The Japanese brokerage firm averaged $1.463 trillion in monthly volume throughout 2025. During the first half of the year, the broker saw particularly strong activity, with average monthly volumes reaching nearly $1.69 trillion. Once again, Finance Magnates analysed the global retail FX trading industry, reviewing the annual performance of brokers offering FX trading . While market volatility shifted compared to the previous year, the sector continued to see strong engagement. Within this environment, the annual volume rankings have once again highlighted a clear industry leader.DMM Maintains the Lead The findings from the study conducted by Finance Magnates Intelligence clearly show the broker with the highest average monthly volumes for the full year of 2025. This analysis focused strictly on foreign exchange (FX) trading, excluding all other asset classes. For another consecutive year, DMM Securities secured the top position in the global rankings. The Japanese firm concluded 2025 with an average monthly trading volume of $1.463 trillion, a figure broadly consistent with its 2024 result of $1.488 trillion. To put this long-term performance into perspective, the broker has followed a strong upward trajectory over recent years, rising from an average of $0.87 trillion in 2021 to its current sustained trillion-dollar level. A closer look at the 2025 data shows that performance was particularly strong in the first half of the year, with average monthly volumes reaching $1.688 trillion. The second quarter marked the peak, with monthly averages climbing to $1.715 trillion. Notably, the broker exceeded $1.8 trillion in January and came close to $2 trillion in April, maintaining its position as the most active FX desk globally for most of the year.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Japan Dominates the Rankings The 2025 data confirms Japan’s position as the global centre of retail FX trading. While the gap between leading Japanese firms is narrowing, with the second-ranked broker averaging $1.367 trillion, the concentration of trading volume within Japanese brokers remains a defining feature of the industry. In the second quarter of 2025, the combined activity of top Japanese firms reached record levels. Even the third- and fourth-largest players contributed significantly, with monthly averages of approximately $989 billion and $718 billion, respectively. On an annual basis, the first non-Japanese broker ranked only in ninth position.The FX Market in Japan is Special Earlier this month, Finance Magnates reported that, according to research from LMAX Group and Macro Hive, London leads global FX price discovery by milliseconds, while Tokyo provides deeper and more cost-efficient liquidity during Japan-focused events. Prices in London tend to move first, even when the underlying news originates in Japan. For both USD/JPY and EUR/USD, prices on London venues reacted approximately 20 to 100 milliseconds ahead of Tokyo during key events.However, in the largest trades, Tokyo dominates. In the top 1% of trade sizes, Tokyo handled 100% of activity, while London saw no large block trades. A similar pattern was observed during the Japan CPI release, with Tokyo again executing all of the largest orders. For the FX and CFD industry, this suggests that brokers, liquidity providers, and larger traders should treat London as the primary source of price signals, while routing more flow to Tokyo during Japan-specific events to reduce execution costs and access deeper liquidity. This article was written by Sylwester Majewski at www.financemagnates.com.

IG Group (LSE: IGG) has begun the first tranche of a new £125 million share buyback program, with Morgan Stanley & Co. International Plc appointed to execute purchases under pre-set parameters, the company disclosed in today’s (Wednesday) regulatory filing.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)The program, first announced alongside a positive first-quarter revenue update on 19 March, is divided into two tranches of up to £62.5 million each. The first tranche runs from Wednesday and is expected to close by 30 September 2026. IG Group said a separate announcement will be made ahead of the second tranche, subject to share price performance and other capital demands.Treasury Shares and AGM LimitsWednesday's launch extends a string of capital return programs the company has run in recent years. IG's previous initiative, a £200 million buyback assembled in two stages, included a £75 million extension announced in December 2025, bringing that program to its final tranche before completion.[#highlighted-links#] The company had flagged plans for the current £125 million initiative in its full-year fiscal 2025 results, published in July 2025, when the board said it intended to launch the repurchase during the current financial year's first half.All purchased shares will move into treasury, and IG Group stated the program's sole purpose is to reduce share capital. The buyback runs within the authority approved at the company's annual general meeting on 17 September 2025, under which a maximum of 36,155,787 shares remain available for repurchase.Barron Takes the ChairThe buyback launch coincided with a governance transition at the top of the company. Andrew Barron formally assumed the position of Board Chairman and Chairman of the Nomination Committee on Wednesday, after the Financial Conduct Authority granted its approval of the appointment, IG Group said in a separate filing dated 31 March.Barron was first named as Chair Designate and Non-Executive Director in early March, with the FCA's sign-off remaining the final step before he could formally take over. Mike McTighe, who has chaired IG Group's board through a period of active capital returns and restructuring, stepped down from both the chair and the board entirely as of Wednesday.Barron's arrival comes at a moment when the company is weighing bigger structural decisions. A report published in March indicated that IG Group is reviewing a possible shift of its primary listing from London to New York, as it looks to deepen its presence in the US market, where its tastytrade brand operates. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority has launched a new portal aimed at improving coordination on cybersecurity and fraud threats across the securities industry, including risks that affect retail investors.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The launch comes as retail investor exposure to scams and high-risk offers remains elevated. Earlier FINRA-backed research found that 72% of social media users and about half of US retail investors are open to engaging with risky investment opportunities.Regulator Expands Information Sharing for FirmsAgainst this backdrop, the platform, called the Financial Intelligence Fusion Center, is designed as a secure channel for member firms to share intelligence and coordinate responses. It will collect, analyze, and distribute information to help firms identify risks and respond more quickly.The initiative builds on broader efforts to support firms in addressing cyber and financial crime risks. The portal will also incorporate input from government and private sector partners through existing relationships. It was developed under FINRA Forward, a set of internal initiatives focused on improving operational effectiveness and regulatory outcomes.As a self-regulatory organization, the regulator works directly with member firms to oversee compliance and market conduct. This position allows it to facilitate information sharing across the industry to mitigate risks and protect investors.Portal “Enhances Cyber and Fraud Monitoring”The FIFC was tested in a pilot program last year with a group of firms of varying sizes. Participants used the platform to access intelligence and share information on cybersecurity and fraud risks. Feedback from this phase was used to refine the system’s functionality.Firms are now being encouraged to join the platform to access centralized intelligence and contribute to industry-wide monitoring.The new portal expands existing resources for member firms, including guidance on cybersecurity programs, identifying vulnerabilities, and addressing emerging fraud schemes.Greg Ruppert, Executive Vice President and Chief Regulatory Operations Officer at FINRA, said the center will act as a “powerhouse” for intelligence sharing. He added that “timely intelligence sharing” is important as threats continue to evolve, and said coordination with member firms is “essential” to building resilience and protecting investors. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Quantum computing is moving from theory to practice, and a new whitepaper warns that major cryptocurrencies need to react much faster than they have so far. The study shows that once a powerful enough quantum computer exists, it could break the cryptography behind Bitcoin, Ethereum and other chains in minutes, putting both long‑dormant and active assets at risk.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Google Quantum AI released a whitepaper, warning that around 2.3 million dormant, vulnerable BTC could become a multi‑billion‑dollar prize the moment a powerful quantum machine comes online.Simply, this new research says that once powerful quantum computers arrive, they will be able to “guess” some old Bitcoin keys fast enough to move coins that nobody can currently access, turning a huge pool of forgotten BTC into a prize for whoever gets the technology first.Google Quantum AI released a whitepaper warning that cracking 256-bit ECC, widely used in crypto wallets, requires fewer resources than expected. With under 500k physical qubits, it could be cracked in minutes. Google urged the industry to accelerate its migration to Post-Quantum… pic.twitter.com/DpdSPmYhYc— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) March 31, 2026Dormant Bitcoin as a Quantum Time BombTechnically, the paper estimates that a future “fast‑clock” quantum computer with fewer than 500,000 physical qubits could use Shor’s algorithm to break Bitcoin’s 256‑bit elliptic curve in about nine minutes from a primed state. That speed is comparable to Bitcoin’s average 10‑minute block time, meaning an attacker could potentially intercept some pending transactions and redirect funds before they confirm.Read more: Quantum Computing and Payment SecurityGoogle’s team showed, on paper, that you no longer need a sci‑fi‑level quantum supercomputer to break the math that protects Bitcoin and Ethereum. You “just” need a realistically sized, next‑generation machine, and once that exists an attacker could watch the network, grab your public key while your transaction sits waiting to be confirmed, and mathematically recover your private key fast enough to steal the coins before they hit a block.Vitalik Buterin warned at the Devconnect conference that elliptic curve cryptography could be broken by quantum computing before the 2028 U.S. presidential election, urging Ethereum to upgrade to quantum-resistant cryptography within four years. He also stated that future…— Wu Blockchain (@WuBlockchain) November 19, 2025Industry Outlook: From FUD to Forced MigrationThe whitepaper argues that full migration to post‑quantum cryptography is technically clear but politically and operationally difficult. Post‑quantum signatures are larger and heavier, so upgrades would raise bandwidth and storage needs and almost certainly reopen old governance fights, especially in Bitcoin.“Pull your cryptographic inventory. Flag every ECC-256 implementation on high-value assets. Identify every system where the algorithm is hardcoded rather than configurable. Those are your agility gaps and your longest-lead-time risk,” commented Cory Missimore, AI Governance expert.At the same time, leaving dormant assets untouched invites a race between criminals, states and possibly regulated “digital salvage” operators seeking legal rights to recover and liquidate compromised coins. Interestingly, Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, shares similar views. He recently told developers that the kind of cryptography Ethereum uses today might be breakable by quantum computers sooner than many expect, possibly even before the 2028 U.S. election, so the network should move to quantum‑resistant cryptography within about four years. At the same time, he argued that most new experimentation should happen on Layer 2s, in wallets and in privacy tech, while keeping the base layer as simple and stable as possible. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

A U.S. federal court has approved a $500,000 settlement between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and KuCoin’s parent company, Peken Global Limited, ending a long-running case over unregistered trading access for American users.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)U.S. regulators have pursued a similar path with other major offshore exchanges in recent years, underscoring that KuCoin is not an isolated case.CFTC Case Resolves with Court OrderThe U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York entered a consent order that permanently bars Peken Global from allowing U.S. users to trade on KuCoin unless it registers as a foreign board of trade.The court also imposed a $500,000 civil penalty. Peken Global, based in the Turks and Caicos Islands, settled the matter without admitting or denying the allegations. The CFTC said the company cooperated with investigators and therefore did not face additional disgorgement.Federal Court Enters Permanent Injunction Against Peken Global Limited: https://t.co/ceUdshuxK5— CFTC (@CFTC) March 30, 2026The CFTC noted that its penalty took into account KuCoin’s earlier $300 million payment following a Department of Justice case in January 2025. In that case, KuCoin pleaded guilty to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Previous DOJ Fine Considered in SettlementRegulators alleged the exchange allowed roughly 1.5 million U.S. customers to trade and earned about $184.5 million in fees from those users.Additionally, this month, Dubai’s crypto regulator issued a public warning about KuCoin, saying the exchange may have offered services to Dubai residents without approval. The watchdog has a record of acting against unlicensed firms. In 2025, it fined 19 companies between AED 100,000 and AED 600,000 and ordered them to halt unauthorized crypto activities.Taken together, BitMEX’s 2020 charges, Binance’s high‑profile 2023 guilty pleas, and KuCoin’s latest settlement in 2025–2026 chart a clear arc in Washington’s years‑long campaign against unregistered crypto exchanges that quietly catered to U.S. customers.Binance reached a landmark resolution in 2023, when it and its CEO pleaded guilty in the U.S. and agreed to sweeping penalties and compliance obligations over failing to implement effective AML controls while serving U.S. users without proper registration. BitMEX was earlier hit by CFTC and DOJ actions announced in October 2020, after it allegedly operated an unregistered crypto derivatives platform and solicited American traders from offshore. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Brokerage technology was built as separate systems — and so was the trader experienceBrokerage infrastructure evolved as a set of specialized systems — trading platforms for execution, CRM for lifecycle management, payment providers for transactions, and separate tools for compliance, partnerships, and analytics. Each layer optimized a specific function, but the trader journey itself was never designedas a continuous flow.As a result, critical parts of the trader lifecycle often remain distributed across different environments. Verification processes are frequently handled in separate KYC interfaces, trading takes place in a dedicated platform, while account management, partner relationships, or onboarding steps may exist in other system layers. Even when account balances and funding are visible within a single cabinet, the broader lifecycle often requires navigating between environments with different logic and interaction models, leading to a fragmented journey structure.Brokers have attempted to reduce this fragmentation through custom client cabinets, middleware layers, and internal orchestration logic designed to unify access across systems. However, as stacks expand, maintaining consistency across trading, financial, and client management environments becomes increasingly complex.Meanwhile, user expectations shaped by fintech and neobanking products continue to raise the standard for continuity and transparency. Increasingly, the challenge is not whether systems can integrate, but whether they can operate within a shared logic of client identity, accounts, and financial flows.Fragmented journeys lead to fragmented client understandingWhen the trader journey spans multiple systems, client data becomes distributed across separate operational contexts. CRM captures acquisition and interaction history, trading platforms reflect execution behaviour, payment providers hold transaction records, and support tools store communication context.Even with integrations in place, teams often operate with partial visibility. Client lifecycle signals such as funding patterns, trading activity, and engagement behaviour remain fragmented across interfaces with different data structures and account logic.As a result, obtaining a consistent view of the client frequently requires navigating multiple systems or reconciling information across reporting layers. This slows decision-making, complicates personalization, and increases operational dependency on manual processes.Fragmented journey architecture ultimately leads to fragmented client intelligence — limiting how effectively brokers can interpret behaviour and respond across the full lifecycle.The industry is moving towards unified client and operational flowsBroker technology is evolving from integrating systems to aligning them around a shared operational logic. Instead of treating CRM, trading platforms, payments, and client areas as separate layers, brokers increasingly aim to structure client identity, accounts, and financial flows consistently across the entire environment.This does not require replacing specialized solutions. Trading platforms, PSPs, and KYC providers remain dedicated systems. What changes is how these components interact — through unified client cabinets, consistent account structures, and lifecycle logic that reduces transitions between operational contexts.As a result, the trader journey becomes more predictable across onboarding, verification, funding, trading, and account management, while operational teams gain a more coherent view of client activity across the same lifecycle.How Markets CRM enables a unified trader journeyA unified trader journey requires consistency across client identity, verification status, account structure, balances, and lifecycle events.Markets CRM connects these elements within a single operational environment and links the client area with the trading interface of LogicTrader, a natively integrated trading platform.It enables a continuous transition between onboarding, verification, funding, account management, and trading without switching between separate interfaces or even applications.Client profile data, account configuration, and financial activity remain aligned across CRM and trading layers, creating a consistent logic across accounts, balances, and lifecycle interactions throughout the trader journey.As operational complexity grows, this continuity becomes a structural advantage. Brokers retain flexibility in choosing specialized providers for payments, compliance, communication, and partner infrastructure, while maintaining a coherent trader journey across different operating models, regional requirements, and product strategies. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Interactive Brokers (Nasdaq: IBKR), a global automated broker, has launched crypto-asset trading for eligible individual investors in the European Economic Area. The service is offered through Interactive Brokers Ireland Limited, an authorised crypto-asset service provider in the region.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).In a related development, crypto exchange Coinbase also recently launched futures contracts for EEA users, offering exposure to both digital assets and traditional markets. This is the company’s first offering under its MiFID II licence, granted through its CySEC-regulated BUX Cyprus entity.Interactive Brokers Adds Crypto Trading CapabilitiesInteractive Brokers’ launch allows investors to trade 11 leading crypto-assets on the same platform they use for stocks, options, futures, currencies, bonds, and mutual funds. The firm said the launch addresses common challenges for European investors, including managing multiple crypto apps, unclear fees, and security concerns.“Our clients want the flexibility to diversify into crypto-assets while maintaining the tools, pricing, and trust they rely on Interactive Brokers for,” said Milan Galik, Chief Executive Officer. “By offering crypto alongside traditional assets on a single platform, clients can manage risk, liquidity, and capital more efficiently across their entire portfolio.”Eleven Cryptocurrencies Available Across PlatformsClients trading crypto-assets through the platform can trade 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Pricing starts at 0.12%-0.18% of trade value, with no hidden spreads, markups, or custody fees. Users can also place limit orders to control execution prices.Through a secure integration with zerohash, the firm provides access to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, Chainlink, Solana, Cardano, Ripple, Dogecoin, Avalanche, and Sui. Trading is available across IBKR’s platform suite, including Trader Workstation, IBKR Desktop, Client Portal, IBKR Mobile, and IBKR GlobalTrader.Zerohash is a regulated digital asset and stablecoin infrastructure provider for financial institutions. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Prediction market platform Kalshi has launched an advertising campaign across Washington D.C., featuring billboards, transit ads, and newspaper placements to distinguish its regulated status from offshore competitors. The effort comes amid intensified regulatory scrutiny towards the sector. However some market participants interpret the campaign as an attempt to withstand mounting political pressure – in some cases at the expense of the competitors. A Campaign Aimed at Washington The ads are clearly targeted at policymakers, regulators, and journalists, rather than retail users. Their core message is repeated across formats: not all prediction markets operate under the same rules. Kalshi emphasizes three points: that it operates as an exchange rather than a counterparty, that it applies insider trading restrictions, and that it limits certain categories of contracts that have drawn criticism. A Response to Political Pressure The timing of the campaign underscores its intent. It went live as Senator Elizabeth Warren and more than 40 lawmakers called on federal agencies to clarify and enforce insider trading rules in prediction markets. At the same time, multiple legislative proposals and state-level actions continue to challenge how these platforms are classified under U.S. law. Recent incidents - including well-timed bets tied to geopolitical developments - have further fueled scrutiny, even though they occurred on offshore platforms rather than regulated U.S. venues. Against this backdrop, Kalshi’s messaging reads as a direct response to the broader narrative forming around the sector. Positioning vs. Perception While the strategy aligns with Kalshi’s effort to present itself as a regulated financial venue, the campaign has drawn mixed reactions. For some observers, the messaging reinforces a clear distinction between regulated and offshore platforms. For others, it comes across as reactive, focused on distancing from competitors rather than defining an independent position. The emphasis on statements such as “insider trading is banned” and restrictions on controversial contracts highlights this tension. These points address specific criticisms, but also raise questions about how consistently such rules can be enforced in practice.Regulation is just window dressing if enforcement doesn’t catch the real manipulators. Banning insider trading sounds good, but who’s really watching the watchers?— Morais (@Uaimoraix) March 30, 2026 What It Means for Brokers and Infrastructure Providers For brokers and fintech firms, the campaign points to a practical issue: how prediction markets are interpreted by regulators. Access to regulated venues depends not only on formal approvals but also on how the sector is viewed at the policy level. If regulated and offshore platforms continue to be grouped together, that distinction may have limited practical effect. At the same time, the campaign highlights an operational challenge. Even where rules are defined, enforcement — particularly around insider trading — remains difficult in markets tied to real-world events. This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.

Wealthy individuals and families from across Asia continue to gravitate towards Singapore when it comes to establishing private wealth management advisory firms for investment management, financial planning, tax, estate planning, and lifestyle services.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).According to family office data vendor Dakota, Singapore’s single-family office universe has expanded exponentially since the start of the decade, from around 400 in 2020 to more than 2,000 – a trend it describes as one of the fastest wealth migrations in modern history.Singapore’s Strategic AdvantagesA combination of geopolitical uncertainty in traditional wealth centres and proactive courtship of family offices through tailored tax incentives and regulatory frameworks (including the introduction of the variable capital company, or VCC, structure) has positioned Singapore as the de facto family office capital of Asia.Family offices remain highly popular among global high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families choosing Singapore as their primary wealth hub due to its reputation for safety, governance, and tax efficiency, observes Dion Yee, commercial director in Singapore for Ocorian.Purpose of Family Offices“Families typically establish family offices to bring greater structure, control, and long-term focus to the management of their wealth,” she explains. “This often includes centralising oversight of investment portfolios across asset classes and geographies, as well as putting in place governance frameworks to support succession planning and intergenerational wealth transfer.”She adds that single-family offices continue to dominate the landscape in Singapore, largely driven by ultra-high-net-worth families seeking greater control, privacy, and tailored governance structures.“Multi-family offices are present but fewer in number, typically serving multiple families through more institutionalised platforms,” says Yee.Regional and Global AppealThere has been tremendous growth in family office development in Singapore over the last decade – not just for Singapore-based families, but for ultra-high-net-worth families across the region and even globally, who appreciate Singapore’s political stability, rule of law, and access to professional and financial services.The rising demand for family offices for wealth and investment management solutions is a clear sign of the rising prosperity and opportunities in Singapore and across ASEAN.Insights from UOB Private BankThat is the view of Angela Koh, head of wealth planning and family office advisory services at UOB Private Bank, who refers to the bank’s 2025 Asia generational wealth report to underline the further potential for family office growth in Singapore and across Asia.“We found that Asia’s wealth landscape is expected to reach $99 trillion by 2029,” she says. “With the volume of wealth created over the last three decades, families are finding the need for a more centralised, organised, and professional arrangement to manage their wealth.”Complexity Requires Professional ManagementThe complexity of the business and regulatory environment further necessitates specific skill sets to deal with various wealth management functions, and families have found that it is no longer sufficient for family members or business employees to be roped in to oversee the management of their private wealth.Demand for family offices has grown as it provides a dedicated operating platform that integrates investments, governance, and succession, and the operation of each entity is tailored to the specific needs of the family, adds Koh.“A board comprising carefully selected family members and professionals is focused on executing the long-term strategies anchored by the family’s values and purpose,” she explains. “These families see the value in building proficient and trusted teams to manage the wealth built from their businesses. A family office can also be an effective solution to navigate through impending challenges of succession planning or inheritance, as it manages a family’s private wealth and diverse business ownerships centrally.”Single-Family vs. Multi-Family OfficesIt has been suggested that multi-family offices are gaining traction at the expense of single-family offices, as ultra-wealthy families seek to minimise regulatory complexity and gain access to more sophisticated investment strategies. However, the reality is more nuanced, according to Yee.“There is growing interest in multi-family offices, but not necessarily at the expense of their single-family counterparts,” she says. “Both models are expanding, albeit for different reasons. Multi-family offices can offer access to shared infrastructure, broader investment expertise, and support with regulatory and operational complexity, making them attractive to families looking for a more outsourced approach.”At the same time, single-family office growth remains strong, particularly among ultra-high-net-worth families who prioritise control, confidentiality, and bespoke governance, adds Yee.Leveraging Expertise and TalentKoh observes that until relatively recently, there were more single-family offices helmed mainly by family members. Now she sees a greater willingness to leverage the expertise and breadth of skill sets of multi-family office setups, particularly among clients seeking professional management of investment and administrative responsibilities.She suggests there are two main reasons for this, the first of which is the ability to access a wider pool of qualified and experienced professionals.“Single-family offices often do not have clear roles and human resources policies to attract such talent, while multi-family office structures remove the need to directly manage the costs and challenges associated with hiring and retaining these talents,” says Koh.Most single-family offices have small and dedicated teams that may not possess the breadth of experience and expertise required to manage diverse functions as business wealth grows. In contrast, shared platforms allow ultra-high-net-worth families to access broader, more specialised resources and knowledge.Access to a diverse team of investment professionals specialising in different asset classes across multiple jurisdictions also provides a significant advantage.“Secondly, the growing demand for multi-family office platforms is due to the increasing complexity of cross-border regulatory and reporting requirements for various investments, diversified holding structures, and varying tax regimes faced by asset owners and controllers,” says Koh.She notes that maintaining a family office involves operational experience, compliance, and regulatory oversight, and that families tend to underestimate the importance of these being in place for family offices to effectively function.“Without scale, investing into a single-family office may not make economic sense, so families may decide that they are better off outsourcing most or all of these functions through multi-family office structures,” concludes Koh. This article was written by Paul Golden at www.financemagnates.com.

$67,822. That is where Bitcoin (BTC) trades on March 31, 2026, the final session of a quarter that erased approximately $20,000 per coin. BTC opened 2026 at $87,508 and has since fallen roughly 23%, making Q1 2026 the third-worst opening quarter since 2013. Only Q1 2018 (-49.7%) and Q1 2014 (-37.4%) produced steeper losses, and both preceded confirmed bear market cycles. The March 30 daily close came in at $66,691, already below the $67,000 level that analysts flagged as the line separating a normal correction from a structural breakdown. A red first half of 2026 is now nearly locked in: with BTC roughly 23% below its January 1 price, the coin would need a 30%+ compound rally in Q2 just to close H1 flat. That is not a recovery scenario. That is a statistical near-impossibility. This bitcoin price prediction examines where BTC goes from here, based on my over 15 years of experience as an analyst and trader.Follow me on X for real-time market analysis: @ChmielDkWhy Bitcoin Is Going Down? War, the Fed, and ETF StressThe Q1 damage was not driven by a single event but by a compounding stack of pressure. The US-Iran conflict, now in its fifth week, remains the dominant macro driver. As the earlier analysis covering Bitcoin's four-session drop below $63,000 documented, the military escalation sent capital flooding into traditional safe havens while crypto traded with equities, not against them.The Federal Reserve remains on hold at 3.5%-3.75%. Elevated oil prices from the Strait of Hormuz closure are keeping inflation expectations sticky, removing any near-term prospect of rate cuts. The dollar's strength compounds the problem for dollar-denominated risk assets. CME FedWatch pricing shows markets have pushed the first expected cut to the second half of 2026 at the earliest.Joel Kruger, crypto strategist at LMAX, described the current environment as a market "caught between lingering bearish pressure from the multi-month pullback and emerging medium-term demand from value-oriented buyers." The sentiment data reinforces that assessment. The crypto Fear & Greed Index sits at 11 as of March 31, having hit a record low of 5 on February 6. That reading exceeded the extremes seen during the Terra/Luna collapse in 2022 (which bottomed at 6), underscoring the severity of the confidence shock.ETF dynamics have shifted from tailwind to headwind. Standard Chartered's Geoff Kendrick, head of digital assets research, warned in his February 12 note that ETF investors sitting on losses are more likely to reduce exposure than accumulate. The bank cut its 2026 year-end Bitcoin forecast from $150,000 to $100,000 in that note, the second downgrade in three months. As the January bitcoin price prediction for 2026 noted, the range of institutional forecasts had already widened dramatically from the post-ATH euphoria, spanning $75,000 to $225,000.Bitcoin Technical Analysis: Bear Flag Targets $50,000My chart of BTC/USD reveals a clear bearish flag formation. The pole was drawn from mid-January through the February lows below $60,000, a sharp, high-momentum decline that set the structure. The current correction, moving upward inside a sloping regression channel, forms the flag itself. This is a textbook continuation pattern in a downtrend.For the pattern to confirm, price needs to break below the lower boundary of the regression channel, which aligns with the $63,000 area. A daily close below that level would generate a sell signal and confirm the flag breakdown, projecting further downside in the direction of the primary trend.The broader consolidation structure reinforces the bearish setup. The range has been defined by $60,000 support on the floor and $74,000-$75,000 resistance at the ceiling, a level that coincides with last year's April lows. As the February 26 analysis warned, a break of the $60,000 floor opens a direct path to $50,000, my primary bearish target and the August 2024 lows.Two exponential moving averages define the current trend dynamics. The 50 EMA sits at $71,000, pressing down from above and capping every meaningful rally attempt this quarter. The 200 EMA at $85,000 is the main trend separator, the line that divides a bull market from a bear market. Bitcoin has traded below this level since early February, and as long as it remains there, the trend is unambiguously down. Higher resistance levels, including $80,000 (November 2025 lows) and everything above, are irrelevant while price sits 20% below the 200 EMA.Kruger's technical assessment aligns with this framework. He noted that "Bitcoin needs to reclaim the $72,000 level to signal a potential shift in near-term momentum, with stronger resistance seen toward $76,000." Failure to break higher, he added, "keeps the risk tilted toward a continuation of the broader corrective phase."My directional bias is bearish. The structure favors continuation lower, and until Bitcoin reclaims the 200 EMA, rally attempts are corrective moves within a downtrend, not trend reversals. The March 16 analysis covering the $74,500 test identified the same structural risk: the eight-session winning streak was consistent with a lower high formation, not a genuine recovery.Bitcoin Price Predictions: Where Analysts See BTC HeadingThe analyst community is broadly aligned that a confirmed bottom has not been established. The debate centers on depth, not direction.Fidelity's Jurrien Timmer sees the current correction finding support in the $65,000-$75,000 range, consistent with a standard bear year within the four-year halving cycle. K33 Research is more specific, identifying $60,000 as the likely cycle bottom and projecting consolidation between $60,000 and $75,000 before any sustained recovery materializes.The bearish outliers carry institutional weight. Canary Capital's Steven McClurg warned Bitcoin could reach $50,000 by summer 2026, while Standard Chartered's Kendrick, after two consecutive forecast downgrades, now warns of a near-term drop to $50,000 before a recovery to his revised $100,000 year-end target. As the March 4 analysis established, the structural case for a sustained recovery above $88,000 requires either a Fed pivot, Clarity Act passage, or material de-escalation in Middle East tensions. None of those catalysts are imminent.On the bull side, those year-end forecasts assume H2 improvement. The Eric Trump $1 million prediction analysis from February covered the extreme upper end of the range, while the more grounded optimists cluster around $100,000-$150,000 by December, contingent on macro conditions turning favorable.Kruger offered a balanced read from the trading floor. While the "pace of downside has notably slowed, reinforcing the sense of consolidation rather than capitulation," he cautioned that depressed sentiment indicators, "from a contrarian standpoint, also suggest the balance of risks may be gradually skewing back toward the upside." That view requires patience. It is not a near-term buy signal.The 2018 Parallel: Why This Time Comparison MattersThe 2018 comparison is not just narrative convenience. Both cycles share structural DNA: a post-peak euphoria followed by relentless Q1 deleveraging, no relief rally in February, and price action that resembled a controlled collapse rather than a healthy correction. In 2018, Bitcoin fell from roughly $20,000 at its December 2017 peak to approximately $3,200 by December 2018, an 84% drawdown. The 2026 cycle peaked near $126,000 in October 2025, and the February 2026 trough hit approximately $60,000, a drawdown of 45-52% so far.As CryptoSlate's Liam Wright noted, "2026 is not in a state where unconditional seasonality should be trusted." The calendar does not reset the damage.*Ongoing; figures as of March 31, 2026.The critical difference is structural maturity. No major exchange has collapsed in 2026, no protocol has imploded, and spot Bitcoin ETFs continue to function as institutional on-ramps. The February 5 analysis of the crypto selloff to 2026 lows highlighted that BlackRock's IBIT was still absorbing hundreds of millions in single sessions even as prices crashed. This cycle's pain is macro-driven, not systemic. That distinction matters for recovery timing but does not prevent further downside in the interim.Historical data from 2016-2025 shows that years with negative first-half returns never finished positive. If that pattern holds, 2026 would need to be a clean break from every prior comparable cycle, something with zero precedent in the modern sample.Bitcoin Price Prediction FAQWhy is Bitcoin going down in 2026?Bitcoin's decline is driven by compounding macro pressures: the US-Iran conflict pushing risk-off sentiment, the Fed holding rates at 3.5%-3.75% with no near-term cut expected, a strong US dollar, and ETF investors reducing exposure rather than accumulating. Q1 2026 finished down approximately 23%, the worst opening quarter since 2018. As the January analysis of Bitcoin's six-session losing streak documented, tariff threats and geopolitical stress have driven capital away from crypto since the start of the year.How low can Bitcoin go in 2026?My technical analysis identifies $50,000 as the primary bearish target if the bear flag breakdown confirms below $63,000. That level represents the August 2024 lows. Standard Chartered and Canary Capital both project $50,000 as a plausible near-term floor, while K33 Research places the cycle bottom at $60,000. The January analysis targeting a 25% decline below $70,000 identified the 200-week EMA as a critical long-term support that has since been tested.Is Bitcoin in a bear market?By conventional definition, yes. BTC has declined over 45% from its October 2025 all-time high of $126,000 and trades well below its 200-day EMA. Q1 2026's 23% loss places it among the three worst first quarters on record, alongside confirmed bear market periods (2014 and 2018). Approximately 46% of circulating Bitcoin supply is currently underwater.What is the Bitcoin price prediction for end of 2026?Forecasts range widely. Standard Chartered targets $100,000 year-end (cut from $150,000 in February). Fidelity sees support at $65,000-$75,000 as the base for recovery. The bull case requires a Fed pivot, regulatory clarity, or geopolitical de-escalation in H2. The bear case, if $60,000 breaks, projects $50,000 or lower.Will Q2 2026 be better for Bitcoin?Historically, Q2 has delivered the opposite performance of Q1 in eight of the past thirteen years. Macro triggers to watch include Fed rate decisions, sustained ETF inflow stabilization, and whether the Fear & Greed Index can push sustainably above 20-25, the level that in prior cycles marked seller exhaustion. The March 24 analysis noted that nothing structurally changed despite weekend volatility, and the $60,000-$72,000 consolidation range remains the defining structure. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

David Barrett has stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of the UK arm of Retail FX and CFDs broker EBC Financial Group, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The change is reflected on the regulator’s register, which states: “This individual is no longer in a role that requires regulatory approval.”Executive Leads EBC, Cayman, ConsultanciesBarrett served as Director and CEO of the UK business for about six years. He also held a parallel role with the group’s Cayman entity for roughly four years.His tenure at the broker covered multiple jurisdictions and overlapping responsibilities. Both roles were listed as ongoing prior to the recent regulatory update.Alongside his work at EBC, Barrett has been active in financial consultancy. He has led Elm House Advisors Ltd for more than six years, focusing on foreign exchange, fixed income risk, and operational management.Earlier, he ran Raynehurst Advisors Ltd for about five years. Before that, he headed MKM Advisors Ltd for roughly six years.EBC Expands, IG Exits South AfricaEBC Financial Group SA has been approved by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority as an Authorised Financial Service Provider. The approval is part of the company’s plan to establish operations in South Africa, a market with around 63 million people and 76% internet penetration. The country’s fintech sector is projected to grow from USD 7.08 billion in 2023 to USD 14.86 billion by 2033. EBC cited active trading in commodities, indices, and digital assets as supporting demand for regulated market access.At the same time, IG Group is winding down its South African operations. Existing clients may continue to use accounts with the broker’s offshore entities, but no new positions will be opened. The company described the decision as “difficult” and said it intends to provide clients with a smooth transition, without disclosing a reason for the closure. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

"You have a lot of prop firms... not even allowing gold to be traded anymore,” that is how Philip H. van den Berg, co-founder and CEO of Rhodium FX, described what he says is a growing structural problem quietly spreading across the retail prop trading industry. Speaking in a Thentick podcast interview, he argued that the gold market's record-breaking run is doing something the industry never prepared for: making ordinary retail traders consistently profitable, and the economics of many prop firms simply cannot absorb it.The observation cuts to a core tension that has been building for months. As gold prices pushed to successive all-time highs, retail traders who had long struggled to pass evaluation challenges suddenly found themselves on the right side of a single, powerful trend. For prop firms whose business model depends on a majority of traders failing or churning out before reaching payout thresholds, that is a significant problem.Philip, who spent several years as COO of Dominion Markets before founding Rhodium, said the response from many firms has been blunt: simply removing gold from the list of tradeable instruments. The same volatility that prompted some prop firms to delist the metal also forced liquidity providers to act, with Scope Prime widening spreads following CME margin rule changes."We're seeing owners make money real quick and they pull a rug on the whole on the whole system," he said.You can watch the full interview on YouTube. The article continues below the video:2-5 New Prop Firms Opening Every WeekThe gold issue does not exist in isolation. Philip pointed to a market that has grown faster than its underlying infrastructure can support, with new entrants flooding in at a pace that raises serious questions about long-term viability. "There's about two to five prop firms opening up almost every week," he said. That pace of entry, he argued, has produced a landscape where most firms look identical, compete on price, and lack the operational depth to survive a sustained payout cycle.The prop firm sector has faced growing scrutiny over its business model sustainability, particularly following a string of high-profile closures and enforcement actions in 2024. Philip's comments suggest the stress has not abated. He described a pattern where firms scale quickly on challenge fee revenue, encounter a wave of funded traders, and then find themselves unable to honor the commitments that follow.The volume surge has been documented across the industry. easyMarkets reported a 240% jump in gold trading during Q4 as volatility returned to the market, a figure that helps illustrate the scale of the trend Philip says most firms were not positioned to absorb.Rhodium, he said, is trying to take a different route by designing its rules around long-term trader behavior rather than optimizing for failure rates. "Our rules... push traders to be a bit more consistent and long-term," he said, describing the goal as a "more long-term consistent successful partnership" compared to what he characterized as industry norms.Instant Funding Models Under FirePhilip was particularly direct about instant funding challenges, a product format that has gained popularity across the sector in recent years. He described them as a mechanism built around exploiting trader impatience rather than identifying genuine trading talent."These instant funding challenges... it's just a quick money-making scheme," he said. "It literally works on people's greed... people want to get instant funded. All they think about is I'm going to have the money right away, but they don't realize that these rules are so strict and so hard to actually get that first payout."Instant funding models became a major topic of debate within the industry after several firms that heavily promoted the format ran into payout difficulties. Philip argued that the format continues to attract new operators precisely because the revenue is front-loaded and visible, while the liabilities arrive later and quietly.Rhodium does not offer instant funding. Philip said the firm has seen slower growth as a result, but maintains that a two-step evaluation model with more lenient, consistent rules will produce a more stable client base over time.Pay-to-Play Reviews and the Trust ProblemOne of the more pointed moments in the interview came when Philip addressed how traders research and select prop firms. He said the review ecosystem that most traders rely on is fundamentally compromised, claiming that rankings and ratings on major comparison platforms largely reflect which firms have the biggest marketing budgets rather than which firms actually pay out reliably. According to Philip, it comes down to "who's got the biggest pocket."This creates a compounding problem for newer or smaller firms trying to compete on quality rather than spending. Philip described the challenge of converting experienced traders who have long relationships with established names, noting that even if a newer firm offers better conditions, the trust gap is difficult to bridge.The question of trader protection and review transparency has become a recurring concern across industry discussions, particularly as a number of firms that carried strong review scores were later found to have manipulated their ratings or withheld payouts.Regulation Is Coming, but Not QuicklyPhilip spoke at some length about the regulatory horizon for the prop trading sector, offering a more measured view than the alarm that has characterized some industry commentary. He said regulators are watching, but suggested they remain genuinely uncertain about how the business model works."I do think we have a bit more time, but a lot of these owners are making a lot of red flags for these regulators," he said, pointing to rug pulls and opaque financial operations as the behaviors most likely to accelerate a regulatory response.He drew a comparison to how ESMA's leverage cap on European retail brokers played out, noting that the rule, while defensible on trader protection grounds, pushed many clients toward offshore providers offering higher leverage. The lesson he drew was that regulation without a coordinated industry response often reshuffles clients rather than protecting them. The ESMA leverage rules have had lasting effects on the European retail FX market, redirecting significant volumes to less-regulated jurisdictions.On the United States specifically, Philip said Rhodium has made a deliberate decision to stay out of the market entirely. "If America hunts you down as a financial institute, they really hunt you down," he said, referencing the compliance risk posed by the Dodd-Frank Act. He warned that firms quietly accepting US clients while building out their operations are creating a legal liability that will surface the moment they try to legitimize or scale.Background: From BlackBull to Dominion to RhodiumPhilip's path to running a prop firm ran through the brokerage side of the industry. He joined BlackBull Markets in 2018, worked through account management and market analysis roles, and was later recruited by the owner of Dominion Markets to build out the sales structure. He eventually rose to COO, handling operations while the firm's founder, known publicly as Raja, remained the outward face of the business.Dominion Markets built a substantial following in the retail trading community, in part through its educational content and the high-profile social media presence of its founder. Philip described the firm's pace as intense, reflecting the founder's background as a short-timeframe trader. He said the experience gave him both the operational knowledge to run a financial company and a clearer view of what traders actually need versus what most firms offer.Rhodium FX, which is based in Dubai, is positioning itself as a longer-term, more institutionally structured alternative to the mainstream retail prop model. Philip said the firm is also exploring connections to liquidity infrastructure that would allow it to benefit directly from successful trader activity, rather than operating on a pure challenge-fee model. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

STARTRADER has launched Web STAR Copy, a browser-accessible version of its existing copy trading service, making the feature available through the company's Client Portal alongside its mobile application, the Dubai-based broker announced today (Tuesday).The feature, previously limited to the STAR-APP, lets clients choose between two roles: Signal Provider, for those looking to share and monetize their trading strategies, or Copier, for those who want to automatically replicate the trades of other participants without placing orders manually, according to the company. Copy trading has drawn a growing queue of brokers rolling out similar services as demand from retail clients rises, with the global copy trading market estimated at $2.6 billion and still expanding. Brokeree launched a cross-platform API in March that lets brokers integrate social trading across MetaTrader, cTrader, and proprietary systems, illustrating how infrastructure providers are responding to the same demand.Performance Visibility Takes Center StageStrategy pages within Web STAR Copy display performance data for each Signal Provider, including historical returns, trading activity, and the number of active Copiers following a given account, the company said. STARTRADER says this gives Copiers a data-based framework for choosing which strategies to follow, though the broker has not disclosed how the metrics are independently verified or audited."Web STAR Copy reflects our focus on building a more connected trading ecosystem, where transparency and trust support long-term participation," Peter Karsten, Chief Executive Officer of STARTRADER, said in the announcement. PU Prime, one of the more active competitors in the copy trading space, has positioned real-time performance tracking and flexible risk tools as central to its own offering, reflecting how performance transparency has become a baseline expectation across the segment.Copiers can also adjust how trades are replicated to suit their individual preferences, and built-in risk management settings allow users to cap exposure and protect capital, according to STARTRADER. Real-time positions, transaction history, and profit-sharing summaries are all accessible through the same interface, the company said.STARTRADER has been adding product features at a steady pace. The broker rolled out 24/5 trading on 20 of the most traded US stocks just days ago, joining a group of CFD brokers racing to extend their equity access beyond standard market hours.Web Access Broadens the Existing STAR Copy OfferingThe mobile-first STAR Copy service already allowed clients to follow experienced traders and replicate strategies through the STARTRADER app, with a minimum entry amount of $50 for Copiers and no additional commissions beyond standard spreads, according to the company's existing terms. The web version extends that access to users who prefer or require a desktop interface, STARTRADER said, without introducing new pricing or account structures."We are continuously evolving our offering to give traders the confidence to engage with the markets in a more structured and reliable way,” Karsten added,STARTRADER secured a partnership with the NBA in January 2026 and appointed a former MultiBank executive to lead European business development in late 2024.STARTRADER holds active licenses from five regulators, including ASIC in Australia, the FSA in Seychelles, the FSC in Mauritius, the FSCA in South Africa, and the CMA in Kenya. The broker serves both retail clients and business partners through MetaTrader platforms, the STAR-APP, and now the expanded web-based copy trading feature.The race to build out social trading features extends well beyond specialist brokers. Robinhood began beta testing its "Robinhood Social" feature in March 2026, allowing US users to share and discuss trades in a format already common in Europe, while Fortex moved to cloud-based copy trading in late 2025, removing the need for a VPS by routing position mirroring through Duplikium's cloud infrastructure. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

A senior Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) official has called for the European Union's Savings and Investment Union to explicitly prohibit the gamification of investing, warning that smartphone platforms and aggressive marketing campaigns are already steering young, inexperienced investors into speculative products they may not fully understand.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Panikkos Vakkou, Vice Chairman of CySEC, made the argument in a piece published in the Eurofi Magazine, the policy journal of the European financial services think tank that convened its High Level Seminar in Nicosia this month. Writing for an audience of regulators and industry executives, Vakkou drew a direct line between the spread of mobile investing apps and the growing behavioural risks facing retail savers across the EU.The warning builds on a position CySEC has held for several years. In 2022, the regulator launched a dedicated investor protection campaign specifically targeting gamification and the influence of so-called finfluencers, raising concerns about younger investors being drawn into complex and risky products through social media promotion."The SIU should explicitly reject any gamification of long-term investing and demand transparency from companies about how they make money and where their incentives might work against the customer," Vakkou wrote in the Eurofi piece.Young Investors in the CrosshairsThe CySEC Vice Chairman said that while smartphones and mobile apps have genuinely widened access to financial markets, the same tools carry a darker side. "While smartphones and mobile apps have widened access to markets, they have also made risk-taking easier, sometimes pushing investors towards speculative products with little protection," he wrote, adding that investors, "often young and inexperienced," are increasingly influenced by online messaging platforms and aggressive marketing campaigns, framing them as a threat to the very investor base the SIU is designed to serve.His piece calls for clear rules on ownership and custody of investment assets, high standards for digital operational resilience, and technology that works smoothly with existing banking and payment infrastructure. On financial literacy, his position was direct: "strong consumer protection and prioritising financial literacy are non-negotiable."CySEC is far from alone in drawing attention to these risks. The FCA issued a formal warning to trading app operators in late 2022, citing research that linked extensive gamification to gambling-like behavior and potential addiction among retail users. A June 2024 FCA study went further, finding a direct link between game-like app elements and measurably riskier investing behavior among retail participants. ESMA has also spent years pushing for curbs on these practices, with its chair Verena Ross warning that gamification techniques "may cause retail investors to engage in trading behavior without understanding the risks involved", raising questions about whether the EU's existing investor protection framework is adequate for the app-first generation of market participants. The concern runs deep enough that analysts have been tracking whether a full "degamification" of retail trading is even possible without eroding the retail participation that regulators simultaneously want to grow.Europe's €10 Trillion OpportunityVakkou anchored his technology argument in a number the European Commission has made central to the SIU debate: European households currently hold more than €10 trillion in low-yield bank deposits and rarely access capital markets directly. He argued that digital platforms, tokenization, and distributed ledger technology could collectively remove the friction that has historically blocked retail participation across borders, by making long-term products easier to compare, cheaper to onboard, and more accessible without sacrificing regulatory standards.On distributed ledger technology specifically, Vakkou said faster settlement and streamlined post-trade processes could lower operational costs and reduce reconciliation errors, addressing the infrastructure layers where integration has most consistently stalled. He also pointed to RegTech as a tool for supervisors, saying CySEC's own systems allow the authority to process large data volumes, spot irregularities early, and take action before problems escalate."Technology can accelerate the SIU, but only if we're prepared for the risks," he wrote, in a formulation that captures both sides of a debate the regulator is pushing to define.CySEC highlighted the European Commission's targeted consultation on SIU capital market integration last April, inviting financial institutions to provide feedback on obstacles to cross-border investing, DLT pilot regimes, and asset tokenisation. Vakkou's Eurofi piece is the latest signal from Nicosia that the regulator intends to stay at the centre of that conversation.Cyprus Pitches Innovation With Guard RailsVakkou pointed to CySEC's Regulatory Sandbox as evidence that the jurisdiction is prepared to engage with new models rather than simply police them. The sandbox, launched in June 2024 and opened to FinTech and RegTech applications the following month, gives fintech startups and crypto service providers a supervised environment to test products before they reach the full market. Vakkou said it also gives the regulator early visibility into emerging risks, and deepens dialogue between supervisors and innovators.The point matters for the broader SIU agenda: CySEC oversees a significant share of EU-passported CFD and forex brokers through Cyprus's MiFID II framework, meaning its regulatory posture has direct implications for a large portion of the retail investment platforms operating across Europe. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

New Jersey, USA – 31 March 2026 — FXAQ LLC has entered into an agreement with Catalyst Futures to acquire the CFST®️ Exam and the Futures Education division of the firm.The transaction positions FXAQ to lead the development and global distribution of the CFST®️ certification, a professional qualification designed to validate the practical knowledge and competence of trading professionals across derivatives markets.FXAQ was founded by Fred Scala and Tom O'Reilly. Alex Chaia, CEO of Catalyst Futures, commented:“The CFST®️ program was built to reflect how derivatives are actually traded and risk-managed. FXAQ is well positioned to scale this globally.”About the CFST®️ ProgramThe CFST®️ Exam certifies professionals in FX, futures, and options markets, providing institutions with confidence that candidates possess up-to-date, practical expertise.As part of the program, candidates receive structured training materials, including a dedicated certification textbook, and are guided through a comprehensive learning path designed to prepare them for entry into the derivatives job market.• Level I: Compliance, market fundamentals, and economics — suitable across operations, compliance, sales, and trading• Level II: Valuation, risk management, and algorithmic development — designed for trading, risk, and strategy rolesHow to EnrollCandidates seeking to begin their education and certification path should now access the program directly through FXAQ.Visit FXAQ and select a plan to start the CFST®️ certification track.About FXAQ LLCFXAQ LLC is a proprietary trading firm specializing in derivatives markets, combining execution expertise with quantitative research and professional education. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

BMLL Technologies has appointed Kevin Barrett as Senior Sales Director for listed derivatives in the United States, the London-based market data firm said today (Tuesday), bringing in a futures and quantitative research specialist as it looks to build out its presence in the asset class.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Barrett spent nearly 13 years at Quantitative Brokers in New York, where he handled the full sales cycle for the firm's futures, options, spot FX and US cash treasury execution algorithms. Earlier in his career, he logged close to a decade at Graham Capital Management in Connecticut, working across quantitative research analyst, portfolio analyst and portfolio manager roles.The Barrett hire is BMLL's second senior sales appointment since Nordic Capital completed its acquisition of the firm in October 2025, following the January appointment of Karen King as Head of Sales for Asia Pacific, where BMLL had recently added nine new exchange feeds.Futures Data Coverage Under ConstructionBMLL says it is actively building out its global futures offering, which the company says includes delivering Level 2 and Level 1 data feeds for the asset class and developing analytics to complement its existing equity suite. Barrett, speaking in a statement, drew directly on his own research background to frame the pitch: "I am incredibly excited to join BMLL as the company looks to significantly expand its product offering... Drawing on my own background in quantitative research and trading, I intimately understand the challenges market participants face when researching and developing trading strategies.”“I know firsthand the tremendous value that BMLL's harmonized high-quality data and analytics can bring to researchers and quants looking to optimize their trading strategies."Barrett’s broader background spans execution trading and research positions at Willowbridge Associates, Bengal Partners LLC and Trout Trading Management Co., as well as time at Merrill Lynch, putting his total industry experience at over 30 years. Nordic Capital Deal Fuels Expansion PushNordic Capital acquired BMLL in October 2025 in a deal that also involved existing minority shareholder Optiver, which had led a $21 million investment in the firm in October 2024. Rob Laible, Head of Americas at BMLL, said on Tuesday: "When Nordic Capital came on board, we made our intentions very clear, and we continue to deliver on this mission. We continue to invest in expanding our global venue footprint and extending our data coverage. This includes adding new asset classes such as global futures and options, and actively scaling our go-to-market teams globally."The personnel moves come alongside a run of data partnerships. In March, BMLL launched a year-long pilot with Tradefeedr aimed at extending transaction cost analysis from foreign exchange into equities. In February, the firm joined forces with Features Analytics to apply its order book records to market abuse detection across equities, ETFs, futures and US equity options.BMLL was founded in 2014 in the machine learning laboratories of the University of Cambridge. It describes itself as a provider of harmonized historical Level 3, 2 and 1 data and analytics covering global equities, ETFs, futures and US equity options, targeting banks, brokers, asset managers, hedge funds, exchange groups, academic institutions and regulators. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Wyden, the Zurich-based institutional digital asset trading platform, said today (Tuesday) it has added Wincent to its liquidity network, connecting the Gibraltar-headquartered market maker with banks and brokers using Wyden's smart order routing infrastructure.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Wincent ranks among the top 10 global high-frequency cryptocurrency market makers, according to the company, executing roughly 500,000 trades and more than $5 billion in daily notional volume. Banks and Brokers in FocusThrough the integration, Wyden's institutional clients will be able to route orders across more than 200 digital assets and 17 global venues, with Wincent's pricing feeding into Wyden's real-time Smart Order Routing engine. Andy Flury, Founder and Board President of Wyden, said Wincent provides "the depth and reliability our institutional clients require," describing the Gibraltar firm as "a powerhouse addition to our liquidity network."Boris Sebosik, Chief Business Development Officer at Wincent, added exclusively for FinanceMagnates.com, that the tie-up was designed specifically to serve banks and brokers, noting that the company tailored its offering for retail-facing institutions with a wide symbol portfolio and tight pricing. He characterized Wincent's role not as a passive aggregator but as a liquidity enhancer, pointing to the firm's prop trading origins as a differentiator in order book depth and breadth. "By combining our high-frequency market-making capabilities with Wyden's trading infrastructure and smart order routing, we are making it easier for institutions to access deep liquidity, tighter pricing, and more efficient execution across the digital asset market," Sebosik said.CFD Brokers Also in the FrameOn the CFD side, Sebosik confirmed that institutions, including CFD retail brokers, can already trade bilaterally with Wincent through multiple access points, including Talos, Wincent's own FIX gateway, and as part of prime brokers' aggregated offerings. The integration fits into a broader effort by both firms to meet growing demand from regulated financial institutions expanding into digital assets. As FinanceMagnates.com reported in January 2025, rival crypto market maker Wintermute recorded OTC volume growth in 2024, pointing to accelerating institutional appetite for structured digital asset access.TradFi's Share of the Market Is RisingWincent processes a mix of crypto-native and traditional finance counterparties on its OTC desk, with roughly 60% of flow currently coming from crypto-native institutions, Sebosik told Finance Magnates. That balance is shifting, he said, as more banks bring new retail client bases online with digital asset offerings. "The distinction is no longer very clear in many cases, as several large institutions have been offering crypto trading for a long time and I wouldn't count them as pure tradfi brokers," Sebosik commented for FinanceMagnates.com. That view reflects a broader market reality visible across the liquidity provider landscape, where the line between crypto-native and traditional finance counterparties continues to blur.Wyden Keeps Building Its LP RosterThis is not Wyden's first integration in recent months. The firm added Crypto Finance AG, the Deutsche Börse-owned digital asset trading firm, to its network in March 2025, and followed that with Nomura-backed Laser Digital in October 2025. Nomura's digital asset arm has since faced its own challenges, with the Japanese bank partly attributing a 10% profit decline to crypto-related losses in early 2026, adding a note of caution to the otherwise expansive institutional narrative.Wyden, headquartered in Zurich with operations in Poland, Singapore, and New York, describes its platform as covering the full trade lifecycle for banks, brokers, and asset managers, including custody, core banking, and portfolio management system integration. Wincent, regulated in Gibraltar, offers access to liquidity across nearly 10,000 cryptocurrencies, including locked tokens, through voice, FIX API, GUI interfaces, and indirect access via prime brokers. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

John Austin has left Capital.com after almost two-and-a-half years, ending his tenure as Chief Strategy Officer at the retail broker. He joined the firm in late 2023 and combined the strategy role with responsibilities as Dealing Director during his time at the firm.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Tenure at Capital.comAt Capital.com, Austin ran the group’s trading teams and set pricing and hedging policy. He also worked on strategic business development projects as the broker continued to build out its multi-asset derivatives offering. He was based in London. The change comes as Capital.com push ahead with a broader global expansion. It recently advertised a senior Risk Manager position in Singapore, where it is in the process of securing a license from the Monetary Authority of Singapore. The role will oversee the risk framework for a planned CMS-licensed entity and manage key exposures across market, credit, operational, liquidity and compliance risks while reporting to the local Country Head and Group Risk.More executive moves: iSAM Securities' Co-Head of eTrading Jeff Wilkins Switches to JT MarketsBefore joining Capital.com, Austin served as Chief Strategy Officer at LMAX Group up to 2023, working on exchange and MTF development, liquidity, risk management and institutional crypto projects. Senior Roles across IG, LMAXEarlier, he spent many years at IG Group in roles including Chief Analytics Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, where he sat on the executive committee and worked on initiatives such as the acquisition of DailyFX, development of the Nadex US derivatives exchange and the launch of the Spectrum trading venue.He has also served as CEO and board member of IG Group US Holdings and held senior roles at Nadex in Chicago, including interim CEO. His early career included trading and product development positions at IG and a stint in structured capital markets at Barclays Capital.In another recent executive move, Capital.com hired Prishani Maheeph-Moonsamy as its Head of Compliance for South Africa. Maheeph-Moonsamy previously worked in compliance at FXCM and IG and spent more than five years in compliance positions at Nedbank, giving her experience across banking and retail trading. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

UAE-based forex and CFD broker DB Investing has announced plans to open a new office in Mexico as part of its expansion into Latin America. The new branch will serve as the company’s regional hub for the growing market.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).The region has been attracting notable names in the brokerage space, including EC Markets. DB Investing said on Monday that it has been preparing for the move over the past months and is now ready to begin operations in the region.DB Investing is coming to Mexico. This is just the beginning. Stay close. ? #DBInvesting #ComingToMexico #MexicoCity #LatinAmericaTrading #CFDTrading #GlobalExpansion #MexicoFinance #TradingLatam #NuevoMercado pic.twitter.com/OFF6ySWzDa— DB Investing (@db_investing) March 30, 2026“A new office. A new chapter,” the company wrote in an update, highlighting its intention to engage more directly with local traders and strengthen its regional presence.Joining EC Markets, VT MarketsMexico’s developing financial market and increasing participation in online trading have attracted growing interest from global brokers. For instance, EC Markets opened its first Latin American office in Mexico City in August last year, positioning the location as a hub to serve regional forex and CFD traders with a local Spanish-speaking team. In December last year, VT Markets also inaugurated a new office in Mexico City as part of its Latin America expansion strategy, describing the move as a key step in growing its presence across the region. Mexico attracts CFD brokers because it combines strong demand growth with relatively light, indirect local rules on CFDs.Continue reading: EC Markets Opens Mexico City Office After Launching in Cyprus and MauritiusOn regulation, Mexico supervises financial markets mainly through the Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (CNBV), the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, and Banco de México. These bodies regulate banks, broker‑dealers and derivatives markets, and issue rules that cover capital, conduct, and risk management. Light CFD Rules and Booming Online TradingHowever, CFDs themselves sit in a legal grey area: they are not explicitly banned, but CNBV does not have a dedicated CFD regime and has warned that it will not protect clients dealing with unlicensed foreign brokers.This mix means many international CFD brokers can market into Mexico on a cross‑border basis, or open representative offices, without facing the kind of product‑specific leverage caps and marketing bans seen in parts of Europe. At the same time, brokers must still navigate general securities, derivatives and consumer‑protection rules, and monitor evolving guidance from CNBV and Banco de México. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Trade Nation, a provider of spread betting and contracts for difference, reported higher revenue and profit from its United Kingdom operations for 2025. The improvement was supported by a reduction in hedging-related losses.Singapore Summit: Meet the largest APAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!).Operating Profit Surges Despite Higher CostsFor 2025, Trade Nation posted turnover of £25.3 million, up from £21.7 million in 2024. Cost of sales increased slightly to £646K, compared with £569K the previous year. Net losses on hedging activities declined to £695K, down from £3.04 million in 2024, which helped lift overall profitability.[#highlighted-links#] Gross profit rose to £23.9 million, compared with £18.1 million in the prior year. Administrative expenses also increased, reaching £20.1 million, up from £17.4 million in 2024. Despite higher costs, operating profit rose to £3.81 million, compared with £636K in 2024.Profit Before Tax Climbs £4.13MProfit before tax increased to £4.13 million, up from £948K in 2024. The company recorded a tax charge of £342K, compared with a tax credit of £49K the previous year. Profit for 2025 reached £3.79 million, compared with £997K in 2024.The company stated that the figures were prepared on the basis that “all operations are continuing.”The company returned to profitability in 2024, reporting a net profit of £996K, compared with a £2.2 million loss in 2023. Revenue and gross profit both increased, while operating profit turned positive from a £2.6 million loss the previous year.Trade Nation Retires TD365 Brand PlatformSeparately, earlier this year Trade Nation consolidated the TD365 platform under its own brand, retiring the TD365 name. The company said customers will continue to trade as normal, with no impact on accounts, funds, or open positions. It noted that the change is intended to simplify the login process and accelerate the rollout of new platform features, including the ability to link accounts with TradingView. The move does not affect the company’s regulatory status in any of its jurisdictions. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.