FTMO completes acquisition of Oanda
December is here, yet the pipeline of broker and fintech news remains full. FTMO, a global player in modern prop trading, completed its acquisition of OANDA Global Corporation, a major online trading group.
The deal followed a purchase agreement signed earlier this year with former owner CVC Asia Fund IV and closed on 1 December after securing all required regulatory approvals.
Also this week, FTMO announced that its services are now available to traders in India. The expansion gives Indian traders access to one of the sector’s most prominent prop brands.
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The5ers founders launch CFD broker
Meanwhile, the wall between prop trading and retail CFDs is getting thinner. The founders of prop-trading heavyweight The5ers launched TSG., a Cyprus‑regulated CFD brokerage, in a move they describe as a strategic extension of their business into retail trading infrastructure.
The5ers Founder, @Gil_BenHur and Biz-Dev Director Tomer Mann represented the Five Percent Group at FMLS:25 in London!
— The5ers (@the5erstrading) November 30, 2025
Gil spoke on the “State of the Prop 2026” panel - a highlight of a strong week for the group. pic.twitter.com/UjRrqsKymR
Co‑founder Gil Ben Hur said the goal is to pair The5ers’ funding model with the CySEC‑regulated security of TSG. in a single ecosystem for retail traders, while stressing that the brokerage, headquartered in Nicosia, will operate separately from the Israel‑based prop brand.
Plus500 enters prediction markets as clearing partner
As the prediction markets edge further into the financial mainstream, Plus500 is positioning itself. The London-listed broker entered the prediction markets space as the clearing partner for CME and FanDuel’s new event-based contracts platform.
The move follows CME’s recently announced partnership with the online gaming company. Under the arrangement, Plus500 will provide brokerage execution and clearing services for FanDuel Prediction Markets.
CNN, CNBC bet on Kalshi’s event odds
Prediction markets are also creeping into mainstream media. CNBC agreed to a partnership Kalshi this week, that will see the prediction markets operator's event‑odds data rolled out across the network’s TV, digital and subscription products from next year.
The deal follows a similar arrangement with CNN, underscoring how major news outlets are starting to use prediction‑market prices to frame coverage of politics, the economy and global events.
Polymarket launches U.S. app
Kashi's major competitor, Polymarket, launched its first US mobile app, offering real‑money sports markets under federal oversight after receiving approval from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Against all odds.
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) December 3, 2025
Polymarket’s U.S app is now being rolled out to those on the waitlist.
We’re launching with sports — followed by markets on everything. pic.twitter.com/WOoVMszrqc
The launch marked a return to the US for the platform, which previously moved offshore in 2022 following regulatory action over unregistered event‑based derivatives.
Prediction markets face crackdown
Not all is pomp and hype for prediction markets. Connecticut regulators issued cease and desist letters to Robinhood, Crypto.com and Kalshi, alleging the platforms are operating unlicensed sports wagering services in violation of state law.
📢 Today, DCP's Gaming Division issued Cease and Desist orders to three platforms conducting unlicensed sports wagering.
— Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (@CTDCP) December 3, 2025
Learn why Prediction Market Platforms offering "Sports Events" Contracts are illegal:https://t.co/LXLK1tRR0w
The action targets their prediction and sports event markets. The state’s Department of Consumer Protection Gaming Division ordered the firms to stop advertising and offering sports-related contracts to Connecticut residents and to allow affected users in the state to withdraw their funds.
24/5 trading and what it means for investors
Is round‑the‑clock trading great for bragging rights but not so great for returns? Well, critics argue that being able to trade round the clock is not always an advantage and that, from a strategy standpoint, having fewer chances to trade can sometimes work better.
Morningstar’s Mind the Gap 2025 report underlines the point, finding that US mutual funds and ETFs returned an aggregate 8.2% a year in the decade to the end of 2024 on an initial lump-sum basis, while the average trader earned 7% annually over the same period.
How 40 minutes flipped views on prop trading
Meanwhile, a charged debate at the Finance Magnates London Summit (FMLS:25) saw industry veterans Drew Niv, Chief Strategy Officer at ATFX, and Brendan Callan, CEO of Tradu, face off over whether the fast-growing retail prop trading sector represents healthy innovation or a looming regulatory problem.
An audience that began the session strongly backing the motion “Prop trading is good for the trading industry” shifted position by the end, ultimately voting against it and delivering a narrow win to the more skeptical side.
Trustpilot hit by “mafia-style extortion” claims
London-listed shares of Trustpilot, whose ratings are widely used in marketing by brokers and prop trading firms, dropped about 30 per cent after short seller Grizzly Research accused the review platform of running a “mafia-style extortion” scheme that pressures companies to buy subscriptions to improve their scores.
The US-based short seller detailed its claims in a 43-page report and disclosed that it has taken a short position in Trustpilot’s London-listed stock.
XTB CEO slams Revolut, says Robinhood can’t crack Europe
In the fintech space, XTB CEO Omar Arnaout offered a frank assessment of the trading landscape during a panel at the Invest Cuffs conference in Warsaw. He said the Poland-based firm, listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, aims to become “Europe’s Robinhood” but doubts the U.S. brokerage will find success expanding across the continent.
Arnaout also commented on Revolut, calling it another major competitor in the region. Speaking alongside executives from other Polish companies, he outlined XTB’s growth ambitions and gave a candid view of how the firm sees its position in Europe’s crowded retail trading market.
Saxo Bank tops 1.5 million clients
Elsewhere, Saxo Bank announced it now serves 1.5 million clients, marking continued growth for the Danish trading and investment platform. The milestone highlights the rising trend of individual investors taking a more active role in managing their portfolios.
In May 2024, the Copenhagen-based firm reported client assets of DKK 800 billion ($116.1 billion), a record at the time, alongside a client base of over 1.2 million. Founder and CEO Kim Fournais credited the expansion to competitive pricing, a wide product range, and tools that support portfolio diversification.
Bitcoin slide signals risk-off turn in crypto markets
In the crypto space, Bitcoin fell sharply in early December after trading above 126,000 dollars in October, dropping below 86,000 dollars and signaling a sharp reversal for recent bullish bets on the token.
BREAKING: Bitcoin falls -$4,000 in 2 hours as mass liquidations return.
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) December 1, 2025
$400 million worth of levered longs have been liquidated over the last 60 minutes. pic.twitter.com/qKB7MYJapu
In early Asian trading on Monday, 1 December, the cryptocurrency slid as much as 6 percent, breaking below 88,000 dollars before extending losses to under 86,000 dollars, according to market reports.
MicroStrategy and Michael Saylor’s next move
The latest downward pressure in Bitcoin has weighed heavily on one of its biggest corporate backers. Strategy Inc., formerly MicroStrategy, has amassed a cash reserve of about 1.44 billion dollars and indicated it may sell some of its Bitcoin holdings if market prices fall further.
Bitcoin’s drop from October highs near 126,000 dollars to lows around 85,000 dollars has cut the token’s value by almost 30 percent, directly affecting Strategy’s earnings because it holds roughly 650,000 BTC, or about 3.1 percent of Bitcoin’s eventual supply, under accounting rules that flow market value changes through its income statement.
Meta retreats from metaverse
What happens to the metaverse dream when even Meta starts tightening the purse strings? Meta is quietly dialing down its once grand metaverse bet as it chases the next wave of growth in artificial intelligence and hardware.
Metaverse land buyers then and now pic.twitter.com/I8yx0SbdKz
— Tenacious (@TenaciousBit) December 4, 2025
Meta is considering deep budget cuts at its metaverse division while redirecting more resources toward AI and smart wearables, after years of heavy investment in its virtual and augmented reality ambitions.
