Exness regulation & licences
Our take
Exness was founded in 2008 and publishes its trading volumes, which are among the highest of any retail broker. It holds licences from CySEC and the FCA (for professional clients), the FSCA, the Seychelles FSA, the BVI FSC, the FSC Mauritius, the Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten, CMA Kenya and the Jordan Securities Commission. Most retail clients outside the EU are onboarded through offshore entities that allow very high leverage.
Best suited to: High-volume traders who want instant withdrawals and flexible leverage (via offshore entities)
Licences on record 9
1 Tier 1 — top-tier regulation
2 Tier 2 — strong regulation
3 Tier 3 — moderate regulation
4 Tier 4 — light / offshore
Licences are matched from public sources and regulator registers, and entities change over time. A licence held by one company in a group does not cover clients of another. Always confirm on the official register.
Regulatory profile
Exness is a forex & CFD broker founded in 2008 and headquartered in Cyprus.
In our database Exness is matched to 9 licences from FCA, CySEC, FSCA, CMA (Kenya), FSC (MU), JSC, BVI FSC, CBCS and FSA (Seychelles). Most importantly, the FCA (United Kingdom) is among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — regulators that combine high capital requirements with meaningful retail protections.
Be aware that a single Exness website can front several legal entities. Its FCA and CySEC-regulated companies serve local residents, while international clients are frequently handled by entities supervised by CMA (Kenya) and FSC (MU), which offer much weaker safeguards.
Depending on the entity, eligible clients may be covered by FSCS (FCA) and Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) (CySEC). Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail clients under FCA and CySEC rules. Retail leverage caps apply at the FCA, CySEC and CMA (Kenya)-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at FCA).
Exness offers MT4, MT5 and its own proprietary platform. The advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$10 — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- Publishes audited volume and financial data
- Many licences across Africa, Europe and offshore
Points to check
- UK entity serves professional clients only
- Most global retail clients held offshore
Protection by entity
| Regulator | Compensation | Retail leverage | Negative balance protection | Disputes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 FCA | FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients (20:1 minors, gold and major indices) | Required for retail clients | Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) |
| 2 CySEC | Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) — up to €20,000 | 30:1 on major FX pairs (ESMA rules) | Required for retail clients | Financial Ombudsman of Cyprus |
| 2 FSCA | No compensation scheme; FAIS Ombud handles complaints | No statutory retail leverage cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FAIS Ombud |
| 3 CMA (Kenya) | No dedicated compensation scheme for online forex clients confirmed | Maximum 400:1 | Not confirmed — check with the broker | CMA complaints |
| 3 FSC (MU) | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | Office of the Ombudsperson for Financial Services |
| 3 JSC | No compensation scheme | Set by JSC rules | Not a regulatory requirement | JSC |
| 4 BVI FSC | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | BVI FSC |
| 4 CBCS | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | CBCS |
| 4 FSA (Seychelles) | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FSA Seychelles |
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Exness regulation FAQ
Is Exness regulated?
Yes — in our database Exness is matched to 9 licences: FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa), CMA (Kenya) (Kenya), FSC (MU) (Mauritius), JSC (Jordan), BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands), CBCS (Curaçao) and FSA (Seychelles) (Seychelles). Which of these protects you depends on the legal entity you open an account with. Always confirm the licence on the regulator's official register.
Is Exness a tier-1 regulated broker?
Exness holds 1 licence from regulators we classify as tier 1: FCA.
Does Exness accept US clients?
Exness is not matched to a CFTC/NFA registration in our database. Only CFTC-registered, NFA-member firms may offer retail forex to US residents, so Exness generally cannot accept US retail forex clients.
Is my money protected with Exness?
Clients of Exness's FCA and CySEC-regulated entities may be eligible for statutory compensation (FSCS — up to £85,000 per eligible client per firm; Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) — up to €20,000). Clients of other entities rely on segregation of funds and the firm's financial strength.
What is the minimum deposit at Exness?
Exness's advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$10. It can differ by account type, payment method and the entity you are onboarded to.
How can I verify Exness's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in Exness's client agreement or website footer, then search it on the regulator's official register (linked from each licence on this page). Confirm that the website domain you use is listed on the register, and check the regulator's warning list for clones.