Regulatory challenges, along with other business decisions, have prompted the company to surrender its CySEC licence.
It will keep the Cyprus office open as a branch for supporting its international activities.
A cake box with 26 Degrees branding at the rebranding launch party, Photo: 26 Degrees
Prime brokerage firm 26 Degrees intends to surrender its CySEC licence. While the Limassol office will remain operational, it will serve as a branch supporting the firm’s international activities.
The decision is driven by the firm's desire to concentrate on institutional services, particularly hedge fund operations, amid growing regulatory challenges with the Cypriot authorities. This move may also be linked to the recent departure of Riana Chaili, the former CEO for the EMEA region. We reached out to 26 Degrees, but the company declined to comment.
Apart from Chaili, Lochlan White recently stepped down from his role as EMEA Chief Commercial Officer, based out of the Cyprus office, to join Scope Prime. He parted ways with the Gavin White-run company after spending 11 years in various roles.
Surrendering the CySEC Licence after a Year
26 Degrees is headquartered in Australia and offers prime brokerage services to broker-dealers and hedge funds. As reported by Finance Magnates earlier, the company gained its Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) licence in 2023 to expand its presence in the European Economic Area. Interestingly, it had established and strengthened its Cyprus office even before obtaining the licence on the Mediterranean island.
Months ahead of obtaining the Cyprus licence, the company also rebranded from Invast Global to 26 Degrees. At the time, Group CEO Gavin White told Finance Magnates that his company was compelled to rebrand due to the exponential growth of its institutional prime services business in the last five years.
The CySEC registry showing the license details of 26 Degrees
After surrendering the CySEC licence, the company will be left only with regulatory approval from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Meanwhile, 26 Degrees continues to innovate with its product offerings. In July, it launched Pairs CFDs, which allow the trading of index vs. index, commodity vs. commodity, or equity vs. equity, similar to forex pairs. According to the company, these Pairs CFDs can be constructed to enhance or reduce volatility, depending on the correlation between the instruments.
Prime brokerage firm 26 Degrees intends to surrender its CySEC licence. While the Limassol office will remain operational, it will serve as a branch supporting the firm’s international activities.
The decision is driven by the firm's desire to concentrate on institutional services, particularly hedge fund operations, amid growing regulatory challenges with the Cypriot authorities. This move may also be linked to the recent departure of Riana Chaili, the former CEO for the EMEA region. We reached out to 26 Degrees, but the company declined to comment.
Apart from Chaili, Lochlan White recently stepped down from his role as EMEA Chief Commercial Officer, based out of the Cyprus office, to join Scope Prime. He parted ways with the Gavin White-run company after spending 11 years in various roles.
Surrendering the CySEC Licence after a Year
26 Degrees is headquartered in Australia and offers prime brokerage services to broker-dealers and hedge funds. As reported by Finance Magnates earlier, the company gained its Cyprus Investment Firm (CIF) licence in 2023 to expand its presence in the European Economic Area. Interestingly, it had established and strengthened its Cyprus office even before obtaining the licence on the Mediterranean island.
Months ahead of obtaining the Cyprus licence, the company also rebranded from Invast Global to 26 Degrees. At the time, Group CEO Gavin White told Finance Magnates that his company was compelled to rebrand due to the exponential growth of its institutional prime services business in the last five years.
The CySEC registry showing the license details of 26 Degrees
After surrendering the CySEC licence, the company will be left only with regulatory approval from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).
Meanwhile, 26 Degrees continues to innovate with its product offerings. In July, it launched Pairs CFDs, which allow the trading of index vs. index, commodity vs. commodity, or equity vs. equity, similar to forex pairs. According to the company, these Pairs CFDs can be constructed to enhance or reduce volatility, depending on the correlation between the instruments.
Yam Yehoshua is Editor-in-Chief, leading coverage of the global online trading, fintech, and digital assets sectors. He sets editorial direction and oversees how major developments are reported and explained for industry professionals.
Under his leadership, the newsroom focuses on the structural trends affecting brokers, trading platforms, and market infrastructure, including regulation, licensing, consolidation, and the evolution of CFD and crypto business models. The editorial approach prioritises clarity, financial accuracy, and relevance for decision-makers.
Yam has a background in both print and digital journalism and works closely with executives, regulators, and operators across key jurisdictions. His work is focused on separating market narrative from financial reality and ensuring coverage reflects how the industry operates in practice, not just how it is marketed.
Education:
Journalism and Communication Studies (Diploma Program)
Headline College, Tel Aviv, Israel
IG Group Expects About £300 Million Revenue in Q1 2026
Finance Magnates Awards 2026 – Nominations Now Open
Finance Magnates Awards 2026 – Nominations Now Open
The Finance Magnates Awards 2026 nominations are now open. 🏆
From fintech innovators to leading brokers, this is where the finance industry celebrates its biggest achievements.
Winners will be announced at the Cyprus Gala Dinner on November 6, 2026.
Nominate your brand now.
https://awards.financemagnates.com/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=nominations-open
#FMAwards #FinanceMagnates #FintechAwards #Fintech #FinanceIndustry
The Finance Magnates Awards 2026 nominations are now open. 🏆
From fintech innovators to leading brokers, this is where the finance industry celebrates its biggest achievements.
Winners will be announced at the Cyprus Gala Dinner on November 6, 2026.
Nominate your brand now.
https://awards.financemagnates.com/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=nominations-open
#FMAwards #FinanceMagnates #FintechAwards #Fintech #FinanceIndustry
Finance Magnates Awards 2026 | Nominations Now Open 🏆#Fintech #FMAwards #TradingIndustry
Finance Magnates Awards 2026 | Nominations Now Open 🏆#Fintech #FMAwards #TradingIndustry
Lights on. Cameras ready. 🎬
Finance Magnates Awards 2026 nominations are now open. 🏆
#FMAwards #FinanceMagnates #FintechAwards #Fintech
Lights on. Cameras ready. 🎬
Finance Magnates Awards 2026 nominations are now open. 🏆
#FMAwards #FinanceMagnates #FintechAwards #Fintech
Exness sees trust as the key theme for growth in MENA Trading Growth for 2026
Exness sees trust as the key theme for growth in MENA Trading Growth for 2026
Mohammad Amer, Regional Commercial Director at Exness, sits down to discuss the booming MENA financial trading market. Find out why Dubai is key to the company's growth strategy, how a mobile-first generation is changing expectations, and why trust will be the defining theme for traders in 2026.
In this interview, you'll learn:
* Why Dubai and the MENA region are critical growth markets for fintech and online trading.
* How Exness is addressing the demands of mobile-first, younger traders through engineering, platform stability, and transparent conditions.
* The essential role local talent plays in providing a culturally relevant and compliant user experience.
* Mohammad Amer's outlook on the future of the online trading industry and why stronger controls and systems are necessary.
* Why "trust" isn't just a brand value, but has commercial value—and why he predicts 2026 will be the "Year of Trust."
Key Takeaways:
➡️ The MENA region is rapidly shaping global financial markets.
➡️ New traders expect stability, precise execution, and transparency.
➡️ Local expertise is key to regulatory compliance and user experience.
➡️ Future success belongs to firms capable of meeting rising standards across regulation and platform consistency.
Read the full article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-sees-trust-as-the-key-theme-for-growth-in-mena-trading-growth-for-2026/
#Exness #MENA #Trading #FinTech #Dubai #OnlineTrading #FinanceMagnates #MohammadAmer #Trust #MobileTrading
Mohammad Amer, Regional Commercial Director at Exness, sits down to discuss the booming MENA financial trading market. Find out why Dubai is key to the company's growth strategy, how a mobile-first generation is changing expectations, and why trust will be the defining theme for traders in 2026.
In this interview, you'll learn:
* Why Dubai and the MENA region are critical growth markets for fintech and online trading.
* How Exness is addressing the demands of mobile-first, younger traders through engineering, platform stability, and transparent conditions.
* The essential role local talent plays in providing a culturally relevant and compliant user experience.
* Mohammad Amer's outlook on the future of the online trading industry and why stronger controls and systems are necessary.
* Why "trust" isn't just a brand value, but has commercial value—and why he predicts 2026 will be the "Year of Trust."
Key Takeaways:
➡️ The MENA region is rapidly shaping global financial markets.
➡️ New traders expect stability, precise execution, and transparency.
➡️ Local expertise is key to regulatory compliance and user experience.
➡️ Future success belongs to firms capable of meeting rising standards across regulation and platform consistency.
Read the full article at: https://www.financemagnates.com/thought-leadership/exness-sees-trust-as-the-key-theme-for-growth-in-mena-trading-growth-for-2026/
#Exness #MENA #Trading #FinTech #Dubai #OnlineTrading #FinanceMagnates #MohammadAmer #Trust #MobileTrading
Paytiko CEO Razi Salih on Why Payment Orchestration is a MUST-HAVE for Brokers in 2026
Paytiko CEO Razi Salih on Why Payment Orchestration is a MUST-HAVE for Brokers in 2026
At iFX Expo Dubai, Finance Magnates spoke with Razi Salih, CEO at Paytiko, about the evolution of the payments ecosystem and why payment orchestration has shifted from an option to a necessity for brokers, prop firms, and exchanges.
Mr. Salih explains how global expansion, the need for deep localisation, and the sheer number of new payment methods, from instant banking to stablecoins, are driving this critical infrastructure shift.
#PaymentOrchestration #Fintech #Brokerage #TradingPayments #RaziSalih #Paytiko #iFXExpoDubai #Stablecoins #AIinFintech
At iFX Expo Dubai, Finance Magnates spoke with Razi Salih, CEO at Paytiko, about the evolution of the payments ecosystem and why payment orchestration has shifted from an option to a necessity for brokers, prop firms, and exchanges.
Mr. Salih explains how global expansion, the need for deep localisation, and the sheer number of new payment methods, from instant banking to stablecoins, are driving this critical infrastructure shift.
#PaymentOrchestration #Fintech #Brokerage #TradingPayments #RaziSalih #Paytiko #iFXExpoDubai #Stablecoins #AIinFintech
Altima CTO Sunil Jadhav: Solving Data Fragmentation & Lag for Brokers & Prop Firms
Altima CTO Sunil Jadhav: Solving Data Fragmentation & Lag for Brokers & Prop Firms
Altima CTO Sunil Jadhav sits down with Finance Magnates to discuss the core technology challenges facing CFD brokers and proprietary trading firms today.
Jadhav explains how the industry's reliance on batch processing and fragmented systems (where CRMs, risk tools, and trading platforms operate with separate 'sources of truth') leads to delayed data and inconsistent operational decisions. He argues that real-time event processing is essential for managing fast-moving trading activity and risk.
Learn how Altima's unified, event-driven architecture, connecting Altima CRM, Altima Prop, IB systems, and risk management through a single backbone, is designed to provide synchronous data and better operational coordination for modern brokerage and prop firm stacks.
Key Topics:
- Broker and Prop Firm Data Challenges
- The problem of delayed data processing (batch processing vs. real-time events)
- Fragmented systems and conflicting data sources
- Altima's unified, event-driven solution architecture
- The concept of a "risk-aware CRM"
- Built-in risk management in Altima Prop
#Altima #financemagnates #iFXDubai #FinTech #BrokerTech #PropFirm #CFDBroker #TradingTechnology #RealTimeData #RiskManagement #CRM #FinancialMarkets #EventDrivenArchitecture
Altima CTO Sunil Jadhav sits down with Finance Magnates to discuss the core technology challenges facing CFD brokers and proprietary trading firms today.
Jadhav explains how the industry's reliance on batch processing and fragmented systems (where CRMs, risk tools, and trading platforms operate with separate 'sources of truth') leads to delayed data and inconsistent operational decisions. He argues that real-time event processing is essential for managing fast-moving trading activity and risk.
Learn how Altima's unified, event-driven architecture, connecting Altima CRM, Altima Prop, IB systems, and risk management through a single backbone, is designed to provide synchronous data and better operational coordination for modern brokerage and prop firm stacks.
Key Topics:
- Broker and Prop Firm Data Challenges
- The problem of delayed data processing (batch processing vs. real-time events)
- Fragmented systems and conflicting data sources
- Altima's unified, event-driven solution architecture
- The concept of a "risk-aware CRM"
- Built-in risk management in Altima Prop
#Altima #financemagnates #iFXDubai #FinTech #BrokerTech #PropFirm #CFDBroker #TradingTechnology #RealTimeData #RiskManagement #CRM #FinancialMarkets #EventDrivenArchitecture
