Stavro D’Amore, who was a director at the now-collapsed CFD broker Berndale, pleaded guilty to multiple dishonesty offences, including the illegal transfer of over AU$681,000 (around US$490,000) in company funds, which were primarily client deposits, between 2017 and 2018.The clients of the now-collapsed broker are still owed over AU$8.9 million (US$6.5 million).Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)A Guilty Plea after Almost 8 YearsThe Australian financial services regulator announced today (Friday) that D’Amore pleaded guilty to three ‘rolled-up’ charges, which include dishonestly using his position as a director, dishonest conduct, and authorising the making of a false and misleading statement in a document submitted to the regulator.The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) formally moved against D’Amore in mid-2023 by filing charges against him. The latest guilty plea followed his not-guilty plea in September 2024.D’Amore, whose sentencing is due on 2 July 2026, is now facing a heavy monetary penalty or up to 10 years in prison under one of the charges.Is There Any Hope for the Clients?Melbourne-based Berndale collapsed in November 2018 after its AFS licence was cancelled due to multiple concerns, including failures to comply with reporting obligations and to respond to statutory notices. At the time, the regulator was also concerned that D’Amore was not competent to serve as a director.The illegal transfer of company funds, according to the regulator, happened both before and in the days following the licence cancellation.Along with D’Amore, the Australian regulator also charged Daniel Kirby, another director at the collapsed broker, but he had already pleaded guilty to similar charges in September 2024.D’Amore was previously associated with the broker FXTG, which also reportedly came under scrutiny from the Australian regulator. In 2016, there were reports that the firm allegedly owed investors around $2 million. It is worth noting that Kirby was also connected with FXTG as the Chief Operations Officer. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

The promise of decentralized finance was once a clarion call for a democratic financial revolution. It envisioned a world where the rigid, exclusionary walls of traditional banking would be replaced by transparent, automated, permissionless systems. As we move through 2026, that early optimism has given way to a more sober reality.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)While the technology remains powerful, the economic foundations of most DeFi lending protocols are still structurally weak. Much of the system operates on reflexivity, where value is borrowed from the future to support the present. Without a shift from internal speculation toward external utility, the ecosystem risks long-term irrelevance.Recursive Lending Without Productive OutputAt the core of the problem is the circular nature of DeFi lending. In traditional finance, loans fund productive activity that generates real economic output. In DeFi, lending is largely recursive. Users deposit volatile assets, borrow stablecoins, and often recycle them back into the same assets.This creates leverage loops that function in bull markets but produce no real economic surplus. Yield is driven not by productivity, but by demand for leverage among speculators, making the system heavily dependent on rising asset prices.Inflationary Tokens Attract Mercenary LiquidityThis fragility is reinforced by inflationary tokenomics. Many protocols rely on liquidity mining incentives paid in governance tokens to attract capital. This creates mercenary liquidity that constantly chases the highest yield. These tokens often have limited real utility, meaning their value depends heavily on future buyers. When prices fall, yields collapse, liquidity exits, and protocols can spiral quickly. The collapse of Iron Finance in 2021 illustrated this dynamic clearly, as its partially collateralized stablecoin system broke down rapidly once confidence eroded.Over-Collateralization Limits Real AccessCapital inefficiency is another structural flaw. Traditional banking extends credit based on trust and repayment history, while DeFi is overwhelmingly over-collateralized. Borrowers must lock up more value than they receive, often making the system unusable for those who actually need capital. A small business in an emerging market cannot access DeFi credit if it requires holding 150% collateral in volatile crypto assets. As a result, the system favors capital-rich speculators rather than real economic participants.Automated Liquidations Amplify Market StressSystemic risk is further amplified by liquidation cascades. Smart contracts automatically liquidate positions when collateral falls below thresholds. In volatile markets, these forced sales push prices lower, triggering further liquidations in a feedback loop. The collapse of the Terra/Luna ecosystem in 2022 showed how quickly this can escalate. Anchor Protocol’s unsustainable yield attracted massive inflows, but once the stablecoin peg failed, cascading liquidations wiped out tens of billions and spread contagion across the broader market.Real World Assets Stabilize Yield BaseTo become sustainable, DeFi must integrate real-world assets. Closed-loop crypto economies cannot sustain themselves indefinitely. Lending protocols need exposure to external sources of yield such as government debt, trade finance, and private credit. MakerDAO, now rebranded as Sky Protocol, has already moved heavily into U.S. Treasuries and private credit, creating more stable income streams during downturns. This shifts protocols closer to blockchain-based investment structures, though concerns remain that much of the value still depends on off-chain systems rather than fully on-chain economic logic.Credit Systems Replace Collateral DependenceAnother key evolution is decentralized identity and on-chain credit scoring. Moving beyond over-collateralized lending is essential for real adoption. Zero-knowledge proofs allow borrowers to demonstrate creditworthiness without revealing sensitive data, enabling risk assessment based on financial history rather than collateral alone.DeFi is inevitable, but only if it can support the existing financial system.Real-world assets are giving the industry the chance it needs to find its footing in traditional market structure. https://t.co/XP6NjHEu0Q— Plume (@plumenetwork) April 29, 2026This could eventually allow DeFi to extend credit to real businesses in emerging markets, bringing productive activity onto the blockchain instead of purely speculative flows.Modular Design Reduces Systemic ContagionProtocol design also needs to become more modular. Early DeFi systems relied on shared liquidity pools, which are highly vulnerable to contagion. Newer models are introducing isolated markets where failures are contained rather than spreading across the entire system. Aave has already taken steps in this direction with isolation modes and risk segmentation. Combined with better insurance mechanisms and improved smart contract security, these changes could make DeFi more resilient and attractive to institutional capital.Speculative Culture Undermines StabilityWe must also recognize that sustainability is as much about human behavior as it is about code. The culture of "get rich quick" schemes and astronomical annual percentage yields must be replaced by a culture of risk-adjusted returns and long-term value creation. Regulatory clarity will play a vital role here. While some in the crypto space fear oversight, a clear legal framework provides the certainty needed for legitimate businesses to build on-chain. When investors can distinguish between a high-risk speculative play and a regulated, asset-backed lending product, the market will naturally gravitate toward the more sustainable options.Meanwhile, watch out for the falling yields. Do not be caught by surprise. This article was written by Anndy Lian at www.financemagnates.com.

The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has approved new rules that allow tokenized funds to operate fully within the existing authorized fund regime, rather than in separate experimental structures.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The changes give asset managers a clearer route to keep fund registers on blockchain and to use an optional Direct‑to‑Fund (D2F) dealing model, while keeping current investor protection standards in place.Onchain Fund Registers Under the Blueprint ModelIn Policy Statement PS26/7, the FCA confirms that authorized funds can run their unitholder registers on distributed ledger technology using the industry “Blueprint” model.Onchain transaction records may serve as the primary books and records for unit deals, and firms do not need a full off‑chain mirror if they maintain appropriate operational resilience plans.The guidance applies to UCITS and other authorized funds and allows registers to sit on public DLT networks if firms meet the regulator’s expectations on governance, data privacy and financial crime controls. Units in a single share class can be recorded across multiple blockchains as long as investors’ rights and the structure of charges remain the same.Direct-to-Fund Dealing Model to Support TokenizationThe main rule change is the introduction of the optional Direct‑to‑Fund dealing model, which alters how subscriptions and redemptions are processed. Under D2F, the fund or its depositary, rather than the asset manager, becomes the counterparty to investor trades, so units are issued or canceled directly against cash flows between investors and the fund in a single step.The FCA says this should make operations more efficient and easier to align with onchain or shortened settlement cycles. Following industry feedback, the regulator will still allow managers to deal as principal in units of a fund using D2F and to combine different dealing models within an umbrella structure.Looking ahead, the FCA outlines a roadmap from tokenized funds to tokenized assets and ultimately tokenized cash flows, including models where investors hold tokenized assets in digital wallets and managers use smart contracts to manage portfolios.Keep reading: “Tokenisation Isn’t About Technology”: Singapore Builds Cross-Border Market InfrastructureIt also signals openness to waivers that would let funds use digital cash and stablecoins for settlement and certain expenses, ahead of a broader crypto asset and stablecoin regime due to take effect in October 2027.The FCA's journey toward approving tokenized funds has been building since 2023, when it collaborated with industry groups to publish the UK Blueprint model outlining how firms could run tokenized unitholder registers within existing legal frameworks.Running parallel to this tokenization roadmap, the FCA has been developing a comprehensive crypto asset regulatory regime that began with legislation passed in February 2026, launched a sterling stablecoin sandbox in March 2026, and will open firm authorization applications in September 2026 ahead of the full regime taking effect in October 2027. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Prop trading firm Instant Funding has opened its cryptocurrency platform with two account options for digital asset traders.In a Thursday’s announcement, the firm confirmed that IF Micro Crypto and One-Phase Crypto accounts are now operational. Traders can access more than 30 cryptocurrency instruments through both account structures.Two Account Types Target Different ApproachesInstant Funding has already moved into the CFD brokerage space with the launch of its own brand, IF Pro, which is registered and licensed in St. Lucia. The move aligns with a growing trend among prop firms establishing in offshore jurisdictions to gain regulatory flexibility and regain access to platforms like MetaTrader 4 and 5.Crypto has officially moved in ⚡️Two dedicated crypto accounts are live at Instant Funding — with access to 30+ crypto instruments.? IF Micro Crypto — no evaluation, maximum buying power.? One-Phase Crypto — one 10% profit target, weekly payouts, no noise. Launch offer:… pic.twitter.com/pzHZTZFLSM— Instant Funding (@InstantFunding_) April 30, 2026IF Micro Crypto reportedly removes evaluation requirements and provides maximum buying power without profit targets. Traders can start immediately without assessment periods.One-Phase Crypto requires a single 10% profit target before weekly payouts begin. The account removes additional requirements beyond the initial target. Instant Funding offered a 12.5% discount with code "GOCRYPTO" at launch.Read more: Prop Firm Instant Funding Starts Own CFD Brokerage, Sets May Launch for Separate Crypto PlatformSeveral prop firms have launched or expanded crypto trading in recent months, creating a competitive wave that Instant Funding now joins. Maven Trading launched WenCrypto in March 2026 as a crypto-exclusive prop firm offering up to $100,000 in funding with 5:1 leverage on Bitcoin and Ethereum, and 2:1 leverage on altcoins.Instant Funding first announced plans for IF Crypto last week, targeting a May launch. The platform appears to have gone live in late April, ahead of the original timeline.Prop Firms Expand into Crypto Trading SpaceIt also revealed this month that it would develop IF Pro, a separate brokerage service registered in St. Lucia. The company said it would share details about IF Pro features and launch dates in coming weeks. The crypto launch marks the firm's expansion beyond traditional prop trading instruments into digital assets.We're excited to reveal the name of our broker... Get ready to fall in love with IF Pro! ?In the coming weeks, we'll reveal more details about IF Pro's features, capabilities, and launch date. Trust us—this is worth the wait ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/zhMp6z79v8— Instant Funding (@InstantFunding_) April 17, 2025Established firms like FX2 Funding and Hola Prime expanded into crypto with leverage up to 2x and 5x respectively, while maintaining account sizes ranging from $10,000 to $4 million. Finance Magnates also noted that other firms including HyroTrader, PipFarm, and Velotrade entered the crypto prop space with specialized offerings like 100x leverage and USDC or USDT payouts.Kraken made the sector's most significant move when itacquired Breakout Prop last September, becoming the first major exchange to enter proprietary trading with up to $400,000 in funding and around 100 trading pairs. Klein Funding launched in November 2024 with an official Bybit partnership, providing access to 700+ crypto pairs and up to $300,000 in capital. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

The UK unit of London Capital Group, which operates as an introducing broker, reported lower revenue and a return to losses for the year ended 31 December 2025.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).Revenue for the year stood at £1.69 million, down from £2.07 million in 2024. The company reported no cost of sales in 2025, compared with £16,132 in the prior year. Gross profit therefore matched revenue at £1.69 million, down from £2.09 million a year earlier.Costs Rise, LCG Swings to LossOperating costs increased over the period. Administrative expenses rose to £1.77 million from £1.61 million in 2024. The higher cost base, combined with lower revenue, pushed the company back into operating loss. The operating result was a loss of £78,142, compared with an operating profit of £482,105 in the previous year.Below the operating line, finance income increased to £10,224 from £4,191. Finance costs declined to £592 from £8,588. This resulted in net finance income of £9,632, compared with a net finance cost of £4,397 in 2024.After finance items, the company recorded a pre-tax loss of £68,510. This compares with a pre-tax profit of £477,708 in 2024. The net result for the year was also a loss of £68,510, reversing the prior year’s profitability.LCG Separated from HoldingsLCG was previously part of London Capital Group Holdings, the former listed parent company that delisted and later entered liquidation following financial difficulties after 2018. In 2018, the brokerage business was acquired by former CEO Charles-Henri Sabet, separating it from the holding structure and re-establishing it as a standalone operation. It was later linked to Sabet’s Switzerland-based FlowBank group, formed in 2020. FlowBank was declared bankrupt by Swiss regulator FINMA in 2024 following findings related to capital, governance, and risk management requirements. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

While the U.S. prediction market industry is fighting over which regulatory model should govern it, Plus500 is operating as infrastructure across both sides.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!). The broker managed to gain exposure to the sector without becoming a prediction market operator itself. The question is whether this infrastructure-led position gives Plus500 a durable advantage. The company is not a party to the lawsuits and bears no direct responsibility for their outcome, but its upside still depends on whether prediction markets are allowed to scale under either regulatory model. Two Competing Regulatory Approaches At the center of the dispute is a basic question: are prediction markets financial instruments or a form of gambling? U.S. regulators are answering it in different ways and increasingly through the courts. The conflict pits two competing models against each other: the federally regulated, exchange-based approach backed by the CFTC and platforms like Kalshi, and the state-licensed gaming model that incumbent sportsbooks such as FanDuel are defending. This month, the situation escalated significantly when the CFTC filed lawsuits against Arizona, Connecticut, and Illinois — states that had previously moved against prediction market platforms. The CFTC is arguing that state-level intervention interferes with federally approved designated contract markets. Retaliation followed hard on the heels. New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Coinbase and Gemini, accusing them of operating illegal gambling operations through prediction market products. The federal government responded almost immediately, moving against New York to stop state-level enforcement and defend federal authority. The dispute is spreading. Kalshi is fighting multiple states in court, while Coinbase has preemptively challenged state oversight. These parallel actions are turning individual enforcement cases into a wider jurisdictional conflict between federal and state authorities. What Is at Stake The legal battles have direct financial consequences. Licensed sportsbooks in New York pay around 51% of gross revenues in tax; platforms operating under a derivatives framework do not. The revenues involved are not trivial. According to estimates, Kalshi generated around $260 million in fees in 2025. Polymarket remains smaller in fee terms but has also grown alongside rising event-driven trading activity. Consumer protection adds another dimension. Prediction market platforms currently allow participation from age 18, while state gambling laws typically set the minimum at 21, reflecting different assumptions about risk and oversight. The outcome will determine not just who regulates the category, but how it is built: whether prediction markets are integrated into the federal financial system or pulled into state-controlled gaming frameworks, and where the economics ultimately flow. Where Plus500 Fits Plus500 is not a prediction market operator. It sits at the access and infrastructure layer, and gains exposure to the sector through both. The company offers retail access to Kalshi’s CFTC-regulated event contracts through its Plus500 Futures platform, acting as the broker while clearing trades via its membership in Kalshi Klear. The contracts are listed and resolved on Kalshi, while Plus500 controls the user interface, onboarding, and risk management.“Plus500’s proprietary technology, suite of clearing memberships and established risk-management infrastructure provide a scalable foundation to support broader participation and growth in prediction markets for B2C customers,” the company said. At the same time, Plus500 is the designated clearing partner for FanDuel Prediction Markets, the joint venture between FanDuel and CME Group. In that role, it provides execution, clearing, and risk management in the background, with no user-facing presence.One role is front-facing. The other is invisible to the end user. “The Group’s established infrastructure, including clearing, technology and risk-management capabilities, also supports future opportunities with additional B2B partners within a robust regulatory framework,” the company added. These positions reflect a broader shift in strategy. Plus500 built its business on CFD products but has been expanding into exchange-based and infrastructure-driven operations.Exposure and Risk The structure places Plus500 across both sides of the regulatory divide — one part of the business tied to a federal derivatives model, another supporting infrastructure linked to a gaming-aligned market model. This gives the company exposure to the growth of prediction markets without carrying the direct regulatory risk that platform operators face. Whatever model prevails, the infrastructure layer still needs to function. The model is already contributing to growth, although its exact impact is not disclosed. Plus500’s U.S. business generated about $35 million in quarterly revenue, up 45% year over year, and now accounts for roughly 15% of group revenue and 18% of new customers. The expansion has been driven by its non-OTC offering, including futures and prediction markets, built on its existing U.S. clearing footprint following the acquisition of Cunningham Commodities. The risk profile, however, is less obvious. Much of Plus500’s exposure is indirect and tied to its role as an intermediary. The company depends on Kalshi and FanDuel, and its growth is linked to their ability to scale. More restrictive regulation could limit retail access and reduce volumes across the ecosystem. At the same time, the long-term trajectory of the sector remains uncertain. What This Means for the Industry For brokers and B2B providers, the key question is whether this model can be replicated, or whether Plus500 moved early enough to secure a structural advantage — and whether that advantage holds as the regulatory outcome becomes clearer. This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.

Nexo, the premier digital assets wealth platform, today announced the expansion of its Zero-interest Credit (ZiC) to Solana’s SOL and Ripple’s XRP as supported collateral assets. The move makes Nexo the first platform to offer 0% APR, no-liquidation lending backed by either asset, joining the existing BTC and ETH collateral options.Named "Consumer Lending Product of the Year" at the annual FinTech Breakthrough Awards in March 2026, ZiC enables crypto holders to access stablecoin liquidity at 0% interest through a fixed-duration term, with no risk of premature forced liquidation and a fully predefined repayment structure visible from day one. ZiC has generated over $170 million in total loan volume, with a 66% borrower renewal rate and an average of four renewals per user. More than half of all ZiC proceeds remain on-platform — confirming that borrowers are accessing liquidity while staying invested. Expanding ZiC to SOL and XRP brings this proven borrowing structure to a segment of the client base it has not yet served. The move reflects the evolving composition of crypto collateral on Nexo's platform. Bitcoin and Ethereum together account for approximately 70% of collateral volume on Nexo's, broadly mirroring their combined dominance in the wider digital assets market. Over 30% of crypto loans on Nexo are collateralized with assets beyond BTC and ETH, with SOL and XRP leading that segment.“Nexo has always believed in being where the market is going, not where it already is. Zero-interest Credit set a new standard for Bitcoin and Ethereum holders, and expanding it to Solana and Ripple is the logical next step, one we are taking before anyone else," said Elitsa Taskova, Chief Product Officer at Nexo.ZiC with SOL and XRP collateral operates at a 30% LTV, with a minimum of 100 SOL or 5,000 XRP. The core ZiC value proposition remains unchanged: borrowing at 0% to stay invested and face no liquidation during the term. The expansion comes as crypto-backed lending gains recognition in traditional finance. In March, U.S. government-backed mortgage agency Fannie Mae accepted crypto-collateralized mortgages for the first time, enabling homebuyers to pledge Bitcoin as collateral without selling. It's the same logic ZiC is built on: borrowers want liquidity without exiting their positions. That demand now extends well beyond Bitcoin and Ethereum, and ZiC's expansion to SOL and XRP is built to meet it.About NexoNexo https://nexo.com is a premier digital assets wealth platform designed to empower clients to grow, manage, and preserve their crypto holdings. Our mission is to lead the next generation of wealth creation by focusing on customer success and delivering tailored solutions that build enduring value, supported by 24/7 client care.Since 2018, Nexo has provided unmatched opportunities to forward-thinking clients in over 199 jurisdictions. With over $8 billion in AUM and over $403 billion processed, we bring lasting value to millions worldwide. Our all-in-one platform combines advanced technology with a client-first approach, offering high-yield flexible and fixed-term savings, crypto-backed loans, sophisticated trading tools, and liquidity solutions, including the first crypto debit/credit card. Built on deep industry expertise, a sustainable business model, robust infrastructure, stringent security, and global licensing, Nexo champions innovation and long-lasting prosperity. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Swiss-based Dukascopy Bank grew total operating income by around 12% in 2025 to CHF 20.8 million, up from CHF 18.5 million a year earlier. Net profit jumped to CHF 1.2 million from CHF 0.2 million as stronger trading and lower costs offset weaker commissions.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The improvement came despite a zero policy rate in Switzerland and a volatile geopolitical backdrop, with the Geneva‑based online bank using forex and CFD market swings to support activity.Trading and Deposits Drive RecoveryForex trading profitability rose 25.5% in 2025, underscoring the central role of trading income in Dukascopy’s model. Result from trading activities reached CHF 16.5 million compared with CHF 14.7 million in 2024, while net commission income fell to CHF 1.4 million from CHF 3.2 million as commission expenses increased.Client money continued to grow. Total client deposits climbed 15.6% over the year to CHF 188.6 million, from CHF 163.1 million at the end of 2024, helping lift total assets to CHF 256.5 million from CHF 235.1 million. Multi‑currency accounts expanded further, with balances on MCA accounts rising 34.1% from CHF 102.5 million to CHF 137.5 million and generating CHF 4.9 million in gross revenue.Read more: Dukascopy Expands MT5 Instruments to More than 400, Adds Metals and Crypto CFDsThe bank also broadened its product set. It added more than 300 cross instruments during 2025 and pushed FX swap turnover since February 2024 above CHF 1.9 billion. The number of processed payments increased by 24% year on year, reflecting rising use by both retail and corporate clients.Costs, Crypto and OutlookDukascopy tightened costs alongside revenue growth. Operating expenses fell 5% to CHF 18.8 million in 2025 from CHF 19.8 million in 2024, bringing the cost‑income ratio down to 90.2% from 107.4%, though still above the 89.2% level in 2023. Personnel expenses declined and general and administrative costs edged lower as the bank used technology to scale operations.Crypto‑related activity remained a strategic focus. More than 8.1 million Dukascoins were outstanding by year‑end and the bank continued to develop crypto‑fiat functionality within its regulated framework. Management reports a good start to 2026 but flags higher geopolitical risk and leans on new products in trading, payments and crypto to counter tougher markets. Dukascopy Sharpens Crypto AccountingDukascopy’s 2025 report sets out a clear framework for how it treats crypto assets, including its own token, Dukascoin. Crypto that the bank holds for investment sits under “financial investments” and is measured at acquisition cost, then at the lower of cost or market, while crypto that it holds for trading appears in “trading assets” at fair value, with gains and losses recorded in “result from trading activities.”Recently, Dukascopy expanded its MT5 lineup from just over 100 to more than 400 instruments, adding gold, silver, a wider range of FX crosses and new crypto CFDsIt is a part of the firm's expansion of its broader multi‑platform offering alongside MT4 and JForex and follows last year’s addition of 303 new instruments on JForex.The expansion came after a sharp improvement in financial performance in H1 2025, when standalone profit jumped to CHF 3.32 million from CHF 19.8 thousand and consolidated profit rose to CHF 3.29 million from CHF 80.8 thousand. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Retail FX and CFD trading activity continued to expand in the first quarter of 2026. Five separate brokers in FM Intelligence report show monthly trading volumes above $1.5 trillion, and for the first time on records, the top-ranked broker in the cohort crossed the $2 trillion mark.A Larger Active Client BaseActive client accounts across the brokers covered by the FM Intelligence reached 7.42 million by the end of Q1 2026, up 9.4% from 6.78 million in Q4 2025 and up 42.4% from 5.21 million in Q1 2025. Account totals across the cohort have risen in each of the last four quarters, continuing the multi-year trend captured in the recent comparison of Q4 2021 against Q4 2025, in which active accounts had already doubled across the named-broker tracker.The expansion of the active account base has run alongside the growth in trading volumes, though account counts and trading volumes do not move in lockstep. Several brokers in the top tier of the volume ranking sit outside the top tier of the account ranking, and the reverse also holds, reflecting different client mixes and average trade sizes across the industry.Volumes Roughly Double Year-Over-YearAggregate monthly trading volumes rose roughly 13% quarter-over-quarter in the headline industry total reported by FM Intelligence. Within the named-broker cohort tracked individually, monthly volumes are running roughly twice their Q1 2025 levels a year ago. The pace continues a multi-year acceleration: the Retail Intensity Ratio framework introduced earlier this year showed retail CFD daily turnover rising from 2.7% of BIS-reported global FX volume in Q4 2020 to 14.1% by Q4 2025.What's in the Full Q1 2026 AnalysisThe Q1 2026 retail volumes analysis on the FM Intelligence DataLab Portal covers the full broker-by-broker volume ranking with quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year change for every tracked firm, the active accounts ranking, average monthly volume per account, MT4 and MT5 platform share trends across four quarters, and the underlying methodology and cohort definitions.Auxiliary metrics covering mobile versus desktop volume share, the most-traded instrument categories, and the FX versus non-FX volume mix are also included.Read the full Q1 2026 retail volumes analysis on the FM Intelligence DataLab Portal → This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

IG Group Holdings has granted long-term share option awards to senior executives, including chief executive officer Breon Corcoran and chief financial officer Clifford Abrahams. The awards were disclosed in a regulatory filing under the UK Market Abuse Regulation.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).Based on the grant-date share price of £14.377, the awards have a notional value of about £6.87 million. This includes roughly £6.53 million for 454,000 long-term incentive plan options and around £0.34 million for 23,753 deferred bonus shares. The final value will depend on performance conditions and the share price at the time of vesting or exercise.Executive Share Awards Linked to PerformanceThe grants form part of the firm’s Long Term Incentive Plan and Annual Bonus Plan. They were issued as share options with a nominal exercise price of 0.005 pence per share.Under the LTIP, Corcoran received a larger allocation than Abrahams. Both executives were also granted deferred shares linked to annual bonus outcomes for the previous financial year.The LTIP awards are subject to performance conditions measured over a three-year period starting in 2026. Vesting depends on two equally weighted metrics: group revenue and earnings per share.Options Exercisable Ten Years After VestingRevenue targets range from £1.226 billion at the lower threshold to £1.513 billion for full vesting. Earnings per share targets range from 127p to 166p over the same period. Once vested, the options remain exercisable for up to ten years from grant.The Annual Bonus Plan awards follow the same deferred structure and are subject to the same malus and clawback provisions. These allow the firm to reduce or reclaim awards under certain conditions, in line with its shareholder-approved remuneration policy adopted in 2025. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

European Securities and Markets Authority has published a call for evidence on changes in European equity trading between 2022 and 2025. The paper is based on transaction data reported under MiFIR. It seeks feedback from market participants on recent trends and their regulatory impact.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The move follows ESMA’s finalisation in December of revised transparency standards under MiFIR covering exchange-traded and selected OTC derivatives. The changes are expected to have indirect implications for CFD firms, as many hedge exposure on EU-listed derivatives venues and may need to adjust to updated reporting and liquidity transparency requirements.ESMA Flags Equity Market ChangesThe analysis shows that overall market functioning has remained stable. ESMA said the share of “addressable liquidity” stayed at about 85% of total trading volume during the period. On-book trading also remained broadly steady, accounting for roughly 75% to 80% of activity.At the same time, the regulator identified a shift in how trading is executed. It noted a decline in lit continuous trading between 2022 and 2025. This drop was offset by increased use of other mechanisms, including closing auctions, frequent batch auctions, and trading through systematic internalisers.The report also examines how liquidity is distributed across trading venues in different countries. ESMA is asking for input on how “addressable liquidity” should be defined and treated under RTS 1. It is also seeking views on possible changes to post-trade transparency flags.Regulator Repeals Auction Tick-Size GuidanceSeparately, ESMA said it has repealed earlier guidance stating that periodic auctions fall under the tick-size regime. The regulator did not provide further detail in the announcement.Stakeholders have until 30 June 2026 to respond to the consultation. ESMA said it will publish a feedback statement in the second half of 2026.The authority added that it will continue to monitor developments in equity markets. This includes recent changes to MiFIR, such as the move to a single volume cap and stronger transparency requirements for systematic internalisers. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Silver traded at $75.46 per ounce on Thursday, April 30, 2026, rebounding 3.21% after three consecutive sessions of declines that briefly pushed the metal toward the $70 support floor. The bounce follows the breakdown of US-Iran peace talks reported earlier in the week, which had compressed the safe-haven premium silver carried into late April. With the Federal Reserve, Bank of England, and ECB all delivering decisions this week, my silver price prediction turns on whether today's move is a reflex rebound or the start of a fresh leg toward the $80 resistance shelf.Follow me on X for real-time silver and metals analysis: @ChmielDk.With the Fed decision already in the rearview as a cautious hold, attention turns to the ECB and BoE later this week, then US PCE for the inflation read that decides whether the rate path stays restrictive into Q3.Why Silver Is Surging Today? Peace Stalls, Yields HoldThe driver behind today's bounce is geopolitical, not monetary. President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's latest proposal earlier this week, with Tehran's offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade left on the table. The Hormuz shutdown, which the IEA has called the largest oil supply shock on record, has cut off roughly 20% of global crude flows and forced a rethink of every central bank's terminal-rate path.That mix of geopolitical stress and sticky inflation is what Rania Gule, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com (MENA), calls a fundamental shift in how silver is being priced."Silver, long regarded as an alternative safe haven, now seems to be losing part of that role in favor of yield-bearing financial instruments, especially in an environment of rising interest rates and increasing opportunity costs," said Gule. She added that silver "has entered an inverse relationship with inflation, where rising inflation has become a source of pressure rather than support."The setup heading into the rest of the week has three moving parts:Peace talks status: Tehran's proposal rejected, US counteroffers expectedCentral bank pause: Fed, BoE, ECB all expected to hold but skew hawkishOil channel: Brent above $115/barrel sustains the inflation pressure that capped silver in MarchSilver Price Prediction: XAG/USD Chart Hinges on $70 vs $80From a technical standpoint, today's rebound changes very little on the broader chart. The $70 zone, reinforced by the 200 EMA roughly $5 lower at $65, has been the rebound base for nearly three months, ever since silver collapsed several tens of percent over a handful of sessions at the turn of January and February. In 15 years tracking precious metals, I've watched the $70 area hold three separate times this year alone, and that pattern matters more than any single intraday bounce. A fuller history of those tests sits across my analyst page.Resistance, however, is tight. The 50 MA sits at $77, only a whisker above today's price, and the round-number $80 zone, the late-2025 highs, caps the immediate path. Above $80 lies the early-March local lows and the mid-April peaks where the last upward correction stalled. Even a clean break of those levels runs into the $90-$94 supply zone marked by February peaks, with the all-time-high band at $118-$120, set January 29, sitting above that.The decision is binary. If silver pushes above $80 and holds, I see room for a slow grind back toward $94 and eventually the ATH zone. If it loses $70 and the 200 EMA at $65 gives way, the door opens toward $55, the October 2025 highs.The Bear Case You Cannot Dismiss: A 100% Fibonacci to $22The scenario most current coverage is ignoring is what the Fibonacci math says about a full-cycle unwind. Plotting the 100% extension of the January-February dynamic decline followed by the March-April upward correction lands the projection at $22 per ounce. That implies roughly 70% downside from today's level, a number large enough to sound implausible until you remember silver has done worse, faster, before.I am not calling for $22. The structure of the move that took silver from $121 to $70, then bounced toward the mid-$80s and rolled over again, is mechanically consistent with the kind of multi-month distribution that precedes deep retracements.As my April 21 analysis flagged, a weekly close below $70 would be the first serious warning, and a close below $54.50 would end the structural bull case. The $22 target is a tail-risk anchor, not a base case.How High Can Silver Go?Bank of America's $135-$309 MathThe most aggressive credible call on the table comes from Bank of America head of metals research Michael Widmer. As Jesse Colombo of the Bubble Bubble Substack laid out in his April 24 review of the BofA call: "Bank of America has stirred significant attention this week with a new projection for silver to soar to $135 to as high as $309 in 2026, this year, not years down the line."Bank of America sees silver soaring to $135 to $309 this year.My views are similar, so in this piece I analyze what it will take to make that a reality:https://t.co/6jKGQDazkm$SLV $PSLV pic.twitter.com/ngFy9QQ4bd— Jesse Colombo (@TheBubbleBubble) April 27, 2026The mechanism is the gold-silver ratio. The ratio sits near 62 today, and BofA models a compression toward 32 (the 2011 low) for the base bull case, with 14 (the 1980 low) as the stretch scenario. Applied to a gold price already trading near $4,620, that math is what produces the $135-$309 range. As the FinanceMagnates.com COMEX inventory analysis noted earlier this month, the structural setup behind that compression, a sixth straight year of supply deficit and 13.4% COMEX coverage, has not gone away.My one-sentence view: the ratio mechanism is sound and historically defensible, but the timing is the risk. A 32:1 ratio is a 2- to 3-year setup in past cycles, not an in-year 2026 outcome.Where Wall Street's Silver Forecasts ClusterThe current institutional forecast band is one of the widest I've tracked in 15 years.Citi's $150 three-month call from late January looks aggressive in hindsight given the subsequent crash, and the bank has not refreshed it publicly. The Reuters poll median of $79.50 is the most boring and probably the most useful data point: it implies a flat-to-modestly-higher year from current levels, with everything else as noise around it. The Reuters consensus is detailed in the comprehensive February forecast roundup, which still anchors the year-end picture.The gold parallel is informative. As the recent gold crash analysis detailed, the same hawkish-Fed channel pulled gold to $4,620 even as JPMorgan held its $6,300 target and Goldman Sachs maintained $5,400. Bullion forecasters are not capitulating, and silver desks aren't either, but the path to those targets requires either an Iran de-escalation that breaks the oil channel, or a Fed pivot that markets are not currently pricing. The earlier silver crash analysis from March 20 walked through why neither was in place at the time, and not much has changed.Silver Price Prediction FAQWhy is silver rising today? Silver is rising 3.21% to $75.46/oz on April 30 because US-Iran peace talks stalled after Trump dismissed Tehran's latest proposal, reigniting the safe-haven bid that had compressed earlier this week. Hopes for a near-term Strait of Hormuz reopening were priced out of crude and metals together, with silver outperforming gold on a percentage basis as it typically does in directional precious metals moves.How high can silver go in 2026? The aggressive bull case from Bank of America's Michael Widmer puts silver at $135-$309 if the gold-silver ratio compresses toward the 32:1 (2011) or 14:1 (1980) historical lows. The Reuters poll consensus of 30 analysts sits at $79.50 median for 2026. My base case requires a clean break above $80 for an attempted return to $94 and the $118-$120 ATH zone.How low can silver go? A weekly close below $70 would be the first serious warning, opening a path toward $55 (October 2025 highs and 200 EMA confluence). The 100% Fibonacci extension of the January-April down-up cycle projects $22 per ounce as a tail-risk extreme, implying roughly 70% downside. JP Morgan's Marko Kolanovic targets a more conservative $50.What is the gold-silver ratio doing? The gold-silver ratio sits near 62 today against a long-term average closer to 60. Bank of America's $135-$309 silver target is built on the ratio compressing toward 32 (the 2011 low) or 14 (the 1980 low), which would imply massive silver outperformance versus gold. That compression typically plays out over multiple years in past cycles, not in a single calendar year.Should I buy silver in 2026? That is a personal decision tied to risk tolerance, time horizon, and overall portfolio construction, not a question I can answer for any individual reader. Structurally, silver has a sixth straight year of supply deficit and meaningful industrial demand from solar and EV; tactically, it sits between credible bull cases above $80 and credible bear cases below $70. Position sizing matters more than direction in this environment. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

CFI Financial Group has secured authorization from Brazil's central bank to operate as a securities brokerage firm in the country, the company said today (Thursday). The Banco Central do Brasil cleared CFI to function as a Corretora de Títulos e Valores Mobiliários, allowing it to offer local clients access to equities and fixed-income securities.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)The approval lifts the Dubai-based group's regulatory footprint to 15 licenses worldwide. It also gives CFI a foothold in a market the company has watched from the sidelines while it built out positions across the Middle East, Africa, and, more recently, parts of Latin America.CFI reported $2.3 trillion in trading volume in the first quarter of 2026, up 11% from the previous quarter and 81% from a year earlier, according to its own disclosures. Total 2025 volume came in at $6.4 trillion, with active clients up 18% year over year.A Locally Regulated Entry, Not an Offshore PlayThe CTVM authorization places CFI under direct Brazilian prudential oversight rather than letting it serve clients on a cross-border basis from elsewhere. That structure stands apart from the offshore CFD model used by many international retail brokers in the region.Ziad Melhem, who took over as Group CEO last June, said the firm sees the local market as ready for a deeper offering. "Brazil represents an important pillar in our global expansion, and this step reflects our focus on building a strong, licensed, and locally grounded presence," he said in a company statement.Melhem, who succeeded co-founders Hisham Mansour and Eduardo Fakhoury when they moved to chairman and vice chairman roles, also said clients in the country are "looking for depth, transparency and a platform that can support more sophisticated trading needs," according to the company.Brazil Joins a Crowded but Bumpy LATAM MapCFI is entering Brazil at a moment when other foreign brokers are finding the country less straightforward than it appeared. Polish broker XTB obtained Brazilian regulatory approval earlier in 2025, only to disclose in October that it was evaluating "all potential business options, including the possibility of ceasing further operations", citing what it called local protectionist measures. The Warsaw-listed firm later suspended new account openings for Brazilian residents after ending its partnership with Finvest DTVM Ltda.Other foreign players have taken different routes. Binance acquired the locally licensed broker-dealer Sim;paul in January 2025 to obtain its own Brazilian authorization, while payments group Airwallex secured a payment institution license and acquired Mexico's MexPago to round out a Latin American push. Plus500 chose Colombia rather than Brazil for its first regional foothold last August, opening a representative office under the Financial Superintendence.Building on a Recent LATAM MoveThe Brazil license follows CFI's authorization from Colombia's Financial Superintendence in August 2025, which cleared the way for a representative office in Bogotá. That approval came within days of similar Colombian green lights for Plus500, Libertex Group's offshore brand LBX, and Australian broker ACY, as FinanceMagnates.com reported at the time.Melhem said CFI plans to set up a dedicated Brazilian team, including local leadership, client service, and partnerships with domestic fintechs and content platforms. The firm also intends to roll out Portuguese-language research and educational material, mirroring a localization playbook it has used in MENA markets.The wider group operates under regulators including the UK's FCA, the UAE's Capital Market Authority, CySEC in Cyprus, the Jordan Securities Commission, and the Central Bank of Bahrain. CFI added a Bahrain office last October, opened a Baku entity in early 2025 after acquiring AzFinance Investment Company, and named Amr Abdelbaky CEO of its Egyptian unit earlier this month. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

The Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) has rolled out a relief package for the more than 4,400 firms registered on its platform, extending audited financial statement deadlines and granting case-by-case flexibility on tax filings, the center said in a statement today (Wednesday). QFC framed the measures as part of a broader national effort by the State of Qatar to keep businesses operating amid what it called "evolving regional developments."Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)A Concrete Backdrop Behind the Diplomatic PhrasingThe Gulf has spent the past two months absorbing the economic fallout from war with Iran. That includes damage at the Ras Laffan LNG complex, a brief shutdown of the Abu Dhabi and Dubai stock exchanges in early March, and a sharp swing in Qatar's trade balance.The IMF in its latest World Economic Outlook projected Qatar's economy could shrink by close to 9 percent in 2026, even as it forecast the country would return to being among the fastest-growing GCC economies from 2027 onward.Brokers across the region have been recalibrating their exposure since the strikes, with firms that anchored fully in the UAE now reckoning with concentration risk.Targeted Relief Covers Filings, Taxes, and Startup WorkspacesThe QFC package focuses on three pressure points the center said its firms have flagged. Companies will get more time to file audited financial statements, and the center said it would adjust tax filing timelines on a case-by-case basis rather than offering a blanket extension.That carve-out suggests an attempt to keep the 10 percent corporate tax regime intact while easing administrative pressure. Startups, which often lease space in QFC's co-working hubs including the Tech Circle on the ninth floor of QFC Tower 1, will see temporary relief on workspace charges.The QFC said the measures sit on top of its existing offer to international firms, which includes 100 percent foreign ownership, 100 percent profit repatriation, and a 10 percent corporate tax on locally-sourced profits."Qatar's commitment to its business community is unwavering," said Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al Thani, Qatar's Minister of Commerce and Industry and chairman of Invest Qatar, in a statement coordinating the broader national package."As regional conditions continue to evolve, we remain fully focused on acting decisively to support companies operating in our market, safeguard business continuity and reinforce confidence."Doha's Pitch to Brokers Has Lagged Dubai'sFor Qatar, the relief package is also a positioning exercise. The Third National Development Strategy referenced in the QFC statement sits alongside the longer-running Qatar National Vision 2030, which prioritizes diversification away from hydrocarbons into financial services, fintech, asset management, and digital infrastructure.The pitch has historically attracted scattered interest from the retail brokerage industry. London-headquartered ICM.com received QFC authorisation in late 2021, opening a Doha office and citing Qatar's GCC client base.Equiti Group signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatari holding company MK Enterprise in 2023 to expand into the country, with co-founder Mohammed Alahmad Ketmawi describing Qatar's strategic importance at the time.The QFC public register lists dozens of firms operating from towers in West Bay and Lusail, though the bulk are banks, insurers, advisory shops, and family offices rather than CFD brokerages. Most regional broker activity has flowed instead to the United Arab Emirates, where the Dubai Financial Services Authority and the federal Capital Markets Authority offer two distinct licensing routes that have absorbed the bulk of the migration out of Cyprus over the past two years.MENA Broker Migration Has Largely Flowed to DubaiThe numbers tell the story. The DIFC registered 1,081 new active companies in the first half of 2025 alone, bringing its total to 7,700 and lifting financial services authorisations 28 percent year-over-year.The centre now houses more than 70 brokerage firms, including five of the top 10 interdealer brokers globally by volume, according to data DIFC has shared publicly. The Dubai Financial Services Authority subsequently rolled out a digital licensing platform projected to deliver a 33 percent efficiency gain in application processing, the regulator said.Brokers have made the volume case repeatedly. Capital.com reported that 52 percent of its first-half 2025 trading volume, or roughly $804 billion, was generated from MENA traders, against 15 percent from Europe, with UAE-based traders contributing nearly 72 percent of that MENA volume.CFI Financial, another Middle East-focused broker, handled a record $2.3 trillion in trading volume during the first quarter of 2026, a figure that approached the firm's full-year 2024 total. Tickmill said its regional trading volume rose 54 percent year-over-year, while IG Group disclosed Dubai net trading revenue of £28.7 million for the year ended May 31, 2025, up from £18.9 million the prior year.The migration story extends across competitor names. Forex.com operator Gain Capital, XM, RoboMarkets, Deriv, VT Markets, Eightcap, and Anax Capital all secured UAE authorisations in 2025.Plus500, XTB, Deriv, and RoboMarkets have obtained the full Category 1 brokerage licence from the federal Capital Markets Authority, which permits client deposits and local execution. A larger group has opted for the lighter Category 5 license, geared toward introducing-broker and white-label models.Saudi Arabia, by contrast, has yet to roll out a fully-formed CFD licensing framework, and Qatar's offering sits closer to a wholesale and asset-management profile than a retail trading hub.Whether the latest QFC measures move the needle on broker registrations is harder to assess. The relief package is time-bound and tied to current circumstances rather than a structural reform of the licensing regime. The QFC said the measures will be reviewed continuously as conditions evolve. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

B2BROKER Group, the global fintech solutions provider for financial institutions, has announced the launch of its AI Assistant inside its B2TRADER ecosystem. This step marks one of the first fully integrated AI deployments inside a multi-asset trading platform and a major advancement for AI-first trading infrastructure on the whole.Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming the underlying operating layer of financial markets. New models are constantly emerging, decision cycles are compressing, and the gap between AI-enabled participants and legacy workflows is widening in real time.At the same time, a new market standard is forming, one where AI is increasingly looked upon as the foundation for how trading decisions are made. Market projections indicate that AI trading will reach $35B by 2030, clearly demonstrating the growing demands among retail and institutional participants alike.Against this backdrop, B2BROKER has positioned itself as a frontrunner, actively helping bring this transformation to the market and define the standards for how it will affect traders in the future. As a leading technology provider to brokers and financial institutions, B2BROKER sees it as its responsibility to deliver access to bleeding-edge tools directly to its clients and their end users.This new integration is a fundamental upgrade to how trading decisions are executed, and it represents the company’s willingness to play its part in the global technological revolution. By becoming one of the first companies to fully integrate AI into their trading infrastructure, B2BROKER is equipping its clients with a tangible competitive advantage, enabling them to operate faster, trade smarter, and interpret markets more effectively.Overall, this decision aligns both the company and its customers with the broader trends that are now shaping the global financial markets.The new AI Assistant is not an external plugin, third-party signal feed, or separate analytics tool. It is built directly into the B2TRADER workspace, allowing traders to access forecasts, sentiment analysis, signal drivers, suggested actions, and key market metrics without leaving the platform.This transforms the role of the trading terminal on a foundational level: from a simple execution interface into an active decision-making environment powered by real-time AI insights.Historically, this level of analytical depth and execution quality has been reserved for institutional trading desks with dedicated quant teams and infrastructure. Retail and semi-professional traders operated across fragmented tools, delayed signals, and external analytics layers. Now, that structural divide is being eliminated and AI capabilities are the key element of this transformation.Alongside the launch of the new Assistant itself, B2BROKER Group is also introducing a more tailored pricing model for B2TRADER. This step is intended to make advanced AI-driven trading infrastructure accessible across a broader range of participants. The updated structure moves away from rigid, one-size-fits-all pricing and instead offers flexible packages that match the real structure of each client’s business. Pricing can now be better aligned with the broker’s size, operational complexity, required configuration, product scope, and growth stage.This setup is designed to make advanced trading infrastructure more accessible to small and medium-sized brokers, while continuing to support larger institutions with more sophisticated requirements.It also ensures that participation in the AI transformation of finance is not limited to a small group of large-scale players. B2BROKER’s team believes that small- and mid-level brokers and traders similarly deserve to operate with best-in-class tools — and so the company aligns its offering to support that vision.With this change, the Group is not only upgrading the product experience but also making B2TRADER more adaptable to the realities of the global brokerage market.“We believe AI will separate the next generation of brokers from the previous one,” stated Arthur Azizov, Founder and CEO of B2BROKER Group. “For us, the launch of the new assistant is far more than just another feature release; it’s a strategic step toward an AI-first trading experience. Brokers need to give their clients more than execution — they need to give them intelligence, speed, context, and confidence. With the AI Assistant in B2TRADER, we are helping our clients build stronger businesses and giving their end users a real market advantage.”About B2BROKER GroupB2BROKER Group https://b2broker.com is a group of companies that provide global fintech solutions for financial institutions. It delivers liquidity, trading technology, payment solutions, and brokerage infrastructure through a network of specialised entities. Founded in 2014, with key hubs in Dubai (HQ), London, Limassol, and Hong Kong, the company operates in 11 countries, serving clients across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. B2BROKER Group serves brokers, exchanges, hedge funds, proprietary trading firms, and other financial institutions. Leveraging its extensive network and ecosystem-driven approach, the company provides scalable solutions that help clients streamline operations, maximise efficiency, and drive growth.About B2TRADERB2TRADER https://b2trader.b2broker.com is a multi-asset trading platform developed by B2BROKER Group for brokers and financial institutions. It supports trading across various markets in a single account: Forex, crypto CFD, spot fiat and crypto, precious metals and commodities, equity indices, NDFs CFD, perpetual futures, equities, ETFs, and fixed income. The platform processes up to 3,000 requests per second, ensuring stable operation under high load. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Pipcy, a new proprietary trading firm, launches publicly in May 2026 with two challenge programs, a 95% performance split ceiling, payouts within 48 hours, and entry pricing from $18. The firm enters the prop trading sector with a structural difference from most competitors: a PIP-based challenge model, dual platform support across MetaTrader 5 and a proprietary in-house platform, and a free educational platform built into the core product.The May 2026 launch will introduce two distinct challenge formats and a 50% welcome offer on the Pipcy Classic Challenge for new clients. Full product specifications will be published at pipcy.com on launch day.What Pipcy IsPipcy is a proprietary trading firm that funds traders who pass a challenge program. The model follows the standard prop firm structure — entry fee, challenge, funded account, profit share. However, Pipcy diverges from sector norms in three areas: how it measures trader performance, the platforms it operates on, and the educational support it bundles into the core product.At launch, Pipcy will offer:Two challenge programs: the Pipcy Classic Challenge (dollar-balance challenge) and the Pips Mastery Challenge (PIP-based challenge)Entry pricing from $18, with a 50% welcome offer on the Classic Challenge during the launch windowA 95% performance split ceiling for funded tradersPayouts processed within 48 hours, published as a rule rather than a marketing claimA 12% absolute maximum loss on the Classic Challenge, with no daily drawdown restrictionsTwo platform options: MetaTrader 5 and the proprietary Pipcy platformPipcy Academy, a free in-product educational platformTwo Challenge Programs, Two Routes to Funded TradingPipcy enters the market with two distinct challenge formats rather than a single flagship program. The two are designed for different trader profiles and measure performance in different ways.The Pipcy Classic ChallengeThe Pipcy Classic Challenge is the firm's dollar-balance challenge, the format most traders moving from other prop firms will already understand. The Pipcy Classic Challenge measures account growth in dollars and provides a structured scaling path into larger funded accounts. The Classic Challenge ships with a 50% welcome offer at launch, halving the cost of entry during the opening window.The Pips Mastery ChallengeThe Pips Mastery Challenge is Pipcy's differentiated product. The Pips Mastery Challenge measures trader performance in PIPs rather than in dollar balance. It is a different product category, not a different version of the same challenge.PIP-based challenge rewards traders for the quality of their execution, meaning the PIPs they capture from the market, rather than for how much their account balance moves on a given day. The model rewards consistency and skill over position sizing. Most prop firms have not put a PIP-based challenge in front of a mass trader audience before now.Full Pips Mastery Challenge rules, account sizes, and rewards per PIP will be published on launch day.The Team Behind PipcyPipcy has been built by a team with multi-decade experience across financial markets and the proprietary trading industry.Omer Ben Matityahu, CEO and Founder. Omer Ben Matityahu's background is in fintech entrepreneurship, with a focus on building infrastructure for the trading sector. The decision to run Pipcy on its own platform, CRM, and dashboard alongside MetaTrader 5 traces directly to that approach.Snir Ahiel, Head of Risk Management and Consulting. Snir Ahiel brings over 15 years of experience across forex, stocks, and options. He is a co-founder of The5ers, where he contributed to the development of trader evaluation systems and performance-driven trading frameworks that shaped the modern prop firm sector. The risk parameters in Pipcy's challenges including the 12% absolute maximum loss with no daily drawdown restrictions reflect a deliberate choice about testing traders without breaking them on normal market volatility.Vladimir Rybakov, Head of Pipcy Academy. Vladimir Rybakov is a CFTe-certified financial technician with 19 years of market experience, beginning as a dealer at a brokerage before moving into trading and education. His work focuses on price action, technical analysis, and market structure. His role at Pipcy is to ensure traders moving through the challenge programs have the analytical tools to clear them.Pipcy Academy: Education Built Into the ProductMost prop firms treat education as a marketing add-on. Pipcy treats it as part of the core product. Pipcy Academy gives traders free access to structured trading education focused on the factors that decide whether a trader clears a challenge: risk management, execution discipline, and decision-making under pressure.The Pipcy Academy curriculum is taught by Vladimir Rybakov and supported by Snir Ahiel's risk management work. The focus is on building skill, not selling courses. Pipcy Academy includes no upsells, no subscription tiers, and no paid certifications. The Academy exists because traders who clear challenges and trade consistently are good for the firm, and traders who blow accounts because they were never taught risk management properly are bad for the firm.Product Economics: Entry From $18, Payouts Within 48 HoursEntry to a Pipcy challenge starts from $18. With the 50% welcome offer applied to the Classic Challenge during the launch window, the effective entry cost is lower than what most major prop firms charge for their entry-level account tiers.Pipcy payouts are processed within 48 hours, published directly on the rules page rather than as a marketing claim. For traders who have watched withdrawal requests sit in review queues for weeks at other firms, the 48-hour figure is one of the metrics to monitor most closely once the firm goes live. A clean claim is easy to make. Hitting it consistently under live load is the harder part, and the first wave of funded traders will be the ones who confirm whether the figure holds.Two Platforms: MetaTrader 5 and the Proprietary Pipcy PlatformAt launch, Pipcy traders can choose between two trading platforms. The first is MetaTrader 5, the industry-standard platform most prop traders are already familiar with. The second is the proprietary Pipcy platform, built in-house alongside the firm's own CRM and dashboard.The dual-platform approach addresses two different trader needs. MetaTrader 5 availability means traders can join Pipcy without changing their setup, indicators, or expert advisors. Running its own platform gives Pipcy direct control over execution and trader experience, while MT5 availability means traders can come in without changing their setup.What the May 2026 Launch RepresentsThe prop firm sector has spent the past two years working through a credibility correction. Traders have become more discerning about which firms they trade with, regulators have begun paying closer attention, and the sector has started consolidating around operators who compete on trader economics rather than acquisition funnel volume.Pipcy is positioning itself in that second camp. The 12% absolute maximum loss, the 95% performance split ceiling, the PIP-based challenge model, the 48-hour payouts, the Pipcy Academy educational platform, and the dual MT5-plus-proprietary platform setup all point in the same direction: a firm built to make money when its traders make money.Pipcy launches publicly in May 2026. Full product details, launch date, and welcome offer mechanics will be published at pipcy.com on launch day.About PipcyPipcy is a proprietary trading firm offering funded trading accounts to traders who pass one of two challenges: the Pipcy Classic Challenge (dollar-balance challenge) and the Pips Mastery Challenge (PIP-based challenge). Pipcy offers a 95% performance split ceiling, payouts within 48 hours, entry pricing from $18, MetaTrader 5 and proprietary platform access, and a free in-product educational platform, Pipcy Academy. Pipcy is led by CEO and Founder Omer Ben Matityahu, with Snir Ahiel co-founder of The5ers heading Risk Management, and Vladimir Rybakov heading Pipcy Academy. Pipcy launches at pipcy.com in May 2026.Disclaimer: This article has been submitted by an advertiser and does not constitute editorial content from Finance Magnates. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Rakuten Securities said its general securities account base crossed 14 million in April, with the online broker adding 1 million accounts in roughly five months as Japanese households continue shifting cash deposits into stocks, funds, and tax-advantaged investment wrappers.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)The Minato-ku-headquartered firm, a unit of internet conglomerate Rakuten Group, said the figure makes it the largest domestic securities company by total non-consolidated accounts, based on its own aggregation of publicly disclosed data from rivals. Five Months for Each Million as Pace QuickensThe latest milestone follows a steady cadence of account growth at Rakuten Securities over the past two and a half years. The broker, founded in 1999 as Japan's first online-only securities firm, hit 10 million accounts in December 2023, 11 million in April 2024, 12 million in January 2025, and 13 million in November 2025. The roughly five-month gap between the 13 million and 14 million marks tracks the pace seen earlier in 2024 and 2025.President and Chief Executive Yuji Kusunoki has overseen a product push aimed at lowering entry barriers for first-time investors, including making domestic stock trading commission-free in October 2023 and rolling out a service the firm calls KabuPita, which lets retail customers buy Japanese shares from 100 yen in 1-yen increments.The company also said it has introduced AI-driven analytical tools for Japanese and US equity investing, a margin trading product branded Rakuraku Credit, and Rakuten Money Fund, an MRF-style cash management vehicle. On the security side, the firm said it has rolled out passkey authentication based on the FIDO2 standard across its trading tools and apps.SBI Remains the Rival Question Mark in Account TalliesRakuten's claim to the top spot in Japan's online retail brokerage market comes with a methodological caveat the company itself flags. SBI Securities, widely cited by the industry and partners as Japan's largest online brokerage, does not publicly disclose its individual account count. Rakuten's comparison uses an SBI figure dating to the end of March 2021, while pulling fresher numbers from Nomura Securities and Daiwa Securities, which report customer accounts with remaining balances, and SMBC Nikko, which discloses total accounts.International brokers have also been pushing harder into the market. Interactive Brokers launched tax-advantaged NISA accounts through its Japanese unit in mid-2025, pitching access to more than 160 global exchanges as a differentiator against domestic incumbents. Beyond securities, Japan's broader retail trading ecosystem includes more than 150 licensed FX and securities providers, with names such as GMO Click Securities, DMM FX, and Monex Group dominating retail FX volumes alongside Rakuten. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Prediction markets are quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing trading categories, driven by demand for event-based markets tied to real-world outcomes.Shift Markets has launched prediction markets software, giving operators a practical way to enter this category and bring event-based trading into their existing platforms.Prediction markets have moved from niche to mainstream, opening a new form of market participation across politics, macroeconomics, finance, sports, and crypto. Shift Markets enables operators to offer this experience under their own brand, without launching a separate platform.Why Shift Markets is Launching Prediction Market SoftwarePrediction markets have moved well beyond the experimental phase. The category reached more than $50 billion in trading volume in 2025, grew 130x from early 2024 to late 2025, and is now generating more than $20 billion in monthly trading volume.The rapid growth of prediction markets has changed how operators should prioritize this category. Prediction markets are no longer just an interesting corner of the market. They are becoming a real path to expansion for operators evaluating how to expand their product offerings beyond spot and derivatives.Trading platforms are under more pressure to expand product mix, create differentiated engagement, and respond to where market attention is moving. Event-based markets do all three. These markets give users a way to participate in outcomes tied to politics, macroeconomics, finance, sports, and crypto, while giving operators a category that feels distinct without stepping outside the logic of trading.Shift is launching into this category now because operators need a practical way to enter it. The opportunity is clear, but the path still needs to make sense from an infrastructure, liquidity, and operational standpoint.An Overview of the Shift Markets Prediction Market PlatformShift Markets’ prediction market platform is a white label solution designed to integrate directly into the operator’s existing environment. Instead of launching a separate platform, operators can embed prediction markets within their current product, keeping their own name, design, and domain, while maintaining full control over the user experience.The product is built for businesses that want to add event-based trading without building the full stack in-house. That includes the market experience itself, the operator controls behind it, and the ability to connect liquidity and configure which market categories are offered.The result is a product that feels native to the platform, rather than a separate destination.High-level Product Capabilities Shift Markets’ prediction markets software works to integrate within existing trading infrastructure, allowing operators to launch this product category with minimal complexity. Full White Label CustomizationOperators can launch under their own brand, design, and domain, so the market experience reflects the rest of the platform, and users stay inside the operator’s ecosystem.Aggregated LiquidityThe product connects to liquidity sources such as Kalshi and Polymarket and supports different hedging approaches, giving operators a more practical route into the category from day one.Configurable Market CategoriesOperators can define which event categories they want to offer, including crypto, finance, macro, sports, or politics, and filter markets in line with their own business and regulatory scope.Operator Back OfficeThe platform includes operator controls for creating and settling markets, monitoring trading activity, managing fee structures, and overseeing user positions.Native Platform IntegrationThe architecture is designed to integrate with the operator’s existing platform, including KYC and balance management systems, so the product fits within the broader infrastructure rather than requiring a separate operating model.Ian McAfee, CEO of Shift Markets, stated, “Prediction markets are expanding too quickly for trading platforms to ignore. Most operators already see the opportunity, but don’t have a clear path to enter without rebuilding their platform. Our software gives them a practical way to do that while maintaining full control over their product and user experience.”About Shift MarketsShift Markets is a white-label trading infrastructure provider that has been building technology for exchanges, brokerages, and trading platforms since 2009. Across its client network, Shift has supported the launch of more than 200 trading platforms, more than $2 trillion in total traded volume, and more than 10 million registered end users.That experience is what highlights the importance of this launch. Prediction markets are gaining attention quickly, but operators need infrastructure that supports real trading business, and Shift is solving that problem. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

iForex, the contracts for differences (CFD) broker that went public earlier this year, reported its financials for 2025, with a 2 per cent yearly revenue decline to $49.1 million. It ended the year with an adjusted pre-tax profit of $1.6 million, which went down by 4.3 per cent.Its net loss for the year came in at $3.2 million, compared to a $6 million profit in the previous year.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Financial Metrics Struggled before Going PublicThe broker further highlighted that its adjusted EBITDA went down by 55.7 per cent to $4.3 million, while the EBITDA margin declined to 8.8 per cent from 19 per cent.“During the year, we made meaningful strides against our strategic priorities through investment in our proprietary trading platform, operational capabilities and geographic footprint,” said Itai Sadeh, CEO of iFOREX.“Trading conditions were mixed, with strong activity and macro-driven volatility in the first half of the year giving way to a period of lower volatility in Q3, before recovering towards year-end. While costs were higher, this largely reflected non-recurring IPO-related investment, supporting the ongoing development and scalability of the business.”Heavy IPO CostsiForex went public last February after a delay of about eight months due to an offshore regulatory investigation. The public listing cost the broker a non-recurring $4.1 million and included a non-cash share-based payment charge of $3.7 million, which primarily impacted its 2025 profitability.The broker highlighted that 2026, so far, has had a "positive start" with a trading demand surge because of elevated levels of market volatility, which resulted in healthy levels of profitability. It is also exploring geographical expansion opportunities, particularly in the UAE.Read more: CFD Brokers Flock to Dubai, but Few Go All In“We have started FY 2026 positively, aided by elevated market volatility,” Sadeh stressed.Meanwhile, in the non-financial KPIs, the broker’s total trading volume in 2025 increased by 1.5 per cent to $470.8 billion. Active clients on the platform, however, declined by 2.5 per cent to 28,141. It added 13,579 new clients last year.Interestingly, the broker managed to marginally increase average revenue per user to $1,746 from $1,737. However, its average client acquisition cost increased to $695 from $401. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

Equinix reported a 10% rise in first-quarter revenue to $2.44 billion and lifted its 2026 guidance, with the data center operator citing record bookings and accelerating demand from AI customers as the backbone of the result.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Margins Widen as Bookings Hit RecordThe Redwood City-based REIT, which runs colocation facilities widely used by exchanges, market makers and interdealer brokers, posted net income of $415 million for the quarter ended March 31, up 21% year over year. Operating income climbed 26% to $577 million, and adjusted EBITDA rose 17% to $1.245 billion, with margin reaching 51%, the company said.Annualized gross bookings hit $378 million, presales reached a record $140 million, and AFFO crossed the $1 billion mark for the first time, at $10.79 per share. The print landed during a busy week for first-quarter earnings across firms that rely on Equinix-style colocation, including New York market maker Virtu Financial, which nearly doubled its first-quarter net income to $346.6 million on a 34% jump in trading income.Q1 2026 Key Performance IndicatorsAI Workloads Now Drive Most Large DealsAbout 60% of Equinix's largest deals during the quarter were tied to AI, the company said, with eight of the ten largest AI model providers and four of the top five so-called neoclouds expanding their footprints with the operator. Equinix also rolled out Fabric Intelligence, which it said embeds AI directly into its network to optimize performance, and a Distributed AI Hub for connecting customers to GPU clouds, model companies and data platforms.CEO Adaire Fox-Martin pointed to "robust customer demand for our AI, cloud and networking solutions" as the basis for the raised 2026 outlook. The acceleration in AI traffic comes alongside a broader pickup in electronic trading volumes running through the same colocation footprint, with Tradeweb's Q1 net income climbing 39% to $233 million on record $3.3 trillion average daily volume.A Strong Quarter Across the Trading StackThe momentum extended beyond US venues. Polish broker XTB added 370,000 new clients and posted estimated Q1 net profit of PLN 535 million, up 176% year over year, with operating income rising 88.5% to PLN 1.09 billion. Swiss interdealer broker Compagnie Financière Tradition continued its growth streak, reporting first-quarter revenue up 17.4% at constant exchange rates to CHF 339.7 million, helped by elevated activity across rates, FX and commodities.Equinix lifted full-year revenue guidance to a range of $10.144 to $10.244 billion, from $10.123 to $10.223 billion previously, reflecting roughly 10 to 11% growth at the midpoint. Adjusted EBITDA guidance was raised to $5.165 to $5.245 billion, with margin expected at around 51%, while AFFO guidance moved to $4.198 to $4.278 billion.The company also flagged a pending acquisition of Nordic operator atNorth, struck jointly with the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which Equinix said should close as immediately accretive to AFFO per share. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.