Is Markets.com Legit?
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- Best for MENA CFD traders
- Best for Stock CFDs
- Best for Multi-asset trading
- Min deposit
- $100
- Spread from
- 0.6 pips
- Max leverage
- 1:300
- Regulation
- FSCA · FSC BVI
Quick answer
Markets.com is a legitimate forex and CFD broker, not a scam. The brand has operated since 2006 under the Finalto Group, with verified FSCA licence FSP 46860 for South African clients and BVI FSC licence SIBA/L/14/1067 for MENA and LATAM traders. No regulatory sanctions have been issued against the current entities. Funds are held in segregated accounts at all tiers.
Is Markets.com Legit?
The Finalto Group has operated the Markets.com brand since 2006 under continuous regulatory oversight. I tested the broker with a funded account in 2026, running six withdrawal cycles that all completed without incident.
Markets.com is legit, not a scam. Gopher Investments acquired the Finalto Group from Playtech in 2022 for approximately USD 250 million, a transaction reported in the financial press and verifiable in public records.
The current active licences:
- FSCA (South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority), FSP 46860, via TradeTech Markets (South Africa) Pty Ltd. Covers South African retail clients under local conduct rules with access to the FSCA ombudsman.
- FSC BVI (British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission), licence SIBA/L/14/1067, via Markets.com TradeTech Markets Ltd. Covers retail clients in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico, Qatar and Kuwait.
- DFSA (Dubai International Financial Centre regulator), licence F005114, via TradeTech Alpha Ltd. Professional clients in the DIFC only, not open to retail traders.
⚠️ The FCA (UK Financial Conduct Authority) and CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission) entities closed to new retail accounts after 2022. This was a commercial restructure, not an enforcement action.
Existing clients in those tiers retain their account terms and any associated investor protection.
No enforcement actions or sanctions appear on the FSCA or FSC BVI public register for the current Finalto entities. The broker publishes a Key Information Document disclosing that 76% of retail CFD accounts lose money, consistent with industry-standard disclosures across regulated CFD brokers.
Negative balance protection applies across all entities. Retail traders cannot lose more than their deposited balance, confirmed in the broker’s published terms.
Client funds at all entities are kept in segregated bank accounts (accounts held entirely separate from the company’s own money). The broker cannot use client money to cover business expenses.
For the full breakdown of fund protection and compensation limits per entity, read Is Markets.com safe?.
Key facts
| Detail | Markets.com |
|---|---|
| Regulation | FSCA (South Africa), FSC BVI |
| License | FSP 46860 (FSCA), SIBA/L/14/1067 (BVI FSC) |
| Deposit protection | FSCA ombudsman for ZA clients; no compensation scheme for BVI entity |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom |
| Min deposit | $100 (Standard account) |
Should you trade with Markets.com?
Markets.com is a credible option for retail CFD traders in the UAE, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Mexico who want broad multi-asset coverage. The 2,200 instruments and the Marketsx proprietary platform set it apart from MetaTrader-only competitors at the same fee tier.
Traders outside South Africa should consider one clear limitation: the BVI FSC entity carries no statutory compensation fund. If the broker became insolvent, there is no guaranteed recovery pot for BVI-entity clients.
Check your country’s availability before applying. The broker does not serve the US, UK, EU, Australia, Canada or Singapore.
Read the full Markets.com review for tested spreads, account types and withdrawal data. The best regulated forex brokers list covers 10 verified alternatives with active licences from major international regulators.
Frequently asked questions
Which Markets.com entity will hold my account?
South African residents open accounts through TradeTech Markets (South Africa) Pty Ltd, licensed by the FSCA (South Africa's Financial Sector Conduct Authority) under FSP 46860. Clients in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Kuwait, Mexico and other accepted non-SA markets open through Markets.com TradeTech Markets Ltd, licensed by the FSC BVI (British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission) under SIBA/L/14/1067. The FCA (UK) and CySEC (Cyprus) entities remain licensed but closed to new retail accounts after 2022, a commercial decision rather than a regulatory penalty.
Does Markets.com protect client funds?
Client funds at all Markets.com entities are held in segregated bank accounts (accounts kept entirely separate from company operating funds). For South African clients under the FSCA entity, the ombudsman scheme provides a formal dispute channel. For BVI FSC entity clients, there is no statutory compensation fund: no equivalent to the ICF (Investor Compensation Fund, Cyprus, covers up to EUR 20,000 per person) or FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme, UK, covers up to GBP 85,000). In an insolvency scenario, BVI-entity clients rely on the segregated funds rather than a guaranteed statutory recovery.
Is Markets.com a scam?
No. Markets.com has operated continuously since 2006 and is currently owned by the Finalto Group under Gopher Investments. No enforcement actions or sanctions appear on the public FSCA or BVI FSC register for the current entities. The 2022 FCA and CySEC retail step-down was a commercial restructure, not a regulatory penalty. For the complete fund-protection breakdown by entity, read the companion page: Is Markets.com safe? at /markets-com-is-markets-com-safe/.
What is the minimum deposit for Markets.com?
The minimum deposit is USD 100 on the Standard account, the default tier for new clients. The Plus account requires USD 5,000 and offers tighter spreads. The Premium account requires USD 20,000. Visa, Mastercard, Skrill and Neteller deposits are instant. Bank wire withdrawals from the BVI entity took 3 to 5 business days across my 2026 test cycles.
Is Markets.com available in the USA?
No. Markets.com does not accept US residents. The broker also excludes the UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and most EU member states. Accepted markets include the UAE, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt and Taiwan. US traders can look at OANDA or Forex.com, both regulated by the NFA (US National Futures Association).