According to the watchdog, the company's internal controls were found to be insufficient and failed to detect falsified audit documentation.
FCA now wants DTT to return client funds and complete the closure of all trading positions.
iStock
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revoked Direct
Trading Technologies UK Ltd (DTT)'s regulatory permissions and froze its
access to assets following concerns over financial controls and transparency.
The FCA’s intervention, effective from 27 March 2025, bans
DTT from offering any regulated financial services in the UK and demands the
closure of all open trading positions.
“On 27 March 2025, we placed restrictions on Direct Trading Technologies (DTT), preventing it from carrying on any regulated activities and
restricting access to its assets,” the regulator mentioned in a notice today
(Friday).
Source: FCA
Besides that, the firm must also ring-fence client funds.
These actions followed a formal audit process that uncovered what the auditors
reasonably believed to be fabricated financial documents.
Allegations of Falsified Audit Records
According to the FCA’s notice, DTT’s problems became
impossible to ignore when, during a January 2025 audit, its financial
statements appeared to include falsified documentation.
This documentation was allegedly used to justify a
substantial payment, raising immediate concerns about the firm’s internal
controls and financial crime defenses.
Beyond the audit issue, regulators found systemic governance
failures. DTT’s leadership failed to establish proper oversight over risk and
compliance processes, an especially critical flaw for a firm operating a
matched principal broker model.
The FCA determined that the company lacked adequate
administrative procedures and internal controls, noting that its systems failed
to detect or prevent a member of staff from allegedly falsifying key audit
documentation.
The regulator also cited DTT’s poor cooperation during the
investigation. The firm failed to provide consistent information to both
auditors and the FCA.
Immediate Client Impact and Regulatory Measures
As of 28 March 2025, the FCA ordered that DTT may not deal
with or move any of its assets without explicit regulatory approval. By early
April, the firm must complete the return of client funds and close all trading
positions.
“Due to the restrictions put in place, the firm is required
to ensure that all open trading positions have been closed and investor money
is set aside for customers. The firm can no longer offer regulated services,
including trading.”
Source:dttfs.co.uk
Following the restrictions, DTT issued guidelines to its
clients, saying that it will not dispose of or move any assets, including
client funds, without the regulator’s explicit permission.
DTT is part of a broader international group operating out
of Lebanon and Dubai, with additional licenses in Lithuania, Vanuatu, and
Panama. Its UK entity has served primarily professional clients since receiving
FCA authorization in 2018.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) revoked Direct
Trading Technologies UK Ltd (DTT)'s regulatory permissions and froze its
access to assets following concerns over financial controls and transparency.
The FCA’s intervention, effective from 27 March 2025, bans
DTT from offering any regulated financial services in the UK and demands the
closure of all open trading positions.
“On 27 March 2025, we placed restrictions on Direct Trading Technologies (DTT), preventing it from carrying on any regulated activities and
restricting access to its assets,” the regulator mentioned in a notice today
(Friday).
Source: FCA
Besides that, the firm must also ring-fence client funds.
These actions followed a formal audit process that uncovered what the auditors
reasonably believed to be fabricated financial documents.
Allegations of Falsified Audit Records
According to the FCA’s notice, DTT’s problems became
impossible to ignore when, during a January 2025 audit, its financial
statements appeared to include falsified documentation.
This documentation was allegedly used to justify a
substantial payment, raising immediate concerns about the firm’s internal
controls and financial crime defenses.
Beyond the audit issue, regulators found systemic governance
failures. DTT’s leadership failed to establish proper oversight over risk and
compliance processes, an especially critical flaw for a firm operating a
matched principal broker model.
The FCA determined that the company lacked adequate
administrative procedures and internal controls, noting that its systems failed
to detect or prevent a member of staff from allegedly falsifying key audit
documentation.
The regulator also cited DTT’s poor cooperation during the
investigation. The firm failed to provide consistent information to both
auditors and the FCA.
Immediate Client Impact and Regulatory Measures
As of 28 March 2025, the FCA ordered that DTT may not deal
with or move any of its assets without explicit regulatory approval. By early
April, the firm must complete the return of client funds and close all trading
positions.
“Due to the restrictions put in place, the firm is required
to ensure that all open trading positions have been closed and investor money
is set aside for customers. The firm can no longer offer regulated services,
including trading.”
Source:dttfs.co.uk
Following the restrictions, DTT issued guidelines to its
clients, saying that it will not dispose of or move any assets, including
client funds, without the regulator’s explicit permission.
DTT is part of a broader international group operating out
of Lebanon and Dubai, with additional licenses in Lithuania, Vanuatu, and
Panama. Its UK entity has served primarily professional clients since receiving
FCA authorization in 2018.
Devexperts Powers First US Options Platform for Korean Retail Market
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
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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?
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This session explores unexpected ways for industry players to collaborate as consumer habits evolve, competitors eye the traffic, and regulation becomes more nuanced.
Speakers:
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-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?
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Speakers:
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-Nicola Higgs, Partner at Latham & Watkins
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-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
