IC Markets regulation & licences
Our take
IC Markets, founded in Sydney in 2007, is known for raw-spread accounts and is one of the most-used MetaTrader brokers worldwide. Its Australian entity is licensed by ASIC and its EU entity by CySEC, but most of its global clients are served by IC Markets (SC) under the Seychelles FSA — a far lighter regime. Traders outside Australia and the EU should read the client agreement to confirm which entity they are dealing with.
Best suited to: Cost-sensitive algorithmic and high-volume traders
Licences on record 5
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
IC Markets is a forex & CFD broker founded in 2007 and headquartered in Australia. It is part of IC Markets Global.
In our database IC Markets is matched to 5 licences from ASIC, CySEC, CMA (Kenya), SCB and FSA (Seychelles). At the top of that list, the ASIC (Australia) is among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — regulators that combine high capital requirements with meaningful retail protections.
IC Markets's licences span very different levels of protection — from ASIC and CySEC to CMA (Kenya) and SCB. The entity you are assigned to normally depends on your country of residence; if you live outside the jurisdictions of its stronger licences, expect to be onboarded to an offshore entity.
Depending on the entity, eligible clients may be covered by Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) (CySEC). Negative balance protection is mandatory for retail clients under ASIC and CySEC rules. Retail leverage caps apply at the ASIC, CySEC and CMA (Kenya)-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at ASIC).
IC Markets offers MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView. The advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$200 — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- ASIC and CySEC licensed entities
- Supports MT4, MT5, cTrader and TradingView
Points to check
- Most international clients are held in the Seychelles entity
- No investor compensation for non-EU clients
Protection by entity
| Regulator | Compensation | Retail leverage | Negative balance protection | Disputes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 ASIC | No statutory compensation fund for OTC derivatives; complaints go to AFCA | 30:1 on major FX pairs for retail clients since March 2021 | Required for retail clients | Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) |
| 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 |
| 3 CMA (Kenya) | No dedicated compensation scheme for online forex clients confirmed | Maximum 400:1 | Not confirmed — check with the broker | CMA complaints |
| 3 SCB | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | SCB |
| 4 FSA (Seychelles) | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | FSA Seychelles |
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IC Markets regulation FAQ
Is IC Markets regulated?
Yes — in our database IC Markets is matched to 5 licences: ASIC (Australia), CySEC (Cyprus), CMA (Kenya) (Kenya), SCB (Bahamas) 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 IC Markets a tier-1 regulated broker?
IC Markets holds 1 licence from regulators we classify as tier 1: ASIC.
Does IC Markets accept US clients?
IC Markets 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 IC Markets generally cannot accept US retail forex clients.
Is my money protected with IC Markets?
Clients of IC Markets's CySEC-regulated entity may be eligible for statutory compensation (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 IC Markets?
IC Markets's advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$200. It can differ by account type, payment method and the entity you are onboarded to.
How can I verify IC Markets's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in IC Markets'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.