IG Acquired Freetrade for £160 Million
Topping our weekly information roundup, IG Group acquired Freetrade, a commission-free funding platform, for £160 million in an effort to increase its companies in the UK. In line with an announcement this week, IG’s present capital sources will reportedly fund the deal in money.
Though the 2 companies have agreed on the acquisition, it’s now pending regulatory approvals, that are anticipated to be granted by mid-2025. “It is a uncommon alternative to strengthen IG’s UK buying and selling and funding providing and broaden our goal addressable market,” commented Breon Corcoran, the CEO of IG.
Plus500 Posts Sturdy Efficiency, Shares Hit File Highs
Concerning monetary efficiency, Plus500 ended 2024 with income of round $768 million and EBITDA of about $342 million. The figures have been spectacular because the dealer highlighted its “robust monetary and operational outcomes [for 2024] with income meaningfully forward of market expectations.”
Nonetheless, based mostly on its earlier outcomes, the dealer generated income of $182.5 million within the fourth quarter of 2024, which is marginally decrease than the $189.6 million achieved within the corresponding quarter of the earlier 12 months. Its newest efficiency additionally fell wanting the $187.3 million in income generated within the third quarter of final 12 months.
In the meantime, Plus500 will be part of the STOXX Europe 600 Index efficient January 17, marking the most recent step for the multi-asset buying and selling platform supplier. The announcement coincided with the corporate’s shares reaching 2,770 pence on the London Inventory Alternate, establishing a brand new all-time excessive.
Supply: Tradingview.com
Swissquote Additionally Posts Sturdy Monetary Efficiency
Additionally registering good numbers, Swissquote reported its 2024 income to be roughly CHF 655 million, with pre-tax revenue anticipated to exceed CHF 345 million. The corporate highlighted that the monetary outcomes are “higher than anticipated.” The Swiss dealer concluded the primary half of 2024 with a income of CHF 316.9 million and a pre-tax revenue of CHF 169.7 million.
The dealer additionally ended 2023 with “report numbers,” producing CHF 530 million in income and CHF 255 million in pre-tax revenue. Evaluating these figures to the most recent outcomes, income elevated by 23.5%, whereas pre-tax revenue grew by 35.3%.
Capital.com Hits $1.7 Trillion Buying and selling Quantity
Capital.com reported substantial progress throughout its platform in 2024. Whole buying and selling volumes on the platform exceeded $1.7 trillion, representing a 33% enhance in comparison with the earlier 12 months. This progress was accompanied by a notable rise within the variety of trades executed, which elevated by over 20%.
“Capital.com’s increased buying and selling volumes and robust shopper engagement in 2024 marks a milestone in our evolution as a high-growth buying and selling platform,” commented Christoforos Soutzis, the Chief Government Officer of Capital.com Europe. The vast majority of buying and selling volumes originated from shoppers within the Center East and Europe.
Trading212 Begins Onboarding New Customers in Germany
Elsewhere, FXFlat Financial institution, now beneath Buying and selling 212, began providing commission-free buying and selling companies in Germany. With native regulation and full BaFin licensing, the corporate goals to supply a brand new strategy to zero-commission buying and selling for these looking for entry to world markets with out the same old charges.
In line with a LinkedIn announcement by Buying and selling 212, its enlargement into Germany allows residents to entry the advantages of commission-free buying and selling by way of its BaFin-licensed dealer, FXFlat Financial institution GmbH. Acquired by Buying and selling 212 in 2024, FXFlat Financial institution now presents entry to shares and ETFs from main world exchanges, together with Xetra, NASDAQ, and NYSE, with none order execution, settlement, or account charges.
Equiti Group Focuses on Wealth Administration
World fintech advert buying and selling expertise supplier Equiti plans to launch the Equiti World Balanced Fund beneath its wealth administration arm, Equiti Wealth. The agency reportedly obtained in-principle approval from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority for this providing. With an entry level of simply $1,000, the brand new platform is looking for to take away conventional obstacles to funding.
In line with the official announcement, it consolidates a wide selection of professionally managed funding funds by enabling buyers to take step one towards constructing a safe monetary future. By securing regulatory approval, Equiti Wealth goals to boost the funding panorama by way of the brand new providing.
eToro Recordsdata for Nasdaq Itemizing with $5B IPO
In the meantime, after years of ups and downs, eToro confidentially filed for an preliminary public providing within the US, focusing on a valuation of over $5 billion, the Monetary Occasions reported. If profitable, the transfer might place the corporate as one of many few publicly traded firms providing crypto buying and selling within the area, alongside giants like Coinbase and Robinhood.
This isn’t eToro’s first try to go public. In 2021, the platform deliberate a $10.4 billion SPAC merger however deserted the hassle resulting from difficult market circumstances. Quick ahead to 2023, eToro reportedly raised $250 million at a $3.5 billion valuation, signaling a rebound fueled by rising fairness and cryptocurrency markets.
Copy Buying and selling Brings as much as 20% Buying and selling Quantity for CFD Brokers
Copy buying and selling has generated 6 to twenty% of brokerages’ buying and selling quantity within the final couple of years, in response to Brokeree Options, a supplier of copy buying and selling expertise. In 2024, brokers that run lively copy buying and selling campaigns and correctly combine them throughout different companies generated 10 to twenty% of their buying and selling quantity from copy buying and selling.
Nonetheless, Brokeree identified that the figures have been calculated from the full buying and selling quantity and didn’t account for the share of various buying and selling platforms. Copy buying and selling was one of many trending companies within the retail buying and selling business a couple of years in the past, however lately, prop buying and selling has attracted extra consideration.
Energetic DXtrade SaaS Accounts Tripled in 2024 to 1 Million
Devexperts revealed to Finance Magnates that the variety of lively accounts on its DXtrade SaaS platform reached roughly 1 million in 2024, 3 times the earlier 12 months’s complete. Nonetheless, this determine doesn’t embrace the ultimate numbers for December. Accounts on DXtrade SaaS point out the platform’s utilization by merchants with contracts for variations (CFD) brokers and prop buying and selling platforms.
Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, Supply: LinkedIn
“Whereas a few of our rivals have, up to now, held a dominant share of the market, the power of DXtrade as a product and the pliability we provide our shoppers have allowed us to develop organically as demand has naturally elevated,” mentioned Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, in an interview with Finance Magnates.
Thailand Mulls Permitting Bitcoin ETF Itemizing
Elsewhere, Thailand’s Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) is contemplating permitting the itemizing of native Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Bloomberg reported this week. The regulator’s Secretary-Normal, Pornanong Budsaratragoon, confirmed the transfer, saying the instrument would allow people and establishments to take a position instantly in cryptocurrency.
The regulator had already allowed One Asset Administration (ONEAM) to launch a fund-of-fund Bitcoin ETF final June, providing publicity to overseas-listed Bitcoin ETFs. Nonetheless, it solely allowed investments from rich and institutional buyers.
BitMEX Settles Authorized Dispute with $100 Million Superb
A federal decide handed cryptocurrency change BitMEX a $100 million advantageous, bringing a years-long authorized battle to a detailed. The penalty concerned the agency’s responsible plea in 2022 for violating the US Financial institution Secrecy Act (BSA), a cost that revolved round its failure to implement adequate Anti-Cash Laundering (AML) protocols.
BitMEX’s inadequate AML measures have been on the middle of the case. As an alternative of following Know Your Buyer (KYC) requirements, the change required solely e-mail addresses from its customers, a transfer the US Lawyer’s workplace deemed a disregard for authorized necessities. Curiously, the US authorities pursued a $417 million penalty.
We’ve at all times made it a precedence to remain absolutely clear with our customers.
In response to the sentence obtained by HDR World Buying and selling Restricted (HDR) at present, delivered by the U.S. Southern District Courtroom, please see our weblog announcement under.
A message to our customers:… pic.twitter.com/zVyKt8lMbF
— BitMEX (@BitMEX) January 15, 2025
Robinhood Fined $45 Million for Recordkeeping Failures
Nonetheless, with regulatory enforcement, Robinhood agreed to pay $45 million in penalties to settle a variety of fees introduced by the US Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC), together with alleged violations of recordkeeping, amongst different points. The penalty has been imposed on two Robinhood entities: Robinhood Securities pays $33.5 million, whereas Robinhood Monetary pays $11.5 million.
In line with the US regulator, Robinhood failed to research suspicious transactions, implement insurance policies and procedures to stop prospects’ identification theft, deal with dangers of cybersecurity threats, keep and protect digital communications, keep copies of core operational databases, and retain a few of its communications with brokerage prospects.
Australian BNPL Suppliers Should Receive Credit score Licence
On the regulatory entrance, the Australian Securities & Investments Fee (ASIC) mandated that Purchase Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platforms get hold of credit score licenses. Efficient June 10, 2025, the credit score license should authorize BNPL suppliers to interact in credit score actions as credit score suppliers, topic to transitional preparations.
The brand new provision was introduced at present (Friday), because the Nationwide Credit score Code was prolonged to Purchase Now, Pay Later contracts following royal assent on December 10, 2024. Earlier, ASIC instructed it would concern “standalone” steering for BNPL.
Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn Prepares for Take-Off
As Blue Origin launches New Glenn, its most bold rocket but, Jeff Bezos revealed his imaginative and prescient for house—and sparked terrestrial debates. Jeff Bezos’ house goals simply obtained an entire lot nearer to actuality. Any minute now, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, an orbital-class behemoth, will make its maiden flight from Cape Canaveral.
The launch will showcase not simply engineering brilliance but additionally the extreme ambition driving Bezos’ enterprise to dominate house exploration alongside all the pieces from fintech to retail, synthetic intelligence (AI), and extra.
Elon Musk Sued by the SEC
Lastly, the US Securities and Alternate Fee sued billionaire Elon Musk over his premature disclosure of his buy of 5% Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than fully shopping for the social media firm. The case includes Musk’s premature disclosure of his buy of 5% of Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than fully shopping for the social media firm.
SEC, three letter acronym, center phrase is Elon’s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2020
Underneath the SEC guidelines, somebody shopping for greater than a 5% stake in an organization should declare it inside 10 calendar days of the acquisition, which was March 24, 2022, in Musk’s case. With the lawsuit, the SEC reportedly intends to penalize Musk and make him quit the earnings he gained with out disclosing the funding.
Till subsequent week!
IG Acquired Freetrade for £160 Million
Topping our weekly information roundup, IG Group acquired Freetrade, a commission-free funding platform, for £160 million in an effort to increase its companies in the UK. In line with an announcement this week, IG’s present capital sources will reportedly fund the deal in money.
Though the 2 companies have agreed on the acquisition, it’s now pending regulatory approvals, that are anticipated to be granted by mid-2025. “It is a uncommon alternative to strengthen IG’s UK buying and selling and funding providing and broaden our goal addressable market,” commented Breon Corcoran, the CEO of IG.
Plus500 Posts Sturdy Efficiency, Shares Hit File Highs
Concerning monetary efficiency, Plus500 ended 2024 with income of round $768 million and EBITDA of about $342 million. The figures have been spectacular because the dealer highlighted its “robust monetary and operational outcomes [for 2024] with income meaningfully forward of market expectations.”
Nonetheless, based mostly on its earlier outcomes, the dealer generated income of $182.5 million within the fourth quarter of 2024, which is marginally decrease than the $189.6 million achieved within the corresponding quarter of the earlier 12 months. Its newest efficiency additionally fell wanting the $187.3 million in income generated within the third quarter of final 12 months.
In the meantime, Plus500 will be part of the STOXX Europe 600 Index efficient January 17, marking the most recent step for the multi-asset buying and selling platform supplier. The announcement coincided with the corporate’s shares reaching 2,770 pence on the London Inventory Alternate, establishing a brand new all-time excessive.
Supply: Tradingview.com
Swissquote Additionally Posts Sturdy Monetary Efficiency
Additionally registering good numbers, Swissquote reported its 2024 income to be roughly CHF 655 million, with pre-tax revenue anticipated to exceed CHF 345 million. The corporate highlighted that the monetary outcomes are “higher than anticipated.” The Swiss dealer concluded the primary half of 2024 with a income of CHF 316.9 million and a pre-tax revenue of CHF 169.7 million.
The dealer additionally ended 2023 with “report numbers,” producing CHF 530 million in income and CHF 255 million in pre-tax revenue. Evaluating these figures to the most recent outcomes, income elevated by 23.5%, whereas pre-tax revenue grew by 35.3%.
Capital.com Hits $1.7 Trillion Buying and selling Quantity
Capital.com reported substantial progress throughout its platform in 2024. Whole buying and selling volumes on the platform exceeded $1.7 trillion, representing a 33% enhance in comparison with the earlier 12 months. This progress was accompanied by a notable rise within the variety of trades executed, which elevated by over 20%.
“Capital.com’s increased buying and selling volumes and robust shopper engagement in 2024 marks a milestone in our evolution as a high-growth buying and selling platform,” commented Christoforos Soutzis, the Chief Government Officer of Capital.com Europe. The vast majority of buying and selling volumes originated from shoppers within the Center East and Europe.
Trading212 Begins Onboarding New Customers in Germany
Elsewhere, FXFlat Financial institution, now beneath Buying and selling 212, began providing commission-free buying and selling companies in Germany. With native regulation and full BaFin licensing, the corporate goals to supply a brand new strategy to zero-commission buying and selling for these looking for entry to world markets with out the same old charges.
In line with a LinkedIn announcement by Buying and selling 212, its enlargement into Germany allows residents to entry the advantages of commission-free buying and selling by way of its BaFin-licensed dealer, FXFlat Financial institution GmbH. Acquired by Buying and selling 212 in 2024, FXFlat Financial institution now presents entry to shares and ETFs from main world exchanges, together with Xetra, NASDAQ, and NYSE, with none order execution, settlement, or account charges.
Equiti Group Focuses on Wealth Administration
World fintech advert buying and selling expertise supplier Equiti plans to launch the Equiti World Balanced Fund beneath its wealth administration arm, Equiti Wealth. The agency reportedly obtained in-principle approval from the UAE’s Securities and Commodities Authority for this providing. With an entry level of simply $1,000, the brand new platform is looking for to take away conventional obstacles to funding.
In line with the official announcement, it consolidates a wide selection of professionally managed funding funds by enabling buyers to take step one towards constructing a safe monetary future. By securing regulatory approval, Equiti Wealth goals to boost the funding panorama by way of the brand new providing.
eToro Recordsdata for Nasdaq Itemizing with $5B IPO
In the meantime, after years of ups and downs, eToro confidentially filed for an preliminary public providing within the US, focusing on a valuation of over $5 billion, the Monetary Occasions reported. If profitable, the transfer might place the corporate as one of many few publicly traded firms providing crypto buying and selling within the area, alongside giants like Coinbase and Robinhood.
This isn’t eToro’s first try to go public. In 2021, the platform deliberate a $10.4 billion SPAC merger however deserted the hassle resulting from difficult market circumstances. Quick ahead to 2023, eToro reportedly raised $250 million at a $3.5 billion valuation, signaling a rebound fueled by rising fairness and cryptocurrency markets.
Copy Buying and selling Brings as much as 20% Buying and selling Quantity for CFD Brokers
Copy buying and selling has generated 6 to twenty% of brokerages’ buying and selling quantity within the final couple of years, in response to Brokeree Options, a supplier of copy buying and selling expertise. In 2024, brokers that run lively copy buying and selling campaigns and correctly combine them throughout different companies generated 10 to twenty% of their buying and selling quantity from copy buying and selling.
Nonetheless, Brokeree identified that the figures have been calculated from the full buying and selling quantity and didn’t account for the share of various buying and selling platforms. Copy buying and selling was one of many trending companies within the retail buying and selling business a couple of years in the past, however lately, prop buying and selling has attracted extra consideration.
Energetic DXtrade SaaS Accounts Tripled in 2024 to 1 Million
Devexperts revealed to Finance Magnates that the variety of lively accounts on its DXtrade SaaS platform reached roughly 1 million in 2024, 3 times the earlier 12 months’s complete. Nonetheless, this determine doesn’t embrace the ultimate numbers for December. Accounts on DXtrade SaaS point out the platform’s utilization by merchants with contracts for variations (CFD) brokers and prop buying and selling platforms.
Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, Supply: LinkedIn
“Whereas a few of our rivals have, up to now, held a dominant share of the market, the power of DXtrade as a product and the pliability we provide our shoppers have allowed us to develop organically as demand has naturally elevated,” mentioned Jon Mild, Head of OTC Platform at Devexperts, in an interview with Finance Magnates.
Thailand Mulls Permitting Bitcoin ETF Itemizing
Elsewhere, Thailand’s Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC) is contemplating permitting the itemizing of native Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), Bloomberg reported this week. The regulator’s Secretary-Normal, Pornanong Budsaratragoon, confirmed the transfer, saying the instrument would allow people and establishments to take a position instantly in cryptocurrency.
The regulator had already allowed One Asset Administration (ONEAM) to launch a fund-of-fund Bitcoin ETF final June, providing publicity to overseas-listed Bitcoin ETFs. Nonetheless, it solely allowed investments from rich and institutional buyers.
BitMEX Settles Authorized Dispute with $100 Million Superb
A federal decide handed cryptocurrency change BitMEX a $100 million advantageous, bringing a years-long authorized battle to a detailed. The penalty concerned the agency’s responsible plea in 2022 for violating the US Financial institution Secrecy Act (BSA), a cost that revolved round its failure to implement adequate Anti-Cash Laundering (AML) protocols.
BitMEX’s inadequate AML measures have been on the middle of the case. As an alternative of following Know Your Buyer (KYC) requirements, the change required solely e-mail addresses from its customers, a transfer the US Lawyer’s workplace deemed a disregard for authorized necessities. Curiously, the US authorities pursued a $417 million penalty.
We’ve at all times made it a precedence to remain absolutely clear with our customers.
In response to the sentence obtained by HDR World Buying and selling Restricted (HDR) at present, delivered by the U.S. Southern District Courtroom, please see our weblog announcement under.
A message to our customers:… pic.twitter.com/zVyKt8lMbF
— BitMEX (@BitMEX) January 15, 2025
Robinhood Fined $45 Million for Recordkeeping Failures
Nonetheless, with regulatory enforcement, Robinhood agreed to pay $45 million in penalties to settle a variety of fees introduced by the US Securities and Alternate Fee (SEC), together with alleged violations of recordkeeping, amongst different points. The penalty has been imposed on two Robinhood entities: Robinhood Securities pays $33.5 million, whereas Robinhood Monetary pays $11.5 million.
In line with the US regulator, Robinhood failed to research suspicious transactions, implement insurance policies and procedures to stop prospects’ identification theft, deal with dangers of cybersecurity threats, keep and protect digital communications, keep copies of core operational databases, and retain a few of its communications with brokerage prospects.
Australian BNPL Suppliers Should Receive Credit score Licence
On the regulatory entrance, the Australian Securities & Investments Fee (ASIC) mandated that Purchase Now, Pay Later (BNPL) platforms get hold of credit score licenses. Efficient June 10, 2025, the credit score license should authorize BNPL suppliers to interact in credit score actions as credit score suppliers, topic to transitional preparations.
The brand new provision was introduced at present (Friday), because the Nationwide Credit score Code was prolonged to Purchase Now, Pay Later contracts following royal assent on December 10, 2024. Earlier, ASIC instructed it would concern “standalone” steering for BNPL.
Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn Prepares for Take-Off
As Blue Origin launches New Glenn, its most bold rocket but, Jeff Bezos revealed his imaginative and prescient for house—and sparked terrestrial debates. Jeff Bezos’ house goals simply obtained an entire lot nearer to actuality. Any minute now, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, an orbital-class behemoth, will make its maiden flight from Cape Canaveral.
The launch will showcase not simply engineering brilliance but additionally the extreme ambition driving Bezos’ enterprise to dominate house exploration alongside all the pieces from fintech to retail, synthetic intelligence (AI), and extra.
Elon Musk Sued by the SEC
Lastly, the US Securities and Alternate Fee sued billionaire Elon Musk over his premature disclosure of his buy of 5% Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than fully shopping for the social media firm. The case includes Musk’s premature disclosure of his buy of 5% of Twitter (now X) inventory in 2022 earlier than fully shopping for the social media firm.
SEC, three letter acronym, center phrase is Elon’s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 2, 2020
Underneath the SEC guidelines, somebody shopping for greater than a 5% stake in an organization should declare it inside 10 calendar days of the acquisition, which was March 24, 2022, in Musk’s case. With the lawsuit, the SEC reportedly intends to penalize Musk and make him quit the earnings he gained with out disclosing the funding.
Till subsequent week!
