1,074 November 2022 low. Ethereum trades below its 50 EMA at $1,809 and its 200 EMA at $2,275, with local support at $1,550. A daily close below $1,550 opens the path toward those targets.Are the Bitcoin ETF outflows a structural problem?Paul Howard of Wincent views June's roughly $4 billion in outflows as portfolio reallocation, not lost conviction, with capital rotating into IPOs and equities. Maxime Seiler of STS Digital ties the drop to a lack of fresh capital after the SpaceX IPO. Both expect flows to return once regulation and momentum realign.What would reverse the crypto selloff?A reversal needs three things: ETF outflows turning to sustained inflows, progress on US crypto market structure legislation, and a friendlier macro backdrop. On my charts, Bitcoin must reclaim $60,000 and the 200 EMA near $76,000, and Ethereum must clear its $1,809 50 EMA, before the bearish structure flips. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

If you run a brokerage, you already know that 2026 feels harder to manage than a few years ago. The client volumes are higher. The partner networks are bigger. The trading products are more diverse. The markets are moving faster. And the technology stack you are running, built up piece by piece over the years, was never really designed to handle all of this at once.Operations genuinely are more complex in 2026, and the gap between brokers who are managing that complexity well and those who are constantly firefighting has never been wider. The difference is rarely about team quality or commercial strategy. It is almost always about infrastructure.We will walk through five operational areas where complexity is showing most clearly right now. If any of them feel familiar from your own business, the final section of this article explains what brokers who have addressed them are doing differently.One: Risk Is Moving Faster Than Your Team Can RespondWhen gold moves three percent in an afternoon, or a geopolitical headline drops during an Asian session, your dealing team faces a specific problem. The risk event is already happening. The exposure is already building. And the process of identifying the risk, deciding what to do, logging into the trading infrastructure, and making the change takes time that the market is not going to wait for.Most brokers are still managing this manually. A team member sees the move, makes a call, and implements a response. That person might be excellent at their job. But manual processes have a speed ceiling, and in 2026 the markets are regularly moving faster than that ceiling allows.The practical cost shows up in several ways. Stop out clusters that formed before the desk could tighten margin. Exposure that concentrated beyond the NOP limit before anyone noticed. Leverage settings that applied uniformly to a client who had grown their position from 5 lots to 50 lots without any automatic adjustment to reflect the different risk they now represented to the book.Preconfiguring rules that execute automatically when defined conditions are met is not a luxury reserved for large brokers with dedicated technology teams. It is the operational baseline for any broker who wants to manage risk in today's markets without creating unsustainable pressure on the dealing desk.Two: Your IB Network Is Growing but Your Visibility Is NotIB networks are one of the most powerful growth channels available to a brokerage. When they work well, they drive consistent client acquisition, expand geographic reach, and generate trading volume at a cost that direct acquisition cannot match. When they scale beyond the infrastructure managing them, they become a source of operational friction that accumulates quietly until it becomes expensive.The pattern is familiar to most brokers who have been operating for more than a few years. The network grows. There are now 30, 40, 50 partners with different commission structures, different performance profiles, and different quality of client referral. The broker is managing all of it through a combination of spreadsheets, manual calculations, and periodic partner calls.The problems this creates are predictable. Commission errors that damage relationships with the partners who matter most. Overpayments to partners whose clients have low trading activity or leave quickly. No ability to see in real time which partners are sending high value, actively trading clients and which are inflating registration numbers with traffic that never converts or deposits meaningfully.The commercial consequence is significant. You are spending on partner relationships without reliable data on which ones are genuinely profitable. You are structuring incentives without visibility into which behaviours you are actually rewarding. Growing an IB network without growing the infrastructure to manage it is not a growth strategy. At some point the friction becomes expensive enough to limit what the network can actually deliver.Three: Copy Trading Is Harder to Manage Than It LooksCopy trading is a commercially attractive product. It drives platform engagement, creates a community dynamic, attracts clients who want market exposure without the burden of full active management, and generates consistent volume from follower accounts. Most brokers who offer it are glad they do. The operational challenge is that it is significantly harder to manage at scale than it is to set up.When a popular strategy provider takes a significant drawdown, every follower account experiences it simultaneously. For a broker with no real time visibility into follower concentration across strategies, this is not a risk that shows up gradually. It shows up as a simultaneous spike in withdrawal requests, margin events, and client service pressure that all arrive at the same moment, with no warning and no time to prepare a response.The broker who has real time visibility into which strategies are carrying concentrated follower exposure, and what instrument positions those strategies are holding, has options when a market reversal begins. The broker who has no visibility learns about the problem when the withdrawal requests arrive. By that point, the options are limited.Four: Bonus Campaigns Are Costing More Than You ThinkBonus campaigns are active again across the global markets. Used well, they attract genuine depositing traders who go on to trade actively for months. Used without precision, they attract a different kind of client entirely: one who deposits to claim the bonus, trades the minimum required to meet the withdrawal condition, and leaves.The cost of imprecise bonus management does not appear immediately. It builds across the weeks a campaign is running, accumulating quietly in the form of bonus liability that is not generating proportional spread revenue, until a month end finance review reveals that a significant portion of the campaign budget produced no meaningful trading activity. By that point, the campaign has already run. The adjustment, if it happens at all, applies to the next one.The information to catch these patterns early exists in your trading infrastructure. It just needs to be watched in real time against your campaign terms, which requires the campaign management layer and the trading data layer to be connected in a way that most brokerages have not yet built.Five: Disconnected Systems Are Creating Invisible CostsThe average forex or CFD broker in 2026 is running between five and seven separate operational systems. A trading environment on MT4 or MT5. A CRM that manages leads and onboarding. An IB and Affiliate portal that tracks partner activity. A risk dashboard. A bonus or campaign platform. A MAM or PAMM system for managed accounts. A copy trading environment. Each was chosen for a reason. Each works for the purpose it was built for.What does not work is the space between them. When your CRM does not connect to your trading activity, your retention team is making decisions with incomplete information. When your IB commission data sits in a portal that does not connect to your finance system, reconciliation requires manual work that takes time and introduces errors. When your risk data is in a dashboard that updates on a delay because it pulls from a separate system, your desk is always one step behind the market.None of these individual gaps is catastrophic on its own. Together, they represent a consistent drain on operational capacity that accumulates across every working day, in every team, across every client interaction. The cost is real. It just rarely appears as a single line item.What Brokers Who Are Managing This Well Are Doing DifferentlyThe brokers who are managing these five pressure points most effectively in 2026 are not necessarily larger or better resourced than those who are struggling with them. They have made a deliberate decision to invest in connected operational infrastructure that addresses these challenges systematically rather than managing each one individually as it surfaces.That investment is not about replacing everything that already works. It is about connecting the functions that currently operate in isolation, automating the processes that should not require human intervention, and building the visibility layer that gives every part of the business the information it needs to make good decisions without manual effort.PLUGIT works with forex and CFD brokers to understand their specific operational setup and identify the gaps that are limiting performance. If any of the five areas above resonated with what you are experiencing in your own business, we would like to have that conversation. The starting point is simple, tell us what your biggest operational challenge is right now, and we will show you what addressing it looks like in practice.? Speak with a PLUGIT specialist.www.plugitapps.com? sales@plugitapps.com? +35725025026 This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Binance is set to enter the Philippine market through a regulatory sandbox after the country's Securities and Exchange Commission granted final approval to BlockShoals Technologies Inc. to begin testing crypto-related financial products and services.Binance's return follows regulatory action in the Philippines in 2024, when the Securities and Exchange Commission said the exchange was operating without the required licenses and requested that local authorities restrict access to its platform.Binance Enters Philippines Through SEC SandboxThe development became public after Binance Co-founder and Chief Customer Service Officer Yi He said in a post on X that the exchange had officially entered the Philippine market. An accompanying SEC document showed that BlockShoals had received final approval to begin testing under the Commission's Strategic Regulatory Sandbox framework.According to the SEC, the approval was granted after BlockShoals completed all remaining regulatory requirements. The company had previously received initial clearance for its Stratbox application last year.Under the approved framework, BlockShoals will operate under a crypto-asset intermediary model. The arrangement will allow users in the Philippines to access selected products and services through its global crypto-asset service provider partner, Binance.Binance officially enters the Philippines.币安正式进入菲律宾。 pic.twitter.com/TVd1k0qVQN— Yi He (@heyibinance) July 2, 2026Onboarding Follows BlockShoals Systems IntegrationThe SEC said the first phase of the project will involve a 90-day systems integration between BlockShoals and its local virtual-asset service provider partner.Once the integration is completed, BlockShoals will move to the next stage of its approved testing plan. This includes onboarding users through its global CASP partner, Binance, while complying with the safeguards and regulatory oversight required by the SEC.The Stratbox framework is the SEC's regulatory sandbox program, which allows companies to test new financial products and services under the Commission's supervision before any broader rollout. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

ATFX Connect released its Q3 2026 edition of Institutional Edge, examining key market developments expected to influence institutional trading activity in the months ahead. This edition focuses on the growing impact of geopolitical developments on market sentiment and cross-asset performance, with particular attention given to the energy sector and its broader macroeconomic implications.As geopolitical uncertainty continues to influence global markets, energy prices, inflation expectations, and capital flows remain closely interconnected. The Q3 edition explores how these dynamics may affect market behaviour and risk conditions across different asset classes.What Institutional Investors Can Gain from This EditionThe Q3 2026 Institutional Edge provides clients with:Scenario-based analysis of potential oil market outcomes under different geopolitical developmentsInsights into the key factors influencing oil prices, including supply conditions, inventory trends, and macroeconomic driversCross-asset perspectives on how energy market developments may affect FX, equities, commodities, and market sentimentAnalysis of key themes expected to shape Q3 market conditions, including monetary policy, supply dynamics, and geopolitical developmentsWei Qiang Zhang, Managing Director of ATFX Connect Global, commented:“As we enter the third quarter of 2026, global markets are once again being shaped by heightened geopolitical uncertainty, particularly within the energy sector. Ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran have placed oil markets at the forefront of investor attention, with the Strait of Hormuz remaining a critical pressure point for global supply. In this environment, volatility has become the norm rather than the exception, as prices reflect not only physical supply constraints but also an evolving geopolitical risk premium.”Institutional Edge Q3 2026 is now available to institutional and professional investors via the ATFX Connect website. About ATFX ConnectATFX Connect is a trading name of AT Global Markets (UK) Limited (authorised and regulated by the FCA), AT Global Markets (Australia) Pty Limited (authorised and regulated by ASIC), and AT Global Financial Services (HK) Limited (authorised and regulated by the SFC). Connect is the Institutional arm of the wider ATFX Group.ATFX Connect offersInstitutional and Professional traders an extensive range of services for both Agency PB and Margin accounts, provides bespoke aggregated liquidity in Spot FX, NDFs, indices, Commodities and Precious metals to a wide range of institutional clients from hedge funds, Tier 1 and regional banks, high net worth investors, asset managers, family offices and other brokers. ATFX Connect's liquidity pool is constructed from Tier 1 banks and non-bank providers that it has partnered with, trading in both sweepable and full amount forms. Agency PB Clients can connect via direct FIX API, external technology solutions or via our own trading platform. For margin clients, ATFX Connect provides market access via the group's MT4/MT5 platform and provides a bridge solution for those who wish to connect via FIX API.For further information on ATFX Connect, please visit ATFX Connect website https://www.atfxconnect.com. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Africa's trading market continues to attract new participants as fintech adoption rises and access to financial services improves across the continent.At the Finance Magnates Africa Summit 2026, Adam Button sat down with Kabelo Mathapo, Business Development Manager at Vantage Markets South Africa, to discuss what is driving this growth, how trader expectations are changing, and where he believes the industry is heading next.Why Is Trading Growing So Quickly in Africa?Interest in trading has increased significantly over the past few years, supported by growing awareness of financial markets and easier access through digital platforms.According to Mathapo, the growth extends beyond trading alone."In the last year or two, I've seen such significant growth in the trading space. We've seen how big the fintech space is growing as well."He explained that as more people enter the market, brokers must be ready to support traders at every stage of their journey. Vantage has focused heavily on education, offering resources for beginners, intermediate traders, and experienced market participants alike.What Do Traders Want From a Broker?With more brokers competing for attention, trust remains one of the most important factors when traders decide where to open an account.Mathapo believes traders are looking for reliability, transparency, and long-term stability."You want a broker that's reliable, a broker that's going to secure your money, and a broker that's going to be there for the long term."He added that traders want clear information from the start, including spreads, commissions, available products, and withdrawal processes. Regulation also plays an important role, particularly in South Africa, where traders are increasingly looking for licensed and well-established firms.How Is Technology Improving the Trading Experience?Mobile trading and fintech have become closely connected, giving traders faster, easier access to markets.Mathapo highlighted Vantage's focus on technology, including its mobile trading app, TradingView integration, and web-based trading platform.The company has worked to give traders flexibility, whether they prefer traditional platforms or newer solutions that combine analysis and execution in one place.Why Are Local Payments Important?One of the areas where Africa continues to stand out is payments innovation.Rather than relying only on international payment methods, Vantage has integrated local banking options used by South African traders.The company has also introduced its V Card, allowing traders to access and spend funds directly from their trading accounts.According to Mathapo, local solutions help create a smoother experience and remove friction from the trading process.How Does Vantage Build Trust With Clients?Trust is not built overnight, and Mathapo credits Vantage's growth to listening closely to its clients."We value the feedback we get from our clients. When clients tell us there's a gap in the market, we take that feedback seriously and create solutions that work for them."He also emphasised the importance of meeting traders face-to-face through events and educational initiatives.While much of the industry operates online, personal interaction helps strengthen relationships and gives clients confidence that there are real people behind the brand.What Is the Future of Trading in Africa?Looking ahead, Mathapo sees a future where access to financial markets becomes easier and more connected across borders."I'd like to see trading become a seamless integration for everybody in the world, where people can access financial markets without barriers."He believes technology will continue to remove obstacles and create new opportunities for traders regardless of location.Crypto is also expected to remain an important area of growth. Mathapo pointed to increasing interest in digital assets and suggested that asset-backed cryptocurrencies, particularly those linked to commodities such as gold, could play a larger role in the future. See how trading with Vantage works Watch the Full InterviewHow are fintech and trading becoming more connected in Africa?Why are local payment solutions helping brokers win client trust?And what does the future hold for crypto, digital finance, and retail trading across the continent?Watch the full interview with Kabelo Mathapo to hear his insights on the opportunities shaping Africa's next generation of traders. This article was written by Finance Magnates Staff at www.financemagnates.com.