F1Markets settled with CySEC last year, paying €150,000.
The broker’s license was previously suspended for compliance violations.
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has withdrawn the operating license of F1Markets Ltd as the company decided to “expressly renounce it.” Though announced on Thursday, the regulatory board finalized the decision on 5 December 2022.
CySEC License Renounced
With the Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) license, F1Markets operated multiple forex and contracts for differences (CFDs) retail broker brands: one of the brands being Investous. It has four registered domains with the Cypriot regulator, and the other two, 24CM and EuroPrime, are not accessible anymore.
According to a notice on the broker’s website, the company shuttered its services last May. It closed all the open positions on 19 May 2022 and asked traders to withdraw funds.
“We regret to inform you that our Company has decided to renounce its authorization and therefore, please be aware that as of 20th of June 2022, F1Markets Ltd, operating under the domains www.investous.com/eu and www.f1markets.com will no longer be able to offer its investments and ancillary services to clients,” the notice reads.
F1Markets notice
Additionally, the F1Markets mentions Straton Markets as one of its brands. However, that website is not registered with CySEC and is not accessible anymore.
A Controversial Broker
F1Markets received its CySEC license in 2015, which allowed it to operate within the European Economic Area (EEA). However, its services were flagged multiple times for compliance lapses, and the company has faced enforcement actions.
The Financial Conduct Authority caught F1Markets and a few other brokers promoting their products in the United Kingdom with fake celebrity endorsements on social media. The complaints from the British watchdog resulted in a temporary suspension of the broker’s license by CySEC, which was returned within a month.
Last August, F1Markets settled with the Cypriot regulator, paying €150,000, for multiple possible violations of local regulations that came with a regulatory assessment of the company’s compliance efforts for the fulfillment of the conditions of its partial suspension and other corrective measures taken between June 2019 and July 2020.
On top of that, CySEC has strengthened its enforcement oversight after the European financial market supervisor raised concerns. Furthermore, it withdrew the license of FF Simple and Smart Trades Investment Services recently, which operated TradoCenter and Toro Invest brokerage brands.
Meanwhile, several other well-known brokers, including Swissquote and Equiti, have also gained licenses from CySEC to strengthen their European operations.
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has withdrawn the operating license of F1Markets Ltd as the company decided to “expressly renounce it.” Though announced on Thursday, the regulatory board finalized the decision on 5 December 2022.
CySEC License Renounced
With the Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) license, F1Markets operated multiple forex and contracts for differences (CFDs) retail broker brands: one of the brands being Investous. It has four registered domains with the Cypriot regulator, and the other two, 24CM and EuroPrime, are not accessible anymore.
According to a notice on the broker’s website, the company shuttered its services last May. It closed all the open positions on 19 May 2022 and asked traders to withdraw funds.
“We regret to inform you that our Company has decided to renounce its authorization and therefore, please be aware that as of 20th of June 2022, F1Markets Ltd, operating under the domains www.investous.com/eu and www.f1markets.com will no longer be able to offer its investments and ancillary services to clients,” the notice reads.
F1Markets notice
Additionally, the F1Markets mentions Straton Markets as one of its brands. However, that website is not registered with CySEC and is not accessible anymore.
A Controversial Broker
F1Markets received its CySEC license in 2015, which allowed it to operate within the European Economic Area (EEA). However, its services were flagged multiple times for compliance lapses, and the company has faced enforcement actions.
The Financial Conduct Authority caught F1Markets and a few other brokers promoting their products in the United Kingdom with fake celebrity endorsements on social media. The complaints from the British watchdog resulted in a temporary suspension of the broker’s license by CySEC, which was returned within a month.
Last August, F1Markets settled with the Cypriot regulator, paying €150,000, for multiple possible violations of local regulations that came with a regulatory assessment of the company’s compliance efforts for the fulfillment of the conditions of its partial suspension and other corrective measures taken between June 2019 and July 2020.
On top of that, CySEC has strengthened its enforcement oversight after the European financial market supervisor raised concerns. Furthermore, it withdrew the license of FF Simple and Smart Trades Investment Services recently, which operated TradoCenter and Toro Invest brokerage brands.
Meanwhile, several other well-known brokers, including Swissquote and Equiti, have also gained licenses from CySEC to strengthen their European operations.
Arnab is an electronics engineer-turned-financial editor. He entered the industry covering the cryptocurrency market for Finance Magnates and later expanded his reach to forex as well. He is passionate about the changing regulatory landscape on financial markets and keenly follows the disruptions in the industry with new-age technologies.
73% of Young Investors Say Traditional Wealth Building Is Broken – Here’s How They Trade Instead
Executive Interview | Charlotte Bullock | Chief Product Officer, Bank of London | FMLS:25
Executive Interview | Charlotte Bullock | Chief Product Officer, Bank of London | FMLS:25
In this interview, we sat down with Charlotte Bullock, Head of Product at The Bank of London, previously at SAP and now shaping product at one of the sector’s most ambitious new banking players.
Charlotte reflects on the Summit so far and talks about the culture inside fintech banks today. We look at the pressures that come with scaling, and how firms can hold onto the nimble approach that made them stand out early on.
We also cover the state of payments ahead of her appearance on the payments roundtable: the blockages financial firms face, the areas that still need fixing, and what a realistic solution looks like in 2026.
In this interview, we sat down with Charlotte Bullock, Head of Product at The Bank of London, previously at SAP and now shaping product at one of the sector’s most ambitious new banking players.
Charlotte reflects on the Summit so far and talks about the culture inside fintech banks today. We look at the pressures that come with scaling, and how firms can hold onto the nimble approach that made them stand out early on.
We also cover the state of payments ahead of her appearance on the payments roundtable: the blockages financial firms face, the areas that still need fixing, and what a realistic solution looks like in 2026.
In this conversation, we sit down with Drew Niv, CSO at ATFX Connect and one of the most influential figures in modern FX.
We speak about market structure, the institutional view on liquidity, and the sharp rise of prop trading, a sector Drew has been commenting on in recent months. Drew explains why he once dismissed prop trading, why his view changed, and what he now thinks the model means for brokers, clients and risk managers.
We explore subscription-fee dependency, the high reneging rate, and the long-term challenge: how brokers can build a more stable and honest version of the model. Drew also talks about the traffic advantage standalone prop firms have built and why brokers may still win in the long run if they take the right approach.
In this conversation, we sit down with Drew Niv, CSO at ATFX Connect and one of the most influential figures in modern FX.
We speak about market structure, the institutional view on liquidity, and the sharp rise of prop trading, a sector Drew has been commenting on in recent months. Drew explains why he once dismissed prop trading, why his view changed, and what he now thinks the model means for brokers, clients and risk managers.
We explore subscription-fee dependency, the high reneging rate, and the long-term challenge: how brokers can build a more stable and honest version of the model. Drew also talks about the traffic advantage standalone prop firms have built and why brokers may still win in the long run if they take the right approach.
Executive Interview | Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller| CEO & Founder Muinmos | FMLS:25
Executive Interview | Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller| CEO & Founder Muinmos | FMLS:25
In this interview, Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller, founder of Muinmos, breaks down the state of AI in regtech and what responsible adoption really looks like for brokers. We talk about rising fragmentation, the pressures around compliance accuracy, and why most firms are still in the early stages of AI maturity.
Ramanda also shares insights on regulator sandboxes, shifting expectations around accountability, and the current reality of MiCA licensing and passporting in Europe.
A concise look at where compliance, onboarding, and AI-driven processes are heading next.
In this interview, Remonda Z. Kirketerp Møller, founder of Muinmos, breaks down the state of AI in regtech and what responsible adoption really looks like for brokers. We talk about rising fragmentation, the pressures around compliance accuracy, and why most firms are still in the early stages of AI maturity.
Ramanda also shares insights on regulator sandboxes, shifting expectations around accountability, and the current reality of MiCA licensing and passporting in Europe.
A concise look at where compliance, onboarding, and AI-driven processes are heading next.
In this conversation, we speak with Aydin Bonabi, CEO and co-founder of Surveill, a firm focused on fraud detection and AI-driven compliance tools for financial institutions.
We start with Aydin’s view of the Summit and the challenges brokers face as fraud tactics grow more complex. He explains how firms can stay ahead through real-time signals, data patterns, and early-stage detection.
We also talk about AI training and why compliance teams often struggle to keep models accurate, fair, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Aydin breaks down what “good” AI training looks like inside a financial environment, including the importance of clean data, domain expertise, and human oversight.
He closes with a clear message: fraud is scaling, and so must the tools that stop it.
In this conversation, we speak with Aydin Bonabi, CEO and co-founder of Surveill, a firm focused on fraud detection and AI-driven compliance tools for financial institutions.
We start with Aydin’s view of the Summit and the challenges brokers face as fraud tactics grow more complex. He explains how firms can stay ahead through real-time signals, data patterns, and early-stage detection.
We also talk about AI training and why compliance teams often struggle to keep models accurate, fair, and aligned with regulatory expectations. Aydin breaks down what “good” AI training looks like inside a financial environment, including the importance of clean data, domain expertise, and human oversight.
He closes with a clear message: fraud is scaling, and so must the tools that stop it.
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Exness expands its presence in Africa: Inside our interview with Paul Margarites in Cape Town
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
Finance Magnates met with Paul Margarites, Exness regional commercial director for Sub-Saharan Africa, during a visit to the firm’s office opening in Cape Town. In this talk, led by Andrea Badiola Mateos, Co-CEO at Finance Magnates, Paul shares views on the South African trading space, local user behavior, mobile trends, regulation, team growth, and how Exness plans to grow in more markets across the region. @Exness
Read the article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-expands-its-presence-in-africa-inside-our-interview-with-paul-margarites/
#exness #financemagnates #exnesstrading #CFDtrading #tradeonline #africanews #capetown
