Although there are more than a week of trading days left in March, IG Group is expecting to close the first quarter of the year with about £300 million, 7 per cent higher than the corresponding period a year ago.It has also launched a new £125 million share buyback programme.A Great Year for IG Group, FinanciallyIn the three months ended February, the London-listed broker generated total revenue of £274.2 million, 2 per cent higher, with organic revenue on a continuing operations basis stable at £266 million. Its net trading revenue grew by 5 per cent to £247.2 million.Read more: IG Group Posts Record £1.12bn Revenue, Launches Strategic Review as Customer Growth Accelerates“With commercial momentum building, we now expect 2026 organic total revenue growth from this higher base towards the top end of our mid-to-high single-digit target range, excluding contributions from Freetrade and Independent Reserve,” the broker’s latest yearly financial results, released yesterday (Thursday), noted.The figures came as IG closed the 2025 calendar year with total revenue of £1.12 billion, driven by double-digit growth in net trading revenue and a rise in new customer numbers.Its outlook for 2026 is also positive, with EBITDA expected to be broadly in line with the current consensus of £538.1 million.Analysts expect IG’s total revenue for 2026 to be £1.16 billion, of which £1.06 billion is expected to come from trading revenue. For the following year, the total figure is expected to be higher, at almost £1.24 billion, with EBITDA of £579.1 million.“Beyond 2026, given the momentum behind recent product launches and the strength of our pipeline, we now expect organic total revenue growth towards the top end of our guided range,” the broker noted.“Group EBITDA margins are expected to be sustained in the mid-40s percentage range as investment in growth is offset by structurally declining fixed costs to serve, enabled by AI, digital servicing, and automation.”[#highlighted-links#] The Goal Is to Maximise Shareholder ValueIG has also been expanding its presence through acquisitions – it completed the Freetrade acquisition last year and recently bought Independent Reserve, a crypto exchange. Pro forma total revenue in 2025 was £32.2 million for Freetrade and £19.3 million for Independent Reserve.The broker’s net interest income in 2026 is expected to be approximately £110 million based on current rate expectations.Meanwhile, IG is reportedly considering a US listing as it evaluates its presence in London. The decision is expected to be made by autumn 2025.The London-headquartered broker also ran a campaign recently against the stamp duty imposed on stock investments to improve investor sentiment in the UK stock market. Its priority, however, is now to maximise shareholder value. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

Interviewee: Adam Phillips, CEO of FXTQ1. Could you briefly introduce your development history and business layout? What are your current primary markets and core services?Adam PhillipsI’ve spent over 25 years in the 'engine room' of global finance—managing institutional mandates, setting up prime brokerage relationships with the likes of UBS and Deutsche Bank, and executing billions in monthly volume. When I took the role as CEO of FXT, I didn't see it as just a leadership change, but a mission to bring that institutional-grade discipline to the retail and wholesale market. I wanted to build the broker that I, as a practitioner, would want to use.FXT is headquartered in Sydney, and while we have a large footprint in the APAC region, we are rapidly expanding our global reach to meet the needs of serious, self-directed traders everywhere. Our core service isn't just 'providing a platform'; it provides a coherent, engineered ecosystem. We offer over 500 instruments—FX, Precious Metals, Stocks, Crypto—all under one roof, but the real 'product' is our in-house tech stack.We own WebTrader, the App, and the Funds Management System. We don't white-label our core; we engineer it. This is a critical distinction because it allows us to significantly reduce 'platform risk.' While the markets will always be uncertain, your broker shouldn't be. By owning the technology, we ensure that when our clients act—whether they are trading directly or allocating to a fund—they stay in control. We’ve moved away from the generic 'low spreads' talk to focus on how our systems behave when it matters most.Q2. What role or mission do you believe your company undertakes within the current forex ecosystem?Adam PhillipsFor us it all starts from a simple insight:“The market will always be uncertain. Your platform shouldn’t be.”Most traders are okay with market risk – that’s the game they’ve chosen. What really frustrates them is platform risk: platforms that freeze when things move, costs that only show up after the trade, or money that’s easy to deposit but hard to withdraw.So, our role in the FX ecosystem is to remove as much of that platform uncertainty as we can.Internally, it’s our North Star, as a team - we call that idea ‘Engineered Trust’.By that we mean: we don’t just rent some technology and put a logo on it. We build and control the important parts ourselves – the trading platforms, the systems that handle orders and risk, how prices and costs are shown, and how client money moves in and out.Out in the world, we talk about this through the lense “In Control” – because that’s what we want our clients to feel at the moment they act.The market can move. That’s its job.Our job is to be the part of a distinctive trading experience you can 100% rely on.Q3. Compared with other brokers, what unique advantages does your company offer in terms of technological innovation or client experience?Adam PhillipsMost brokers in this industry are essentially a collection of third-party vendors taped together. They license a platform from one provider, bolt on a bridge from another, and route orders through an external aggregator. That model creates massive blind spots—latency you can’t diagnose and execution behavior you can’t fully control. At FXT, our fundamental advantage is our End-to-End Proprietary Stack. Because we built our own execution, pricing, and routing systems from the ground up, we have total control over the moment of action—the exact millisecond where a client’s intent becomes a market reality.This isn't just about speed; it’s about reliability. We’ve invested heavily in proximity hosting near major financial hubs to ensure that when volatility spikes, our infrastructure thrives. In this business, trust is earned during market chaos. When markets are calm, every broker looks the same, but when 'black swan' events hit, institutional-grade engineering is what separates a serious broker from a marketing-led firm.A practical example of this rigor is our Funds Management System . In most places, these are afterthoughts or third-party plugins. At FXT, it’s a core pillar. We built it to serve professional money managers with the same level of granular reporting and sub-millisecond execution that I demanded when I was managing $40M+ mandates for institutional clients. If you are running complex strategies across hundreds of sub-accounts, you don’t just need 'copy trading'—you need precision, auditability, and total visibility. We provide the tools that allow a manager to run their book like a professional fund.That same institutional precision extends to our Social Trading infrastructure. Unlike legacy copy systems that introduce lag or proportional distortion, FXT delivers zero latency for copy accounts from source account—ensuring followers receive execution in real time, not seconds later when the opportunity has moved. Our dashboard provides clear performance analytics and transparent trade metrics, so clients understand drawdown, risk profile and consistency before allocating capital. Most importantly, we’ve engineered our allocation engine to support fractional micro-lot execution. That means a $50 investment can follow a signal account holding $30,000 with precision. We allow fractions of micro lots to be traded onto follower accounts, ensuring proportional accuracy rather than rounded, distorted position sizing. This is institutional-grade allocation logic delivered to retail scale.We also focus on what I call Radical Transparency. In an industry often built on information asymmetry, we lead with data. We surface spreads, swaps, and margin health clearly within the UI, designing the interface to support better decision-making rather than emotional overtrading. We don't build a casino; we build a cockpit.Ultimately, our philosophy is centered on Client Longevity. We want our clients to stay in the game longer, trade with clearer information, and compound their skills over years. If we aren’t helping you manage risk—through better technology and clearer data—then we are part of the risk. That institutional mindset—prioritizing survival and disciplined growth over reckless volume—is the edge that sets FXT apartQ4. How does your company ensure the safety of client funds?Adam PhillipsSecurity is the foundation of 'Engineered Trust.' We operate under strict regulatory oversight, including ASIC, and we treat client money handling with the same rigor I applied under NFA and FINRA jurisdictions. Segregated accounts and top-tier banking relationships are non-negotiable.Regarding 'information asymmetry,' this is where transparency wins. We explain how we make money in plain language. We don't allow third-party funding. We make offboarding and withdrawals as seamless as onboarding. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Compagnie Financière Tradition (SWX: CFT), an inter-dealer broker and operator of a Japanese retail forex trading platform, ended 2025 with CHF 134.2 million in net group profit, which increased by 22.2 per cent in constant currencies. The profit was made on annual revenue of almost CHF 1.12 billion, up 11.3 per cent.Revenue from its inter-dealer broking business (IDB) increased by 11.2 per cent at constant exchange rates to CHF 1.16 billion, while revenue from the online forex trading business for retail investors in Japan (non-IDB), from its Gaitame operations, rose by 18.8 per cent to CHF 39.6 million.Its operating margin also improved to 14.5 per cent from 11.9 per cent.[#highlighted-links#] Another Good Year for the Swiss GroupWhen it comes to combined revenue with joint ventures, the figure came in at CHF 1.2 billion, 11.4 per cent higher than the previous year. The operating profit from this was CHF 187.4 million.The Swiss company highlighted that it operated last year “in a complex macroeconomic environment marked by the shift of the major central banks’ monetary policies towards cautious easing and by a rise in international trade tensions, notably the introduction of significant U.S. tariffs that triggered retaliatory measures and increased global geopolitical uncertainty.”These developments prompted investors to actively reassess and reposition their portfolios, generating a substantial increase in transaction volumes across all asset classes and regions.“The Group was able to capitalise on these market conditions while continuing its organic growth strategy,” the company added.However, its performance was affected by the strengthening of the Swiss franc during the year, particularly against the U.S. dollar and the Japanese yen.Outlook Is BullishIn the current year, the group is witnessing a “positive trend”, which continues from recent years.“The priority remains the pursuit of growth primarily through organic development, in particular through targeted recruitment aimed at expanding its product offering across different geographic regions,” the company added. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

Canada’s financial crime watchdog has revoked 47 crypto-related money services business (MSB) registrations since the start of the year as part of a wider clampdown on anti-money laundering failures. The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has cancelled 50 MSB registrations in total so far, including 23 in its latest enforcement action.Ottawa Ramps Up AML EnforcementFinance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the cancellations mark “a significantly increased pace of action” and pledged that the government will maintain this momentum as it targets money laundering and fraud risks.He added that authorities will keep monitoring and pursuing new measures for virtual currency businesses, including cryptocurrency MSBs and crypto ATMs, which officials say can be used to facilitate illicit finance.In a separate report, Canadian securities regulators dismantled more than thousands of fraudulent investment and cryptocurrency websites as part of a coordinated national drive to tackle online financial crime. The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) said the sweep, conducted between June 5, 2025, and February 12, 2026, led to the deactivation of 7,586 scam platforms linked to more than 13,000 URLs.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.Announced during Fraud Prevention Month, the operation marked an intensified effort to disrupt online schemes targeting Canadian investors and to deter would‑be fraudsters. It signaled a broader regulatory shift toward proactive detection and rapid takedown of suspicious platforms rather than relying solely on traditional, slower enforcement channels.When FINTRAC Pulls RegistrationThe push on registrations follows major penalties against crypto firms late last year. FINTRAC fined platform Cryptomus 126 million dollars for alleged violations, including failing to report suspicious transactions on more than 1,000 occasions in July 2024 and lacking written compliance policies.You may also like: IG Group Weighs Move from London to Wall Street: ReportCrypto exchange KuCoin received a 14 million dollar penalty for allegedly failing to register as a foreign MSB and not reporting large crypto transactions with complete information.FINTRAC said MSBs operating in Canada must keep records, verify customer identities, implement a compliance regime, report specified financial transactions and register with the agency. Registration confirms that a business meets legal requirements but does not mean FINTRAC endorses or licenses the firm.The agency can deny or revoke registration if a business is ineligible, does not answer clarification requests within 30 days, fails to respond to information demands, does not update core details such as name or address, or fails to assist the agency. Firms have 30 days to request a review after a denial or revocation. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

IG Group Holdings is considering a move from London to New York in an effort to expand its presence in one of the world’s largest financial markets. The online trading firm confirmed it is reviewing its listing venue, legal base, and potential acquisition options as part of a wider growth plan.Chief Financial Officer Clifford Abrahams told Bloomberg that a potential U.S. listing could help IG strengthen its position among peers, attract new investors, and create a wider pool for deals. He added that the decision could also benefit staff through greater access to global capital markets.IG Group is considering a listing in New York as a way to bolster its presence in a major market for online trading platforms https://t.co/MjKHPmvjTx— Bloomberg (@business) March 19, 2026Thursday's financial reports hinted at this move. It noted that IG’s board is running a wide-ranging review of big strategic options. It will look at buying other companies to speed up growth, changing where the group is legally based and where its shares trade to free up capital and give it more flexibility.Following a Growing TrendIf IG proceeds, it will join a series of UK-listed companies relocating to Wall Street. Wise announced plans to establish a primary listing in the US last year, while maintaining its UK presence. Despite preparing to join the FTSE 100 this month, IG seems to be targeting long-term competitiveness as valuations and liquidity in the U.S. market continue to attract global firms.Commenting about the move, IG spokesperson told Finance Magnates: “The strategic review is focused on maximizing shareholder value. It would be premature to speculate about a potential change of listing venue, and whether this is an appropriate course of action. The UK remains a substantial and growing market for IG.”The review also sits within a wider shift among CFD-focused brokers that increasingly look to the US for growth, even if they stop short of moving their listing. Plus500 has spent recent years building a sizeable US futures and prediction-markets arm and now presents the US as a core expansion pillar, while keeping its shares traded in London.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.CMC Markets, meanwhile, has leaned into a multi-asset, multi-region strategy with growing institutional and non-CFD revenue, but likewise maintains a UK listing.Nonetheless, IG is registering impressive growth. It delivered record revenue last year but saw profitability come under pressure amid funding costs and heavier investment diluted margins.Related: IG Group Posts Record £1.12bn Revenue, Launches Strategic Review as Customer Growth AcceleratesTotal revenue for the calendar year rose 7% to £1,123.4 million, supported by a 10% jump in net trading revenue to £1,004.6 million, while net interest income fell 16% to £118.8 million as lower benchmark rates reduced returns on client cash and more benefit passed through to customers.Record Revenue in 2025, but Margins NarrowAdditionally, EBITDA increased 1% to £531.1 million, but the EBITDA margin declined from 49.9% to 47.3%, reflecting a deliberate shift in the business model toward trading and fee income and higher operating spend.Adjusted EPS rose 5% to 115.3 pence, helped by ongoing share buybacks that have cut the share count by over 16% since May 2022. Basic EPS jumped 29% to 130 pence, boosted by a one-off £76.0 million gain from the sale of Small Exchange to Kraken.Meanwhile, IG recently resolved its long-running search for a new Chair by naming Andrew Barron as Chair Designate and Non-Executive Director. He is replacing outgoing Chair Mike McTighe once regulatory approvals are in place. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and Major League Baseball have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the first agreement of its kind between the regulator and a professional sports league.The move comes as the CFTC increases its focus on event-based contracts and prediction markets, an area that has drawn regulatory scrutiny in recent years. Finance Magnates has previously reported on the agency’s review of such products, particularly around market integrity and oversight standards. The MOU was announced ahead of the 2026 baseball season.MLB Partners With CFTC on Prediction MarketsIt sets out a framework for the two sides to cooperate and exchange information on issues of shared interest, including matters related to professional baseball and associated prediction markets.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.According to the regulator, the arrangement is intended to support oversight of markets tied to sports outcomes. Michael S. Selig described it as a “collaborative step” to promote “integrity and resilience” in baseball-related prediction markets. He said it would also help the agency develop tools to protect participants from “fraud, manipulation, and other abuses.”Selig also acknowledged the role of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in establishing the partnership, citing the league’s involvement in efforts related to safeguarding market operations.Today the @CFTC and @MLB made history by signing the first-ever MOU between a sports league and federal agency. We’ve committed to work together to protect the integrity and resilience of prediction markets relating to professional baseball. Through this partnership, the… pic.twitter.com/SNfym65t0N— Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) March 19, 2026MOU Enables “Faster Responses, Risk Detection”Under the terms of the MOU, both sides will share information in line with applicable laws. The framework is designed to enable faster responses to incidents and improve the identification of emerging risks.Both parties said they will continue to cooperate as prediction markets linked to professional sports develop. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Tradeweb Markets has expanded its dealer algorithmic execution offering for U.S. Treasuries, adding new strategies from Citi and RBC Capital Markets. The move follows the platform’s U.S. launch of algo execution tools last year and aims to improve liquidity access and execution efficiency for institutional clients.The integration of more dealer algorithms into U.S. Treasury markets highlights how automation continues to reshape fixed income trading.Algorithmic trading is transforming global markets by enabling high-speed, data-driven execution with minimal human intervention. The growth of this sector reflects a surge in both institutional and retail adoption. It is driven by the need for speed, efficiency, and emotion-free decision-making.Broader Liquidity and Execution OptionsThe expansion comes as Tradeweb and MarketAxess emerge as central hubs of electronic liquidity across fixed income. January set new records for both platforms amid heightened market volatility and stronger institutional participation.Tradeweb handled a total of 65.5 trillion dollars in trading volume during the month, translating into average daily volume of 3.1 trillion dollars, up 26.2% year-on-year. On the other hand, MarketAxess reported record average daily volume of 18.6 billion dollars in total credit, a 28% increase versus January 2025, and lifted total platform ADV to 47.7 billion dollars on the back of 19% growth in its rates business.These figures underscore how electronic venues are increasingly displacing traditional channels as institutions look for deeper liquidity and more efficient execution across rates, credit and emerging market instruments.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.Platforms like Tradeweb are increasingly central to this shift, bridging liquidity providers and investors through data‑driven technology that mirrors the evolution long seen in equities.Tradeweb Grows U.S. Treasury Algo LiquidityThrough the platform, investors can execute Treasury orders over defined timeframes with multiple dealer liquidity providers. Tradeweb said the addition of Citi and RBC deepens its multi‑dealer ecosystem and supports the integration of algorithmic tools with its data and analytics infrastructure.Notably, Tradeweb’s U.S. government bond marketplace reported record average daily volume of USD 237.2 billion in 2025, up 11.6% year‑on‑year. Institutional investors currently access liquidity from 38 leading providers. Additionally, Tradeweb’s is collaborating with Kalshi in a push to integrate prediction markets into institutional trading workflows. The partnership involves embedding Kalshi’s real-time event probabilities and data into Tradeweb’s rates and credit platforms. This enables clients to incorporate event-based insights into their forecasting and risk models. This article was written by Jared Kirui at www.financemagnates.com.

Who is the legitimate financial regulator for the Union of Comoros? Although a couple of island authorities claim their legitimacy, the answer is singular: it's only The Banque Centrale des Comores (BCC).If you thought about $20,000 and some tropical branding could buy regulatory legitimacy, think again.Comoros: Islands at the Centre of CFD RegulationThe Union of Comoros is made up of three islands off East Africa: Ngazidja (Grande Comore), Mwali (Mohéli) and Ndzwani (Anjouan). It has enjoyed its fair share of political and legal oddities. But when it comes to financial regulation, the realities are far from what is being promoted.Among the key players in this controversy are the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority (AOFA) and the Mwali International Services Authority (MISA). Both sell “banking,” “forex,” and “insurance” licenses, but there are significant questions about their authority to issue them.Read more:119 Brokerage Firms Registered in Mwali in 2024It can be understood that regulatory heavyweights such as the Banque Centrale des Comores (BCC), IMF, World Bank, and FATF have all made one thing abundantly clear: AOFA and MISA have zero legal standing and exist solely to sell paper licenses, not to protect investors or oversee markets.My argument below is made in good faith and is based on my understanding of the supporting evidence I included here.Finance Magnates approached both AOFA and MISA to understand their arguments regarding the legitimacy claim, but did not receive any response. The Official Position: Not Even Close to LegitThe promoters of these licenses argue that the autonomous islands of Anjouan and Mwali have the right to create their own financial laws. This claim, however, is verifiably false: Article 9 of the Union Constitution and Organic Law No. 05-003/AU establish that banking and financial legislation fall under the exclusive competence of the Union government, not the individual islands.International bodies also concur. A detailed 2010 report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) investigating the country's anti-money laundering framework (Report No. 10/320) concluded that the offshore financial institutions created on the islands "were created in violation of the Union's law" and "had no legal basis when they were created."This means the very laws AOFA and MISA are based on—such as the "Offshore Finance Authority Act 2005" —were enacted "without effect" and in violation of the nation's constitution.The June 2022 communiqué from BCC stated as plainly as possible: "The Central Bank of the Comoros informs the public about fictitious structures claiming to issue licenses to banks and financial institutions in the Union of the Comoros" (the document in French is attached below).Among those listed as bogus in the same document are the Mwali International Services Authority, the Anjouan Offshore Finance Authority, Anjouan Corporate Services, and others.The same communiqué was re-published as a reminder last December 2025 on the website of the Ministry of Finance here.If you want to know which banks are actually legit, BCC publishes an official list, and neither AOFA nor MISA nor any bank “licensed” by either makes the cut.The World Bank and IMF have also flagged the “offshore banking” schemes coming from Comoros as illegal, blatantly breaching the law that assigns financial regulation solely to the Union government, not individual islands. The US State Department and OECD have repeatedly warned about the impossibility of safely handling money via these “licensed” entities.Recently, I have even seen circulating fake virtual asset licenses issued by the Ministry of Finance of Comoros, which is not in charge of or authorised to issue such licenses; and such certificates contained references to fake, made-up financial services Acts.The Anatomy of a Controversial RegulatorWant to see how the scheme operates? A quick search leads to a network of websites presenting themselves as official regulators or registrars tied to the Comoros Islands. These sites promise “quick licenses,” display supposed government endorsements, and publish registers of banks and brokers that do not appear to exist. Several of them even mimic the branding of real public authorities or differ only slightly in spelling, giving the impression of legitimacy while promoting offshore licenses with minimal scrutiny.Some sites even try to spin off the Comoros license as being "recognised by international banks”, a claim so unconvincing that it comes off as regulatory stand-up comedy.Here’s a particularly revealing snippet: many SWIFT codes listed in these registers are fake, and even a cursory check with online databases or the actual BCC’s records will show the bank doesn’t actually exist.Further investigation into MISA reveals more red flags. There are at least three conflicting websites, and comically, these fake authorities have even issued their own warnings about cloned websites, suggesting infighting or competing fraudulent operations.The Governance Gambit: Featuring Mohamed Saïd FazulIt gets even wilder. Some of these sites invoke Mohamed Saïd Fazul, the former governor of Mohéli, as if his endorsement means regulatory legitimacy. Fazul, however, left office in 2024 and was succeeded by Chamina Ben Mohamed; none of the MISA websites highlights any endorsement from him.This appears to be regulatory legitimacy based on a Wikipedia footnote, not on constitutional law.The real Constitution of Comoros makes Union-level financial regulation exclusive, not delegable, not up for island spin, so any MISA or AOFA claims to have "government endorsement" are about as genuine as a three-dollar bill.Let me clarify: even if Fazul were still in power (he is not) and was actually endorsing this practice (I don’t know that), that would have been irrelevant because, again, local islands cannot authorise or regulate financial services.Why Brokers Really Buy Comoros LicensesSome might attribute the rise of Comoros licenses solely to MetaQuotes’ licensing requirements for its MT4 and MT5 platforms.When MetaQuotes tightened its policies, it limited white-labelling and required brokers to hold a financial services license before they could obtain that coveted software. That created a scramble, which further worsened in January 2023, when Saint Vincent, the most popular budget-friendly jurisdiction for our industry (where Forex/CFD providers can lawfully operate under an exemption rather than a license), introduced a rule under which only financial services providers holding a proper license abroad, at least at the group level, could stay.This is where the Comoros "workaround" comes in.Opportunistic agents began selling MISA and AOFA registrations as a quick-fix". Just register here," they say, "and you can satisfy the MetaQuotes documentation requirement". And technically, this has worked for some: brokers get their company paper, send it to MetaQuotes, and get their platform license. The same is true with many technology, liquidity and payment providers who conveniently decided to believe in the Comoros mirage.All this said, blaming these providers would be a gross oversimplification, since they are not in the business of forcing companies to get specific licenses.Many smaller brokers, especially targeting less sophisticated retail traders, and irrespective of their electronic trading platform of choice, secure Comoros licenses simply to tick the “regulated” box, enhance perceived credibility to provide reassurance to clients who might not dig deeper.Adding to the mess are broker-comparison and rating portals that amplify brokers’ desirability if they hold any license, including a Comoros license. A broker boasting a Comoros license can toy with rankings, attract more leads, and gain unfavourable trust without deserving it.This creates a perverse incentive curve: brokers seek cheap licenses to play the trust game, portals reward those brokers with better visibility, and clients get misled, all while true regulatory compliance takes a backseat.The Fallout: Why Comoros Licenses Are a Regulatory DisasterLet’s break down the risks:· Banking Access: International banks and payment processors turn cold or outright refuse onboarding for Comoros-licensed entities. SWIFT code checks routinely fail for “Comoros” banks, and payment systems flag them as high-risk.· Reputation: Any client, regulator, or partner who googles the license story soon learns the truth: the license carries the credibility of a Monopoly money bill. Future licensing with FCA, CySEC, ASIC, SFC? It might become challenging because they might ask the applicant why they were offering financial services under a fake license, and “I did not know” is not going to sound like a professional answer.· Operational Risk: Without real regulatory oversight, clients and firms face unenforceable contracts and financial loss.· Marketing: Major ad platforms increasingly block unregulated operators, and even unsophisticated clients are getting wise to the ruse, thanks to public warnings.If you hold one of these licenses, you might counter-argue that there are indeed brokers holding both a Comoros and other licenses under the same brand, which means they did pass due diligence from other regulators. Depending on your risk appetite, you can decide that my statements above are wrong, or you can realise that you might be sitting on a regulatory time bomb and are still on time to bow out. Once it blows, the reputational damage will be irreversible.Do not do Comoros if you want to grow, create corporate value, and one day exit. And if you are looking at a small and quick buck there are better alternatives for that, too.Finally, a disclaimer: With 23 years of experience in this industry, I advise CFD broker-dealers and virtual asset providers on acquisitions, regulatory strategy, and related matters. The statements expressed herein are based on my own research, understanding, and interpretation of the subject, conducted in good faith. Portions of the supporting documentation have been included in this article.Any person or entity mentioned in this article, some of whom have already been contacted by Finance Magnates, has the right to respond. Should they believe that any statements made herein are inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated, they are invited to provide supporting evidence for their position.Nothing contained in this article should be construed as legal advice. This article was written by Eugenio Accongiagioco at www.financemagnates.com.

Data security remains a challenge for CFD brokers in 2026 amid the AI boom. Cyberattackers can discover and exploit system vulnerabilities much faster thanks to AI technology and develop new, sophisticated techniques. AI-driven phishing attacks have gone all the way from “spray-to-pray” tactics to “hyperpersonalisation” and even polymorphic threats. According to identity verification platform Sumsub, “rogue” AI agents and increasingly versatile hacking schemes are only two of the risks facing the brokerage industry right now. Between 2024 and 2025, the number of advanced fraud attempts soared from 10% to 28%, a Sumsub report indicates.At the heart of the problem is the unethical usage of generative AI. Generative AI agents have enabled hackers to easily and inexpensively forge IDs, documents like receipts, bank statements, and other payment proofs. This has “industrialised” fraudulent activity.Despite the concerning nature of these developments - which only underscore that in the wrong hands, AI technology can be a destructive force - for most brokers, data security is still a matter of compliance, IT, or both. A checkbox. A matter of GDPR adherence. A hybrid service for firefighting data breaches, sealing firewalls, passing audits, and avoiding fines. But as digital ecosystems evolved beyond fixed networks and legal frameworks like GDPR, MiFID, or MiFIR, this traditional defensive logic became obsolete. Data security is no longer a compliance, back-office, or IT concern; it’s a front-line driver of customer trust, satisfaction, retention, and revenue.Regulation only sets the baselineFinancial services and data protection directives like GDPR and MiFID II set the framework for how brokers and other financial institutions should operate and protect client data. Meeting these norms keeps brokers in the market, but it doesn’t give them a competitive edge. In a marketplace where traders have almost limitless choice, meeting the baseline doesn’t create differentiation, nor does it protect lifetime value. Whilst compliance teams focus on frameworks and audit trails, traders experience security in entirely different terms. They notice platform stability during volatile markets. They observe how quickly a broker responds to suspicious activity. They sense whether their funds and data feel protected. These perceptions shape trust, and, in turn, trust shapes behaviour.Security incidents, the day-to-day trust breakersEnd users don’t experience security incidents as technical glitches but rather as friction - i.e., difficulty logging in after a password reset, unexplained delays in fund withdrawals, platform downtime during critical trading windows. Moments like these break traders’ confidence, driving them to other providers.When traders encounter such frictions frequently, or worse, they learn of a data breach or system compromise, their emotional response is immediate. Trading activity slows, and withdrawal requests keep flowing in. This behavioural shift is where the true commercial cost of weak security emerges. It is not always captured in incident reports or compliance audits. But it shows up in churn rates, declining average deposits, and reduced trading volumes amongst high-value clients.Data security and customer engagement go hand in handBrokers increasingly rely on third-party platforms to manage customer data, orchestrate engagement journeys, and trigger real-time communications. Yet many overlook a critical question: how secure is the infrastructure processing this sensitive behavioural and financial data?The security posture of customer engagement platforms like Solitics directly impacts broker risk exposure. Solitics’ platform combines SOC 2 Type II audit standards with ISO/IEC 27001 certification and AWS-hosted infrastructure, which enables brokers to activate real-time behavioural data whilst maintaining enterprise-grade security NIST. This dual capability of commercial agility paired with operational security is becoming table stakes for customer engagement in regulated financial services.The result is a new standard: customer engagement strategies leveraging a secure-by-design architecture to process live data from the trading activity with the same care brokers apply to their core trading infrastructure.Security is no longer just about avoiding fines. It is about protecting the relationship between Broker and Trader, as well as the revenue it generates. But to deliver value to traders, brokers need real-time behavioural data. This is where marketing automation comes in. On one hand, martech platforms provide brokers with the data they need, but on the other hand, the risk that comes with such solutions remains high. Reportedly, several marketing and marketing automation platforms have been fined due to flagrant GDPR violations and misuse of private data. Unfortunately, data violations are commonplace in the martech space. That’s primarily because marketing automation platforms require brokers to externalise their data, which creates security vulnerabilities and raises compliance risks. Besides that, another crucial issue that brokers grapple with is data fragmentation. Championing data security with a fundamentally different approachThe fundamental difference between customer engagement infrastructures like Solitics and traditional martech and data security tools is the approach. Unlike traditional security tools, which focus on logs, alerts, and threat detection, which are necessary yet insufficient, Solitics provides insight into how security-related events—or even the perception of risk—affect customer behaviour in real time.Did a trader reduce activity after a failed login attempt? Did they contact support following a market outage? Did they initiate a withdrawal shortly after receiving a password reset email? These signals, when monitored and acted upon through secure infrastructure, offer early warnings that trust is eroding. By translating complex behavioural data into actionable insights like these, Solitics meets the most pressing demand brokers have today - timely and contextual communication adapted to each trader’s behaviour and situation. This is possible thanks to Solitics’ unique architecture.Functionality powered by architectureSolitics integrates seamlessly into the broker's existing infrastructure without requiring data migration. Interactive pop-ups addressing user-specific security issues (i.e., password changes, withdrawal processing, or account verification) can re-engage traders at moments of friction, whilst audit logs and access controls ensure full compliance with GDPR and financial services regulations.The result is infrastructure that combines SOC 2 Type II compliance, ISO/IEC 27001 certification, and enterprise-grade encryption with sub-second response times to behavioural signals. Security protocols—from role-based permissions to data encryption—operate without creating latency that degrades customer experience. Brokers maintain complete control over their data whilst gaining the agility to intervene before trust erodes.This approach demonstrates what forward-thinking brokers already understand: security and engagement aren't competing priorities. When implemented correctly, security infrastructure becomes the foundation for sustainable customer relationships. Brokers who understand that will succeed in 2026. This article was written by FM Contributors at www.financemagnates.com.

Robinhood is beta testing a new social feature that allows users to share and discuss trades, marking its first move toward social trading in the U.S. market.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.The product, called “Robinhood Social,” reflects a model already popular in Europe, where platforms such as eToro allow users to follow and automatically copy each other’s trades. Robinhood first signaled its interest in social trading features in October 2025. In the U.S., however, that approach sits in a more uncertain regulatory environment Manual Copying Instead of Automation Robinhood’s version deliberately stops short of full copy trading. Users can see what others are trading and replicate those positions manually, but there is no automatic portfolio mirroring or rebalancing. That distinction is central to the product’s design and reflects how the company is approaching regulatory risk. The concern is real. In the U.S., sharing trades at scale can be interpreted as a form of investment advice, particularly if it leads to systematic copying. At the same time, anonymous social features raise concerns around coordinated trading and market manipulation. Robinhood’s approach addresses both issues. Profiles are tied to verified users through existing onboarding processes, and trading decisions remain fully user-initiated. The company is effectively bringing the social layer that already exists on platforms like Reddit and X into its own app — but without automating decision-making.Robinhood is also limiting early access. The feature is initially available to around 1,000 invited users, with plans to expand to another 10,000 in the near term. A broader rollout to all customers is expected later this year.Robinhood Social is now in beta.We’re rolling it out to a select group of traders, starting with 1,000 customers who joined us at HOOD Summit last fall, with plans to expand in the coming weeks. Learn more on our blog: https://t.co/HB2MmnCtH0— Robinhood (@RobinhoodApp) March 18, 2026A Different Product Model from eToro The rollout is also limited. Access is initially restricted to a small group of users, with broader expansion planned later this year. The product positioning differs from established copy trading platforms. Services such as eToro are built around portfolio delegation, where users allocate capital to traders and have positions replicated automatically. Robinhood, by contrast, is adding a social layer on top of its existing multi-asset offering — including stocks, options, crypto, futures and prediction markets — without shifting control away from the user. That difference has implications for both user experience and risk. Instead of “following” a trader in the background, users remain responsible for each trade, even if the idea originates from someone else’s portfolio.Testing the Limits of U.S. Regulation For the brokerage industry, the rollout highlights a key constraint in the U.S. market. Social trading is well established globally, but its development domestically has been limited by rules around investment advice and market conduct. Robinhood’s model suggests one way forward: keep the social signal, remove the automation. Whether that balance holds as the product scales will depend on how regulators interpret the boundary between discussion and advice. This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.

Apex Group Ltd., a financial services company administering more than $3.5 trillion in assets, said it will use the T-REX Ledger as its default infrastructure for distributing tokenized funds across multiple blockchain networks, with the company targeting $100 billion in tokenized assets on its platform by June 2027.The T-REX Ledger is a cross-chain compliance layer built using Polygon CDK and connected via Agglayer, Polygon's interoperability protocol, according to the announcement. T-REX Network, the firm behind the infrastructure, says it has tokenized more than $32 billion in assets to date using the ERC-3643 permissioned token standard.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.The Compliance Problem at the CenterAs more asset managers explore distributing tokenized securities across different blockchain networks, each serving distinct investor pools or liquidity venues, maintaining a single, consistent investor registry has become an operational pressure point for transfer agents. Apex Group said the T-REX Ledger addresses this by acting as a shared reference layer that connected chains can query in real time, rather than requiring each network to independently enforce compliance rules.The system ties eligibility and regulatory controls to investor identity rather than wallet addresses, the company said. Each investor is linked to a verified on-chain identity through OnchainID, an open-source framework that consolidates KYC and AML attestations from multiple verification agents into a portable digital credential. Under this model, transfers are automatically blocked if credentials expire, are revoked, or fail to meet the requirements of a specific fund or jurisdiction.Apex Group has also been active as an equity investor beyond its core fund administration business. In June 2025, the firm's Jersey-based trust entity acquired a 3.07% stake in London-listed CMC Markets, crossing the disclosure threshold under a TR-1 filing with the London Stock Exchange. The market value of the shares at the time of the transaction was approximately £21.66 million, according to the filing, making Apex one of CMC's larger institutional shareholders alongside founder and CEO Lord Cruddas, who retained over 59% of the company.Polygon as the BackboneThe T-REX Ledger runs on Polygon CDK, a toolkit for building application-specific blockchains, and connects to other networks via Agglayer, Polygon's interoperability layer. Sandeep Nailwal, CEO of the Polygon Foundation, said the infrastructure demonstrates how an industry-led compliance standard can be paired with shared infrastructure to give institutions both regulatory certainty and cross-chain liquidity access."T-REX Ledger shows how an industry-led standard can be paired with shared infrastructure to give institutions both regulatory certainty and access to cross-chain liquidity," he added.Polygon has been active in the tokenized real-world asset space, with RWA tokenization on the network surpassing $1.14 billion as of late 2025.The arrangement does not require any individual blockchain to cede autonomy, the company said. Instead, each connected chain queries the T-REX Ledger to verify compliance status without having to replicate identity infrastructure independently, something Apex described as a key requirement for maintaining governance integrity in regulated markets.Apex's Deepening Tokenization BetThe announcement builds on Apex Group's earlier moves into blockchain-based fund administration. The company acquired a majority stake in Tokeny, the Luxembourg-based tokenization solutions provider and original developer of the ERC-3643 standard, in May 2025, with a path to full ownership over three years. That deal followed an initial investment in December 2023. Apex also administered what it described as the first tokenized share class on the Polygon blockchain from Malta in 2025.Peter Hughes, founder and CEO of Apex Group, said the firm sees the T-REX Ledger as foundational industry infrastructure rather than a proprietary advantage. "What has been missing is a neutral orchestration layer that whitelists investor identity and brings clarity to KYC and AML across these networks, so transfer agents can maintain the governance and regulatory integrity that regulated markets require," Hughes said.Joachim Lebrun, co-founder of T-REX Network, said the goal was not to pick winners among blockchain platforms but to connect them. "Because ERC-3643 ties compliance to the investor identity rather than the wallet, KYC and AML controls remain portable and enforceable across every chain and platform without duplication or fragmentation," Lebrun said.Institutional Momentum Behind RWAsThe move comes as tokenization of real-world assets is picking up pace among large financial institutions. Leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026 described tokenization as "the name of the game" for the year, though the consensus pointed to wholesale markets as the more immediate opportunity over retail. Globally, tokenized real-world assets had grown to more than $24 billion in total value by February 2026, according to data from RWA.xyz, though the market remains concentrated among a relatively small number of asset classes.The T-REX ecosystem also includes an AppStore of vetted applications and what the company describes as an institutionally governed blockchain sequencer that filters suspicious transactions before processing. Whether this governance structure meets the requirements of major financial regulators across jurisdictions has not been independently verified.For Apex Group, the $100 billion tokenization target by mid-2027 represents a substantial scaling ambition. The firm currently administers assets across more than 13,000 professionals globally, and Hughes framed the T-REX Ledger adoption as a long-term structural commitment rather than a product pilot. As FinanceMagnates.com has previously reported, the practical challenge for institutions in 2026 is no longer proving that tokenization is feasible but building the governance and compliance structures capable of operating at scale across regulatory jurisdictions. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Admirals has stopped onboarding under its Jordanian licence in the fourth quarter of 2025 and is also not taking clients under its Kenya unit. New clients from those countries are being onboarded under the Seychelles licence.“We have informed all our clients and provided solutions and alternatives based on regulatory guidance and client needs,” an Admirals customer service executive told Finance Magnates when asked about the migration of traders under its Jordanian licence. “Since each case is individual and for compliance reasons, we cannot share further information.”However, the customer support team did not clarify whether Admirals had previously onboarded traders under the Kenyan licence. The broker obtained the Kenyan licence in 2022.Interestingly, it also gave up its South African licence, which it secured a few months before obtaining its Kenyan licence.[#highlighted-links#] Estonia Is Still the HeadquartersThe contracts-for-difference (CFDs) broker has also applied to surrender its Estonian licence and migrated all traders from that unit to its Cyprus-regulated entity last November.It is now expected to give up the Estonian licence in the second quarter of 2026. The move is not new, as it already revealed its plan in mid-2023.Despite giving up the licence, it will maintain its headquarters in Estonia as a “strategic location” and will have about 60 employees in the country.The broker is currently accepting traders under its Cyprus, United Kingdom, and Seychelles licences. It also paused client onboarding under its Cyprus unit for about 10 months in 2024 before restarting it in March 2025.Read more: Admirals UK Migrated EU-Resident Clients Out; 2024 Trading Volume Took a HitThe Big Restructuring at AdmiralsAdmirals also sold its Australian business, and Finance Magnates later found that PU Prime was the buyer. The MENA unit of the broker surrendered its FSRA-issued UAE Financial Services Permission.The company also announced today (Thursday) that it is planning structural changes within the group, and giving up the Estonian licence is part of this.“The restructuring is driven by a fundamental need and strategic decision to optimise the group’s geographical footprint by focusing on a smaller number of countries and regions where the group has stronger growth opportunities and a clearer strategic focus,” the broker added. “The ongoing changes will not affect existing group clients.”Meanwhile, the broker’s finances also took a hit. The group posted a net loss of EUR 16.2 million in 2025, down from a profit of under half a million euros in the previous year.. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

Gold price is in freefall. After spending the better part of 2026 consolidating near all-time highs above $5,000, the yellow metal has lost approximately 6% in two consecutive sessions, crashing through the psychologically critical $5,000 barrier on Wednesday and extending the decline to $4,700 per ounce on Thursday, March 19, 2026, the lowest price since early February. In this article, I will break down the technical analysis of the XAU/USD, examine the mechanics behind this week's crash, and present the key gold price predictions for 2026 , including where the real floor is if the selling continues. Based on my 15 years of experience as an analyst and retail investor, here is what I am watching.Follow me on X for real-time gold market analysis: @ChmielDkWhy Gold Is Crashing? The Fed Pulled the RugWednesday's FOMC decision was a hold, as expected - Polymarket had it at over 90% probability and the market was fully prepared for no rate movement. What the market was not prepared for was the hawkish tone of the dot plot. The Fed trimmed its 2026 rate cut projections from two cuts to one, citing hotter-than-expected producer inflation - February's PPI came in at +0.7%, well above consensus - and signalled that the Strait of Hormuz-driven oil spike is creating inflation persistence that prevents easing. The 10-year Treasury yield jumped to 4.2%, the Dollar Index climbed toward 99.9, and gold - a non-yielding asset whose entire bull thesis rested on falling real yields and a weakening dollar - repriced accordingly.As Dilin Wu, Research Strategist at Pepperstone, frames it: "This sharp decline in gold reflects a confluence of factors - large-scale risk asset liquidations, a hawkish shift in Fed expectations, and a stronger dollar." Crucially, he views this as "a pricing logic adjustment rather than a reversal of the long-term trend."The technical break below the 50-day MA near $4,978 and below the $5,000 round level triggered momentum selling and profit-taking from a crowded long, amplifying what was already a fundamental repricing.The irony noted by my earlier gold analysis remains fully applicable: gold is being sold during an active Middle East conflict precisely because the oil shock from that conflict is now hurting gold's prospects by reigniting inflation and forcing the Fed to stay hawkish. Higher oil means higher inflation means higher-for-longer rates means gold suffers despite the geopolitical backdrop that should theoretically support it.Bloomberg Intelligence's Mike McGlone identified this paradox earlier this week: "Gold's best year in 2025 since 1979 - unequalled in a relatively low-inflation environment - looks prescient ahead of 2026's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with peak-price inklings. Technical Outlook - What Follows Gold's Warning? Store of Value's Speculative Shift - Gold's best year in 2025 since 1979 -- unequaled in a relatively low-inflation environment -- looks prescient ahead of 2026's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with peak-price inklings. The surge… pic.twitter.com/LhXk2U8EEy— Mike McGlone (@mikemcglone11) March 16, 2026The surge to multiyear extremes vs. most moving averages and broad commodities may suggest the store of value has shifted to a speculative risk asset." That framing - gold as speculative risk asset rather than pure safe haven - is the most bearish structural argument currently circulating, and the two-day crash gives it uncomfortable credibility.Gold Technical Analysis: The Levels That Matter NowAs my technical analysis shows, gold's two-day, 6% decline has materially changed the chart structure. The consolidation near the all-time highs that I described in Tuesday's analysis has been broken to the downside, and the move has opened up a sequence of support targets that were previously theoretical but are now directly in play.The first support I am watching is $4,550 - the late 2025 historical highs that marked the peak before the January blow-off to $5,600. This was an area of significant buying last year and should attract some demand on the first test. Below that, $4,360 is the next meaningful level, representing a prior consolidation zone and Fibonacci retracement target.The level that matters most on my entire gold chart is the 200-day EMA at approximately $4,200. That is the boundary separating a bull trend from a bear trend, and gold has not traded below it since late 2023. A sustained break below $4,200 would be a genuinely significant technical event. It would open the path toward $3,500 per ounce - the lows from which the current near-uninterrupted rally to $5,600 began. From Thursday's $4,700, that scenario implies a further decline of over 25% and would represent the most severe gold correction since the 2022 Fed tightening cycle.Analyst @Kb__Officiall had been maintaining a bearish gold bias since last week, targeting $4,650 as the primary downside target while watching for a potential retracement to $5,080 before the next leg lower - a level that has now been blown past entirely. Weekly Outlook – #Gold( $XAUUSD )Maintaining my bearish bias on $Gold this week. Last week’s momentum supports the downside and I expect the downward movement to continue.However, I’m watching for a retracement into the 5080 zone first. If price pulls back into that area, it… pic.twitter.com/Sy6FU54aY8— K_B?? (@Kb__Officiall) March 15, 2026His framework, which generated 12,100 views, is playing out faster than even he anticipated.Silver Is Falling Harder Than GoldAs my earlier silver analysis warned, silver amplifies gold's moves in both directions - and Thursday's session is proving that rule. Silver has fallen more sharply than gold in percentage terms, and according to the Saxo Bank commodities report from Ole Hansen, "silver may face a deeper retracement" due to its "higher sensitivity to economic growth and industrial demand, combined with rising concerns that energy-driven inflation will dent global activity." The crowded speculative positions that built up during the January $121 spike are still being unwound, and the broader risk-off tone is accelerating exits.My silver chart from Tuesday remains valid: the $80 support and 50 EMA are the immediate battleground. A break below $70 - the lower consolidation boundary - activates the path toward the 200-day MA at $60 and ultimately the October 2025 historical highs at $54. Dilin Wu of Pepperstone adds that copper is also trading lower and "adding to growth worries" - when industrial metals fall in unison, it signals that the market is pricing in genuine demand destruction, not just a monetary policy adjustment.Gold Price Predictions 2026: The Full RangeThe 6% two-day decline has not materially shifted the major institutional forecasts, which were built on year-end rather than near-term targets. However, the technical damage done to the chart warrants a full reassessment of the downside scenarios.FAQWhy is gold crashing today, March 19, 2026?Gold is falling for the second consecutive session after Wednesday's Federal Reserve decision delivered a hawkish hold: rates were kept at 3.5%-3.75% while the dot plot was revised to show only one rate cut in all of 2026, down from two. Hotter-than-expected February PPI at +0.7% pushed Treasury yields to 4.2% and the dollar toward 99.9, both direct headwinds for non-yielding gold. How low can gold go in 2026?As shown on my chart, the sequential downside targets are $4,550 (late 2025 historical highs), then $4,360 (prior consolidation), and then the 200-day EMA at $4,200 - the critical bull/bear dividing line. A sustained break below $4,200 opens the path toward $3,500, the starting point of the entire 2025-2026 rally, representing a decline of over 25% from Thursday's $4,700. @Kb__Officiall targets $4,650 as the near-term downside with potential for further weakness, while Mike McGlone warns that gold may have shifted from safe-haven to speculative risk asset.Is the gold bull market over?Not according to the institutional consensus. JP Morgan maintains its $5,000 Q4 2026 target, Goldman Sachs holds its $6,000 forecast, and Dilin Wu of Pepperstone describes the current decline as "a pricing logic adjustment rather than a reversal of the long-term trend." The structural supports - central bank buying, US fiscal deficits, and geopolitical risk - remain intact. What is the gold price prediction for 2026?The institutional range runs from the World Gold Council's conservative 5-15% upside scenario from current levels to Goldman Sachs' $6,000 target and Robert Kiyosaki's extraordinary $35,000 post-bubble-bust forecast. JP Morgan's base case of $5,000 by Q4 2026 is the most credible near-term institutional target. On the bear side, my chart's $3,500 extreme scenario and @Kb__Officiall's $4,650 near-term target represent the downside framework. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Spotware Systems has added Virex Market, a forex and CFD brokerage from St. Lucia, to its cTrader platform roster, the companies announced today (Thursday). Virex Market describes itself as a global brokerage focused on providing a technology-driven trading environment for retail and professional traders. The company's CEO, Wasi Mohammadi, said the partnership is about building a "truly technology-driven brokerage," citing cTrader's architecture as aligned with the firm's values of "fairness, performance, and long-term trader trust."The Virex Market deal follows a run of similar announcements from retail trading companies operating outside mainstream regulatory frameworks. Frontbroker, a Mauritius-based CFD broker, integrated cTrader across its client accounts in a recent deal and TFunded, a small LATAM-focused prop firm running a two-phase evaluation model, also joined the platform.However, in recent months, Spotware also landed two brokers operating under authorization from South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA), one of Africa's more structured regulatory environments, namely Vault Markets and Swyft Markets. Both are FSCA-licensed CFD brokers that cited the platform's execution transparency and compliance-friendly architecture as factors in the decision. Spotware currently puts the platform's total user base at more than 11 million traders across more than 300 brokers and prop firms globally.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.What Virex Market Is GettingFor Virex Market, the cTrader integration provides access to a set of tools the company says aligns with its focus on performance and transparency. These include cTrader Copy, a built-in copy trading feature with disclosed fee structures and strategy performance data, and cTrader Store, a marketplace Spotware says attracts up to 10,000 daily visitors, hosting bots, indicators, copy strategies, and prop challenges. The platform also supports more than 100 third-party FX and CFD integrations through APIs and plugins, the company said.Yiota Hadjilouka, COO of Spotware Systems, described Virex Market as "taking an innovation-led approach to building its offering" and said cTrader would bring "transparency, powerful tools and best-in-class trading experience tailored to the needs of traders of all levelsSpotware Pushes Beyond Its Core Platform BusinessThe offshore broker pipeline is not the only thing moving at Spotware this week. The company launched cBridge, a standalone liquidity bridge, declaring the product can reduce bridge costs by up to 80% for high-volume brokers by replacing per-trade billing with flat infrastructure pricing. The product is platform-agnostic, meaning it connects MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, FIX API environments and cTrader through a single interface, positioning Spotware in more direct competition with dedicated bridge providers.CEO Ilia Iarovitcyn framed the pricing logic plainly: "as a broker grows, its margins should improve, not its vendor's revenue." Offshore Launches Attract Experienced Industry NamesThe offshore jurisdictions themselves have been drawing a wider range of industry figures. Earlier this month, a former BlackBull Markets chief strategy officer launched TabTrade under Saint Lucia registration, currently running on MetaTrader 5 with plans to add cTrader over time. TabTrade founder Benjamin Boulter, who spent six years at BlackBull and four years prior at Pepperstone, acknowledged the competitive challenge directly: "In many ways core product offerings have become similar among brokers," he said. "Most offer the same platforms, asset classes, pricing structures, and advertise the same benefits." This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has approved a proposal from Nasdaq to test trading in tokenized versions of equities and other securities. This follows Nasdaq’s earlier statements that tokenized shares could enable faster settlement, potentially moving toward “instant or atomic settlement,” though infrastructure remains a constraint.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.The exchange submitted the plan in September. It proposed a pilot that would allow certain widely traded stocks to be bought and sold either in their conventional form or as blockchain-based tokens on the same platform. The initiative will involve the Depository Trust Company, which provides core post-trade infrastructure in U.S. markets.Tokenized Shares Mirror Traditional Stock RightsUnder the structure outlined in the filing, tokenized shares will not be treated as separate instruments. They will be listed under the same ticker, match the same price, and trade within the same order book as standard shares. Investors will also retain identical rights regardless of the format.Tokenization refers to the process of representing financial assets on distributed ledger systems. Large financial institutions have recently increased testing in this area, focusing on reducing settlement times and enabling trading beyond standard market hours.The SEC said participation in the pilot will be restricted. Only “eligible participants” will be allowed to access tokenized trading. These participants can choose between traditional and tokenized formats when executing trades.Nasdaq receives SEC nod for trading in tokenized securities https://t.co/IM3avyH0J0— Reuters Legal (@ReutersLegal) March 19, 2026SEC Addresses Tokenization Surveillance ConcernsThe pilot will include large-cap U.S. equities and major index-linked funds. Eligible securities cover stocks in the Russell 1000 Index, as well as ETFs linked to the S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100.During the SEC review, some comments raised concerns about how the model would handle market surveillance and whether tokenized and traditional shares could trade at different prices. The regulator said these issues were addressed through a revised submission that provided additional operational details.The approval follows Nasdaq’s broader tokenization initiatives. Earlier in March, the exchange said it would work with Kraken to allow securities to be converted into tokenized formats for blockchain use. The program also includes a framework for companies to create and issue their own tokenized shares.Other market operators are pursuing similar moves. Intercontinental Exchange recently invested in OKX to develop tokenized equity products. This article was written by Tareq Sikder at www.financemagnates.com.

Let Your Leadership Be Heard: Why Executive Interviews Matter in Financial ServicesYour CEO probably knows the industry better than anyone.Your founder may have real market insight.Your senior team may have years of experience, strong views, and a clear sense of where the industry is heading.But here is the real question: Is the market hearing them?In financial services, knowledge alone is not enough.Your leadership needs to be visible. It needs to be heard. It needs to help shape how your brand is seen by clients, partners, and the wider market.That is where executive interviews can make a real difference.More Than VisibilityAn executive interview is not just another piece of content.It gives your leadership team the chance to speak directly to the market in a way that feels human, credible, and focused. It puts your people at the centre of the story and helps your audience connect your brand with real experience and clear thinking.When your CEO, founder, or senior executive appears in a well-produced interview, your brand becomes more than just another company name.It becomes:a voice people listen toa name people remembera brand people trustThis is not only about getting seen.It is about building presence.Why Leadership Content WorksPeople do business with brands they trust.And trust often starts with the people behind the brand.A strong executive interview helps your audience understand what your company stands for, how your leadership thinks, and why your business matters in the market. It gives your brand context and helps turn attention into credibility.For firms in online trading, fintech, payments, and crypto, this matters even more. These are competitive markets, and many companies offer similar products or services. What often sets one brand apart is not just what it sells, but how clearly it communicates its value and expertise.That is why leadership-led content works so well.Put Your Expertise in Front of the Right AudienceFinance Magnates reaches the people who move this industry, including C-level leaders, brokers, product teams, data professionals, and compliance voices. Finance Magnates is trusted by 200+ top financial brands. This means your executive interview is not appearing in isolation. It sits within a trusted media brand that already speaks to the right audience.That matters.Because when your leadership is featured in the right place, the message carries more weight.A Stronger Way to Build AuthorityExecutive interviews help brands do more than fill a content slot.They help companies:show real expertise through the voice of their leadershipbuild trust with clients, partners, and prospectsstrengthen brand perceptionstand out in a crowded marketcreate a useful content asset that can also be shared across sales, email, and social channelsAn interview can keep working long after it is published. It can support campaigns, sales outreach, brand building, and event follow-up. It can also give your team a strong piece of content (check out a Thought Leadership article constructed from a Finance Magnates Executive interview) that shows not only what your company does, but how it thinks.➡️ Are you building a Multi-Channel Marketing Strategy for Fintech Brands? Make sure Video Executive Interviews are included. Let the Market Hear What Your Team Has to SayIf your leadership team has something worth saying, an executive interview is one of the clearest ways to make sure it gets heard.Finance Magnates Executive Interviews help turn expertise into visibility, and visibility into trust.Because in this market, being good at what you do is important.But being heard is what helps people remember you.Book Your Executive InterviewPut your leadership in front of the right audience.Share your insight. Strengthen your brand. Build authority where it matters.Book your Executive Interview with Finance Magnates today at the next Finance Magnates Summit or iFX EXPO in 2026 This article was written by Dora Christofi at www.financemagnates.com.

A new FM Intelligence analysis maps what it calls a "triple squeeze" on UK CFD brokers, which, as of this week, has become a four-front campaign. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) confirmed final rules requiring financial firms to report operational incidents and supply chain disruptions through a single, standardised portal, landing a fresh compliance obligation on top of three others the FM Intelligence analysis already identified as converging on the sector within the same six-month window.The report, which draws on FM Intelligence Q4 2025 volume data across 23 FCA-regulated brokers, identifies combined monthly trading volumes of $9.3 trillion, directly in the regulator's line of sight, and models the cost of the full compliance stack for firms of different sizes. The conclusions are sobering for the mid-tier of the market.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.The rules, developed jointly with the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Bank of England, take effect on March 18, 2027. They require firms to notify regulators when a material incident, whether caused internally or by a third-party technology provider, threatens the continuity of services retail clients depend on.The FCA did not frame the announcement as routine housekeeping. Over 40% of cyber incidents reported to the regulator last year involved a third-party provider, including outages linked to major infrastructure suppliers. Mark Francis, the FCA's director of specialists and wholesale sell-side, said the scale of the challenge was unlike anything the sector had previously faced."Resilience is being tested like never before, with firms facing growing cyber threats and increasing reliance on third parties to deliver the essential financial services consumers rely on," Francis said. "These changes give firms clearer rules and practical guidance to better manage disruption, while supporting our ambition to be a smarter regulator, giving us better data to spot risks, share insights and strengthen sector-wide resilience."Four Fronts, One WindowFor UK CFD and retail FX brokers, Wednesday's announcement lands on top of three workstreams already reaching enforcement or final consultation stage in the same six-month window: Consumer Duty price-and-value enforcement targeting overnight funding charges and margin interest practices, the CP25/36 client categorisation overhaul that proposes raising the professional investor wealth threshold to GBP 10 million, and an escalating crackdown on financial influencer marketing that saw FCA enforcement actions rise 174% in 2025.What makes the current period distinctive is that all four workstreams are converging at once. The FCA's March 4 Consumer Investments Regulatory Priorities report explicitly names CFD providers at the intersection of all four of its stated supervisory goals: building a stronger investment culture, strengthening trust, securing good consumer outcomes, and controlling financial crime. FM Intelligence identifies at least 23 FCA-regulated brokers with combined Q4 2025 monthly trading volumes exceeding $9.3 trillion as facing direct compliance exposure across these workstreams.The Cost Is ClimbingFM Intelligence estimates the cumulative annual compliance cost for a mid-tier FCA-regulated CFD provider now ranges from GBP 325,000 to over GBP 1 million, depending on exposure to each workstream. For firms with UK revenues below GBP 10 million, that burden could prove existential. The precedent is already visible: Gain Capital plans to surrender its FCA licence, while AETOS, ADSS, and GMI Markets have already done so. None of the approximately 100 EEA CFD firms that entered the UK's post-Brexit Temporary Permissions Regime obtained permanent FCA authorisation.That is just one of the findings in a new deep-dive analysis published this week on the FM Intelligence portal, which maps the full regulatory landscape across all four workstreams, models revenue impact by firm tier, and ranks the 15 largest FCA-regulated CFD brokers by monthly volume, compliance exposure, and retail loss rates.The full FM Intelligence report, "FCA Squares the Circle on UK CFD Sector," is available now at the FM Intelligence portal. Access requires only a free registration.Inside, readers will find:The complete ranking of 15 FCA-regulated CFD brokers by monthly volume, with FMI compliance exposure ratingsA breakdown of which brokers face the highest risk from the professional opt-up crackdown and overnight funding repricingFM Intelligence's regulatory impact model estimating revenue and cost effects across all four workstreamsAn outlook on UK CFD sector consolidation, and which firms have already exited the market This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Gold-i announced today (Thursday) that it has enhanced its crypto liquidity offering for institutional clients by integrating the Crypto.com Exchange into its MatrixNET liquidity management and distribution platform.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.Gold-i Efforts to Boost Crypto LiquidityThe latest addition to the liquidity pool follows a continued effort by Gold-i to enhance the offering under MatrixNET.“Crypto.com is one of the world’s largest and most secure cryptocurrency platforms,” said Tom Higgins, CEO and Founder of Gold-i.“We are delighted to be expanding our offering to enable Gold-i’s MatrixNET clients to connect seamlessly to Crypto.com’s liquidity pool, gaining access to an even greater choice of high-quality crypto liquidity.”According to CoinMarketCap data, Crypto.com handled $2.1 billion in spot crypto trading volume over the past 24 hours and almost $1.3 billion in derivatives volume.Following this latest integration, Gold-i clients can connect to the Crypto.com Exchange via a single FIX API connection to MatrixNET, simplifying onboarding and reducing operational complexity.However, the company’s announcement highlighted that Gold-i clients in “selected jurisdictions” (not specified by name) will have access to the Crypto.com Exchange’s liquidity infrastructure.[#highlighted-links#] The Demand for Crypto Liquidity Is RisingGold-i is known for its liquidity offerings and is actively enhancing its services. The firm recently combined three products: Matrix2, a liquidity management platform; Crypto Switch™, its institutional digital asset solution; and MatrixNET, a liquidity distribution platform. This consolidation has resulted in MatrixNET evolving into a unified platform for liquidity management and distribution.The company has recently been focusing on enhancing its offerings. FinanceMagnates.com earlier reported that Gold-i added Hyperliquid to its MatrixNET liquidity management platform, making it the first decentralised finance exchange in the liquidity pool.MatrixNET is already connected to more than 80 liquidity providers and 35 crypto exchanges, according to Gold-i, with recent additions covering multiple asset classes. In February 2025, the firm added Edgewater Markets to the platform, extending access to precious metals, FX, and NDFs. In mid-2024, it integrated Cypator to expand cryptocurrency liquidity options for retail brokers. This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

UP Fintech Holding Limited (NASDAQ: TIGR), the Singapore-based operator of Tiger Brokers, posted full-year 2025 revenue of $612.1 million, a 56.3% increase from $391.5 million in 2024, according to the company's unaudited earnings report released today (Thursday). Non-GAAP net income attributable to shareholders reached $186.5 million for the year, up 164.7% from $70.5 million the prior year.The results cap a year of strong top-line growth for the online broker, but the quarterly picture tells a more nuanced story. Fourth-quarter revenue came in at $175.6 million, up 41.5% year-over-year but essentially unchanged from the third quarter's $175.2 million, suggesting the revenue acceleration that defined the first three quarters plateaued in the final stretch.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.Q4 Profit Slips From Record HighQ4 GAAP net income came in at $45.2 million, up 61.3% year-over-year, but down roughly 16% from the $53.8 million recorded in Q3 2025, when the company had reported what was then its best quarter on record across both revenue and profit. On a non-GAAP basis, Q4 net income came to $48.9 million, compared with $57 million in Q3. The company did not provide a specific explanation for the sequential profit decline in its earnings statement.“Both of our financial and operating performance have achieved significant growth in the full year of 2025,” Wu Tianhua, Chairman and CEO of UP Fintech, commented on the results. “We are pleased to see significant breakthroughs in both our annual and quarterly topline and bottom line compared to 2024.”Total client assets stood at $60.8 billion at the end of December, down slightly from $61.0 billion at the close of September, with the modest dip likely reflecting market-driven asset valuation changes during the quarter. Year-over-year, client assets were up 45.7% from $41.7 billion at year-end 2024. Margin financing and securities lending balances also eased from $5.7 billion at the end of Q3 to $5.4 billion at year-end, though they remained 21.5% above December 2024 levels, the company reported.Hong Kong Growth Leads Regional ExpansionThe most pronounced growth came from Hong Kong, where the company said full-year trading volume expanded 840.9% year-over-year, and Q4 trading volume rose 1,305% year-over-year. Average net asset inflows per new funded client in Hong Kong reached $43,000 in the quarter, while client assets in the city more than tripled year-over-year, according to the company. Virtual asset trading was also active, with crypto order volume growing 228% year-over-year in Q4 and 60.9% quarter-over-quarter.Singapore, where UP Fintech is headquartered, delivered what the company described as its eighth consecutive quarter of growth in trading orders and trading accounts. Full-year net profit in Singapore rose 96% year-over-year, with client assets up 50% year-over-year in Q4, the company said. UP Fintech entered Singapore's securities market in 2021 and has since built a meaningful retail footprint in the city-state. Client assets in Australia and New Zealand more than doubled year-over-year, the company added.IPO Business Drives Corporate Revenue SpikeThe company's other revenue segment, covering investment banking, ESOP, and corporate services, rose 220.6% year-over-year to $30.8 million in Q4. The company said it completed 20 Hong Kong IPOs during the quarter, including autonomous driving firm Pony.ai, described internally as the largest global autonomous driving IPO of 2025, and HashKey Group, which the company said was the sole digital asset IPO in Hong Kong that year.Full-year Hong Kong IPO margin financing subscription reached HK$1.2 trillion, the company said, crossing the HK$1 trillion mark for the first time. UP Fintech's growing role in the city's IPO pipeline reflects broader momentum in Hong Kong's listing market, a theme that also drove strong Q3 results for the broker. On the ESOP side, the company added 135 new clients for the full year, bringing its total corporate client base to 748. Annual ESOP net profit rose more than 400% year-over-year, the firm said.Scale Gap With Futu Remains WideWhile UP Fintech's results reflect consistent expansion, the company operates at a considerably different scale than its nearest comparable, Futu Holdings. Futu reported full-year 2025 revenue of HK$22.85 billion (approximately $2.94 billion), an increase of 68.1% year-over-year, with net income more than doubling to HK$11.3 billion. Futu's funded account base stood at 3.37 million at year-end 2025, compared to UP Fintech's 1.25 million. Tiger Brokers had first crossed the one-million funded-client milestone in 2024.UP Fintech added 29,700 funded accounts in Q4, its lowest quarterly addition since Q1 2025, and below the 40,000 added in Q2 2025 and 31,500 in Q3. The company has set a target of 150,000 new funded clients for 2026, in line with what it guided for 2025, and said it will prioritize user quality over volume in the coming year. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.

Flow Traders, the principal trading firm, said today (Thursday) it has opened an over-the-counter desk offering continuous, two-way liquidity for tokenized money-market funds, equities, and commodities, with Franklin Templeton's BENJI fund and Tether's gold-backed token XAU₮ among the initial products covered.The desk is designed to run around the clock, seven days a week, and targets permissioned institutional counterparties that, the company said, need to manage equity and commodity exposure when traditional exchanges are closed. Counterparties can trade tokenized equity and commodity exposures against fiat currencies or stablecoins, using standard OTC workflows with defined settlement processes.Join the inaugural Finance Magnates Singapore Summit 2026, which will bring together brokers, fintechs, banks, EMIs, wealth managers, and hedge funds across APAC.Overnight Volumes Driving the PushFlow Traders CEO Thomas Spitz framed the launch as the latest step in a longer shift in how investors access market exposure. "Over the past two decades, evolving market structures, from ETFs to electronic trading, have transformed how investors access exposure," Spitz said. "Tokenization has the potential to be one of the next major steps in that evolution."The company stated that in some large-cap U.S. stocks, combined activity across tokenized and synthetic markets has "at times reached around 2-3% of the notional trading volume of their primary U.S. listings," with much of that activity occurring outside regular U.S. market hours. Flow Traders did not identify which stocks or cite an independent source for those figures.The firm's move into tokenized OTC liquidity follows several years of building out its digital asset infrastructure. In 2023, Flow Traders' crypto subsidiary was registered by De Nederlandsche Bank as a provider of crypto services in the Netherlands, authorizing the firm to offer spot OTC cryptocurrency liquidity and make markets in crypto exchange-traded products.Tether Gold Included From Day OneTether CEO Paolo Ardoino said the partnership reflects a broader pickup in demand for gold exposure across both traditional and on-chain markets. "Demand for gold, both in traditional markets and on chain, has accelerated as investors look for resilient stores of value in a more uncertain macro environment," Ardoino commented. "Liquidity providers such as Flow Traders play a critical role in ensuring that tokenized assets like XAU₮ can trade efficiently across venues and reach a broader set of market participants."Ardoino added that "supporting XAU₮ across multiple exchanges and through their OTC desk helps strengthen the market structure around digital representations of physical gold," framing the arrangement as an infrastructure improvement rather than a purely commercial one. The desk provides what the firm describes as risk controls designed specifically for overnight and weekend market conditions, though it did not elaborate on the mechanics of those controls.Institutional OTC Market Faces ConsolidationThe launch places Flow Traders among a growing field of firms building infrastructure for tokenized real-world assets, even as the broader OTC liquidity provider market faces growing pressure. A survey published by Finery Markets in early 2026 found that 60% of institutional OTC participants expected the number of active liquidity providers to fall before year-end, suggesting consolidation may be approaching even as new entrants expand into the space.Flow Traders has been broadening its digital asset presence on multiple fronts over recent years. The firm joined DWS and Galaxy Digital in a joint venture to develop a euro-denominated stablecoin, and was named the sole liquidity provider in TP ICAP's institutional crypto trading platform when it launched in 2021. The new OTC desk extends that activity into the tokenized asset space, where discussion at Davos in January centered on wholesale rather than retail applications as institutions began to treat tokenization as a practical infrastructure question rather than a speculative one.Access and AvailabilityInstitutions can reach the desk via direct FIX connectivity, OMS/EMS platforms, ECNs, or high-touch OTC execution. The company declares that asset coverage will expand based on counterparty demand and regulatory considerations, and noted that product availability may vary by jurisdiction and counterparty eligibility, with different members of the Flow Traders group providing services depending on their regulatory status in a given market. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.