Crypto trading is now mainstream among retail FX market participants, according to a new industry survey from Gold-i, a global leader in FX and crypto trading technology, in partnership with Finance Magnates.
The survey was designed to understand current attitudes, adoption levels, strategic priorities and future expectations around cryptocurrency trading among firms operating in the retail FX space. Of the 110 respondents worldwide, representing FX/CFD brokers, prop trading firms and liquidity providers/Prime of Primes, 91% already offer crypto trading, with 78% reporting strong client uptake. Only 2% said they have no plans to offer crypto trading, highlighting how far digital assets have moved from a specialist product into a core part of the trading proposition.
Almost all respondents (97%) claim that cryptocurrency trading will be strategically important to their business over the next 2 years, with 75% citing crypto trading as a high priority.
Driven by Client Demand
Client demand is the main driver behind adoption, cited by 82% of respondents. Other reasons for offering or considering offering crypto trading include market growth opportunity (cited by 58%), revenue diversification (cited by 43%), and competitive pressure (cited by 36%). Improving regulatory clarity was cited by 12% of respondents.
The commercial impact of crypto trading is also proving positive. According to the findings, 81% of respondents reported an increase in revenue attributable to crypto trading, with over one third (38%) of these saying the increase has been significant. Only 2% reported a negative impact, attributing this to volume shifting away from other products such as FX.
Future Growth
More than half of respondents (53%) plan to expand their crypto offering in the next 12 months. Crypto CFDs are the most popular target product, selected by 31% of respondents, followed by spot crypto at 21%. A cluster of more complex products, including staking and yield, futures and copy trading, were each selected by around one in five firms.
The survey did, however, highlight a number of barriers to further growth. Regulatory uncertainty remains the biggest obstacle to offering or expanding crypto trading, according to 55% of respondents. The second biggest barrier, cited by 25% of respondents, is the need for 24/7 support. One in ten respondents felt that their technology and integration complexity was a barrier to expansion.
The survey also highlights the extent to which hybrid execution models are becoming central to crypto trading strategies. While many firms continue to see value in retaining some B-Book exposure, 45% expect to A-Book between 25% and 50% of volume, whilst 30% expect to A-Book 50%-75% and 10% expect to A-Book over 75%.
Infrastructure Readiness
Infrastructure readiness is another key theme. While 52% of respondents said they are very confident that their current infrastructure can support crypto trading at scale, 38% are only moderately confident. A further 9% have not yet assessed their infrastructure for crypto trading and 1% are not at all confident.
Tom Higgins, CEO of Gold-i, commented: “The survey results make it clear that crypto trading is no longer a peripheral opportunity for retail brokers, prop trading firms and liquidity providers/Prime of Primes. Client demand is strong, the revenue impact is positive, and the majority of firms now expect crypto to become a standard part of the FX and CFD trading proposition. However, capitalising on this opportunity requires more than simply adding a new asset class. Brokers need a robust, scalable liquidity management platform that can operate 24/7, manage flow effectively, and can cope with the large number of price updates per second in the crypto space. They also need very strong risk management capabilities.
“The fact that 48% of respondents are not fully confident that their current infrastructure can support crypto trading at scale should be a wake-up call. As crypto volumes grow and execution models become more sophisticated, firms need technology that gives them resilience, control and real-time visibility. Those that have the right infrastructure in place, and can confidently manage execution speed during high-volatility events, are far better positioned to capture the market opportunity and scale their crypto offering.”
A Bullish Outlook for Crypto Trading
In total, 80% of respondents believe crypto will become a standard offering for retail FX brokers, prop firms and liquidity providers, while a further 16% expect the market to continue growing but remain niche. Only 3% said they expect crypto trading to slow down or decline.
Download the Full Report
Gold-i has produced a report:“Market Hype or Must Have Offering: Crypto’s Impact on Retail FX” which provides a more in-depth look at the research findings. To download a copy, please visit https://www.gold-i.com/crypto-report-2026
About Gold-i
Headquartered in the UK, Gold-i is a global market leader in trading technology for the FX and cryptocurrency industries. The company is trusted by brokers, fund managers, prop firms, liquidity providers, exchanges and crypto institutions worldwide to manage liquidity, connectivity, pricing and risk across a broad range of trading platforms.
At the core of Gold-i’s offering is MatrixNET, a sophisticated multi-asset liquidity management platform providing seamless access to deep FX and crypto liquidity, with a multitude of routing and aggregation methods. Integrated with over 80 liquidity providers and 35 leading crypto exchanges, MatrixNET delivers ultra-low latency performance of sub 2 milliseconds, enabling clients to achieve optimal execution, manage flow efficiently and scale their trading operations. MatrixNET also enables prop firms to simulate real market trading conditions.
Gold-i’s product suite includes a range of MetaTrader tools, advanced risk management products and bridging technology, all designed to improve control, reduce risk and support business growth.
Founded in 2008, Gold-i has a strong reputation for innovation, reliability and exceptional 24/7 customer support. For further information, visit www.gold-i.com or follow Gold-i on LinkedIn
