🏛️ Part of the FAQ centerLicensing & regulation — frequently asked questions
How to verify a broker's licence with the FCA, CySEC, ASIC, SCA or DFSA, and why the entity you sign with matters.
25 questions and answers in this section, reviewed monthly.
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How do I verify that a forex broker is genuinely regulated?
Take the licence number from the broker's website footer and search it directly on the regulator's own register: the FCA Financial Services Register, CySEC's regulated-entities list, ASIC Connect, the SCA register in the UAE or the DFSA public register. Confirm three things match: the legal entity name, the permitted activities and the website domain listed on the register. If the entity you would sign with is a different offshore company from the one holding the licence, the licence does not protect your account.
Which regulators offer the strongest protection for retail traders?
The FCA (UK) and CySEC (Cyprus) combine segregated client money, negative-balance protection and a compensation scheme — up to £85,000 under the FSCS and €20,000 under the Cypriot ICF. ASIC (Australia) and the DFSA (Dubai) enforce strong conduct and capital rules but have no retail compensation fund. Offshore licences such as FSA Seychelles, IFSC Belize or VFSC Vanuatu impose minimal capital requirements and offer effectively no recourse.
Why does the same broker have different entities for different countries?
Brokers register multiple entities so they can offer higher leverage where local rules allow it. A client onboarded to the FCA entity gets 1:30 leverage and FSCS cover; the same brand's Seychelles entity may offer 1:1000 with none of those protections. Always read the client agreement to see which legal entity your account belongs to — it is stated in the first two pages and in the account confirmation email.
What does segregated client money actually mean?
Segregation means your deposits sit in a bank account separate from the broker's operating funds, so they cannot legally be used for the firm's own expenses. It protects you in an insolvency, but only when the regulator audits it. It does not protect you from trading losses, and it does not guarantee fast payouts if the bank itself is in a jurisdiction with capital controls.
Is FP Markets a regulated broker?
FP Markets operates under ASIC, CySEC, FSA (St. Vincent), CMA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Exness a regulated broker?
Exness operates under FCA, CySEC, FSA, FSCA, CMA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is FXTM a regulated broker?
FXTM operates under FCA, CySEC, FSCA, FSC (Mauritius). Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Tickmill a regulated broker?
Tickmill operates under FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSA (Seychelles), Labuan FSA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is HFM a regulated broker?
HFM operates under FCA, CySEC, DFSA, FSCA, FSA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Pepperstone a regulated broker?
Pepperstone operates under FCA, ASIC, CySEC, DFSA, BaFin, SCB, CMA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Vantage a regulated broker?
Vantage operates under ASIC, FCA, FSCA, VFSC. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is IC Markets a regulated broker?
IC Markets operates under ASIC, CySEC, FSA (Seychelles), SCB. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Admirals a regulated broker?
Admirals operates under FCA, CySEC, ASIC, JSC (Jordan). Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is XM a regulated broker?
XM operates under CySEC, ASIC, FSC, DFSA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Capital.com a regulated broker?
Capital.com operates under SCA, FCA, CySEC, ASIC. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Equiti a regulated broker?
Equiti operates under SCA, FCA, JSC, FSA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is XTB a regulated broker?
XTB operates under DFSA, FCA, CySEC, KNF. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is AvaTrade a regulated broker?
AvaTrade operates under ADGM, FSCA, CBI, ASIC, FSA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is ADSS a regulated broker?
ADSS operates under SCA (UAE), FCA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Plus500 a regulated broker?
Plus500 operates under FCA, CySEC, ASIC, MAS, FSA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Evest a regulated broker?
Evest operates under VFSC, JSC. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is Octa a regulated broker?
Octa operates under CySEC, FSCA, FSA. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is eToro a regulated broker?
eToro operates under FCA, CySEC, ASIC. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is HEDG a regulated broker?
HEDG operates under FSA (Seychelles) — SD114. Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
Is AFAQ Trade a regulated broker?
AFAQ Trade operates under MISA (Comoros). Before funding an account, take the licence number shown in the broker's footer and confirm it on the regulator's own public register, and check which legal entity your specific account is opened with — leverage limits and investor-compensation cover differ between a broker's regulated and offshore entities.
