Crypto Trading has become Mainstream in Retail FX

Cryptocurrency trading has become a mainstream activity among retail foreign exchange market participants, a new industry survey by trading technology firm Gold-i reveals. The survey, conducted in partnership with Finance Magnates, polled 110 firms worldwide including FX/CFD brokers, proprietary trading firms, and liquidity providers. It found that 91% of these firms already offer crypto trading, with 78% reporting strong client uptake. Only 2% have no plans to offer such services, signaling digital assets' shift from a niche product to a core offering.

Client demand is the primary adoption driver, cited by 82% of respondents. Other key motivators include market growth opportunity (58%), revenue diversification (43%), and competitive pressure (36%). The commercial impact is largely positive, with 81% of firms reporting a revenue increase from crypto trading; 38% of those described the increase as significant. A mere 2% reported a negative impact, attributing it to volume migration from other products like FX.

Looking ahead, 97% of respondents believe cryptocurrency trading will be strategically important over the next two years, with 75% rating it a high priority. More than half (53%) plan to expand their crypto offerings within the next 12 months. Crypto CFDs are the most popular planned product (31%), followed by spot crypto (21%). More complex products like staking, futures, and copy trading each appeal to roughly one-fifth of firms.

Barriers to growth persist, however. Regulatory uncertainty remains the foremost obstacle, according to 55% of respondents. The need for 24/7 support is the second biggest challenge (25%), while 10% cite technology and integration complexity as a barrier. The survey also notes the rise of hybrid execution models in crypto strategies, with many firms planning to route a significant portion of volume to the A-Book.

On infrastructure readiness, 52% of respondents are very confident their systems can support crypto at scale, while 38% are only moderately confident. Gold-i CEO Tom Higgins stated, "The survey results make it clear that crypto trading is no longer a peripheral opportunity. However, capitalising on it requires a robust, scalable liquidity management platform capable of 24/7 operation and handling the crypto market's high-speed price updates."

The outlook is overwhelmingly bullish, with 80% of respondents expecting crypto to become a standard offering. An additional 16% foresee continued growth in a still-niche market, and only 3% anticipate a slowdown or decline.