IG Acquired Freetrade for £160 Million
Topping our weekly information roundup, IG Group acquired Freetrade, a commission-free funding platform, for £160 million in an effort to develop its companies in the UK. Based on an announcement this week, IG’s present capital assets will reportedly fund the deal in money.
Though the 2 corporations have agreed on the acquisition, it’s now pending regulatory approvals, that are anticipated to be granted by mid-2025. “It is a uncommon alternative to strengthen IG’s UK buying and selling and funding providing and broaden our goal addressable market,” commented Breon Corcoran, the CEO of IG.
Plus500 Posts Robust Efficiency, Shares Hit Document Highs
Concerning monetary efficiency, Plus500 ended 2024 with income of round $768 million and EBITDA of about $342 million. The figures have been spectacular because the dealer highlighted its “sturdy monetary and operational outcomes [for 2024] with income meaningfully forward of market expectations.”
Nevertheless, primarily based on its earlier outcomes, the dealer generated income of $182.5 million within the fourth quarter of 2024, which is marginally decrease than the $189.6 million achieved within the corresponding quarter of the earlier yr. Its newest efficiency additionally fell in need of the $187.3 million in income generated within the third quarter of final yr.
In the meantime, Plus500 will be part of the STOXX Europe 600 Index efficient January 17, marking the most recent step for the multi-asset buying and selling platform supplier. The announcement coincided with the corporate’s shares reaching 2,770 pence on the London Inventory Change, establishing a brand new all-time excessive.
Supply: Tradingview.com
Swissquote Additionally Posts Robust Monetary Efficiency
Additionally registering good numbers, Swissquote reported its 2024 income to be roughly CHF 655 million, with pre-tax revenue anticipated to exceed CHF 345 million. The corporate highlighted that the monetary outcomes are “higher than anticipated.” The Swiss dealer concluded the primary half of 2024 with a income of CHF 316.9 million and a pre-tax revenue of CHF 169.7 million.
The dealer additionally ended 2023 with “report numbers,” producing CHF 530 million in income and CHF 255 million in pre-tax revenue. Evaluating these figures to the most recent outcomes, income elevated by 23.5%, whereas pre-tax revenue grew by 35.3%.
Capital.com Hits $1.7 Trillion Buying and selling Quantity
Capital.com reported substantial development throughout its platform in 2024. Complete buying and selling volumes on the platform exceeded $1.7 trillion, representing a 33% enhance in comparison with the earlier yr. This development was accompanied by a notable rise within the variety of trades executed, which elevated by over 20%.
“Capital.com’s greater buying and selling volumes and robust consumer engagement in 2024 marks a milestone in our evolution as a high-growth buying and selling platform,” commented Christoforos Soutzis, the Chief Govt Officer of Capital.com Europe. The vast majority of buying and selling volumes originated from shoppers within the Center East and Europe.
Trading212 Begins Onboarding New Customers in Germany
Elsewhere, FXFlat Financial institution, now underneath Buying and selling 212, began providing commission-free buying and selling companies in Germany. With native regulation and full BaFin licensing, the corporate goals to supply a brand new strategy to zero-commission buying and selling for these searching for entry to international markets with out the standard charges.
Based on a LinkedIn announcement by Buying and selling 212, its enlargement into Germany permits residents to entry the advantages of commission-free buying and selling by its BaFin-licensed dealer, FXFlat Financial institution GmbH. Acquired by Buying and selling 212 in 2024, FXFlat Financial institution now provides entry to shares and ETFs from main international exchanges, together with Xetra, NASDAQ, and NYSE, with none order execution, settlement, or account charges.
Equiti Group Focuses on Wealth Administration
International fintech advert buying and selling expertise supplier Equiti plans to launch the Equiti International Balanced Fund underneath its wealth administration arm, Equiti Wealth. The agency reportedly acquired in-principle approval from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority for this providing. With an entry level of simply $1,000, the brand new platform is searching for to take away conventional limitations to funding.
Based on the official announcement, it consolidates a big selection of professionally managed funding funds by enabling buyers to take step one towards constructing a safe monetary future. By securing regulatory approval, Equiti Wealth goals to reinforce the funding panorama by the brand new providing.
eToro Information for Nasdaq Itemizing with $5B IPO
In the meantime, after years of ups and downs, eToro confidentially filed for an preliminary public providing within the US, focusing on a valuation of over $5 billion, the Monetary Instances reported. If profitable, the transfer might place the corporate as one of many few publicly traded corporations providing crypto buying and selling within the area, alongside giants like Coinbase and Robinhood.
This isn’t eToro’s first try and go public. In 2021, the platform deliberate a $10.4 billion SPAC merger however deserted the hassle as a consequence of difficult market circumstances. Quick ahead to 2023, eToro reportedly raised $250 million at a $3.5 billion valuation, signaling a rebound fueled by rising fairness and cryptocurrency markets.
Copy Buying and selling Brings as much as 20% Buying and selling Quantity for CFD Brokers
Copy buying and selling has generated 6 to twenty% of brokerages’ buying and selling quantity within the final couple of years, in line with Brokeree Options, a supplier of copy buying and selling expertise. In 2024, brokers that run energetic copy buying and selling campaigns and correctly combine them throughout different companies generated 10 to twenty% of their buying and selling quantity from copy buying and selling.
Nevertheless, Brokeree identified that the figures have been calculated from the overall buying and selling quantity and didn’t account for the share of various buying and selling platforms. Copy buying and selling was one of many trending companies within the retail buying and selling trade a couple of years in the past, however just lately, prop buying and selling has attracted extra consideration.
Lively DXtrade SaaS Accounts Tripled in 2024 to 1 Million
Devexperts revealed to Finance Magnates that the variety of energetic accounts on its DXtrade SaaS platform reached roughly 1 million in 2024, thrice the earlier yr’s whole. Nevertheless, this determine doesn’t embody the ultimate numbers for December. Accounts on DXtrade SaaS point out the platform’s utilization by merchants with contracts for variations (CFD) brokers and prop buying and selling platforms.
Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, Supply: LinkedIn
“Whereas a few of our opponents have, previously, held a dominant share of the market, the energy of DXtrade as a product and the flexibleness we provide our shoppers have allowed us to develop organically as demand has naturally elevated,” mentioned Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, in an interview with Finance Magnates.
Thailand Mulls Permitting Bitcoin ETF Itemizing
Elsewhere, Thailand’s Securities and Change Fee (SEC) is contemplating permitting the itemizing of native Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Bloomberg reported this week. The regulator’s Secretary-Basic, Pornanong Budsaratragoon, confirmed the transfer, saying the instrument would allow people and establishments to speculate instantly in cryptocurrency.
The regulator had already allowed One Asset Administration (ONEAM) to launch a fund-of-fund Bitcoin ETF final June, providing publicity to overseas-listed Bitcoin ETFs. Nevertheless, it solely allowed investments from rich and institutional buyers.
BitMEX Settles Authorized Dispute with $100 Million Positive
A federal choose handed cryptocurrency change BitMEX a $100 million tremendous, bringing a years-long authorized battle to an in depth. The penalty concerned the agency’s responsible plea in 2022 for violating the US Financial institution Secrecy Act (BSA), a cost that revolved round its failure to implement ample Anti-Cash Laundering (AML) protocols.
BitMEX’s inadequate AML measures have been on the heart of the case. As an alternative of following Know Your Buyer (KYC) requirements, the change required solely electronic mail addresses from its customers, a transfer the US Legal professional’s workplace deemed a disregard for authorized necessities. Apparently, the US authorities pursued a $417 million penalty.
We’ve all the time made it a precedence to remain absolutely clear with our customers.
In response to the sentence acquired by HDR International Buying and selling Restricted (HDR) as we speak, delivered by the U.S. Southern District Court docket, please see our weblog announcement under.
A message to our customers:… pic.twitter.com/zVyKt8lMbF
— BitMEX (@BitMEX) January 15, 2025
Robinhood Fined $45 Million for Recordkeeping Failures
Nonetheless, with regulatory enforcement, Robinhood agreed to pay $45 million in penalties to settle a spread of costs introduced by the US Securities and Change Fee (SEC), together with alleged violations of recordkeeping, amongst different points. The penalty has been imposed on two Robinhood entities: Robinhood Securities can pay $33.5 million, whereas Robinhood Monetary can pay $11.5 million.
Based on the US regulator, Robinhood failed to analyze suspicious transactions, implement insurance policies and procedures to stop prospects’ identification theft, tackle dangers of cybersecurity threats, preserve and protect digital communications, preserve copies of core operational databases, and retain a few of its communications with brokerage prospects.
Australian BNPL Suppliers Should Receive Credit score Licence
On the regulatory entrance, the Australian Securities & Investments Fee (ASIC) mandated that Purchase Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platforms get hold of credit score licenses. Efficient June 10, 2025, the credit score license should authorize BNPL suppliers to have interaction in credit score actions as credit score suppliers, topic to transitional preparations.
The brand new provision was introduced as we speak (Friday), because the Nationwide Credit score Code was prolonged to Purchase Now, Pay Later contracts following royal assent on December 10, 2024. Earlier, ASIC recommended it would difficulty “standalone” steerage for BNPL.
Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn Prepares for Take-Off
As Blue Origin launches New Glenn, its most bold rocket but, Jeff Bezos revealed his imaginative and prescient for house—and sparked terrestrial debates. Jeff Bezos’ house desires simply obtained an entire lot nearer to actuality. Any minute now, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, an orbital-class behemoth, will make its maiden flight from Cape Canaveral.
The launch will showcase not simply engineering brilliance but in addition the extraordinary ambition driving Bezos’ enterprise to dominate house exploration alongside all the things from fintech to retail, synthetic intelligence (AI), and extra.
Elon Musk Sued by the SEC
Lastly, the US Securities and Change Fee sued billionaire Elon Musk over his premature disclosure of his buy of 5% Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than solely shopping for the social media firm. The case entails Musk’s premature disclosure of his buy of 5% of Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than solely shopping for the social media firm.
SEC, three letter acronym, center phrase is Elon’s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2020
Beneath the SEC guidelines, somebody shopping for greater than a 5% stake in an organization should declare it inside 10 calendar days of the acquisition, which was March 24, 2022, in Musk’s case. With the lawsuit, the SEC reportedly intends to penalize Musk and make him surrender the earnings he gained with out disclosing the funding.
Till subsequent week!
IG Acquired Freetrade for £160 Million
Topping our weekly information roundup, IG Group acquired Freetrade, a commission-free funding platform, for £160 million in an effort to develop its companies in the UK. Based on an announcement this week, IG’s present capital assets will reportedly fund the deal in money.
Though the 2 corporations have agreed on the acquisition, it’s now pending regulatory approvals, that are anticipated to be granted by mid-2025. “It is a uncommon alternative to strengthen IG’s UK buying and selling and funding providing and broaden our goal addressable market,” commented Breon Corcoran, the CEO of IG.
Plus500 Posts Robust Efficiency, Shares Hit Document Highs
Concerning monetary efficiency, Plus500 ended 2024 with income of round $768 million and EBITDA of about $342 million. The figures have been spectacular because the dealer highlighted its “sturdy monetary and operational outcomes [for 2024] with income meaningfully forward of market expectations.”
Nevertheless, primarily based on its earlier outcomes, the dealer generated income of $182.5 million within the fourth quarter of 2024, which is marginally decrease than the $189.6 million achieved within the corresponding quarter of the earlier yr. Its newest efficiency additionally fell in need of the $187.3 million in income generated within the third quarter of final yr.
In the meantime, Plus500 will be part of the STOXX Europe 600 Index efficient January 17, marking the most recent step for the multi-asset buying and selling platform supplier. The announcement coincided with the corporate’s shares reaching 2,770 pence on the London Inventory Change, establishing a brand new all-time excessive.
Supply: Tradingview.com
Swissquote Additionally Posts Robust Monetary Efficiency
Additionally registering good numbers, Swissquote reported its 2024 income to be roughly CHF 655 million, with pre-tax revenue anticipated to exceed CHF 345 million. The corporate highlighted that the monetary outcomes are “higher than anticipated.” The Swiss dealer concluded the primary half of 2024 with a income of CHF 316.9 million and a pre-tax revenue of CHF 169.7 million.
The dealer additionally ended 2023 with “report numbers,” producing CHF 530 million in income and CHF 255 million in pre-tax revenue. Evaluating these figures to the most recent outcomes, income elevated by 23.5%, whereas pre-tax revenue grew by 35.3%.
Capital.com Hits $1.7 Trillion Buying and selling Quantity
Capital.com reported substantial development throughout its platform in 2024. Complete buying and selling volumes on the platform exceeded $1.7 trillion, representing a 33% enhance in comparison with the earlier yr. This development was accompanied by a notable rise within the variety of trades executed, which elevated by over 20%.
“Capital.com’s greater buying and selling volumes and robust consumer engagement in 2024 marks a milestone in our evolution as a high-growth buying and selling platform,” commented Christoforos Soutzis, the Chief Govt Officer of Capital.com Europe. The vast majority of buying and selling volumes originated from shoppers within the Center East and Europe.
Trading212 Begins Onboarding New Customers in Germany
Elsewhere, FXFlat Financial institution, now underneath Buying and selling 212, began providing commission-free buying and selling companies in Germany. With native regulation and full BaFin licensing, the corporate goals to supply a brand new strategy to zero-commission buying and selling for these searching for entry to international markets with out the standard charges.
Based on a LinkedIn announcement by Buying and selling 212, its enlargement into Germany permits residents to entry the advantages of commission-free buying and selling by its BaFin-licensed dealer, FXFlat Financial institution GmbH. Acquired by Buying and selling 212 in 2024, FXFlat Financial institution now provides entry to shares and ETFs from main international exchanges, together with Xetra, NASDAQ, and NYSE, with none order execution, settlement, or account charges.
Equiti Group Focuses on Wealth Administration
International fintech advert buying and selling expertise supplier Equiti plans to launch the Equiti International Balanced Fund underneath its wealth administration arm, Equiti Wealth. The agency reportedly acquired in-principle approval from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority for this providing. With an entry level of simply $1,000, the brand new platform is searching for to take away conventional limitations to funding.
Based on the official announcement, it consolidates a big selection of professionally managed funding funds by enabling buyers to take step one towards constructing a safe monetary future. By securing regulatory approval, Equiti Wealth goals to reinforce the funding panorama by the brand new providing.
eToro Information for Nasdaq Itemizing with $5B IPO
In the meantime, after years of ups and downs, eToro confidentially filed for an preliminary public providing within the US, focusing on a valuation of over $5 billion, the Monetary Instances reported. If profitable, the transfer might place the corporate as one of many few publicly traded corporations providing crypto buying and selling within the area, alongside giants like Coinbase and Robinhood.
This isn’t eToro’s first try and go public. In 2021, the platform deliberate a $10.4 billion SPAC merger however deserted the hassle as a consequence of difficult market circumstances. Quick ahead to 2023, eToro reportedly raised $250 million at a $3.5 billion valuation, signaling a rebound fueled by rising fairness and cryptocurrency markets.
Copy Buying and selling Brings as much as 20% Buying and selling Quantity for CFD Brokers
Copy buying and selling has generated 6 to twenty% of brokerages’ buying and selling quantity within the final couple of years, in line with Brokeree Options, a supplier of copy buying and selling expertise. In 2024, brokers that run energetic copy buying and selling campaigns and correctly combine them throughout different companies generated 10 to twenty% of their buying and selling quantity from copy buying and selling.
Nevertheless, Brokeree identified that the figures have been calculated from the overall buying and selling quantity and didn’t account for the share of various buying and selling platforms. Copy buying and selling was one of many trending companies within the retail buying and selling trade a couple of years in the past, however just lately, prop buying and selling has attracted extra consideration.
Lively DXtrade SaaS Accounts Tripled in 2024 to 1 Million
Devexperts revealed to Finance Magnates that the variety of energetic accounts on its DXtrade SaaS platform reached roughly 1 million in 2024, thrice the earlier yr’s whole. Nevertheless, this determine doesn’t embody the ultimate numbers for December. Accounts on DXtrade SaaS point out the platform’s utilization by merchants with contracts for variations (CFD) brokers and prop buying and selling platforms.
Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, Supply: LinkedIn
“Whereas a few of our opponents have, previously, held a dominant share of the market, the energy of DXtrade as a product and the flexibleness we provide our shoppers have allowed us to develop organically as demand has naturally elevated,” mentioned Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, in an interview with Finance Magnates.
Thailand Mulls Permitting Bitcoin ETF Itemizing
Elsewhere, Thailand’s Securities and Change Fee (SEC) is contemplating permitting the itemizing of native Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Bloomberg reported this week. The regulator’s Secretary-Basic, Pornanong Budsaratragoon, confirmed the transfer, saying the instrument would allow people and establishments to speculate instantly in cryptocurrency.
The regulator had already allowed One Asset Administration (ONEAM) to launch a fund-of-fund Bitcoin ETF final June, providing publicity to overseas-listed Bitcoin ETFs. Nevertheless, it solely allowed investments from rich and institutional buyers.
BitMEX Settles Authorized Dispute with $100 Million Positive
A federal choose handed cryptocurrency change BitMEX a $100 million tremendous, bringing a years-long authorized battle to an in depth. The penalty concerned the agency’s responsible plea in 2022 for violating the US Financial institution Secrecy Act (BSA), a cost that revolved round its failure to implement ample Anti-Cash Laundering (AML) protocols.
BitMEX’s inadequate AML measures have been on the heart of the case. As an alternative of following Know Your Buyer (KYC) requirements, the change required solely electronic mail addresses from its customers, a transfer the US Legal professional’s workplace deemed a disregard for authorized necessities. Apparently, the US authorities pursued a $417 million penalty.
We’ve all the time made it a precedence to remain absolutely clear with our customers.
In response to the sentence acquired by HDR International Buying and selling Restricted (HDR) as we speak, delivered by the U.S. Southern District Court docket, please see our weblog announcement under.
A message to our customers:… pic.twitter.com/zVyKt8lMbF
— BitMEX (@BitMEX) January 15, 2025
Robinhood Fined $45 Million for Recordkeeping Failures
Nonetheless, with regulatory enforcement, Robinhood agreed to pay $45 million in penalties to settle a spread of costs introduced by the US Securities and Change Fee (SEC), together with alleged violations of recordkeeping, amongst different points. The penalty has been imposed on two Robinhood entities: Robinhood Securities can pay $33.5 million, whereas Robinhood Monetary can pay $11.5 million.
Based on the US regulator, Robinhood failed to analyze suspicious transactions, implement insurance policies and procedures to stop prospects’ identification theft, tackle dangers of cybersecurity threats, preserve and protect digital communications, preserve copies of core operational databases, and retain a few of its communications with brokerage prospects.
Australian BNPL Suppliers Should Receive Credit score Licence
On the regulatory entrance, the Australian Securities & Investments Fee (ASIC) mandated that Purchase Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platforms get hold of credit score licenses. Efficient June 10, 2025, the credit score license should authorize BNPL suppliers to have interaction in credit score actions as credit score suppliers, topic to transitional preparations.
The brand new provision was introduced as we speak (Friday), because the Nationwide Credit score Code was prolonged to Purchase Now, Pay Later contracts following royal assent on December 10, 2024. Earlier, ASIC recommended it would difficulty “standalone” steerage for BNPL.
Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn Prepares for Take-Off
As Blue Origin launches New Glenn, its most bold rocket but, Jeff Bezos revealed his imaginative and prescient for house—and sparked terrestrial debates. Jeff Bezos’ house desires simply obtained an entire lot nearer to actuality. Any minute now, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, an orbital-class behemoth, will make its maiden flight from Cape Canaveral.
The launch will showcase not simply engineering brilliance but in addition the extraordinary ambition driving Bezos’ enterprise to dominate house exploration alongside all the things from fintech to retail, synthetic intelligence (AI), and extra.
Elon Musk Sued by the SEC
Lastly, the US Securities and Change Fee sued billionaire Elon Musk over his premature disclosure of his buy of 5% Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than solely shopping for the social media firm. The case entails Musk’s premature disclosure of his buy of 5% of Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than solely shopping for the social media firm.
SEC, three letter acronym, center phrase is Elon’s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2020
Beneath the SEC guidelines, somebody shopping for greater than a 5% stake in an organization should declare it inside 10 calendar days of the acquisition, which was March 24, 2022, in Musk’s case. With the lawsuit, the SEC reportedly intends to penalize Musk and make him surrender the earnings he gained with out disclosing the funding.
Till subsequent week!