Indonesia Deals Tough Blow To Established FX Firms - Blocks Broker & Information Sites
Wednesday,27/11/2013|09:52GMTby
Andrew Saks McLeod
Indonesia has long been a favorable market with low entry barriers and rudimentary regulation - until now. The nation's regulatory authority has issued warnings against a plethora of FX brokers & signal providers.
Indonesia has recently begun to publicly demonstrate objections toward FX firms, both domestic and foreign which operate within its jurisdiction. The nation's governmental information site, TRUST+, have embarked on a program of listing almost every FX firm as having complaints lodged against it. In addition, a number of main sites and representative offices of very well-known Western brokers and signal service providers are listed as being blocked in Indonesia.
This move comes after Indonesia has become an attractive destination for some retail participants in the Forex industry. Whilst the Western world's financial markets' regulators have long since set forth comprehensive, and in some cases very expensive stipulations with regard to the means by which FX firms operate, a number of the world's major brokers and ancillary service providers have been looking east toward emerging market economies.
With a largely untapped client base, sizable and young domestic population and very few hindrances in relation to government red tape, Indonesia has become an area which many retail brokers consider important. Those who have made inroads into the Asia-Pacific region have garnered a client base from the region over recent times, as was reported by Forex Magnates in detail in the Quarterly Industry Report for Q4 of 2012.
Emerging market economies still have a very long way to go before the national governments of nations such as Indonesia, implement stringent consumer protection laws and resource-heavy entry barriers such as in North America, Australia or Europe. However, this recent publication may indicate that either the Regulation of FX in some form is on the Indonesian government's to-do list, or that the country wishes to stem foreign competition in order to establish home-grown firms.
In order to go some way toward establishing the possible reasoning behind the move, Forex Magnates spoke to Ottelo Deiy, Regional Head, South-East Asia at TNC Markets, who explained that in his opinion, "The regulators have been cautious of margin FX products as investors have faced numerous difficulties with unregulated players hence the forced attack on this product."
"Domestically investors are overcharged and conditions are not favourable hence the attraction of FX and CFD trading. The regulators will be making some harsh reforms in the coming months," stated Mr. Deiy.
Indonesia may be following in the footsteps of Turkey, which back in 2009 played host to a number of OTC FX firms offering many products, and in particular binary options, to a very willing client base, with very little regulatory oversight, if any at all. Today, things are somewhat different, with Turkey having become one of Western Asia's most prominent financial markets economies, and has a very organized regulatory structure to go with it.
Decade of FX In Indonesia
Indonesia has a somewhat longer history of FX market participants operating within its jurisdiction, some of whom are indigenous. But most of them, as with companies which target a Chinese audience, originate from Russia, and were the first to enter the Indonesian market back in 2003, viewing its potential along the same lines as that of China.
The sites which the Indonesian government portal refers to are:
With this in mind, a matter for consideration for many brokers and signal providers could be that it is possible that the governments of the emerging markets of the Far East may be investigating the possibilities of raising the currently low entry barriers.
Whether this is occurring in order to protect customers, or to protect the domestic FX industry, is perhaps a moot point.
Indonesia has recently begun to publicly demonstrate objections toward FX firms, both domestic and foreign which operate within its jurisdiction. The nation's governmental information site, TRUST+, have embarked on a program of listing almost every FX firm as having complaints lodged against it. In addition, a number of main sites and representative offices of very well-known Western brokers and signal service providers are listed as being blocked in Indonesia.
This move comes after Indonesia has become an attractive destination for some retail participants in the Forex industry. Whilst the Western world's financial markets' regulators have long since set forth comprehensive, and in some cases very expensive stipulations with regard to the means by which FX firms operate, a number of the world's major brokers and ancillary service providers have been looking east toward emerging market economies.
With a largely untapped client base, sizable and young domestic population and very few hindrances in relation to government red tape, Indonesia has become an area which many retail brokers consider important. Those who have made inroads into the Asia-Pacific region have garnered a client base from the region over recent times, as was reported by Forex Magnates in detail in the Quarterly Industry Report for Q4 of 2012.
Emerging market economies still have a very long way to go before the national governments of nations such as Indonesia, implement stringent consumer protection laws and resource-heavy entry barriers such as in North America, Australia or Europe. However, this recent publication may indicate that either the Regulation of FX in some form is on the Indonesian government's to-do list, or that the country wishes to stem foreign competition in order to establish home-grown firms.
In order to go some way toward establishing the possible reasoning behind the move, Forex Magnates spoke to Ottelo Deiy, Regional Head, South-East Asia at TNC Markets, who explained that in his opinion, "The regulators have been cautious of margin FX products as investors have faced numerous difficulties with unregulated players hence the forced attack on this product."
"Domestically investors are overcharged and conditions are not favourable hence the attraction of FX and CFD trading. The regulators will be making some harsh reforms in the coming months," stated Mr. Deiy.
Indonesia may be following in the footsteps of Turkey, which back in 2009 played host to a number of OTC FX firms offering many products, and in particular binary options, to a very willing client base, with very little regulatory oversight, if any at all. Today, things are somewhat different, with Turkey having become one of Western Asia's most prominent financial markets economies, and has a very organized regulatory structure to go with it.
Decade of FX In Indonesia
Indonesia has a somewhat longer history of FX market participants operating within its jurisdiction, some of whom are indigenous. But most of them, as with companies which target a Chinese audience, originate from Russia, and were the first to enter the Indonesian market back in 2003, viewing its potential along the same lines as that of China.
The sites which the Indonesian government portal refers to are:
With this in mind, a matter for consideration for many brokers and signal providers could be that it is possible that the governments of the emerging markets of the Far East may be investigating the possibilities of raising the currently low entry barriers.
Whether this is occurring in order to protect customers, or to protect the domestic FX industry, is perhaps a moot point.
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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
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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
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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:
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-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?
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Speakers:
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-Gil Ben Hur, Founder at 5% Group
#fmls #fmls25 #fmevents #Brokers #Trading #Fintech #FintechInnovation #TradingTechnology #Innovation
Connect with us at:
🔗 LinkedIn: / financemagnates-events
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🎥 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
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🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
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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
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- 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
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🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
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-Slobodan Manojlović,Vice President | Lead Software Engineer at JP Morgan Chase & Co.
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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:
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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
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🐦 Twitter: / f_m_events
🎥 TikTok: / fmevents_official
Mind The Gap: Can Retail Investors Save the UK Stock Market?
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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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-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
