Markets.com regulation & licences
Licences on record 4
1 Tier 1 — top-tier regulation
2 Tier 2 — strong 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
Markets.com is a forex & CFD broker founded in 2008 and headquartered in Cyprus. It is part of Finalto.
In our database Markets.com is matched to 4 licences from FCA, CySEC, FSCA and BVI FSC. The strongest of these, the FCA (United Kingdom) is among the regulators we classify as tier 1 — bodies with strict capital, client-money and conduct rules.
Be aware that a single Markets.com 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 BVI FSC, 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 and CySEC-regulated entities (for example 30:1 on major FX pairs at FCA).
Markets.com supports its own proprietary platform, MT4 and MT5. The advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$100 — minimums often vary by account type and entity.
Regulatory strengths
- Licensed by 1 tier-1 regulator (FCA)
- Operating for about 18 years
- Compensation scheme available at FCA and CySEC entities
- Negative balance protection required at some entities
Points to check
- International clients may be onboarded to offshore entities (BVI FSC)
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 |
| 4 BVI FSC | No compensation scheme | No statutory cap | Not a regulatory requirement | BVI FSC |
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Markets.com regulation FAQ
Is Markets.com regulated?
Yes — in our database Markets.com is matched to 4 licences: FCA (United Kingdom), CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa) and BVI FSC (British Virgin Islands). 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 Markets.com a tier-1 regulated broker?
Markets.com holds 1 licence from regulators we classify as tier 1: FCA.
Does Markets.com accept US clients?
Markets.com 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 Markets.com generally cannot accept US retail forex clients.
Is my money protected with Markets.com?
Clients of Markets.com'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 Markets.com?
Markets.com's advertised minimum deposit starts from about US$100. It can differ by account type, payment method and the entity you are onboarded to.
How can I verify Markets.com's licence?
Find the company name and licence number in Markets.com'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.