Fazzaco Weekly Highlights: Regulation, Broker Expansion and Trading Technology Shape the Week

The global trading industry saw another active week from September 14 to 18, with regulatory developments in Europe, new market expansion initiatives, stronger institutional activity and continued investment in trading technology.

From CySEC's withdrawal of Eurotrader's license and ESMA's latest findings on retail complex products, to Revolut's Swiss banking ambitions and new AI-powered risk management tools, here are some of the key developments that shaped the forex, CFD and fintech industries this week.

Regulation Remains in Focus Across Europe

European regulation was one of the week's major themes.

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) withdrew the Cyprus Investment Firm license of CFD broker Eurotrader, adding another notable regulatory development to the European online trading sector.

Meanwhile, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published new data showing that CFDs accounted for approximately 35% of retail transactions involving complex products in the EU. ESMA also addressed event contracts, indicating that firms marketing certain products of this type in Europe may require appropriate EU authorization.

Regulatory attention is also extending beyond traditional CFD products. In the UK, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England continued their work on establishing a more permanent regulatory framework for tokenized markets, following industry feedback on the initiative.

Together, these developments show how European regulators continue to scrutinize both established leveraged trading products and emerging financial instruments.

Brokers Pursue Growth Despite Mixed Financial Performance

Broker performance presented a mixed picture this week.

CPT Markets UK reported a 77% increase in revenue for 2025, although rising operating costs meant that its loss remained broadly unchanged. iFOREX, meanwhile, lowered its first-half adjusted EBITDA estimate to approximately $1.4 million.

Institutional activity provided a stronger growth signal elsewhere. Hantec Prime reported that its trading volume had increased by more than 300% during the year and said it had added 42 institutional clients.

Geographic expansion also remained on the agenda. Your Bourse established a new operations and support office in Kuala Lumpur, strengthening its presence in Asia, while TP ICAP opened a new office at City Quays in Belfast, where the group now employs more than 480 people.

Revolut also took another step in its international banking expansion by applying to FINMA for a Swiss banking license. The application remains subject to regulatory approval.

AI and Trading Infrastructure Continue to Evolve

Technology providers continued to expand the infrastructure available to brokers and trading firms.

Tools for Brokers (TFB) integrated DEXA's AI-powered risk intelligence into its Trade Processor liquidity bridge, bringing additional automated risk analysis capabilities into the broker execution environment.

Spec Markets also integrated iSAM Securities' Radar and Apex technologies, extending its CFD risk management and execution capabilities.

On the trading platform side, Interactive Brokers continued to update its technology, including enhancements to Trader Workstation and IBKR Desktop. Acuity Trading, meanwhile, launched Market Companion, designed to embed forward-looking market intelligence into broker platforms.

The developments reflect a broader shift in trading technology: infrastructure providers are increasingly moving beyond basic execution and connectivity toward integrated risk analytics, automation and intelligence.

Executive Moves Reflect Expansion in MENA and Institutional Markets

Senior hiring remained active across the industry, particularly in regional growth and institutional business.

Tickmill appointed Ranim Turfa as Head of MENA Research and Market Analysis, while Scope Markets named Ibrahim Hossny as Head of Research and Marketing for the Middle East and North Africa.

Hantec Prime appointed Veronica Dager as Senior Institutional Sales, and MEX Exchange named Brian Liedberg Chief Revenue Officer as part of a broader series of senior appointments.

AvaTrade also hired former Exness executive Nir Iter to lead its Cyprus operation, while the company separately confirmed the closure of its Polish office as Managing Director Patryk Schulmeister announced his departure.

Other notable changes included Capital.com's MENA Head of Sales Chris Demetriou leaving the company, Bitpanda announcing a leadership transition, and ThinkMarkets appointing former MultiBank CMO Will Burnham as Director of Growth Marketing.

The Week in Perspective

This week's developments point to several trends running in parallel across the trading industry.

Regulatory scrutiny remains significant, particularly around leveraged retail products and newer trading instruments. At the same time, brokers continue to pursue geographic and institutional expansion even as financial performance varies considerably between firms.

Technology is also becoming more deeply embedded in broker operations, with AI-driven risk intelligence, execution analytics and integrated market intelligence increasingly moving into core trading infrastructure.

Taken together, the week's news shows an industry continuing to expand and invest in technology while adapting to tighter regulatory expectations and changing competitive conditions.