Almost every week, one or two contracts for differences (CFD) brokers obtain a Dubai licence. Although there are two entry routes, brokers are largely taking the easier and cheaper one. But is it only the first step or a base for broader operations?Most brokers, large and small, are choosing the Category 5 licence from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA), which was recently renamed from the Securities & Commodities Authority (SCA). However, a handful are seeking the Category 1 licence, which allows them to operate as a full local broker.Are you attending iFX Expo Dubai? Do not miss the first-ever Trading Festival.Low Entry Point, but Serves the PurposeThe popularity of the CMA’s Category 5 licence is clear. XM, Exinity, VT Markets, Eightcap, EC Markets, Pepperstone, Taurex, and many others have secured it. This licence is similar to an introducing broker licence in some other parts of the world.Demand for this licence has increased sharply in recent years as the Dubai regulator refined its rulebook and licensing framework, clarified activity categories, and adjusted requirements.Under the Category 5 licence, brokers can market CFDs, onboard clients in a regulated way, and, in some cases, offer limited advisory or arrangement services. However, they cannot execute trades or hold client money locally.All these brokers maintain another licensed entity offshore, which onboards UAE-based traders and executes trades.“For many CFD brokers, that structure is ideal. It delivers regulatory credibility and an onshore presence in the UAE without forcing them to rebuild their entire brokerage stack locally,” said Remonda Kirketerp-Møller, Muinmos’ CEO.Indeed, building a complete brokerage infrastructure in Dubai is resource-intensive. According to Nikolas Xenofontos, Managing Director at SALVUS Funds, the Category 1 licence requires at least AED 30 million in capital, while the requirement for Category 5 is only AED 500,000.Some Brokers Are Willing to Pay the Price for Full AccessCategory 1 licensees are also required to establish a heavier operating staff and office footprint, including more senior control functions and stronger operational infrastructure.“Those two points alone deter many groups unless they are committed to running a full-onshore brokerage,” Xenofontos stressed.With Category 5, brokers are not required to build local dealing desks, trading surveillance functions, or client money infrastructure. Staffing requirements are lighter, systems are simpler, and outsourcing arrangements are easier to manage.However, some brokers are willing to bear that cost. Plus500, XTB, Deriv, and RoboMarkets are among the well-known firms that have secured Category 1 licences. There are also newer Dubai-based entrants that have chosen the full brokerage route.Kirketerp-Møller said the Dubai regulator’s clarity around local rules helped “international firms understand where Category 5 sits and how it can be used”, while the Category 1 licence remains demanding.Due to the capital-heavy requirements of the full brokerage licence, international brokers usually obtain it only after establishing a strong presence in the UAE market. “Category 5, therefore, becomes the natural first step, rather than an alternative to Category 1, at least to test the market,” she added.Brokers that obtain a Category 5 licence do not rule out applying for a Category 1 licence later. Cyprus-headquartered XM, which obtained a Category 5 licence last year, told FinanceMagnates.com that the Category 5 licence aligns better with its business model, while keeping the option open to apply for a Category 1 licence in the future.Read more: Dubai’s FX Sales Heads Bank Big—Twice the Pay of Cyprus RolesThe Faster Way to Establish a PresenceAnother factor in favour of the Category 5 licence is the timeline for receiving approval.“Category 5 timelines can be shorter in practice because the operating model is narrower,” said Xenofontos. “That said, timelines still depend on ownership structure and profiles, as well as how quickly the firm can finalise its staffing, policies, governance, and supporting documents.”Demand for a UAE licence increased after traders from the country and the wider region proved very lucrative for CFD brokers. While detailed local data are limited, several brokers have highlighted rising demand in the region.Capital.com reported that 52 per cent of its H1 2025 trading volume came from the Middle East, compared with 15 per cent from Europe. The broker had 35,000 MENA traders compared with 61,400 in Europe. In addition, 71.7 per cent of Capital.com’s $804.1 billion trading volume in MENA was generated by UAE-based traders.Read more: Capital.com Seeks Japan LicenceCFI Financial, another Middle East-focused CFD broker, handled a record $2.07 trillion in trading volume during the fourth quarter of 2025. By comparison, the broker’s total trading volume for the whole of 2024 was $2.79 trillion.The influx of brokers into Dubai shows that many want a share of this growing market, and the CMA’s Category 5 licence appears to be the most efficient way to achieve that.“Category 5 works extremely well for introducing broker, white-label, and B2B distribution models. The UAE-licensed entity focuses on regulated marketing, client relationships, and introductions, while execution, liquidity, and platform risk sit with another regulated broker,” said Kirketerp-Møller.“This structure allows firms to keep strong control over risk and operations at the group level, while still operating under local supervision in the UAE. It also avoids many retail-facing obligations that come with being the executing broker locally. For global CFD groups, this is not a workaround but an efficient operating model.”Brokers Must Not Go Beyond the Red LinesThe main limitation of the Category 5 licence is its scope.As firms cannot execute trades locally or hold client funds, their revenue depends on the performance and stability of the executing entity elsewhere in the group.“Category 5 is not a replacement for a full onshore brokerage permission, so firms must be disciplined in what the UAE entity does and how it presents itself to clients,” Xenofontos said. “The most common risk is scope creep, where marketing and introductions begin to resemble brokerage activity, or where client communications create the impression that the UAE entity is the broker.”Kirketerp-Møller also noted that “there is a strong regulatory focus on conduct and marketing standards, as promotions, disclosures, and client targeting are closely reviewed, and regulators are paying more attention to digital marketing practices.”Despite these limits, the benefits of Category 5 licences outweigh their drawbacks. The pace at which brokers are choosing this route shows that a regulated presence in Dubai is becoming very important.“Many brokers now see the UAE as a regional distribution and relationship hub, rather than a place where all execution and balance-sheet risk must sit,” Kirketerp-Møller continued. “Category 5 supports that approach by allowing a regulated local presence without forcing structural changes to the group’s core brokerage entities. In that sense, Category 5 supports global expansion plans more effectively than Category 1 for most international firms.” This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

BridgeWise has appointed Thomas Kareklas as Director for CFD Brokers, as the investment intelligence provider looks to expand its presence in the CFD brokerage market. Kareklas previously served as Chief Sales Officer at TeamForce Technologies and worked with forex brokers and trading firms. His background covers CRM systems and trading-related automation tools. The appointment comes as CFD brokers increasingly explore AI-driven analytics and decision-support tools to improve client engagement and retention, amid pressure on margins and rising competition across the sector. Technology providers are responding by adapting products originally built for long-term investing to shorter-term, leveraged trading models.Focus on AI Tools for CFD Brokers Alongside the appointment, BridgeWise has updated its AI platform, Bridget, to support CFD brokers. The tool now responds to investment and trading-related queries, offering brokers more relevant insights and faster client support, and can be customised to fit broker-specific workflows, according to the company. BridgeWise co-founder Dor Eligula said the platform is currently being tested with around 300,000 traders as part of pilot programmes. Industry Events and Market Positioning Kareklas will represent BridgeWise at iFXExpo Dubai, where the company will showcase its products to brokers and trading firms. Founded in 2019, BridgeWise initially focused on AI-driven equity and fund analysis. Its recent moves signal a broader push to adapt its technology for the needs of CFD brokers as demand for data-driven trading support continues to grow. This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.

Finance Magnates London Summit 2025 (FMLS:25) returned to London with its usual mix of big-brand visibility, industry debate, and product positioning especially around how brokers can genuinely differentiate in a crowded market.On day two, Finance Magnates sat down with Hannah Hill, Head of Brand and Sponsorship at Axi, to discuss what sits behind the firm’s latest recognition: Global Most Innovative Broker 2025 at the Finance Magnates Awards.Innovation as a multi-year build, not a one-off launchHill framed the award as the result of sustained investment rather than a single feature release pointing to the last two years as a period where Axi doubled down on technology build-out and product development.“Innovation and development of technology is really key.”That matters because brokers often compete with similar market access, comparable platform stacks, and near-identical pricing narratives. In that environment, Hill’s message was straightforward: visibility is important, but the product has to give clients a reason to care.Why Axi Select became the standout storyAsked what contributed most to the award, Hill pointed to Axi Select, Axi’s capital allocation program, as a central driver of differentiation.“It’s kind of an industry-first product.”Axi positions Axi Select as a funded trader/capital allocation pathway that can scale up to $1,000,000 in capital funding, with the ability for traders to earn up to 90% of profits, and with no registration or monthly fees (standard trading fees still apply).In practice, that “capital allocation” angle gives the brand a clearer innovation narrative than generic “better spreads” or “faster execution” claims because it’s a distinct value proposition that can be communicated consistently across content, PR, and performance marketing.Copy trading momentum and an app rollout to support distributionHill also pointed to broader platform efforts supporting Axi’s product direction, including:a continued push around its copy trading proposition (as positioned in the interview), andthe Axi Trading Platform/app, which Axi has been rolling out across markets.Axi’s own product materials position the Axi Trading Platform around broad market coverage (e.g., “490+ products” including CFDs across multiple asset classes), while its support documentation also highlights that availability is country-dependent.The key point for an interview-led article like this is not listing every feature, but connecting product distribution (apps and rollout) to the innovation narrative: strong products don’t win if clients can’t access them easily in the markets that matter.The award as an internal growth lever, not just external PROne of Hill’s more grounded points was about what awards do inside a brokerage. She noted that product and technology teams often sit behind the scenes less visible than sales or marketing so recognition can work as a motivating signal.“It’s really encouraging to the teams that are behind the builds.”That theme plays well in an executive interview recap because it connects brand outcomes (awareness, trust, differentiation) with the internal capability needed to sustain them: roadmap discipline, engineering delivery, and a culture that’s measured on what ships.Branding in a more competitive brokerage marketHill also confirmed that Axi has been actively reviewing how the brand evolves alongside its technology progress especially as more brokers in the space refresh their positioning.Her framing was pragmatic: the category has stronger competition now, and brand identity can’t lag behind product reality. In other words, if the offering becomes more sophisticated (and more differentiated), the brand story needs to become clearer, sharper, and more consistent across channels.How Axi is using Axi Select in its marketing engineHill described Axi Select as a core part of Axi’s marketing approach showing up heavily in content, social, and PR. That’s a textbook “FM-style” thought-leadership angle: one flagship initiative becomes the anchor that ties product innovation to brand visibility, rather than scattering attention across too many platform claims.And in a market where many firms feel interchangeable, a single “hero” product makes it easier to execute:clearer campaign messaging,more consistent editorial themes, andstronger recall at industry events.Watch the full executive interview This article was written by Finance Magnates Staff at www.financemagnates.com.

CFD brokers leaning on automated compliance systems just got a wake-up call from the UK regulator. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) forced one of the firms under review to freeze all operations and return customer funds after discovering that its screening tools failed to detect basic red flags that manual checks would have revealed within minutes.In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence and automation, the case shows that this may not always be the right direction for compliance in the financial services sector.BeAccount Case Study That analysis is based on a supervisory notice published by the FCA in the middle of last month against BeAccount Ltd. While the company operates in the payments sector, compliance requirements in the UK remain broadly similar across all regulated firms, including CFD brokers, particularly with regard to anti-money laundering (AML) and related obligations.According to the FCA’s findings BeAccount's automated systems onboarded a client whose beneficial owner had been fined over $11 million by the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission for his role at Banc de Binary, the binary options operation that defrauded retail traders. The software only flagged criminal convictions, not civil enforcement actions, so the compliance team never saw the multimillion-dollar fine or the permanent trading ban.Staff took the beneficial owner's word that his involvement was "administrative only" without questioning why regulators had imposed such massive penalties. Under BeAccount's own risk assessment rules, the regulatory sanctions should have automatically blocked onboarding. But nobody applied those rules because the system didn't flag anything."There is an overreliance on automated screening, notably for scanning adverse media. There is no evidence of the firm undertaking manual open-source checks in any of the files," the FCA wrote in its December 17 supervisory notice.When Software Says "Data Not Verified"BeAccount's screening software produced incomplete reports for some of the customers, displaying messages that stated "data is not received/verified." The compliance team, however, never followed up. They just onboarded the clients anyway.The tools also missed geographic red flags in at least 10 cases. Screening reports showed customers completing forms in different countries from where they claimed to live. Nobody at the firm asked about these mismatches.FCA staff ran simple Companies House searches on the same clients and immediately found beneficial owners with multiple failed companies, address inconsistencies between government registers and company websites, and undisclosed business relationships. One beneficial owner was connected to 35 other companies, including eight active ones, but BeAccount's systems flagged nothing.The firm's money laundering reporting officer approved high-risk clients with minimal review. Most approvals consisted of a single word - "approved" - with no explanation. Some approvals came within minutes of receiving thick onboarding packages.Cyprus: Seven Out of NineSeven of the nine client files the FCA reviewed had Cyprus connections. BeAccount's risk assessment rated Cyprus as low risk in every case, even though the UK National Risk Assessment 2025 specifically identifies Cyprus as a jurisdiction "frequently part of complex, multi-jurisdictional corporate structures" linked to fraud and corruption.One customer operated a real estate business in Cyprus. The 2019 Financial Action Task Force mutual evaluation report on Cyprus highlighted specific weaknesses in how the country addresses money laundering risks in real estate. BeAccount's files contained no evidence anyone considered this sector-specific risk.Karoline Merino, a compliance analyst at Indigo FX who previously worked in tech, highlighted the case as evidence that "paper compliance is no longer enough.""This is a particularly useful read for first line of defense teams, including onboarding, KYC, and customer risk analysts. It clearly shows how frontline decision-making plays a critical role in ensuring controls operate effectively in day-to-day activity," Merino wrote on LinkedIn following the FCA's notice.Immediate ShutdownThe FCA didn't gradually restrict BeAccount's operations. The regulator imposed immediate requirements prohibiting the firm from onboarding new customers, accepting new funds, or conducting any electronic money or payment services without written permission.BeAccount must return all customer funds "as soon as practicable" and notify every customer by December 24, 2025. The firm must also preserve all records in their original form at a UK location for potential regulatory review.The FCA concluded BeAccount could no longer meet its authorization conditions because it lacked "operational effectiveness and adequacy required to be able to identify, manage, monitor and report the risk of its business being used to facilitate financial crime."What This Means for Trading FirmsCFD brokers using automated compliance systems should audit how their tools handle incomplete data, beneficial owners with enforcement histories, and customers with complex corporate structures across multiple jurisdictions.Merino pointed to the automated screening overreliance as particularly concerning. "Having previously worked in a tech firm, specifically in AI, and now working in compliance, I've seen first-hand that AI should make processes more seamless and efficient but giving it full control? I'm not convinced we're there yet."The case makes clear that automated screening works as a first filter, not a complete solution. Civil enforcement actions carry the same weight as criminal convictions when assessing fitness. Geographic risk assessments need regular updates based on current regulatory guidance, not static country lists.BeAccount's automated systems weren't obviously broken. They processed data, generated reports, and scored risks according to their programming. They just couldn't replace human judgment about whether those scores made sense given the full context of each customer relationship.For an industry where regulators increasingly scrutinize how firms prevent their platforms from facilitating fraud or money laundering, that distinction may matter more than compliance teams might want to admit."AI is a powerful tool, but it's not a substitute for human judgment, accountability, and effective oversight,” Merino concluded. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Are you confused about choosing between Eightcap and eToro as your broker? Then you have a third option — eighttoro — which, of course, is a fraudulent platform with no association with legitimate brands.Two Brokers, One CloneThe Cyprus financial market watchdog has issued a warning against eighttoro, flagging it for not being authorised by the regulator. The warning also named four other platforms.The eighttoro name draws attention as it appears to be a combination of Eightcap and eToro, two legitimate brokers. Its logo also resembles eToro’s logo. The scammers may be attempting to benefit from the popularity of these legitimate platforms.Although it appears that the hosting service provider has blocked the fraudulent website, its archived version was in Russian, indicating that it targeted Russian speakers.The archived version of eighttoro shows that it claimed to offer access to more than 7,000 assets across forex, stocks, cryptocurrencies and other asset classes.It also claimed to have 350,000 users globally, which is higher than many established brands.[#highlighted-links#] The Scam IndustryThe impersonation of brokerage brands has now reached an industrial scale. According to a 2023–2024 report by Akamai, more than 36 per cent of all traffic to typosquatted domains targets financial institutions, making finance the most abused sector online.The CEO of Pepperstone, Tamas Szabo, also recently stated that his broker is taking down scam websites and fake social media accounts impersonating the firm almost every day.Brokers are not alone. Regulators, including CySEC, are repeatedly issuing warnings about the widespread impersonation of their websites, social media accounts and even staff members.In an interview, CySEC Chair Dr George Theocharides admitted that scammers will always be one step ahead of regulators, despite warnings and enforcement efforts.“Our responsibility is to make it as difficult as possible for them to do so,” he said, referring to the scale of financial scams. “But will the problem ever completely disappear? No, it won’t. There will always be sophisticated scammers and fraudsters who find ways to exploit the system.” This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

Decentralised exchanges are no longer trying to reinvent trading from scratch. Instead, they are increasingly borrowing from the world's oldest and most liquid market: foreign exchange.As on-chain liquidity grows and attracts larger, more time-sensitive flows, DEXs are discovering that the real challenge is reliability, not innovation. Decentralised finance has long experimented with foreign-exchange–style trading, mainly at the margins. Automated market makers (AMMs) such as Curve Finance, Uniswap, and Balancer have all optimised pools for low-volatility pairs, particularly stablecoin-to-stablecoin trades. What on-chain markets have struggled to deliver is FX-grade behaviour: tight spreads at scale, continuous liquidity during stress, and the ability to absorb large notional amounts without breaking market structure.Why FX Has Been Hard to Replicate On-ChainTraditional FX markets are built around depth, resilience, and constant two-way pricing. On-chain AMMs have struggled to match this for several reasons. Many designs work only for stablecoins. They become inefficient as trade size increases or rely on external oracles and off-chain pricing, reintroducing the intermediaries DeFi aimed to avoid. As a result, meaningful FX and low-volatility trading has largely remained the domain of centralised exchanges and OTC desks. For brokers and trading firms, AMMs have rarely been a serious alternative for large or time-sensitive FX-style flows.How DEXs Are Trying to Mimic FX Market Structure Recent design efforts suggest a shift in ambition. Rather than adapting crypto-native AMMs to low-volatility pairs, some protocols are explicitly targeting FX-style market behaviour. Curve’s FXSwap is one such implementation. It is designed specifically for low-volatility and FX-referenced pairs, including crypto-to-fiat benchmarks such as BTC/USD and ETH/USD, as well as non-USD stablecoins. The system is live, with BTC–crvUSD and ETH–crvUSD pools deployed, alongside pilot pools referencing currencies such as CHF, BRZ, and IDR.FX is finally coming to Curve.The first pilot CHF<->USD liquidity pool is live on Ethereum, powered by $ZCHF from @frankencoinzchf and crvUSD, alongside some juicy CRV emissions (up to 100% APR currently).Built on FXSwap, Curve's newest algorithm engineered for extremely…— Curve Finance (@CurveFinance) December 4, 2025A core feature is what Curve calls “refuels.” These are external liquidity injections meant to keep liquidity dense around the prevailing market price. The goal is to prevent liquidity from evaporating when volatility rises. Unlike some concentrated liquidity models, FXSwap avoids forced rebalancing if it would result in a loss. Instead, it spreads unavoidable rebalancing costs over time. In practice, this approach aims to preserve execution quality for larger trades without shifting all the risk onto liquidity providers or relying on off-chain intervention. Early Data: Behaviour Under Stress One of the few live attempts to test FX-style liquidity on-chain comes from Curve’s FXSwap. According to an independent analysis by Pangea Research, FXSwap routes delivered up to around 2% better pricing than Uniswap V3 for $10 million BTC/USD-sized swaps in about 80% of observed blocks.https://t.co/Dylc7iLXjl— Pangea (@in_pangea) January 9, 2026The effect was most notable during volatile periods. More important than headline slippage figures was how the pools behaved under stress. During a sharp BTC sell-off in November 2025, FXSwap pools continued to execute large trades. Price impact normalised relatively quickly rather than remaining dislocated. From an FX perspective, that kind of resilience is a baseline expectation, not a bonus feature. Why FX Behaviour Matters for DEX Adoption FXSwap does not eliminate the structural differences between crypto and FX markets. Liquidity remains thinner than in traditional venues, and participation from issuers and professional market makers is still essential. But the design reflects a broader shift in how DEX liquidity is being approached. For on-chain markets to be relevant for brokers, trading desks, or treasury-style use cases, they must behave less like speculative pools and more like FX venues — resilient, two-sided, and functional under pressure. Whether FX-style AMMs can sustain that behaviour at scale remains an open question. But the direction is clear. DeFi’s FX experiments are moving beyond proofs of concept and toward answering fundamental questions with market structure rather than marketing. This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.

FPFX Tech, a provider of proprietary trading technology and infrastructure, has acquired BR Management Group LLC, the parent company of BullRush Entertainment. BullRush operates a gamified trading platform that focuses on competitions, skill-based challenges, and user engagement. Earlier, in an interview with Finance Magnates, CEO Trent Hoerr said, “The entire business model is paid for entry competitions. We are not trying to sell another product. This is the product.”Last year, FPFX Technologies partnered with Acuity Trading to add the Acuity Research Terminal to its platform and PropAccount.com. The integration is available in Southeast Asia, the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. The announcement followed the opening of FPFX Tech’s new office in Limassol, Cyprus, registered as FPFX Tech CY Ltd, which supports European clients expanding into prop trading. The company also provides automation and risk management tools for its operations.Prop Firms Gain BullRush Gamification ToolsUnder the acquisition, BullRush’s technology will be incorporated into FPFX Tech’s prop trading platform. This includes its gamification engine, simulated competition environments, leaderboards, and analytics tools. The combined platform is intended to give prop firms improved trader acquisition, retention, and training capabilities.Justin Hertzberg, CEO of FPFX Tech, said BullRush has "developed the most compelling gamified trading ecosystems in the market." He added that the incorporation will deliver "competition-driven experiences that help prop firms stand out, scale faster, and build stronger trader communities."BullRush Continues Operations During IntegrationFPFX Tech said BullRush’s capabilities will allow partners to run customizable competitions and onboarding challenges alongside traditional evaluation and funded account models. You may find it interesting: Prop Firms Might Take 6 Months to Break Even in the US, but Can Do It in India in 1 Month.The platform will also provide analytics on trader behavior, performance, and progression.BullRush will continue operations during the integration. FPFX Tech said further product updates are expected in the coming months. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

By Richard Forss, Chief Technology Officer, EXANTEFor professional traders, market analysis hasn’t become harder because of a lack of tools — it’s become harder because those tools don’t talk to each other.Stocks are analysed in one place. ETFs in another. Bonds somewhere else entirely. Each asset class comes with its own workflows, metrics, and interfaces, forcing traders to mentally stitch together a picture the technology should be presenting as a whole.After 15 years of building trading infrastructure at EXANTE, one thing has become clear to us: fragmentation is no longer a data problem. It’s a design problem.That’s why we built Omni Screener.When Market Choice Turns Into FrictionToday’s markets offer unprecedented breadth. That should be an advantage — but too often, it becomes friction.Professional investors don’t think in silos. They compare opportunities across asset classes, weigh relative value, assess risk-adjusted return, and move capital dynamically. Yet most screeners are still built with narrow assumptions: one instrument type, one lens, one way of thinking.Omni Screener was designed to remove that constraint.It brings stocks, ETFs, and bonds into a single analytical environment — allowing traders to compare, filter, and evaluate instruments without breaking context or workflow. Crucially, it does this without flattening meaningful differences between asset classes.Market cap and P/E ratios where they belong. Coupon rates and yield metrics where they matter. Filters that adapt intelligently to the instrument, rather than forcing traders into generic frameworks.This isn’t about more data. It’s about relevant data, surfaced with intent.Built for How Professionals Actually WorkThere’s a tendency in fintech to equate innovation with visual complexity. In reality, experienced traders value clarity, speed, and control.Omni Screener reflects that philosophy. Traders can use predefined views for rapid scanning, or build fully custom dashboards focused on their specific strategies. Personalised screeners can be saved and reused, turning repeat analysis into a streamlined, efficient process.The goal wasn’t to reinvent market analysis — it was to make it usable again at professional scale.Because EXANTE owns and continuously develops its proprietary platform, we can respond directly to how clients use our tools in practice. Omni Screener is the result of that feedback loop: a product shaped by real workflows, not hypothetical personas.A Tool Shaped by TimeAs EXANTE marks its 15-year anniversary this year, Omni Screener represents something more than a feature release. It’s the outcome of years spent observing where traders lose time, where tools fall short, and where unnecessary complexity creeps in.From the beginning, our focus has been on building institutional-grade infrastructure that scales — across markets, instruments, and trading styles. Every new module is designed to deepen that foundation, not distract from it.Omni Screener sits alongside tools like EXANTE Pulse as part of a broader evolution toward integrated, intelligent analysis — where automation enhances decision-making without obscuring judgement.Additional asset classes and capabilities are already planned, but the direction remains the same: fewer silos, clearer signals, better outcomes.Quiet Engineering Still MattersIn an industry that often chases novelty, we’ve learned that longevity comes from restraint.The platforms that endure aren’t the ones adding the most features — they’re the ones solving the right problems, consistently, over time.Omni Screener is our response to one of the most persistent problems in modern trading: fragmented market analysis. It’s not designed to impress. It’s designed to work.Fifteen years in, that’s still how we build at EXANTE — not for headlines, but for professionals.About RichardRichard Forss is the CTO of EXANTE, where he leads the evolution of the firm’s cutting-edge proprietary trading platform. With 30+ years in fintech, Richard has built tech for hedge funds, crypto brokerages, asset managers, and global banks — including leadership roles at Crypto Finance (Deutsche Börse Group), Covario AG, Argentière Capital, Deutsche Bank, and UBS.Based in Switzerland, he’s a strategic technologist with deep expertise in trading infrastructure, crypto, and AI. Richard is shaping the future of financial technology — and is a sought-after voice on innovation in capital markets. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

This February, something new is coming to Dubai. The Trading Festival, an event powered by iFX EXPO, will make its debut in the heart of the burgeoning emirate and key fintech hub. Running alongside and under the same roof with iFX EXPO Dubai 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (Za’abeel, Halls 5 & 6), it is one of the few fully B2C events in the industry. Happening between 11 and 12 February, The Trading Festival promises two exclusive days of live trading, prop challenges created ‘by the book’, practical workshops, networking, a well-curated exhibition, and a training bootcamp. With 10,000+ global active traders and reputed institutional players in attendance, it is a focal point for retail traders, market analysts, introducing brokers (IBs), and other individual market participants seeking direct access to suitable brokers and prop firms, as well as education. A new stage is being setFor far too long retail traders have been pushed to the backstage of FX events. The Trading Festival recalibrates the rapport between traders, IBs, and providers. For the first time, they gain direct access to leading names in the online trading sector, with opportunities to compare platforms, test execution speeds, and evaluate tools in live market conditions. Traders can expect to see prominent FX names on the booth fronts, including Exness, Pepperstone, Capital.com, Vantage, IC Markets Global, and others. Following the UAE debut, The Trading Festival will expand to Colombia, Morocco, and Mexico, where retail trading activity continues to grow consistently. What’s in it for tradersThe two-and-a-half-day agenda is more than enticing, offering traders the perfect opportunity to swing between the different stages and make educated choices when selecting a broker or prop firm to trade with.Some of the event highlights include:The Expo - a live comparison platform for traders and IBs to navigate and test different brokerage and prop trading platforms, compare spreads, commissions, payout models and unlock lucrative opportunities for the long term.Live Workshops - several open spaces for live debate and trading practice, enabling traders to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and find answers to common dilemmas.The Trading Lab - a technology hub where visitors can test and see the latest trading technologies in action.The Trading Cup - a prop trading competition that will keep traders busy over the two days of the Festival. 2-round demo trading rounds of 60 minutes each will engage them in prop trading challenges developed to highlight the best trading talent.And lots of surprises and rewards you don’t want to miss.Registration is now open via the official iFX EXPO Dubai website. Spots are filling fast. Lock in your place while you can!Also, to ensure you’ll never miss a beat during the event, download the iFX EXPO mobile app on Google Play and the App Store. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Giorgos Stylianou has started a new role as Head of Compliance at Markets.com. He shared the update in a LinkedIn post today (Tuesday).The move follows leadership changes at Markets.com. Andreas Kyriacou has been appointed Managing Director and CEO of the Cyprus entity, Safecap Investments, which runs the Markets.com brand. The company also holds regulatory licences in South Africa and St Vincent and the Grenadines, and it has not been disclosed who will lead the non-Cyprus entities.Markets.com Hires Experienced Retail Compliance ExecutiveStylianou joins Markets.com at a time of executive reshuffling. Before this role, he worked at EXCA Prime as Chief Compliance Officer for nearly three years, based in Cyprus.During this period, he also held other senior positions. He served on the Supervisory Board at DXONE for over three years and was Secretary of the Limassol District Office at the Cyprus Consumers Association for around four years.Earlier, Stylianou held leadership roles in retail brokerage. At Shares, he served as Chief Executive Officer of the EEA branch for six months and as Director of Regulatory Affairs for one year on a contract basis. He also worked at London Capital Group as Chief Compliance Officer and MLRO for just over a year, and at FOREX.com as Chief Compliance Officer for the Retail OTC Division for nearly a year.Worldpay, TradingView Partner with Markets.comIn other developments, Markets.com has expanded its platform and operational capabilities through recent partnerships. Earlier, Worldpay announced a collaboration to manage the broker’s global payment processing and fund disbursements. Markets.com, which offers trading across Forex, shares, indices, commodities, and cryptocurrencies, serves more than 4.7 million traders worldwide. The partnership is intended to improve online transactions by making them faster, simpler, and more secure. Worldpay, a payments technology provider that processes over 40 billion transactions annually across 146 countries and 135 currencies, will provide the infrastructure to support Markets.com’s trading operations.Separately, TradingView added Markets.com as a broker on its platform, allowing users to access Markets.com trading features alongside TradingView’s charting tools. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

XRP price is falling a modest 0.5% during Tuesday's session on January 27, 2026, trading at $1.89. According to technical analysis, there are currently three distinct downside targets now active: a short-term test of the $1.80 consolidation lower boundary, a medium-term drop to $1.26 representing a 33% decline, and an extreme bearish scenario pointing to $0.53, which would mark a catastrophic 70% correction from current levels.In this article, I examine how low will XRP price go and what are the most up to date XRP price predictions for 2026.Why XRP Is Falling Today?Why XRP is falling today boils down to a combination of technical breakdown risk, macro liquidity drain, and the continuation of a structural bear trend that has been in place since the July 2025 downtrend line was established. One senior market analyst notes that "liquidity is shrinking across channels," with spot ETFs seeing "less than $7 million" in inflows yesterday after "$1.3 billion of outflows last week", while total crypto futures open interest slid to $128 billion, the weakest levels since early January according to CoinGlass. This liquidity drought is hitting altcoins like XRP particularly hard, as institutional capital rotates away from speculative crypto positions.Samer Hasn, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com, notes that "liquidity is shrinking across channels," with spot ETFs seeing "less than $7 million" in inflows yesterday after "$1.3 billion of outflows last week", while total crypto futures open interest slid to $128 billion, the weakest levels since early January according to CoinGlass. This liquidity drought is hitting altcoins like XRP particularly hard, as institutional capital rotates away from speculative crypto positions.As I documented in my previous analysis, XRP had just logged 7 consecutive down sessions amid tariff fears and a broader crypto selloff. Earlier, on January 19, I warned that XRP had declined in 13 of 14 sessions.XRP Technical Analysis: Below Moving AveragesXRP is currently trading below both the 50-day moving average at $1.98 and far below the 200-day moving average at $2.55. This confirms that on my chart, XRP remains in a clear downtrend with bears firmly in control. The cryptocurrency is down 48.4% from its year high of $3.67 reached in early January, while sitting only 17.6% above the year low of $1.61 established earlier this month.From the perspective of my conducted technical analysis, the price has remained in the same consolidation for 2.5 months, with the upper boundary around $2.35, last tested on January 5 when it climbed to medium-term local highs.At that time, XRP also tested the downtrend line drawn from July 2025, connecting progressively lower highs, which triggered a stronger supply reaction, broke the round $2.00 level, and sent price back down to the lower consolidation boundary around $1.80, tested multiple times including at the start of this year.Current XRP price: $1.89 (Tuesday, January 27, 2026)Consolidation upper boundary: $2.35 (last tested January 5) Consolidation lower boundary: $1.80 (tested multiple times, under threat) Downtrend line: From July 2025 highs, connecting lower highs 200 EMA: $2.55 (price 25.9% below)50 EMA: $1.98 (price 4.5% below)Paul Howard, Senior Director at Wincent, observes that "in the perpetuals market, aggressive taker selling over the weekend drove prices lower" and that "momentum suggests further downside risk" with "fast-money flows appear to have rotated into commodities, particularly long silver and copper, while BTC and ETH have been left behind". If Bitcoin and Ethereum, the market's blue chips, are being abandoned by fast money, XRP faces an even tougher environment as a higher-beta, litigation-scarred altcoin.What Would Change My Bear ViewIf XRP is to lift supply pressure from its shoulders, we would need to see price return at least above the downtrend line from July 2025 and also above the 200-day exponential moving average (200 EMA) which currently sits at $2.55. Of course, it will also be necessary to break the upper consolidation boundary around $2.35, which would remove a significant portion of the pressure from buyers' shoulders.However, I remain a structural bear on XRP. The moving average alignment (price below 50 EMA below 200 EMA), the downtrend line resistance, and the failure to reclaim $2.00 all confirm the bearish bias on my chart.For real-time XRP technical analysis, follow me on X (Twitter) @ChmielDk. I provide moving average updates, Fibonacci projections, and liquidity flow insights on why XRP is falling and how low it can go.How Low Can XRP Go? My Three Downside TargetsThe critical question, how low will XRP go, has three distinct answers depending on the depth and duration of the correction according to my technical analysis.Short-Term Target: $1.80 (-7%)As you can see on my chart, XRP is currently trading at $1.89, just 7% above the $1.80 lower consolidation boundary that has been tested multiple times over the past 2.5 months. This is the immediate level under attack, and given the weakening momentum, compressed volatility, and position below both moving averages, a test of this support appears imminent.In the short term, I am targeting a return to the $1.80 level, which means a potential decline of about 7% from current prices. This level has held on multiple occasions, but the proximity to the year low of $1.61 (only 17.6% below current price) suggests limited cushion if $1.80 breaks.Medium-Term Target: $1.26 (-33%)In the medium term, if the lower consolidation boundary at $1.80 is broken cleanly, according to my technical analysis I am targeting a level around just $1.26, the flash-crash low from October 10 on the Binance exchange. This represents a potential decline of 33% from current levels and would mark a complete breakdown of the 2.5-month consolidation structure.On my chart, this $1.26 level represents the next major historical support zone once the $1.80 floor gives way. It also aligns closely with the $1.25 target I identified in the past.You can also check my previous XRP price prediction articles:Long-Term Ultra-Bearish Target: $0.53 (-70%)My long-term, ultra-bearish scenario based on Fibonacci extensions paints an even grimmer picture. Measuring the downtrend from July to December 2025 and then the correction we interrupted at the turn of December and January this year, the 100% Fibonacci extension falls at a level of just under $0.53.This would represent the lowest XRP price since November 2024 and a potential decline of approximately 70% from current levels. While this is an extreme scenario, it remains technically valid on my chart if macro conditions worsen significantly, liquidity continues draining from altcoins, and the broader crypto market enters a full risk-off cascade.XRP Price Prediction RoadmapLiquidity Drain Supports Bear CaseHasn’s observation that "liquidity is shrinking across channels" with spot ETFs seeing minimal inflows and crypto futures open interest dropping to $128 billion (weakest since early January) aligns perfectly with the weakness visible on the XRP chart. When institutional liquidity evaporates, high-beta altcoins like XRP suffer disproportionately.Maxime Seiler, CEO at STS Digital, adds that "the broader picture is one of heavy volatility supply, realized volatility has been subdued, and implied volatility is likely to remain under pressure until a meaningful catalyst forces a repricing". This fits the grinding, low-volatility breakdown pattern. Price slowly compressing toward the $1.80 support before an eventual break and acceleration lowerWhy is XRP falling today?XRP is falling today due to technical breakdown risk at $1.80 consolidation support, continued downtrend from July 2025 line, and shrinking liquidity. Price at $1.89, down 0.46%, trades 25.9% below 200 EMA at $2.55 and 4.5% below 50 EMA at $1.98. One senior analyst notes "liquidity is shrinking across channels" with spot ETFs seeing less than $7 million inflows after $1.3 billion outflows last week. As I documented in my January 21 Finance Magnates analysis, XRP logged 7 straight down sessions amid $1.7B market-wide liquidations.XRP Price Analysis, FAQHow low can XRP go?According to my technical analysis, XRP has three downside targets: short-term $1.80 (consolidation lower boundary, -5% to -6%), medium-term $1.26 (October 10 flash-crash low, -33%), and extreme $0.53 (100% Fibonacci extension, -70% from current $1.89). What is XRP price prediction for 2026?My XRP price prediction: near-term test of $1.80 support likely within days, followed by breakdown to $1.26 medium-term target (-33%) on my chart. If macro worsens and liquidity drain accelerates, extreme $0.53 Fibonacci target (-70%) remains valid. Why is XRP falling after reaching $3.67?XRP falling from year high $3.67 due to downtrend line from July 2025 resistance, failure to hold above $2.00, and structural bear market. Now at $1.89, down 48.4% from highs, only 17.6% above year low $1.61. How low will XRP go if $1.80 breaks?If $1.80 consolidation floor breaks cleanly, XRP will target $1.26 (October 10 flash-crash low, -33% from current $1.89). This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

BGC Group announced today (Tuesday) that its subsidiary BGC Brokers has received authorization from the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to operate as a registered benchmark administrator under the U.K. Benchmarks Regulation.The approval allows BGC to administer swaps pricing benchmarks for EUR interest rate swaps, GBP interest rate swaps, cross-currency swaps, and EU and U.K. inflation swaps. Reference pages for these products are now available on Bloomberg and LSEG platforms.BGC Expands Benchmark OfferingsNadim Mourad, executive managing director at BGC, said the registration reflects the firm's position as "one of the world's leading interest rate derivatives brokers with a comprehensive benchmark reference page for EUR, GBP swaps, inflation, and cross-currency products, covering the full forward curve."The benchmark authorization follows BGC's recent business expansion moves. BGC acquired Macro Hive in October 2025 to integrate AI technology into its rates and foreign exchange trading operations. The company also posted a 31% jump in third-quarter revenue and reaffirmed its fourth-quarter outlook in December.Sean Windeatt, co-chief executive officer at BGC, added the company looks forward to "expanding our benchmark offerings into other products and markets."BGC operates as a broker for fixed income, foreign exchange, energy, commodities, and equities products. The firm's clients include banks, investment banks, trading firms, hedge funds, and corporations. BGC also runs FMX Futures Exchange, a U.S. interest rate futures exchange.What FCA Registration MeansFCA benchmark administrator authorization requires firms to meet strict governance and operational standards. Administrators must establish effective organizational arrangements, maintain market integrity, and ensure benchmark continuity. The registration allows supervised entities in the U.K. to use BGC's benchmarks for valuation and risk management, as firms can only use benchmarks from administrators listed on the FCA register.The U.K. Benchmarks Regulation puts administrators under direct FCA supervision for the provision of reference rates used in financial contracts. This includes external auditor assessments or home jurisdiction supervision requirements.Competitor PrecedentBGC joins other interdealer brokers with FCA benchmark administrator status. TP ICAP's Parameta Solutions received FCA authorization in May 2022 to administer nine benchmarks.The FCA maintains a public register of authorized and registered benchmark administrators. Third-country administrators must receive approval through recognition or endorsement regimes by December 2030. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

CFI Financial, the Middle East-focused contracts for difference (CFD) broker, ended the fourth quarter of 2025 with $2.07 trillion in trading volume, making it the strongest three-month period for the broker to date.In Q4 2024, the broker recorded trading demand of $1.12 trillion from its customer base, meaning the latest yearly increase was almost 85 per cent.Trading Volume Continues to ClimbThe record figure followed the broker’s reported $1.55 trillion in trading volume in the previous quarter. In the first and second quarters of last year, it handled $1.28 trillion and $1.5 trillion in trading volume, bringing the total yearly figure to $6.4 trillion.Trading demand on the broker’s platform jumped 84 per cent year over year in 2025."Surpassing USD 2 trillion in trading volume in a single quarter and delivering record annual growth reflect the strength of our strategy, the discipline of our execution, and the trust placed in us by a growing global client base," said Ziad Melhem, Group CEO of CFI Financial Group. "As we enter 2026, our focus remains firmly on innovation, responsible expansion, and building world-class trading experiences at scale."Apart from trading volume, the number of active clients at CFI rose by 3 per cent quarter-on-quarter in the last three months of the year. Its active client base also increased by 40 per cent year on year.The number of funded accounts in the quarter also recorded a 16 per cent increase.The latest figures closely reflected the broker’s growth trend, which continued throughout last year.[#highlighted-links#] Entering New Markets?CFI now appears to be expanding further within its core Middle East region after opening a new office in Bahrain. It has also gone live with eKey for Business in the country through an integration with Beyon Connect.Furthermore, the group appears to be targeting Latin American markets and has obtained local authorisation in Colombia. Plus500 is another established CFD broker that has opened a representative office in Colombia. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

GCEX appointed Carmen Tan as Managing Director for its MENA operations, placing the former CoinW Exchange executive at the center of the firm's expansion across Middle Eastern and Asian institutional markets. Based in Dubai, Tan will oversee the company's VARA-regulated entity while simultaneously driving business development in Asia.Track Record Across Exchanges and Prime BrokersTan joins from CoinW Exchange in Dubai, where she most recently served as Chief Communications Officer after initially managing institutional growth as Global Strategy & Growth Manager. "Carmen has delivered impressive results and built very strong networks in both the MENA and Asia regions," said Lars Holst, founder and CEO of GCEX."We are delighted to welcome her to the team to help us deliver our ambitious growth plans and strengthen our position as a trusted, regulated digital prime broker for institutional and professional clients worldwide."Before CoinW, Tan spent nearly two years at MultiBank Group, finishing as Regional Marketing & Growth Lead. She previously worked at Emirates for nearly six years before transitioning into financial services in 2020.Tan said she first encountered GCEX while working at MultiBank. "My focus will be on governance and growth, working closely with Lars to build a dynamic, scalable team and position GCEX as a market leading digital asset prime broker in the regio,” Tan added.The hire marks GCEX's latest personnel move after recruiting three senior executives in 2025, including former Saxo Bank and CBOE director Steve Thomas, 35-year FX veteran Kevin Gillespie, and ex-Finalto COO Stanislav Bunimovich. Competing for Institutional FlowGCEX competes in a market where crypto exchanges increasingly offer traditional finance products to institutional clients. The firm recently launched gold futures CFDs targeting rising institutional activity in commodities. Rival platforms like Binance and BingX have rolled out perpetual contracts on precious metals and forex pairs, with BingX reporting that gold futures contracts generate over $500 million in daily volume.GCEX operates under licenses from the UK Financial Conduct Authority, Denmark's Finanstilsynet as a MiCA-compliant crypto asset service provider, and Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority. The firm received its VARA license in November 2023 after initially securing a preparatory license in February 2023. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Brendan Gunn, a former executive who led major CFD and forex brokerages in Australia, pleaded guilty today (Tuesday) to dealing with more than AUD 181,000 suspected to be proceeds from investment scams.Gunn admitted in court that he handled two bank cheques containing funds from victim investors who had deposited money for cryptocurrency conversions and other investment opportunities. The 53-year-old Brisbane resident served as finance director of Mormarkets Pty Ltd when the alleged offenses occurred between March and May 2020.The guilty plea follows charges filed by ASIC in March 2025 after a lengthy investigation into suspected international scams targeting Australians. Gunn appeared at the Downing Centre Local Court, where he and prosecutors agreed to handle sentencing at the local level rather than in district court.Banks Shut Down Accounts RepeatedlyBanks closed multiple Mormarkets accounts due to fraud concerns while Gunn was directing the company. Despite receiving repeated notifications about suspicious activity, Gunn continued opening new accounts to receive and transfer deposits.When two Mormarkets bank accounts were shuttered in early 2020, Gunn received the bank cheques totaling AUD 181,000 from four separate investment amounts made by three victims. He then sent those cheques to an associate, according to his admission in court.The company promoted itself as providing cryptocurrency conversions and access to overseas investment opportunities for Australian depositors. ASIC's investigation found the funds were linked to suspected cross-border scams.CFD Industry LinksGunn built a career in Australia's CFD and forex industry before his involvement with Mormarkets. He spent six years at GAIN Capital's Forex.com brand, serving as Director of Global Client Services for the Asia-Pacific region from 2006 to 2013.In 2013, Japanese broker Invast Securities tapped Gunn to establish and lead its Australian subsidiary. As CEO of Invast Financial Services, he secured the company's AFSL license from ASIC and built a sales team of more than 25 professionals. The firm grew into one of the region's larger retail trading operations during his tenure, which lasted until 2015.After leaving Invast, Gunn founded advisory services and later took on the role of director at Mormarkets starting in 2019.In 2018, he was also briefly associated with GMT Markets, which launched retail trading services that year.Sentencing Looms Next MonthGunn faces a maximum penalty of one year imprisonment, a fine of AUD 12,600, or both under local court sentencing guidelines. The matter returns to Downing Centre Local Court on February 10 to schedule a sentencing date.The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is handling the case following the investigation by ASIC. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Eightcap, a global leading derivatives broker, has announced a major move in the retail trading industry. Eightcap is the first CFD broker regulated in multiple jurisdictions to offer the TradeLocker platform. This partnership highlights Eightcap’s commitment to delivering a whole new world of trading for various types of traders. To celebrate the launch, new clients signing up for a TradeLocker account through Eightcap will receive an exclusive trading credit and rebate offer* via the official launch page. “Eightcap’s focus has always been to give traders choice and access to the tools they need to navigate the markets.” said Michael Clifton-Jones, Group Chief Commercial Officer at Eightcap. “TradeLocker has built strong traction with traders, and now Eightcap is taking itfurther by being the first broker to integrate it into a regulated CFD environment. We are expanding our platform suite to support a diverse array of trading styles.” “Our mission has always been to build a trading platform that truly meets the needs of today’s traders,” said Dom Bradley, CEO of TradeLocker. “Through our partnership with Eightcap, we’re bringing TradeLocker’s next-gen features to a wider community of CFD traders who are ready for something new: a platform that combines an intuitive interface with powerful tools for everyday trading.” The addition of TradeLocker complements Eightcap’s existing platform suite, which already includes MetaTrader 4 and 5, and TradingView for charting and social traders. This ensures Eightcap clients can choose the platform that best fits their trading style, whether they value automation, charting depth, or advanced risk management. TradeLocker Features & Benefits ● Intuitive user interface: A streamlined design that eases onboarding for new traders and enhances usability for experienced ones. ● Advanced charting by TradingView: Full access to world-class charting tools and technical indicators. ● One-click & on-chart trading: Enabling rapid execution in volatile market conditions directly on the chart. ● Advanced risk management: Including SL/TP calculator, risk calculator, and trailing stop loss. ● Community-driven innovation: A platform that constantly evolves with your needs, where updates are prioritised based on direct feedback from the trading community. ● Mobile, desktop & web trading: TradeLocker is available on all devices, with your layouts and settings always in sync.Eightcap invites eligible traders to be among the first to experience TradeLocker with a regulated CFD broker. Visit theofficial launch pageto learn more and sign up for the exclusive promotion*.. *This promotion is not available to clients in Australia, the UK, or Cyprus. Full terms and conditions apply. About Eightcap Eightcap is a global online trading company dedicated to delivering a user-centric trading experience and innovative solutions. With multiple trading platforms, a wide range of assets, and a focus on accessible information, Eightcap empowers traders across the world in navigating the markets. About TradeLocker TradeLocker is a next-generation trading platform designed for the modern trader. Built with a focus on speed, precision, and community feedback, TradeLocker integrates seamlessly with TradingView to offer advanced charting and a highly customisable interface. It is rapidly becoming the platform of choice for traders seeking a modern alternative to traditional trading software. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Trading 212, a disruptor in Europe’s retail brokerage sector, sold cryptocurrency-linked products in the United Kingdom without the proper authorisation from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which requires separate approval for offering such “high-risk investment products.”Offering Crypto Products without PermissionAccording to a Financial Times report, the retail brokerage platform allowed traders on its platform to purchase crypto exchange-traded notes (ETNs) from October 2025, right after the UK regulator overturned its blanket ban on such products, which was put in place in 2021.ETNs track the value of the underlying asset, cryptocurrency in this case, but unlike popular exchange-traded funds (ETFs), investors in these products hold a debt note linked to the price of the asset rather than a stake in the fund itself.Trading 212, however, applied for the necessary FCA approval to offer the crypto products last week, the report stated, following regulatory officials’ intervention. It received approval on Monday.[#highlighted-links#] Notably, Trading 212 has held FCA authorisation since 2014, which allows the broker to offer financial products, including forex and contracts for difference (CFDs), but not crypto products.A now-deleted post on Trading 212’s website mentioned a couple of weeks ago that it had “briefly paused” the offering of complex instruments, including crypto ETNs, to new customers in order to upgrade its “internal systems and onboarding flows,” the FT report highlighted.The platform continued to advertise crypto ETNs, but during the order review stage, a message appeared stating that “we’re making improvements… we expect to be back online soon — thank you for your patience!”The review prompt disappeared on Monday after the platform received the necessary approval.Trading 212’s Crypto BetFinanceMagnates.com earlier reported that Trading 212 launched crypto trading under its Cypriot unit last October. The broker established a dedicated crypto entity in Cyprus in 2024 and also obtained a crypto asset service provider (CASP) licence from the regulator on the Mediterranean island.As a group, Trading 212 ended 2024 with a net profit of £43.7 million on revenue of £194.1 million. Its UK operations remained its main revenue source, adding £150 million to the total figure, while the Cypriot business brought in £42.2 million despite doubling its figures within a year. Germany’s FXFlat, following its acquisition, added over £1 million.In the UK, the broker is also moving away from CFDs towards stockbroking.Despite the reported breach in the UK, it remains unclear whether the FCA will take any action against the retail brokerage. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

The UK-registered arm of Capital Markets Elite Group, a broker providing access to equities and contracts for difference (CFDs), reported another loss in its latest financial year, but the gap narrowed sharply as revenue grew to more than £559,000 and costs moved lower. The company generated turnover of £559,005 for the year ended 31 May 2025, up 11% from £502,699 a year earlier. Cost of sales dropped to £199,250 from £264,514, which lifted gross profit to £359,755, compared with £238,185 in the prior year.Operating Loss Shrinks but Remains SignificantAdministrative expenses, which cover overheads such as staff and office costs, fell to £870,814 from £1,055,386. This reduction helped narrow the operating loss to £511,059, down from £817,201 in 2024.After booking £6,019 in interest receivable and a small interest charge in the previous year, the loss before tax stood at £505,040, versus £811,811 a year earlier. The company’s loss for the financial year matched this figure at £505,040, reflecting a material but still incomplete improvement in its bottom line.CM Elite Group (UK) provides execution services for both unleveraged and margined US equities, as well as CFDs across several major financial instruments. It serves retail and institutional clients and earns fees for giving access to a mix of third-party and proprietary trading platforms.The business operates on an execution-only model, with fee income driven by trading activity and platform usage rather than advisory work. Cost Base and HeadcountThe accounts highlight a smaller team as part of the cost adjustment. The average number of employees fell to four in 2025 from six in 2024. A reduced headcount likely contributed to the £184,572 drop in administrative expenses and the £306,142 improvement in operating loss.You may also like: Saxo Bank Fined Nearly $50 Million in Denmark, Its Largest Penalty in Recent YearsThe shift to a leaner structure indicated efforts to align ongoing costs with current revenue levels while still maintaining the infrastructure required to support equity and CFD execution.The move from an £811,811 loss to a £505,040 loss, alongside a rise in turnover of more than £56,000 and an increase in gross profit of over £121,000, showed a gradual progress toward a more sustainable operation. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

IC Markets has appointed blockchain technology expert Jaser Mahmoud as Chief Technology Officer, adding an experienced digital asset infrastructure expert to its leadership team. The move highlights the broker’s focus on emerging technology as it strengthens the infrastructure behind its trading services.Veteran Technologist Joins IC MarketsMahmoud will oversee the company’s technology strategy and the development of its core systems. He brings more than 20 years of experience in technology roles. He has worked across financial services and related sectors, with a focus on architecture and complex platforms.Mahmoud joins IC Markets from crypto-focused technology firm R3, where he served as Chief Architect. In that role, he worked on the design of large-scale systems that support distributed and digital asset infrastructure.Background at R3 and ADSSIC Markets is also tapping someone with expertise in the UAE's regulatory space in matters digital infrastructure. He has reportedly worked closely with central banks, regulators, and other key players to turn policy and business goals into clear technical plans. According to his profile, his efforts made sure the platform was safe, reliable, and able to work smoothly with other systems at both national and international levels.Keep reading: IC Markets Becomes Haas F1 Team Sponsor at Season's End, Drops “Markets” From NameHeadquartered in London, R3 develops enterprise blockchain software for regulated financial institutions through its Corda platform, which supports digital assets, tokenization and other distributed ledger use cases across global markets. He also spent nearly two years as Head of Enterprise Architecture at ADSS.Recently, IC Markets also appointed Petros Kalaitzis as General Manager of its proprietary trading division. Before joining IC Markets, Kalaitzis served as Deputy CEO and Chief Strategy Officer at FunderPro. He previously held senior roles at Tools for Brokers, including Managing Director.Elsewhere, the broker signed a sponsorship deal with Australian tennis player Alexei Popyrin early this month, ahead of the 2026 season. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

TTT Markets is the latest prop trading firm to launch a contracts-for-difference (CFD) trading business. The Saint Lucia-registered firm has announced a limited rollout to selected user as it prepares to open live trading access more broadly. The move shifts the company from a pure evaluation and funding model toward a combined prop and CFD offering built around MetaTrader 5 and in-house technology.Transition from Evaluations to Live CFDsSpeaking exclusively to Finance Magnates, Archie Cade, TTT Markets’ Founder and Director, said: “Our plan for the brokerage is that we want to build long lasting and meaningful relationships with clients. To help people trade for the long term.”Although prop trading offers a great opportunity for traders to learn and practice sound risk management, according to Cade, many treat it less seriously than trading with their own capital.“Whilst prop trading is a brilliant offering and can be brilliant for many traders to learn and educate themselves on good risk management - it is often treated by people less seriously than their own trading capital.”Continue reading: Prop Trading Meets the Octagon: Tradeify Signs UFC Champion Israel AdesanyaTTT Markets currently runs funding programs for traders who pass its evaluation challenges and has reportedly grown to more than 20,000 users in over 120 countries since late 2022.According to the company, the new line represents the next step in expanding its trading ecosystem after scaling its prop user base. The firm positions the CFD unit as a way for existing and future clients to trade markets without relying solely on evaluation-based funded accounts.Limited “Inner-Circle” RolloutTTT Markets has begun the CFD launch with a controlled rollout to a small group of inner-circle partners rather than opening access immediately to all users. The firm plans to extend live trading to a wider audience once it completes this initial phase. All CFD trading accounts will reportedly run on MetaTrader 5 under TTT Markets Ltd’s international licensing framework. “It’s also a mission for us to provide a full offering, for a long time we have been requested by traders to have brokerage services. As traders like our models but prop trading doesn’t suit everyone,” Cade added. Prop trading firms are no longer content with just selling challenges – a growing number are now standing up full CFD brokerage arms, turning a niche funding model into hybrid prop‑plus‑broker businesses.Towards the end of last year, the founders of leading prop-trading firm The5ers moved into the contracts‑for‑difference (CFD) brokerage business with a new Cyprus‑regulated brand, TSG. Additionally, CVC Asia Fund IV agreed to sell OANDA Global Corporation to FTMO Group. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.