City Traders Imperium, one of the prop trading firms to survive the wave of closures that hit the industry from 2024 to 2026, says it is close to launching a funding model that would pay traders no matter how much the firm makes from selling challenges. Chief Executive Martin Najat said the structure is in its final phase of testing and called it something the prop sector has not tried before.However, he offered no launch date and did not explain how it works. Speaking to review site ResponsibleTrading.com, Najat said the aim is to remove the conflict of interest at the center of most prop firms, where the same challenge fees that fund the business also fund payouts.A Survivor Pitches a Fix for the Industry's Core ConflictThe Dubai-based City Traders Imperium has run since 2018, which puts it among a small group of firms with a long record in a business that has churned through hundreds of brands. Najat said the new design is meant to break the firm's reliance on challenge income, calling it "one that decouples the business from its dependency on challenge fees entirely."The idea is not new. Rhodium FX has discussed linking its model to liquidity infrastructure so it profits from winning traders rather than from fees, and a Singapore firm rolled out a deferred-fee challenge in May. CTI has not said how its version would differ, or when traders will see it.The interview is the second in a CEO series putting prop bosses on the record, after FundedHive's chief executive called a consistency rule a payout trap. Najat framed CTI's ambition in similar language, saying the goal is "to be the most trader-aligned prop firm in the world."Challenge Prices FallCTI lowered its challenge prices on June 1 and said the cut is permanent. A $100,000 account now starts at $449 before discounts, down from what Najat acknowledged were premium prices through early 2026. "These are not promotional prices; these are our new permanent prices," he said.The move pulls CTI closer to rivals competing hard on entry cost. FundedNext lists a $6,000 plan from $59.99 and a $25,000 plan from about $199.99, while Funding Pips runs several evaluation tracks priced by account size. Najat put CTI's forex and commodities commissions near $5 per lot, which he said sits below a typical $6 to $9 range.CTI is cutting prices into a shrinking market. Industry estimates point to 80 or more prop firms shutting down across 2024 to 2026, many after MetaQuotes pulled platform support, a shakeout FinanceMagnates.com has tracked through its running closures list. Najat said CTI came through it on its balance sheet, saying the firm "maintained enough cash reserves to operate for a full year without any revenue."Others did not make it. FundingTicks said it would wind down in January after a backlash over new trading rules, and Seacrest closed its prop arm in February to focus on its CFD brokerage. Najat Pushes Back on Trader ComplaintsSome CTI funded traders have reported on review sites that their accounts were breached after taking stops in a roughly 2.5% to 5.6% range, with no clearly published maximum-risk figure. Najat rejected the idea of a hidden rule. "There is no hidden rule," he said, describing it instead as an overleveraging policy listed in the firm's FAQs and welcome emails.He went further, saying organized groups of traders deliberately exploit prop firms and then run complaint campaigns to pressure payouts. "We are aware of these groups, we recognise the patterns," Najat said, adding that CTI enforces its rules regardless.On whether CTI has altered terms on existing funded accounts, Najat said stricter changes apply only to new purchases, with one exception around copy trading and VPN use handled case by case. Retroactive changes have stung the sector before, including at FundingTicks, which drew a backlash over a rule change late last year.Najat would not give CTI's exact payout rate, the share of challenge buyers who ever withdraw, but said it runs above the 7% industry figure Finance Magnates reported from a study of 300,000 accounts. He separately cited an average payout worth 4.5% of a starting balance, a different measure that does not answer how many traders get paid. His line on cheap challenges was blunt: "They mean the firm can't afford to pay you."Offshore Structure Faces a Tightening Regulatory NetCTI's setup spans a UK origin, a Dubai headquarters, and a trading entity registered in the Comoros, the offshore jurisdiction it tapped to run its own MetaTrader 5 license. Najat described the Comoros as a stable, recognized framework, though jurisdictions like it are not known for substantive oversight of CFD or prop trading firms.He argued that regulating prop firms like brokers would do more harm than good, forcing country-by-country licensing and heavy compliance costs. For traders, he said, that would mean "higher challenge fees, fewer firms to choose from," not stronger protection.The pressure is already real. MetaQuotes' crackdown on unlicensed platform use rippled across the industry and forced FTMO to halt US client acquisition, while the CFTC's MyForexFunds case and growing FCA attention have signaled that formal rules may be coming. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Tools for Brokers is preparing to launch a new product called DEXA. The launch is scheduled for tomorrow (Wednesday). It is intended to expand the company’s brokerage infrastructure and risk technology stack.The company has gradually extended its platform beyond liquidity connectivity. Its development work has focused on bringing execution, risk management, and analytics into a more connected environment. This reflects an industry shift toward consolidated broker infrastructure, rather than separate systems for each function.DEXA Launch Targets Broker Risk SystemsThe new system, DEXA, is described as an ultra-high-performance AI-powered analytics and risk management platform built for brokerages. In a LinkedIn post, Alexey Kutsenko said DEXA is intended to change how brokers manage their book, risk, and trading desks.He said most risk desks still operate across multiple systems, including MT4/MT5 admin panels, bridge dashboards, and spreadsheets. He said this requires teams to manually piece together trading activity.Kutsenko also mentioned that DEXA “consolidates this workflow into a single real-time command centre”. He added that it brings “all trading activity into one view that is refreshed every second”, allowing risk teams to track changes as they happen. He added the system is built to give risk teams “a full live picture of their book as it unfolds”.The release adds to Tools for Brokers’ positioning in brokerage infrastructure. Execution, risk management, and analytics are increasingly converging in real time.Trade Processor Gains Reporting and SplittingLast year, the company partnered with TRAction to integrate automated regulatory reporting into Trade Processor. This allowed brokers to generate and submit reporting data through the platform instead of using separate external tools. It also introduced a large-order splitting feature to break down larger trades into smaller executions. This was aimed at improving execution handling and pricing outcomes. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Webull Canada introduced extended trading hours on its platform, allowing investors in the region to trade U.S. equities overnight. The new feature enables users to access U.S. stocks and ETFs almost continuously throughout the week, reflecting rising demand for flexibility in reacting to global market events.Overnight Trading Hours and AccessWebull Canada’s overnight session runs from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. ET, Sunday through Friday. This addition connects with existing pre-market, regular, and after-hours sessions, creating a near 24-hour trading cycle.According to Tuesday's announcement, the company said the feature enables users to respond to earnings releases, economic data, and breaking news without waiting for standard market hours.Continue reading: Webull Revenue Jumps 36% on Trading Surge, But Costs Push Firm to Loss“Markets don’t wait for the opening bell, and neither should investors,” said Michael Constantino, CEO of Webull Canada. “With 24/5 trading, we’re empowering Canadian investors to react to markets in real time, manage risk more effectively, and take greater control of their investing strategies, whenever opportunity strikes.”Webull Canada sources overnight liquidity and pricing data through Blue Ocean ATS and Bruce Markets. The platform combines both feeds into a single interface, allowing users to track and trade eligible securities during overnight sessions.Data, Liquidity, and RolloutMore than 12,000 symbols are currently available for overnight trading. The company provides level one market data at no cost, with additional data packages offered as subscriptions.The feature has launched in beta for a limited group of users. Webull Canada plans to extend access to all eligible accounts in the near term.Related: Webull Launches in Canada amid Broader Americas ExpansionThe rollout adds to the platform’s existing offering, which includes commission-free trading, registered accounts such as TFSA and RRSP, and charting tools. The move aligns with a broader industry shift toward extended trading hours as platforms compete on access and execution speed.Webull reported strong growth in the first quarter of 2026, with revenue rising 36% year-on-year to $159.9 million, driven by a surge in trading activity and higher client assets. Equity trading volumes more than doubled, while options activity and daily revenue trades also increased, reflecting strong engagement from active users. However, the brokerage swung to a net loss of $21.7 million as operating expenses jumped 68%, largely due to higher marketing, transaction costs, and continued investment in expansion and technology.Webull Canada’s move into 24/5 U.S. equity and ETF trading comes amid a broader industry race to keep clients active around the clock. In recent quarters, several retail platforms have rolled out overnight or near‑24‑hour access to U.S. stocks, positioning extended hours as a differentiator alongside pricing and product range. In the past year, brokers such as IG UK and Firstrade have introduced or expanded 24/5-style access to U.S. equities, often in partnership with alternative trading systems providing overnight liquidity. IG, for example, now offers round‑the‑clock weekday trading on a basket of major U.S. names, while Firstrade has tapped Blue Ocean’s overnight venue to target so‑called night‑owl investors. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Efforts to move artificial intelligence from testing to full deployment are gaining pace, as Equinix expands its partnerships with Cisco and NVIDIA to deliver ready-to-use infrastructure for enterprises.The company said it will deploy the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA across its global data center network. The rollout introduces standardized designs and automation tools that aim to simplify how companies build and scale AI systems.Although Equinix’s new AI offering does not target FX and CFD brokers specifically, but it can matter a lot for them in practice. It means brokers can run AI models in the same data centers where they already host trading servers, liquidity bridges, and connections to banks and prime brokers.AI needs a foundation. Equinix is teaming up with @Cisco and @NVIDIA to give enterprises the power, cooling, interconnection, and validated architectures to move AI from experiments into full production. CRN has the full story, read it here: https://t.co/2yW60XfIXt pic.twitter.com/tD22mfWVqP— Equinix, Inc. (@Equinix) June 16, 2026Infrastructure to support AI scaleEquinix will base the deployments on NVIDIA reference architectures, which provide pre-configured setups for AI workloads. These designs align with how enterprises typically deploy technology through partners and existing infrastructure platforms.The company said its data centers offer the connectivity, power supply, and cooling systems required for high-performance computing. This setup supports distributed AI, where workloads operate across cloud, on-premises, and colocation environments.Read more: Equinix Posts $2.44 Billion in Q1 Revenue and Lifts Full-Year Outlook on AI Demand"The success of enterprise AI starts with its physical foundation," said Gordon Mackintosh, Senior Vice President, Global Partner Sales and Ecosystems at Equinix. "Our collaboration with Cisco, NVIDIA and Presidio delivers the infrastructure AI workloads demand while giving customers a place to prove it out before they scale. This is how AI shifts from pilot to production with the speed, simplicity and certainty businesses need."Equinix is also working with Presidio to launch the Programmable AI Technology Hub (P.A.T.H.) Lab inside its data centers. The facility provides a production-grade environment where enterprises can test and validate AI systems before full rollout.Lab to Test DeploymentsThe lab runs on the same infrastructure used in live deployments, allowing companies to assess performance and refine their strategies under real conditions. This approach aims to reduce uncertainty and improve decision-making before scaling projects.The initiative reflects a broader shift toward integrated ecosystems, where infrastructure providers and technology partners work together to streamline enterprise AI deployment.Cisco and NVIDIA had already launched the Cisco Secure AI Factory earlier as a way for companies to get a ready-made setup for running AI with built‑in security across compute, networking, and data. This gave enterprises a blueprint instead of forcing them to design everything from scratch. Cisco also rolled out Nexus HyperFabric AI, which combines its networking gear with NVIDIA GPUs to create complete clusters for generative AI. The idea is to give firms a full stack they can deploy and manage more easily. Equinix and NVIDIA previously introduced Equinix Private AI with NVIDIA DGX, a hosted service where Equinix manages DGX systems in its data centers. That offering lets enterprises access high‑end NVIDIA hardware without building or running their own AI data centers.Equinix posted strong first‑quarter results, with revenue rising 10% to $2.44 billion and record adjusted EBITDA margins prompting the data center operator to lift its full‑year 2026 guidance. The firm pointed to record bookings and accelerating AI‑related demand alongside a 21% jump in net income to $415 million and a 26% increase in operating income to $577 million. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) is ramping up its supervisory efforts, releasing the latest findings from its 2025 Outcomes-Based Supervision (OBS) initiative. Rather than simply checking compliance boxes, the watchdog spent the last year evaluating how regular retail investors are treated in practice.The regulator’s latest push targets two main areas: a sweeping review of online marketing by investment firms, and a direct "Dear CEO" warning letter addressing widespread issues in how client complaints are managed. For executives in the fintech and FX/CFD spaces, the message is clear—marketing strategies and customer service can no longer be treated as separate silos.Key Areas of ConcernThe MFSA’s recent sweep uncovered significant gaps in both how high-risk products are sold and how investor disputes are resolved. The results suggest that firms need to take a hard look at both their client acquisition tactics and their back-office support systems. What This Means for the Global FX/CFD IndustryWhile these enforcement trends originate in Malta, they reflect the broader expectations of European and international regulators targeting conduct risk. The feedback loop between aggressive marketing and operational complaints is now a primary target for supervisory bodies. Cross-Border MarketingMaltese Enforcement Reality: Regulators are mandating localized, highly visible risk disclosures and continuous post-publication tracking for all advertisements.Global Industry Implications: Passported brands are forced to align their marketing across all jurisdictions, closing any compliance gaps between different regions.Affiliate AccountabilityMaltese Enforcement Reality: Firms face direct liability for any non-compliant promotional materials published by external partners or introducing brokers (IBs).Global Industry Implications: Companies must de-risk their partner networks by deploying automated web-scraping compliance tools and enforcing stricter legal contracts.This is only a snapshot of the full scope of the MFSA’s findings. To read the complete analysis and unlock deeper regulatory insights, visit the FM Intelligence portal. This article was written by Sylwester Majewski at www.financemagnates.com.

CMC Markets has launched MetaTrader 5 in Canada, expanding its platform offering for retail and professional clients. With MT5, clients can trade more than 1,100 instruments through a single account. These include US and Canadian shares, indices, commodities, and forex.CMC Markets Expands Canada MT5The launch is part of CMC Markets’ continued investment in technology and product development in Canada. The company said it aims to offer “more flexibility” and wider market access.Separately, CMC Markets is also making structural changes in its Asia operations. The group is consolidating its corporate setup in Singapore by merging its stockbroking entity with its main local unit. It will continue to operate both the CMC Markets and CMC Invest platforms for now.Felix Wong, Vice President of Distribution at CMC Markets North America, said “The launch expands platform choice for our Canadian clients” and that it “complements CMC Markets’ existing offering.” He added that combining MT5 with access to more than 1,100 instruments provides greater flexibility in how traders engage with markets.CMC Targets Super App ExpansionCMC Markets is progressing its multi-asset app strategy, which forms part of its longer-term plan to develop a broader financial platform. The first phase consolidates traditional finance products into a single platform. The second phase is expected to introduce decentralised finance products alongside pension and tax-wrapper accounts, as well as tokenised assets, stablecoins, and CapX investing. The third phase is planned to include payments and banking services.Separately, CMC Markets has also been expanding its core over-the-counter product range, including the recent introduction of weekend gold trading amid increased demand for the metal.CMC Markets Profit Rises to £101mCMC Markets reported net annual operating income of £392.6 million for the year ended 31 March, up 15 per cent year-on-year. Pre-tax profit rose 20 per cent to £101.3 million, with margin improving to 25.8 per cent. EBITDA increased to £117.8 million and earnings per share rose to 27.5 pence. The company said it delivered its strongest performance outside FY2021, supported by volatility and growth in institutional and B2B income, alongside record results in Australia. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Every major shift in financial markets creates a moment when institutions have to decide whether to adapt early or react later.For brokers, that moment has already arrived with tokenisation.The question investors are beginning to ask is simple: can I hold the real asset on-chain, verify ownership, and move value on my own terms?The firms that can answer this question will define the next decade of financial markets by creating new opportunities for investors through greater access, transparency and control.The US$600 trillion opportunity moving on-chainThe crypto market today represents approximately US$3 trillion. But the bigger opportunity sits beyond crypto — the estimated US$600 trillion universe of global financial and real-world assets, spanning equities, bonds, real estate, gold, commodities and other asset classes.The next wave of financial adoption will not be defined only by creating new digital assets. It will be defined by bringing the existing financial world on-chain through trusted, compliant and accessible infrastructure.Blockmaze, the largest regulated ecosystem for tokenised assets, is bridging the US$600 trillion gap between global assets and global access by giving brokers, issuers, exchanges, and financial institutions a regulated pathway to bring real-world assets on-chain. Built for compliant players, by compliant players, Blockmaze combines technology, licensing and regulatory capabilities across payments, investment services, brokerage and digital asset infrastructure to bring traditional assets on-chain in a compliant way.Blockmaze brings a complete vertical integration stack for tokenisation, allowing financial institutions to access issuance, custody support, liquidity, payments and compliance infrastructure through a single ecosystem.Its ready-to-launch enterprise and white-label solutions enable issuers, institutions, brokers, exchanges and financial platforms to launch tokenised products without building the infrastructure themselves — covering tokenised stocks, CFDs, gold, real estate and other real-world asset solutions.Instead of requiring institutions to rebuild their technology stack, Blockmaze provides the infrastructure layer that allows existing financial businesses to integrate tokenisation capabilities into their current platforms and upgrade their offerings for the next phase of digital markets.Tokenisation is moving from concept to competitionThe direction of travel is clear: traditional assets are moving towards digital rails.The competitive landscape is already shifting.Crypto-native platforms are increasingly expanding into traditional financial markets, creating a new competitive landscape for brokers. Tokenised equities are no longer theoretical — platforms including Kraken, Coinbase and Binance have already moved towards offering tokenised stocks and traditional market access through digital rails.Brokers themselves are crossing over.Major financial institutions including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, Apollo, Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq and JPMorgan are actively building or exploring tokenisation infrastructure, signalling that real-world assets are moving from experimentation towards mainstream financial markets.The message for the industry is clear: tokenisation is moving from a future roadmap item to a competitive reality.As autonomous AI agents become bigger participants in the global economy, financial infrastructure will also need to evolve. Future markets will require assets that are programmable, always available and capable of instant settlement — making tokenised real-world assets an important foundation for the next generation of digital transactions.Why tokenised infrastructure changes the broker modelTraditional market infrastructure was designed for a different era.Settlement cycles, limited market hours, restricted access and multiple layers of intermediaries have defined how investors access assets for decades.Tokenisation is introducing a different market infrastructure model.Near-instant settlement reduces delays in capital movement. Fractional ownership expands access to assets that were historically limited by geography or minimum investment size. Always-on infrastructure creates opportunities beyond traditional market hours.For brokers and financial platforms, this represents more than a technology upgrade. It creates the ability to expand product offerings, unlock access to global assets and deliver new digital investment experiences for clients.The destination is set. The question is how brokers get thereFor many brokers, the challenge is no longer recognising the opportunity. The challenge is execution.Building blockchain infrastructure, custody solutions, payment rails, compliance processes and regulatory capabilities internally requires significant investment and time.The alternative is often offering synthetic exposure — but exposure and ownership are not the same thing. The next stage of tokenisation will require infrastructure that connects digital access with genuine underlying assets in a verifiable way.This creates a third path: brokers can adopt regulated tokenisation infrastructure that is already built, allowing them to focus on their client relationships while accessing the technology, compliance and asset infrastructure required behind the scenes.Blockmaze enables brokers and financial institutions to participate in tokenisation through ready-to-launch infrastructure designed around regulation, compliance and institutional requirements.Behind Blockmaze’s infrastructure and offeringsEvery broker’s tokenisation journey will look different. Some institutions want to issue tokenised products themselves. Others want access to distribution infrastructure or faster integration models.Blockmaze supports these different pathways through infrastructure covering tokenised asset issuance, distribution support and white-label solutions.For institutions seeking faster market entry, integration through API, widget and white-label models allows participation without having to build blockchain, custody and tokenisation infrastructure internally.The goal is to enable brokers to expand their capabilities, upgrade their product offerings and participate in the next phase of digital markets through trusted tokenisation infrastructure.The objective is to allow financial institutions to participate in tokenisation based on their business model, regulatory environment and client requirements.The missing layer: real ownershipThe future of tokenisation will not be defined by who creates tokens the fastest. It will be defined by who creates assets that investors, institutions and regulators can trust.Creating a token is simple. Ensuring that token represents genuine ownership of an underlying asset is the real challenge. For tokenisation to scale, every digital asset must connect to a genuine underlying asset, recognised issuer, clear regulatory jurisdiction and enforceable ownership rights.Moving from Web2 to Web3 finance does not remove the need for legal recognition — it makes it more important. Blockmaze was designed to bridge this gap between traditional finance and Web3 by combining blockchain infrastructure with regulatory alignment and institutional governance.Through its Proof of Reserve (POR) framework, tokens are verified against their underlying assets, creating confidence that every token represents something tangible and enforceable in the real world.The finality of tokenisation cannot only be technical. It must also be legally recognised.Built for compliant players, by compliant playersThe next phase of tokenisation will require both technology and regulatory alignment.A pure technology approach cannot solve ownership, compliance and regulatory challenges. At the same time, traditional financial infrastructure alone cannot deliver the speed, transparency and accessibility required for the next generation of markets.Blockmaze connects the key layers needed for tokenised assets to work — including issuance, compliance workflows, custody support, Proof of Reserve verification, payments, fiat-to-crypto settlement, liquidity access and exchange infrastructure.This bridge between Web2 and Web3 finance is critical as regulated financial institutions move on-chain — ensuring tokenised assets maintain the trust, governance and legal recognition expected from established markets.Three ways to get tokenization-ready with BlockmazeModel A: Broker-Issued, Blockmaze-PoweredBuilt for licensed brokers and institutions that want to issue tokenized assets under their own name.Brokers bring the required licences and regulatory permissions. Blockmaze powers the technology, tokenization infrastructure, audit support, reserve reporting, payment rails, acquiring support, and platform capabilities needed to launch and operate the product.It is best suited for brokers and institutions who have the necessary licenses to tokenize and are looking for a trusted compliant infrastructure provider. Model B: Blockmaze-Issued, Partner-DistributedBuilt for brokers, exchanges, and financial platforms that want to offer tokenized assets quickly without becoming the issuer.Blockmaze issues the tokenized asset using its regulated infrastructure and licence framework. You distribute it to your client base through your app, exchange, brokerage, or platform.This model lets brokers offer tokenized assets without building issuance, custody, licensing, settlement, etc infrastructure in-house.It is best suited for brokers that want faster go-to-market or have limited to no licenses required to issue tokenised assets.Model C: Synthetic Tokenized CFDsBuilt for brokers and platforms that want to offer derivative-style trading on tokenized assets.In this structure, clients do not hold the underlying tokenized share or asset. Instead, they trade a synthetic token or CFD-style product that gives them contractual price exposure to the underlying tokenized asset.Because this is a derivative structure, 1:1 asset backing is not required in the same way as ownership-based tokenization. The product is based on a trading contract between the platform and the client, with pricing linked to the underlying asset or tokenized asset.It is best suited for CFD brokers, derivative platforms, and trading venues that want to offer synthetic price exposure to tokenized equities or RWAs through a contractual trading product.The next era of financeTokenisation is moving from discussion to deployment.The next generation of financial markets will require infrastructure that combines accessibility, transparency, speed and trust. For brokers and financial institutions, tokenisation is no longer simply a future opportunity. It is becoming a structural transformation in global finance.The organisations that combine innovation with regulatory readiness will be best positioned to participate in the next evolution of capital markets — where trust, ownership and infrastructure become as important as access itself.About BlockmazeBlockmaze is a regulated tokenised asset infrastructure platform backed by Finvasia Group, focused on bridging traditional finance and the digital asset economy. Positioned as one of the largest regulated ecosystems for tokenised assets, Blockmaze enables businesses and institutions to launch, manage, and scale compliant tokenised asset offerings across multiple jurisdictions.The platform provides enterprise-grade solutions spanning tokenised stocks, tokenised CFDs, tokenised gold, tokenised real estate, and white-label tokenisation infrastructure, supported by integrated payment, compliance, custody, and regulatory frameworks. By combining blockchain innovation with institutional-grade governance, licensing, and operational trust, Blockmaze aims to accelerate the adoption of legally recognised real-world asset tokenisation globally.Blockmaze operates across key financial jurisdictions, including the UAE, Europe, and the GCC, helping financial institutions, brokers, exchanges, wealth managers, fintechs, and payment providers participate in the next evolution of global capital markets.For more information, visit www.blockmaze.org This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Responsiveness and relevance go hand-in-hand. Increased accessibility to global markets amid brokerage industry expansion brings about both benefits and challenges. On one hand, traders are increasingly more knowledgeable than they were ten to fifteen years ago, and as such, they expect a lot more from brokers than just stable spreads and speedy execution. On the other hand, brokers targeting these traders are not always prepared to meet them halfway. At least not in terms of responsiveness and real-time, contextual accuracy. Despite the leaps made on the trade tech front, broker-specific marketing technology stacks are outdated or disparate. Often, the sales teams’ CRM is different from the systems marketing teams use. Not to mention, if back-office and compliance teams are thrown into this equation, the situation becomes even more complicated than it should.So, how can real time be real time? It all comes down to the feedback loopAmid the AI tech boom, customer engagement is crucial, especially in online trading. The feedback loop problem seems to be an all-time classic for brokers. Traders register, they explore the platform, and they move on before receiving a single signal from their broker. Or when they do, it’s too late. More often than not, this is not entirely an issue of speed but rather one of contextual engagement and real-time responsiveness. This is what brokers have yet to catch up with. Platforms like Solitics can help brokers close the feedback loop in real time. Designed for zero-latency personalisation, the customer engagement platform maps to every stage of the feedback loop.Data aggregation: SenseBehavioural data is a treasure trove for brokers, provided it’s not fragmented. Most brokers work on fragmented data sets, which results in lagging campaign workflows, slow response, and disconnected systems. Solitics changes that from the bottom up. Its advanced algorithm gathers user-centric data in real time (e.g., activity, asset preference, type of communication generating action, etc.), distils it into actionable, customer-specific insights, and connects to external data sources like market feeds, analytics, and breaking news. Built to seamlessly connect all data sources and respond to every customer interaction within 0.8 seconds, the customer engagement platform makes the rest of the feedback loop possible.Interpretation and segmentation: ClarityRaw signals are useless without meaning. Solitics' segmentation engine allows brokers to outline trader personas — beginner, intermediate, advanced — and design learning paths that match real user behaviour. Its AI model can identify potential churn before it happens, allowing brokers to intervene proactively with content or offers that are contextually relevant to traders at the decision-making stage. Whether a trader has just registered and is wondering whether or not to make the first deposit or has been inactive for three months, the platform’s AI model sends them the right communication every time — market insights, bonus promotions, and even up-to-the-minute news about the trading instruments they’re exploring at that moment. This is known as “the predictive layer” of the loop — turning behavioural data into forward-looking intelligence rather than just reactive reporting. Action and intervention: ResponseThis is where Solitics closes the loop most clearly. Brokers can craft personalised pop-ups and alerts based on real-time insights into clients' portfolio risk levels, price fluctuations, and market updates, enhancing engagement and fostering a deeper connection with their client base. Its Market Pulse feature exemplifies this by turning live market activity into personalised campaigns in real time, reacting instantly to what matters to each trader, and delivering relevant insights, offers, or messages on any channel. The Follow Engine matches behavioural trader data with live third-party data like market events, triggering a real-time, relevant response - all through a sophisticated journey using dynamic placeholders.This level of automation enables instant reaction to user behaviour, from sign-up to first trade and beyond. Not only does it help build trust, but it also improves lifetime value and generates long-term loyalty and retention.Outcome measurement: LearnA feedback loop that doesn't measure outcomes can't improve. Thanks to its KPI management and value measurement capabilities, Solitics connects marketing with real, palpable results - so brokers can capture, measure, and optimise campaigns for best outcomes. These outcomes feed back into segmentation and campaign logic, making each loop iteration sharper than the last.Holding a strategic spot at the heart of the feedback loop - the real-time middle layer, right between raw trader-centric behavioural data and brokerage revenues - Solitics is the closed-loop orchestration engine that bridges the gap between attribution and business value for brokers.The competitive moat is the speed of the loop. A broker whose loop completes in 0.8 seconds vs. one whose loop takes hours or days will systematically outperform on retention and LTV — which is precisely the claim Solitics validates with cases like EVEST, which reported a 40% increase in engagement rates, over 20% growth in monthly retention, and deposit volumes up nearly 30% after integrating the customer engagement platform. In an increasingly dynamic trading world, platforms that can combine data, education, and personalisation into one seamless experience will lead the next wave of brokerage growth. The brokers winning the next decade will be the ones able to proactively respond to traders’ contextual needs, not necessarily those with the tightest spreads. The feedback loop is the infrastructure that makes that possible, and the time to close it is now. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Beeks Financial Cloud Group plc has announced three contract wins for its Market Edge Intelligence platform, with a combined value of almost $10 million. The agreements cover a global Tier 1 investment bank, a global financial services client, and a US equities exchange.The company said the contracts reflect demand for its AI-driven analytics across different segments of the capital markets industry.Market Edge Intelligence was launched in August 2025. It is an AI and machine learning platform that monitors capital markets data at the network edge. It processes raw trading and network data into real-time signals. It is used to detect operational issues, anticipate disruptions, and flag trading anomalies.Tier 1 Bank, Exchange Sign DealsThe first contract is with a global Tier 1 investment bank. It is valued at $4.8 million over five years. The deployment covers one area of the bank’s trading infrastructure. Revenue recognition starts immediately. The deal followed a proof of concept and is described as the first Tier 1-scale deployment of the product. The system will integrate with internal and third-party applications. The structure allows further rollout across additional trading operations.The second contract is with an existing global financial services client. It is a 34-month agreement worth about £0.5 million. The deployment will take place in London. It includes Beeks Analytics and Market Edge Intelligence®. The company said it builds on an existing relationship.The third contract is with a US equities exchange. It is valued at $3.0 million over five years. It also includes both platforms. The exchange is an existing customer. The agreement extends the relationship and strengthens Beeks’ presence in exchange venue infrastructure.Shift Toward Analytics and InfrastructureThe company said the contracts show adoption across banks, financial firms, and exchanges. It added that the platform can be deployed as a standalone product or alongside existing systems, supporting further commercial opportunities within its customer base.Gordon McArthur, Chief Executive Officer, Beeks Financial Cloud, said: “These three contracts validated across three of the most important segments in capital markets.” He added each deployment is designed to grow over time and reflects the company’s shift toward analytics alongside infrastructure services. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Bitcoin (BTC) traded at $66,700 on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, rising for a fourth straight session to a two-week high as a US-Iran ceasefire and the first FOMC meeting under new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh pulled buyers back into a market that bottomed at $59,130 this month. Why Bitcoin is going up comes down to two forces this week: easing geopolitical risk and a cautious Fed, with the June 19 peace signing in Switzerland and Wednesday's dot plot as the next triggers. The round $60,000 level absorbed sell pressure and turned into an accumulation zone, lifting weight off the buyers' backs. BTC tested an intraday high near $67,000 before settling 0.5% higher. The recovery still sits 47% below the $126,198 record set on October 6, 2025.Follow me on X for real-time market analysis: @ChmielDk.Bitcoin Technical Analysis: The $70,000 TestMy chart shows a fourth consecutive green candle pushing Bitcoin back into the consolidation range that has governed price since February. The $60,000 round level did its job as an accumulation zone, and part of the pressure has come off the buyers' backs. In my earlier analysis when Bitcoin was falling, I argued that holding below this range could open a path toward $50,000. I am setting that scenario aside for now. Inside a consolidation, sideways action plays by its own rules, and I do not chase a breakdown that has not happened.In 15 years analyzing markets, the last 10 of them at FinanceMagnates.com, I have learned that consolidation ranges punish conviction in either direction. You can follow more of my work on my analyst page.If the rebound extends, the first test is $70,000, a round number that lines up with the 50-day EMA. Above it sits the $75,000 to $76,000 zone, the middle of the range I mapped in February and the site of last year's lows.The 200 EMA near $79,000 is the line that matters most. The upper boundary of the consolidation runs from $82,000 to $85,000.My bias stays bearish. The main trend is down, price sits below both the 50 and 200 EMA, and I am cautious on stronger, longer-term long positions. That bias changes only on a clean break above the 200 EMA. Until then I treat this as a countertrend bounce inside a range, and I still see room toward $50,000 over the medium term, a move that has been delayed rather than canceled.Why Is Bitcoin Going Up Today?The strongest tailwind is geopolitical. President Trump authorized reopening the Strait of Hormuz after the US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire, with a formal signing set for June 19 in Switzerland. Oil prices fell sharply on the news, easing the inflation premium that energy markets built in during the conflict. Lower crude cools the inflation fear that had pushed traders out of risk assets.Not everyone trusts the relief. "The market is treating June 19 in Switzerland as the real timestamp," said Nicolai Sondergaard, Research Analyst at Nansen. Sondergaard noted that an April deal collapsed and that US strikes broke a second truce on June 9, with Bitcoin handing back the entire relief move both times. Traders burned twice this year are not redeploying in full ahead of the signing.The second catalyst is the Federal Reserve. The FOMC meets June 16 and 17, the first meeting chaired by Warsh, who replaced Jerome Powell in May. CME FedWatch puts the odds of a hold at 3.50% to 3.75% near 98%, so the focus falls on the dot plot and Warsh's first press conference. May CPI ran at 4.2%, lifted by the energy shock, and prediction markets price 50% to 65% odds of at least one 2026 rate hike.Sentiment is repairing from a deep low. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index climbed to 23, still in fear territory but off the single-digit readings of last week. "The market is searching for a new equilibrium," said Linh Tran, Market Analyst at XS.com. Tran traced the slide from the $80,000 area in mid-May to a low near $59,000 and framed the bounce as positive fundamentals meeting a market that is not yet in a supported bull cycle.Four forces explain why Bitcoin price is rising this week:US-Iran ceasefire with a June 19 signing in Switzerland and the Strait of Hormuz set to reopenOil prices falling, trimming the inflation premium that weighed on risk assetsA near-certain Fed hold that shifts attention to Warsh's dot plot on June 17Returning institutional demand after weeks of outflows and forced sellingInstitutional Flows Return to BitcoinThe bid under this bounce is institutional. Strategy, the Michael Saylor-led treasury company, bought 1,587 BTC for roughly $100 million between June 8 and June 14, lifting its stack to 846,842 BTC.US spot Bitcoin ETFs turned positive with $85.8 million of net inflows on June 13, a reversal from the record outflows earlier this year. Large holders pulled more than 11,000 BTC off exchanges, a move that usually signals reduced selling intent.Product supply is expanding too. BlackRock debuted a Bitcoin yield income ETF on Nasdaq this week, widening the institutional access points to the asset. As my earlier coverage of Strategy's playbook detailed, corporate treasury buying has been a swing factor for price all year.The flow picture in numbers:Strategy: plus 1,587 BTC for $100M, total holdings 846,842 BTCSpot ETFs: plus $85.8M net inflow on June 13, reversing late-May outflowsExchange balances: 11,000+ BTC withdrawn by large walletsHow High Can Bitcoin Go? Price PredictionsHow high can Bitcoin go depends on whether this week's catalysts clear. Standard Chartered's Geoff Kendrick holds a $100,000 year-end 2026 target, cut from $150,000 in February, and warned the price could touch $50,000 first. That $50,000 dip lines up with my own downside scenario, while the rebound to $100,000 assumes a liquidity turn I do not see before the 200 EMA breaks. Bernstein keeps a $150,000 call for late 2026, which on my chart requires reclaiming the $82,000 to $85,000 ceiling that nothing yet supports.The broader analyst field, polled by CNBC, spans $75,000 to $225,000 for 2026. The low end is only my mid-range level, and the high end needs a full trend reversal. A dovish dot plot on June 17 could push Bitcoin toward $80,000, the top of my range, and that is the single clearest near-term path higher. A hawkish surprise sends price back toward $64,000, with a break there reopening the low $60,000s, near the levels Peter Brandt's cycle work flagged for a final low this year.FAQ, Bitcoin Price AnalysisWhy is Bitcoin going up today? Bitcoin is going up on two catalysts. A US-Iran ceasefire, with a June 19 signing in Switzerland and the Strait of Hormuz reopening, pushed oil and inflation fears lower. Ahead of the June 17 Fed decision, institutional buyers returned: Strategy added 1,587 BTC, spot ETFs took in $85.8 million on June 13, and large wallets pulled over 11,000 BTC off exchanges.Why is Bitcoin price rising after the recent crash? Bitcoin bottomed at $59,130 this month, its weakest level since September 2024, then recovered as the $60,000 round level drew buy orders. The rebound reached a fourth straight session and a two-week high near $67,000. The Crypto Fear and Greed Index climbed to 23 from single digits, signaling that capitulation selling has eased even though sentiment stays in fear territory.How high can Bitcoin go in 2026? Analyst targets span $75,000 to $225,000 for 2026. Standard Chartered sees $100,000 by year-end, Bernstein $150,000. My technical read is more measured: $70,000 is the first resistance at the 50 EMA, then the $75,000 to $76,000 zone, then $79,000 at the 200 EMA. I stay bearish until price closes above the 200 EMA.What is the key level for Bitcoin now? The 200 EMA near $79,000 is the level that matters most. It separates the bearish trend from a bullish one, and my market bias flips only on a clean daily close above it. Below that, $70,000 at the 50 EMA is the first test, while $60,000 remains the accumulation floor that has absorbed sell pressure this month.Will Bitcoin fall to $50,000? It is possible but delayed. I argued in an earlier analysis that losing the consolidation range could open a path toward $50,000, and Standard Chartered flagged the same level. For now, price is holding inside the range, so I have set that scenario aside. It returns to the table only if Bitcoin loses the $59,130 June low on a daily close. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Huy Nguyen Trieu, co-founder of CFTE (Centre for Finance, Technology and Entrepreneurship), a global education company, does not care for the term "Artificial Intelligence." To his mind, the boundary between man and machine has evaporated. When an algorithm can draft a legal brief or code a trading platform as fluently as a human, the word "artificial" feels like a redundant distinction. He prefers the term "Digital Intelligence."Whatever we call it, the financial sector is currently gripped by a specific, AI-driven anxiety: are we witnessing the end of the traditional career path?In 2026, the evidence of a shift is mounting. Several retail brokers have already cited the adoption of AI as the primary reason for reducing their staff numbers. This is not merely a niche trend. There is also growing suspicion that some are using the promise of automation as a convenient excuse to trim costs and flatter their share prices before the next earnings call.Trieu views this impulse as a symptom of a deeper psychological conflict. He notes that many leaders have fallen into a trap of jobless growth, viewing their staff primarily as a cost centre to be minimised rather than seeing AI as an unlimited engine for expansion. “You can’t grow a company just by cutting,” Trieu says. “If you have unlimited resources, you should be thinking about all the amazing things you can build.”“What It Changes Is the Level of Cognitive Power” Within the plush confines of the Hilton Nicosia ballroom, roughly a month before our interview, Trieu delivered a presentation on the automation of financial roles, a subject central to the book he authored two years back called The AI-fication of Jobs: Preparing Ourselves for the Future of Work.His inclusion felt somewhat unconventional when compared to the sober roster of bureaucrats who had gathered to commemorate CySEC’s 30th anniversary. When Trieu wrote his book, talking about AI coming for people’s jobs was taboo. How things have changed! Recently, former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt shared his thoughts on how AI is radically changing the economic landscape for the younger generation during a commencement address at the University of Arizona. “There is a fear in your generation that the future has already been written,” Schmidt said to general booing. In the eyes of some observers, the anxieties surrounding this new technological revolution follow a historical rhythm; we can use the past as a guide. Trieu is not among those people. The previous decade of financial technology – the fintech era – was largely about distribution. It gave us challenger banks and mobile apps that made sending money cheaper, better, and faster. It was an exercise in accessibility. AI, however, operates on a different plane.“It doesn’t help you with accessibility,” he argues. “What it changes is the level of cognitive power. Where do we have cognitive power in finance? Everywhere. Finance is a world of highly qualified people and intellectual power. Digital Intelligence is hitting that level. It’s not at the level of distribution; it is at the level of how we build financial services.” This explains the current sense of whiplash. In the space of just three years, we have moved from simple chatbots to sophisticated agentic systems that can plan and execute complex tasks with minimal oversight. For many institutions, the technology is moving too quickly for their internal structures to cope. They were simply not designed for this pace.Trieu’s presence at the CySEC anniversary gala, then, may have been more prescient than it initially appeared.Supercharged vs. Task RobotsIn this fluid landscape, Trieu observes a widening chasm between two types of professionals.On one side are the "supercharged professionals." These individuals possess a rare trinity of skills: deep domain expertise, the ability to leverage digital tools to automate their own manual tasks, and a future-proof mindset defined by independent learning and systems thinking. These are the people who can now produce in a second what used to take a day. They do not fear technology because they have absorbed it.On the other side are the "task robots." These are professionals who excel at repetitive, codified tasks. This group is in a precarious position because these are exactly the roles that artificial intelligence handles best. While anyone can learn to use an AI tool, becoming a systems thinker or a creative problem solver is far more difficult. Not every task robot will successfully leap to becoming a supercharged professional, all the while the working pool keeps shrinking. Trieu, though, stands on principle: this will continue to be a problem as long as AI is being used to optimise existing activities. “We are moving into a world of unlimited cognitive abundance. We shouldn't just think about how to do things ‘cheaper, better, faster,’" he says. The Junior BottleneckPerhaps the most troubling aspect of this revolution will be a lost generation of graduates. Getting an entry-level job has become a classic Catch-22 situation. Companies traditionally required experience, but that experience was gained through the very junior roles that are now being automated.A comprehensive study tracking the near-universe of online job vacancies found that in the year following the mainstream adoption of GenAI, the proportion of junior software developer roles dropped by over 16% relative to senior positions.It is no wonder that Schmidt was booed on the stage.So, if a graduate’s output is now less valuable than that of a basic AI agent, why would anyone hire them?Trieu is currently working with the Institute of Banking and Finance in Singapore to address this. The solution, he suggests, is a radical rethinking of the bridge between university and the first job. Singapore has launched a programme that trains graduates in applied artificial intelligence and specific financial domain knowledge before they even enter the workforce. The goal is to ensure they bring value on day one, effectively bypassing the junior phase that firms are becoming less willing to fund.The End of the Stamp CultureThis shift also necessitates a revaluation of what we call talent. For decades, the financial industry relied on a series of prestigious stamps. You went to the right university, you secured an internship at a major investment bank and you eventually became a managing director. It was a structured, predictable path.Though such a framework may endure, the number of people capable of utilising its traditional mechanics will inevitably shrink.In such a world of transition, Trieu believes the most important trait will be agency.“Before, the system helped you move along,” he says. “Now, having your own agency is vital. We need to rethink education to help people be comfortable with change and responsible for their own actions. I grew up in Vietnam, where even 50 years ago, you had to have agency just to put food on the table. In a structured system, you don't have to do that, but because we are transitioning, we have to spend more time on it.”There have been clumsy attempts to measure performance in this new era. Some have tried "tokenmaxing," a system where employees were evaluated based on how much they used AI tools. Predictably, employees quickly learned to game the system, proving that you cannot force innovation through crude metrics.We've been tokenmaxxing longer than most people https://t.co/0tPLRkP9g4— Garry Tan (@garrytan) April 7, 2026The Driver’s SeatFor companies to survive this transition, they must abandon the bureaucratic red tape of the past. The traditional five-year plan is an exercise in futility when the underlying technology changes every six months. Instead of committees, firms need talent density. “It will be painful because you have to rethink the organisation, but it’s about creating the people who create the future. Once you start to build talent density, things can happen quickly. You don’t have to start by changing 100,000 people; you start with a few who then influence the whole organisation,” he says. There is a version of the future that looks like a utopia. It is a world of collective abundance where the scarcity of education, financial literacy and even basic services is solved by unlimited cognitive power.Yet, whether such a vision materialises remains secondary to the current reality; for now, the primary catalysts of this transformation are sequestered within Silicon Valley. And Trieu warns that remaining in the passenger seat will inevitably lead to whatever destination others will choose. “If we get in the driver's seat and use this unlimited power, yes, we can do it,” he says. This article was written by Adonis Adoni at www.financemagnates.com.

CLS, the financial market infrastructure group that runs the largest payment-versus-payment settlement system for foreign exchange, appointed six new members to its board of directors.The new directors are James Hardy, an independent director, Richard James of Deutsche Bank, Sandra Laielli van Scherpenzeel of UBS Switzerland AG, Matthieu Mercier of BNP Paribas CIB, Chadwick Renfro, an independent director, and Boyd Winston of JPMorgan Chase Bank. With the additions, the CLS board now has 21 directors, eight of them designated as outside or independent.Board Chairman Gottfried Leibbrandt linked the new directors' expertise to the company's risk agenda.[#highlighted-links#] "Settlement risk remains a key focus for the FX industry," he said, adding that the appointees' backgrounds in information security, operational resilience and risk management would support the firm's work across the global FX system.A Board Tilting Toward Security and ResilienceHalf of the new appointees come from security and operational-resilience roles rather than front-office trading. Hardy is the former chief resilience officer and executive vice president at State Street, where he spent more than two decades and represented the bank at industry bodies including SIFMA and the Global Financial Markets Association.Mercier is global chief information security officer and head of operational resilience at BNP Paribas CIB, a role focused on cybersecurity, IT risk and conduct frameworks. Renfro previously served as chief information security officer at both Bank of America and Fidelity Investments, overseeing more than 1,200 security staff at the former.The remaining three bring FX and markets operations experience. James runs FX digital distribution at Deutsche Bank, Laielli van Scherpenzeel leads cash banks and institutional banking at UBS Switzerland, and Winston oversees global macro operations and EMEA operations at JPMorgan.Why Settlement Risk Still Drives CLSCLS settles trades in 18 currencies and processes trillions of dollars in payment instructions on a typical day, using a payment-versus-payment model that releases one currency leg only when the other is received. The mechanism is designed to remove the risk that a counterparty pays out but never gets paid back, a vulnerability exposed by the 1974 collapse of Germany's Herstatt Bank.The settlement-risk problem has not gone away. The Bank for International Settlements has repeatedly flagged that a meaningful share of daily FX turnover still settles without PvP protection, particularly in emerging-market currencies that CLS does not cover. That gap has driven demand for the firm's bilateral netting tool, with global banks adopting CLSNet as regulators pressed the industry on the issue.Volumes have set records along the way. CLS settled $19.1 trillion in a single day at one point, surpassing a previous high of $16.3 trillion. The company has also extended its model beyond spot settlement, launching a PvP service for cleared FX derivatives as it looks to widen the share of the market running through its rails.A Bank-Heavy BenchThe new slate reflects CLS's ownership structure, which is held by the major dealing banks that use its system. Four of the six appointees hold senior roles at Deutsche Bank, UBS, BNP Paribas and JPMorgan, while the two independent directors carry resilience and cybersecurity track records.CLS is owned and governed by its member banks, an arrangement that gives the largest FX dealers direct representation on the board overseeing the infrastructure they depend on. The firm describes itself as created by the market for the market, and its director appointments are voted on by shareholders at the annual meeting.The appointments add to a steady reshaping of the CLS board in recent years as the utility expands its services and faces growing regulatory attention on operational and cyber resilience across market infrastructure. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Deriv has recently launched TradersView, offering AI-generated market analysis. Now, after a week, the broker revealed that the platform attracted 20,000 active users and 33,000 page views. Furthermore, it generated 586 AI-generated market analyses.AI to Analyse the MarketsThe market intelligence platform consolidates AI-powered trade signals, live price analysis, economic calendar data, and trending news in a single interface.“The vision for TradersView is to be a serious financial analysis tool with fundamentals, technicals, and market drivers,” said Prakash Bhudia, Chief Growth Officer at Deriv. “We're removing friction by consolidating what traders need to understand markets and make confident decisions.”Deriv elaborated that early adoption of the new platform was strong in markets outside the EU and UAE, where it is not even available.Read more: Capital.com Launches MCP Server for MENA ClientsA Hook to Attract More Traders?Analysis platforms are common across brokers. However, most keep them locked to their users — traders need to log in to the platforms to access the analysis, even if it is not behind a paywall.Deriv’s approach, however, appears different. The broker is using the market analysis platform as a hook and funnel, as anyone can access it without logging in to Deriv’s trading platform.The TradersView platform now has two primary sections: Economic Calendar and Trading News. The coverage of the platform also appears to be limited to popular crypto and commodities instruments.Meanwhile, most other brokers are in a rush to integrate their trading platforms with AI assistant platforms via MCP servers. IG Group, Robinhood, eToro, and ThinkMarkets are some names that have already opened up their platforms to AI agents.However, the approach of each of them differs across a wide spectrum. While IG is very cautious, with only read-only access to its client accounts, ThinkMarkets allows AI agents to execute trades. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

ATFX has secured authorisation from the Financial Superintendence of Colombia to establish and operate its Representative Office in Colombia under Resolution No. 2065 dated November 14, 2025. This strategic milestone strengthens ATFX’s presence across Latin America (LATAM) under the company name AT Global Markets Intl Ltd and reaffirms its commitment to the highest regulatory, transparency, and investor protection standards. “Receiving authorisation to establish our Representative Office in Colombia is a significant milestone in ATFX’s Latin America growth strategy,” said Ergin Erdemir, Head of ATFX Latin America. “Colombia is a strategic market for ATFX, supported by its growing financial ecosystem, increasing demand for access to global markets, and the important role it plays in the region’s economic development. This local presence allows us to deepen engagement with clients and gain a stronger understanding of market needs, while reinforcing our commitment to transparency, regulatory standards, and client confidence. It also enhances our ability to provide localized education, technology, and service aligned with ATFX’s global standards.” “Regulatory integrity and sustainable growth remain central to our global expansion strategy,” said Joe Li, Chairman of ATFX. “As ATFX continues to expand internationally, maintaining transparency, strong governance, and investor protection remains fundamental to our approach. The establishment of our Representative Office in Colombia further strengthens our ability to serve the region while upholding the high standards that define our global operations.”With this authorisation, ATFX’s Representative Office will operate under the supervision and oversight of the Financial Superintendence of Colombia, the entity responsible for ensuring the supervision, integrity, and trustworthiness of the Colombian financial system. This achievement represents a key step in the company’s regional expansion strategy, enabling it to promote its authorized international financial products and services to Colombian residents under a robust regulatory framework aligned with international best practices, while also improving access to localized market insights and engagement initiatives for clients in the region.The establishment of ATFX’s Representative Office will strengthen confidence among potential clients by providing local contact and support aligned with high regulatory standards in corporate governance, risk management, and transparency. The authorisation also reinforces ATFX’s commitment to maintaining consistent regulatory standards across its global operations.ATFX currently operates under multiple regulatory jurisdictions globally, holding nine licenses and authorisations across key international financial markets, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Cyprus, Hong Kong, the UAE, and Mauritius. This multi-jurisdictional regulatory framework reflects the company’s commitment to strong compliance standards and investor protection across its international operations.ATFX will continue focusing on bringing innovative, world-class technology solutions closer to its users, contributing to the development and sophistication of Colombia’s global financial market. In addition, the company remains committed to promoting financial education initiatives that support greater market awareness and informed participation among investors.This approval also reflects ATFX’s commitment to sustainable growth in Latin America and to building long-term relationships with clients, strategic partners, and regulatory authorities across the region.About ATFXATFX is a leading global fintech broker with a local presence in 24 locations and holds 9 licenses from regulatory authorities, including the UK's FCA, Australia's ASIC, Cyprus' CySEC, the UAE's CMA, Hong Kong's SFC, South Africa's FSCA, Mauritius' FSC, Seychelles' FSA, and Cambodia's SERC. With a strong commitment to customer satisfaction, innovative technology, and strict regulatory compliance, ATFX delivers exceptional trading experiences to clients worldwide. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

StoneX Group has extended its partnership with currency technology firm Integral to set up a local connection at the Equinix SG1 data center in Singapore. The link lets the Nasdaq-listed broker reach FX and precious metals liquidity hosted in the facility, the companies said.StoneX Extends Integral Partnership to Singapore's SG1 Data CenterStoneX already runs on Integral's infrastructure at Equinix's New York and London sites. Adding Singapore gives it a regional point of presence and, the firms said, strips out the delay that comes with routing Asian order flow through servers in other regions.Gerard Melia, Global Head of FX Sales at StoneX, commented the firm is sharpening its ability to serve clients "in a region where speed and access to liquidity are critical."Integral said the local deployment would improve access to liquidity in foreign exchange and precious metals while cutting latency and lifting trading efficiency for clients across Asia. Neither company put numbers to those claims, and StoneX did not say how much latency it expects to save or how much volume it plans to move through Singapore.Integral Builds Out Singapore as Asian Demand ClimbsThe deal lands on top of Integral's own buildout in the city. In January, the firm tripled the size of its presence at Equinix SG1 after transaction volumes climbed, and it now says it processes more than one million tickets a day at the site.Singapore ranks among the largest FX trading centers in the world, behind only London and New York. That status has pulled banks, brokers and technology vendors into a race to place servers close to where regional prices are formed, shaving milliseconds off execution and keeping firms from trading on stale quotes.Harpal Sandhu, CEO of Integral, called the deal a deepening of "our longstanding relationship with StoneX, which spans over 15 years."For Integral, founded in 1993 and based in Palo Alto, the StoneX extension is a way to fill the extra SG1 capacity it just added. The company sells cloud-based FX workflow tools to banks, brokers and payment firms, competing with the likes of oneZero and smartTrade for institutional connectivity business.Brokers Line Up Behind the SG1 FacilityStoneX is not the first to push Asian business through Integral's Singapore footprint. In November, Phillip Securities tapped Integral to move into institutional FX, using the vendor's pricing and distribution systems to handle contract-for-difference trades.Before that, Singapore's Straits Financial extended its Integral deal to SG1 to handle gold and other precious metals, the same asset class StoneX is now targeting in the region.Rival vendors have made comparable moves to sit close to regional liquidity. oneZero, one of Integral's main competitors, set up at Equinix's LD4 site in London to cut latency for European and Middle Eastern clients, the standard route to getting trading servers next to the dealers that quote prices.StoneX Pushes Further Into Asia and New ProductsThe Singapore link fits a wider expansion at StoneX, which has been adding licenses, offices and product lines. In January, its digital assets arm picked up a crypto license under the EU's MiCA regime through the Central Bank of Ireland, and the group has opened offices in India and agreed to buy U.S. futures broker R.J. O'Brien.The firm, which also owns retail brands Forex.com and City Index, has seen FX and CFD volumes keep rising even as revenue per million traded has slipped. Precious metals, the second asset class named in the Singapore deal, has been a growth area for the group across Asia.The companies did not say when the Singapore connection would go live or whether further regions were planned. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

FM Intelligence reviewed every retail FX and CFD complaint the Financial Commission adjudicated in 2025. Of 1,468 disputes, an independent panel of 18 experts did not find the broker at fault in 94.8% of cases.That outcome rarely reaches the places these disputes begin. A delayed withdrawal on Reddit or a one-star "they stole my money" review can circulate for weeks, while the resolution that follows draws little notice.Read the full FM Intelligence analysis on the DataLab portal.What 1,468 Adjudicated Disputes RevealThe Financial Commission is an external dispute resolution body for the online trading industry, a voluntary route that a growing list of brokers has signed up to over the past year. FM Intelligence built its study on the body's full 2025 caseload.The money points the same way. Traders sought a combined $21.4 million across all filings, and the Commission awarded $496,304, according to FM Intelligence. The median amount in dispute was $397.50, so more than half of all complaints involved less than $400.Withdrawal delays, the grievance most likely to go viral, were the largest single category at 558 cases. The panel resolved 92.8% of them in the broker's favor, attributing most to compliance checks, bank processing, or bonus conditions rather than misconduct.Accountability Runs in Both DirectionsThe figures are not a clean bill of health, and FM Intelligence does not present them as one. In 76 cases the committee found genuine broker fault and awarded the traders $414,189, the outcomes that keep the 94.8% from looking one-sided.The data also catches abuse moving the other way. The Financial Commission blacklisted 87 clients in 2025 for deliberate misconduct, much of it built on exploiting negative balance protection, the safeguard ESMA mandated so retail traders cannot lose more than their deposit.One finding cuts against the obvious. Brokers holding Tier 1 licenses from the FCA, CySEC, or ASIC recorded a higher fault rate than their offshore peers, not a lower one. The full piece explains why.A Complaint Curve Shaped by GoldComplaint volume built through the second half of the year and topped out in December, tracking the run in gold, which set record highs in the fourth quarter on central bank buying and safe-haven demand. As filings hit their annual peak, the broker-fault rate dropped to its low, one case out of 201 in December.The full study maps where the complaints came from, led by India at a quarter of all filings, breaks down how fast cases closed, and lays out the methodology and its limits, including that these numbers cover Financial Commission members who volunteer for adjudication, not the whole market.The data does not prove brokers behave well. It shows that, under independent review, most complaints did not establish fault, a smaller share did, and the Commission paid traders when the evidence backed them.See the full data, charts, and case studies on the FM Intelligence DataLab portal. This article was written by Damian Chmiel, Ramzi Ahmad at www.financemagnates.com.

MahiMarkets has extended its automated pricing and risk technology to Dubai, aiming at multi-asset brokers and proprietary trading firms across the Gulf. The London-based company said Tuesday the rollout centers on what it calls an agentic engine, software in which specialized programs adjust pricing, spreads and risk exposure as markets move.Betting on Dubai's AI-Native PushThe firm has operated in the emirate since it opened a Dubai office to support clients across the Middle East and North Africa.Founded in 2010 and rebranded from MahiFX, it sells pricing and risk tools to brokers across foreign exchange, crypto, commodities and contracts for difference.The timing tracks a wider regional bet on automation. MahiMarkets tied the move to a Dubai International Financial Centre program that the DIFC says will generate $3.5 billion in economic benefits and create 25,000 jobs as it works toward becoming the world's first AI-native financial center.Dubai's government has pushed the technology hard. The emirate's leadership in May directed the private sector to shift to agentic AI within two years, part of a plan to position the local economy as a global leader in the field, according to government announcements."Dubai has a clear window to be a global leader in this space," said Andrew Morgan, the company's chief product officer. He said high broker density, active retail flow and growing demand in metals, oil and other commodities make the region a fit for agentic operations.How the Pricing Engine WorksMahiMarkets said the system is run by specialized agents and supported by staff in London, New York and Tokyo, giving it round-the-clock coverage. The pitch is that automated agents handle pricing and risk decisions continuously, rather than dealers watching screens and reacting by hand.The product builds on tools the firm has marketed before, including machine learning spread technology meant to tighten broker pricing during volatile periods, and an earlier push toward fuller automation of CFD pricing. Susan Cooney, MahiMarkets co-founder and co-chief executive, added "Dubai is setting the global benchmark for an AI-market." The company describes its models as trained on two decades of live market data, a claim it has not independently substantiated.A Crowded Market for Broker TechnologyMahiMarkets is moving into a segment with entrenched competitors, several with their own Gulf ambitions. Dubai-based Centroid Solutions, which counts more than 350 financial firms as clients, has rolled out risk management products for MetaTrader 5 brokers and folded third-party market data into its platform.Boston's oneZero, another multi-asset technology provider, has been widening its institutional footprint with a new institutional hub. Your Bourse has marketed a cloud-based broker technology stack covering pricing, execution and risk analytics.The company said the emirate is a priority growth region over the coming year and that it plans to add headcount locally. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

UAE-based XVC Tech ("XVC"), headquartered in Dubai, venture capital arm of XDC Network, and SettleMint, headquartered in Belgium with offices in the UAE, the company behind the Digital Asset Lifecycle Platform (DALP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support XDC’s tokenization drive on its network, which has already crossed $1 billion.By May 2026, tokenized real-world assets reached approximately $33.85 billion in distributed value and $340.10 billion in represented value, across 35 blockchain networks, according to CoinLaw. The Asia Pacific asset tokenization market generated about $398.7 million in revenue in 2025 and is projected to reach $6.19 billion by 2033, implying a 44.1% CAGR from 2026 to 2033, according to Grand View ResearchTogether, XVC Tech and SettleMint aim to support regulators, financial institutions, and market infrastructure providers across Asia and the Middle East in building institutional-grade, compliant markets on the XDC Network, where validator incentives, tokenized assets, and credit markets are designed from the outset to work in concert. XDC’s tokenization drive on its network, which has already crossed $1 billion.SettleMint will be a strategic master node operator growing real-world asset tokenization on XDC. This will include tokenized RWAs and regulated digital asset products built on SettleMint’s DALP. It will also support the onboarding of institutional participants, stablecoin liquidity, and XDC-based credit markets.This is in line with XDC Network’s strategy towards onboarding institutional validators while expanding its tokenization offering. SettleMint joins institutions such as Animoca Brands, BCW Group, Clearpool, Credora, Deutsche Telekom, HashKey Cloud, RedStone, Republic Crypto, SBI Holdings, stakeFi, and UOB Venture Management, which were recently on-boarded as institutional validators on XDC Network.In May 2026, tokenized value on XDC crossed $1 billion with RWAs at 71.5 percent of the on-chain composition. RWAs are leading the distribution, followed by stablecoins, staking, FTP, and DeFi.XDC Network is bridging the gap between traditional finance and decentralized networks. The network focuses on trade finance, cross-border settlement, and the tokenization of real-world assets."As more financial institutions and market operators move from pilots to production for digital assets, the foundations of the underlying networks become critically important," said Adam Popat, CEO at SettleMint. "By combining the XDC ecosystem with SettleMint's regulated digital asset lifecycle platform, we are creating a clear path for institutions to participate, deploy tokenized assets, and build scalable credit and liquidity markets on XDC."Validator nodes play a central role in blockchain networks by confirming transactions and helping maintain system integrity. By adding established corporate participants, XDC aims to deepen institutional involvement in financial areas where tokenized assets and digital settlement tools are drawing increasing attention."Institutions are moving beyond experimentation and into production. As demand grows for compliant infrastructure to support tokenized assets, payments, and digital finance, integrations like this become increasingly important. By bringing XDC Network into SettleMint's Digital Asset Lifecycle Platform (DALP), we're making it easier for regulated market participants to access blockchain infrastructure purpose-built for real-world assets, payments, and trade finance. Together, we're helping bridge the gap between traditional financial systems and the next generation of digital asset markets," said Ritesh Kakkad, Co-Founder of XDC Network About XDC NetworkXDC Network is an open-source, EVM-compatible Layer-1 blockchain built for payments, trade finance and real-world assets, offering high throughput, low fees and enterprise-grade security, while being ISO 20022–compliant to support interoperability with global financial messaging and payment systems. XDC Network underpins a growing ecosystem of regulated digital money, trade, and settlement solutions across the globe.About SettleMintSettleMint, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with offices in the UAE, Singapore, and Japan, is the company behind DALP, the Digital Asset Lifecycle Platform. DALP enables financial institutions, market infrastructure operators, and governments to build, deploy, and manage digital assets and blockchain applications at scale, with integrated issuance, compliance, custody, settlement, and servicing. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Technology ownership has become an increasingly important differentiator among brokers as traders demand faster execution, greater reliability, and more transparency. According to Adam Phillips, Chief Executive Officer of FXTRADING.com, building and controlling the company's technology stack has been central to its strategy over the past decade.Speaking with Finance Magnates at the Finance Magnates Singapore Summit, Phillips explained how the broker has invested heavily in developing its own infrastructure rather than relying solely on third-party solutions."We've built the whole tech stack that supports the trading and trading experience. When traders act, they need to be sure that their platform is going to respond and get their trades executed." FXTRADING.com operates as a multi-asset broker offering access to forex, commodities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and stock CFDs. The company is regulated through Australia and Vanuatu and serves traders globally. ? Watch the interview belowWhy In-House Technology Matters for a Social Trading PlatformMany brokers today offer social trading through third-party plugins attached to standard trading platforms. While these solutions allow brokers to launch quickly, Phillips believes they can introduce technical challenges that impact the trading experience.By owning the entire infrastructure, FXTRADING.com says it can maintain greater control over execution quality, platform stability, and client interactions.The approach became especially valuable during recent periods of market volatility, when commodities such as gold and oil experienced significant price movements driven by geopolitical events and economic uncertainty."The ability to execute and feel in control of your trades has been paramount in the last quarter," Phillips said.How FXTRADING.com Developed Zero-Latency Social TradingOne of the broker's most notable developments is its proprietary social trading platform.Unlike many copy trading systems that rely on external providers, FXTRADING.com's social trading functionality is built directly into its technology stack.This was designed to address one of the most common complaints among copy traders: execution delays.The Latency Problem in Social TradingIn traditional copy trading environments, traders following a strategy provider may receive trades seconds later than the original account. While that delay may seem small, it can significantly affect results, especially for short-term trading strategies.Phillips explained that many followers become frustrated when their results differ from those of the strategy leader despite copying the same trades.Delivering the Same Trade FillsTo solve this challenge, FXTRADING.com introduced what it calls a zero-latency social trading system.The objective is simple: followers receive the same trade fills as the master account.This can be particularly important for traders using scalping strategies or positions that may remain open for only minutes or hours.By integrating social trading directly into the platform, the company aims to reduce discrepancies between leaders and followers while improving overall transparency.Bringing Institutional Standards to Retail TradingPhillips' background in institutional funds management has also influenced the way the company approaches execution and technology.Before leading FXTRADING.com, he worked closely with prime brokers and liquidity providers, where execution quality and pricing accuracy were critical factors.That experience shaped the company's goal of bringing institutional-level discipline and infrastructure into the retail trading environment.According to Phillips, social trading should not simply be a marketing feature but a properly engineered product that can support traders over the long term.Fund Management Infrastructure Built for Professional ManagersBeyond its social trading platform, FXTRADING.com also offers a dedicated fund management solution.The platform allows money managers to oversee multiple client accounts while ensuring trades are allocated proportionally across portfolios of different sizes.One key feature is fractional lot sizing, which enables smaller investors to participate in strategies managed across significantly larger pools of capital.Key Features of the Fund Management PlatformFractional trade allocationPaperless onboardingTransparent fee visibilityIntegrated reportingStreamlined deposits and withdrawalsSegregated client accountsPhillips emphasized that transparency and ease of use are critical for both investors and fund managers.Client funds are held in segregated accounts with major banking institutions, helping support security and regulatory compliance.Multi-Asset Access Across Global MarketsThe platform provides access to a broad range of trading instruments.According to Phillips, fund managers on the platform employ a variety of investment approaches, depending on their expertise and strategy.Available markets include:Approximately 80 currency pairsMajor global stock indicesCommoditiesCryptocurrenciesSingle-stock CFDsThis flexibility allows fund managers to build diversified strategies across multiple asset classes while using the same infrastructure.Engineering Trust Through TechnologyTrust remains one of the most important factors for traders when selecting a broker.For Phillips, trust begins with consistency, transparency, and operational control."Trust is something that's earned and built over time, but with ownership of the tech stack we are far more in control of how clients interact with the platform and the markets."The company believes that owning its technology infrastructure allows it to respond more quickly to client needs while maintaining a consistent trading experience.As competition increases across the brokerage sector, many firms are looking for ways to differentiate beyond pricing alone. Technology ownership has become one of the areas where brokers can create a stronger long-term relationship with clients.AI Adoption in Brokerage ServicesArtificial intelligence was another major topic discussed during the Singapore Summit.Phillips recently participated in a panel exploring how brokers are incorporating AI into their products and operations.While he sees significant potential, he also believes firms must be careful about relying on generic large language models for market analysis and trade recommendations.According to Phillips, data quality remains one of the biggest challenges.Why FXTRADING.com Built Its Own AIRather than integrating a third-party AI solution, FXTRADING.com decided to develop its own model internally.This approach allows the company to control the quality of data entering the system and reduce the risk of inaccurate outputs."We've actually built the AI ourselves. We're able to control the data that's going into it, helping us reduce hallucinations and improve the reliability of the output."The company's AI solution is currently in beta testing and has been designed to integrate directly with CRM systems, trading activity, and client account information.This creates a more personalized experience by allowing the AI to understand a trader's profile, positions, and history.How AI Could Support TradersPhillips believes AI will increasingly act as a trading assistant rather than a replacement for human decision-making.Potential use cases include:Risk management monitoringExposure alertsMarket analysisEconomic news filteringTechnical analysis supportClient onboarding assistanceHe stressed that traders should remain responsible for final decisions while using AI to improve efficiency and awareness.Looking further ahead, Phillips expects AI to become more deeply integrated into brokerage operations, potentially helping clients open accounts, complete KYC processes, and interact with brokers using natural language.The Future of Social Trading PlatformsAs social trading, fund management, and AI continue to evolve, brokers face growing pressure to deliver better technology and more reliable user experiences.For FXTRADING.com, the answer has been to invest directly in proprietary infrastructure rather than depend heavily on third-party solutions.Whether through zero-latency social trading, institutional-style fund management tools, or internally developed AI systems, the company's strategy centers on providing traders with greater control, transparency, and confidence.As the brokerage industry enters its next phase of development, technology ownership may become one of the defining factors separating platforms that simply offer trading access from those building complete trading ecosystems.Key TakeawaysFXTRADING.com has built its trading infrastructure in-house.The broker offers a zero-latency social trading platform.Fund managers can access fractional allocation and integrated reporting tools.The company provides access to forex, commodities, indices, crypto, and stock CFDs.FXTRADING.com is developing its own AI solution using proprietary data.AI is expected to play a larger role in trading assistance, risk management, and client onboarding. This article was written by Finance Magnates Staff at www.financemagnates.com.

Acuity Trading has signed Bullwaves Prime as a client, the latest proprietary trading firm to fold third-party market intelligence into its platform. The London-based vendor said Bullwaves Prime, the prop trading arm of the Bullwaves group, will integrate the full Acuity Intelligence suite across its trading environment.Prop Firms Become a Target Market for Analytics VendorsThe agreement points to a wider shift. Analytics and research providers that once sold mainly to retail brokers are increasingly pitching proprietary trading firms, where evaluation-based funding models have drawn large numbers of active traders.Bullwaves Prime, which describes itself as a regulated prop trading environment offering market access and trader evaluation programs, said the tools would give its community more context for decisions. "They need structure, context and tools that help them understand what is happening," Paolo Vullo, Head of Operations at Bullwaves Group, said in the announcement.For Acuity, the deal extends a client base that already spans retail brokers integrating its AI-driven signal platform. The company says its software reaches users through web platforms, MT4, MT5, cTrader, APIs and messaging channels.The company described the rollout as covering its market, event and trade intelligence products, delivered as white-labeled, multi-language tools that sit inside a platform's own interface. Acuity sells the suite to brokers and trading venues that want to keep users engaged with research and signals rather than building those tools in house.Acuity Pushes Deeper Into AI After MarketReader DealThe Bullwaves Prime partnership lands during a run of product activity at Acuity Trading. The firm recently added a pattern-recognition module to its AnalysisIQ service, automatically flagging chart formations and turning them into written analysis across web, MT4, MT5, cTrader and proprietary setups.That launch put Acuity into a category long held by Autochartist, the pattern-detection provider that has supplied brokers for two decades. FinanceMagnates.com reported that the move saw Acuity catch up to Autochartist as chart-pattern detection became table stakes for platforms. Trading Central, another research vendor, competes for the same broker budgets with its own technical and analytics feeds.The deal also follows Acuity's equity investment in MarketReader, a US startup that explains the drivers behind real-time market moves. Andrew Lane, Acuity's chief executive, took the top job at MarketReader two weeks after the equity deal closed.Signals Sold as Engagement, Sold With CaveatsAcuity frames the suite as a way to keep traders informed and active inside a platform, blending AI-supported data processing with analyst-led research. Lane said the industry is moving "towards connected intelligence that supports more informed decision-making."Such positioning has drawn regulatory attention, with watchdogs scrutinizing how automated signals and trade ideas are presented to retail clients. Earlier Acuity integrations have surfaced the same tension, as when Traders' Hub adopted its AI tools while signals faced regulatory lag.The Bullwaves Prime release carried heavy disclaimers, noting the B2B nature of the deal and stating that any market intelligence, analytics or AI-generated content is for information only and not investment advice. Acuity, an Acuity Analytics company that combines the former PIA First and Signal Centre businesses, has built tools for brokers and platforms since 2013. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.