Creativity and innovation are the key ingredients in a successful marketing campaign, that’s what the marketing gurus love to ‘holla’ at us. Not forgetting the endless brainstorming sessions in the boardroom to generate ideas. Well here’s one directly from the shop floor. cTrader’s version of the Harlem Shake!
With the FX markets suffering as the product hits maturity and a recent downward shift in trading volumes. A Cyprus based technology firm, Spotware Systems (cTrader), adds a pinch of humour to the serious world of financial markets by participating in the popular Harlem Shake.
With the pressure to succeed in the congested platform space, one of the firms developers, George Moschoviti, was scratching his head while over-dosing on coffee and thought of; Forex = innovation = Harlem Shake!
“I so happened to pass George’s desk and saw what he was doing, it was an instant hit” said Ilya Holeu, Head of Sales and Marketing of Spotware Systems.
Spotware Systems (developed cTrader) is a development firm based in Cyprus, its Trading Platform aims to bridge the gap between the retail and institutional environment by offering a state of the art trading solutions on its ECN trading terminal. “we’re all about innovation” adds Ilya.
Harlem Shake is a comedy dance that exploded on the internet; it’s called an internet meme – something that gets popular via the internet. The Harlem Shake shares similarities with the growth of FX trading over the last decade. Since the inception of electronic trading in the late 90’s financial markets were revolutionised as products such as FX, CFD, spread betting and binary options took off.
Left to right: Simon Bolvig Mark Vice President EMEA Spotware Systems, Ilya Holeu, Head of Sales and Marketing of Spotware Systems, Andrey Pavlov, CEO of Spotware Systems & Michael Greenberg CEO Forex Magnates
Cost per acquisition rates have been spiking and firms in the FX and CFD markets are exploring new ways to enter a trader’s mind frame. The marriage between comedy and trading is a great sign of creativity.
Mark Mathieu, a broker at Tradenext says “this is funny” with a relatively large smile as he watches the Harlem Shake cTrader style!
Sid Shah, Managing Director of Sniro a web development consulting firm in London says “it's great who ever made it, it’s nice creativity and good thinking”.
Andrey Pavlov, CEO of Spotware Systems says “Harlem Shake in a trading platform? Cool. Finally we get to laugh about something other than users requesting a withdrawal from a demo account. But personally I am more excited about the recent release of Email Alerts, Deal Map and Free Chart Mode in our HTML5 cTrader Web.”
The marketing milestone can be witnessed by simply using cTrader’s web based platform:
Create Demo account (3 fields only with any data) and hit Login after
In the "Search" field type in "HARLEM"
And Enjoy
The Harlem Shake episode has seen more than 4,000 videos uploaded on to youtube with the dance being performed. Even celebrities have caught up on the act; NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal was seen performing the Shake in a locker room.
The Harlem Shake hasn’t been fun and glory for all; a team of Australian miners were sacked for performing the dance at work. A report in the ‘West Australian newspaper’ stated that the miners lost their six-figure salaries over the stunt in the Agnew Gold Mine last week.
Going viral on social media can be tricky, at least for cTrader they expect to see an influx of demo accounts.
Creativity and innovation are the key ingredients in a successful marketing campaign, that’s what the marketing gurus love to ‘holla’ at us. Not forgetting the endless brainstorming sessions in the boardroom to generate ideas. Well here’s one directly from the shop floor. cTrader’s version of the Harlem Shake!
With the FX markets suffering as the product hits maturity and a recent downward shift in trading volumes. A Cyprus based technology firm, Spotware Systems (cTrader), adds a pinch of humour to the serious world of financial markets by participating in the popular Harlem Shake.
With the pressure to succeed in the congested platform space, one of the firms developers, George Moschoviti, was scratching his head while over-dosing on coffee and thought of; Forex = innovation = Harlem Shake!
“I so happened to pass George’s desk and saw what he was doing, it was an instant hit” said Ilya Holeu, Head of Sales and Marketing of Spotware Systems.
Spotware Systems (developed cTrader) is a development firm based in Cyprus, its Trading Platform aims to bridge the gap between the retail and institutional environment by offering a state of the art trading solutions on its ECN trading terminal. “we’re all about innovation” adds Ilya.
Harlem Shake is a comedy dance that exploded on the internet; it’s called an internet meme – something that gets popular via the internet. The Harlem Shake shares similarities with the growth of FX trading over the last decade. Since the inception of electronic trading in the late 90’s financial markets were revolutionised as products such as FX, CFD, spread betting and binary options took off.
Left to right: Simon Bolvig Mark Vice President EMEA Spotware Systems, Ilya Holeu, Head of Sales and Marketing of Spotware Systems, Andrey Pavlov, CEO of Spotware Systems & Michael Greenberg CEO Forex Magnates
Cost per acquisition rates have been spiking and firms in the FX and CFD markets are exploring new ways to enter a trader’s mind frame. The marriage between comedy and trading is a great sign of creativity.
Mark Mathieu, a broker at Tradenext says “this is funny” with a relatively large smile as he watches the Harlem Shake cTrader style!
Sid Shah, Managing Director of Sniro a web development consulting firm in London says “it's great who ever made it, it’s nice creativity and good thinking”.
Andrey Pavlov, CEO of Spotware Systems says “Harlem Shake in a trading platform? Cool. Finally we get to laugh about something other than users requesting a withdrawal from a demo account. But personally I am more excited about the recent release of Email Alerts, Deal Map and Free Chart Mode in our HTML5 cTrader Web.”
The marketing milestone can be witnessed by simply using cTrader’s web based platform:
Create Demo account (3 fields only with any data) and hit Login after
In the "Search" field type in "HARLEM"
And Enjoy
The Harlem Shake episode has seen more than 4,000 videos uploaded on to youtube with the dance being performed. Even celebrities have caught up on the act; NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal was seen performing the Shake in a locker room.
The Harlem Shake hasn’t been fun and glory for all; a team of Australian miners were sacked for performing the dance at work. A report in the ‘West Australian newspaper’ stated that the miners lost their six-figure salaries over the stunt in the Agnew Gold Mine last week.
Going viral on social media can be tricky, at least for cTrader they expect to see an influx of demo accounts.
From “Unrealistically Good” To “Cesspool Of Gamesmanship”: How 40 Minutes Changed Minds On Prop Trading
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
Marketing in 2026 Audiences, Costs, and Smarter AI
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As brokers eye B2B business and compete with fintechs and crypto exchanges alike, marketers need to act wisely with often limited budgets. AI can offer scalable solutions, but only if used properly.
Join seasoned marketing executives and specialists as they discuss the main challenges they identify in financial services in 2026 and how they address them.
Attendees of this session will walk away with:
- A nuts-and-bolts account of acquisition costs across platforms and geos
- Analysis of today’s multi-layered audience segments and differences in behaviour
- First-hand account of how global brokers balance consistency and local flavour
- Notes from the field about intelligently using AI and automation in marketing
Speakers:
-Yam Yehoshua, Editor-In-Chief at Finance Magnates
-Federico Paderni, Managing Director for Growth Markets in Europe at X
-Jo Benton, Chief Marketing Officer, Consulting | Fractional CMO
-Itai Levitan, Head of Strategy at investingLive
-Roberto Napolitano, CMO at Innovate Finance
-Tony Cross, Director at Monk Communications
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #FintechMarketing #AI #DigitalStrategy #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Much like their traders in the market, brokers must diversify to manage risk and stay resilient. But that can get costly, clunky, and lengthy.
This candid panel brings together builders across the trading infrastructure space to uncover the shifting dynamics behind tools, interfaces, and full-stack ambitions.
Attendees will hear:
-Why platform dependency has become one of the most overlooked risks in the trading business?
-Buy vs. build: What do hybrid models look like, and why are industry graveyards filled with failed ‘killer apps’?
-How AI is already changing execution, risk, and reporting—and what’s next?
-Which features, assets, and tools gain the most traction, and where brokers should look for tech-driven retention?
Speakers:
-Stephen Miles, Chief Revenue Officer at FYNXT
-John Morris, Co-Founder at FXBlue
-Matthew Smith, Group Chair & CEO at EC Markets
-Tom Higgins, Founder & CEO at Gold-i
-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
Educators, IBs, And Other Regional Growth Drivers
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
When acquisition costs rise and AI generated reviews are exactly as useful as they sound, performing and fair partners can make or break brokers.
This session looks at how these players are shaping access, trust and user engagement, and what the most effective partnership models look like in 2025.
Key Themes:
- Building trader communities through education and local expertise
- Aligning broker incentives with long-term regional strategies
- Regional regulation and the realities of compliant acquisition
- What’s next for performance-driven partnerships in online trading
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Zander Van Der Merwe, Key Individual & Head of Sales at TD Markets
-Brunno Huertas, Regional Manager – Latin America at Tickmill
-Paul Chalmers, CEO at UK Trading Academy
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #BrokerGrowth #FintechPartnerships #RegionalMarkets
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
The Leap to Everything App: Are Brokers There Yet?
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the arms race to bundle investing, personal finance, and wallets under super apps grows fiercer, brokers are caught between a rock and a hard place.
This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
-Laura McCracken,CEO | Advisory Board Member at Blackheath Advisors | The Payments Association
-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
-Jordan Sinclair, President at Robinhood UK
-Simon Pelletier, Head of Product at Yuh
Gerald Perez, CEO at Interactive Brokers UK
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
As the dire state of listing and investment in the UK goes from a financial services problem to a national challenge, the retail investing industry is taken to task.
Join a host of executives and experts for a candid conversation about the future of millions of Brits, as seen from a financial services standpoint:
-Are they happy with the Leeds Reform, in principle and in practice?
-Is it the government’s job to affect the ‘saver’ mentality? Is it doing well?
-What can brokers and fintechs do to spur UK investment?
-How can the FCA balance greater flexibility with consumer protection?
Speakers:
-Adam Button, Chief Currency Analyst at investingLive
-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
-Dan Lane, Investment Content Lead at Robinhood UK
-Jack Crone, PR & Public Affairs Lead at IG
-David Belle, Founder at Fink Money
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #FinanceLeadership #Trading #Fintech #RetailInvesting #UKFinance
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
👍 Facebook: / financemagnatesevents
📸 Instagram: / fmevents_official
🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official