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EasyMarkets
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easyMarkets, (styled in lowercase; formerly Easy Forex) is a privately held online brokerage firm that facilitates trading in foreign exchange (forex), contracts for difference (CFDs), commodities, equities, and cryptocurrencies. The company was established in 2001 and is headquartered in Limassol, Cyprus, with additional operational presence in Asia and Australia. It is regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC), the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA), the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission (FSC), and South Africa’s Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA). easyMarkets previously held regulatory licenses in the United States (2005–2013) and the United Kingdom, the latter of which was cancelled in 2022.[1][2]
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History
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easyMarkets was founded in 2001 under the name Easy Forex by a group of private investors in Cyprus.[3] The firm expanded to Australia in 2003 after receiving an Australian Financial Services Licence from ASIC. In 2005, it introduced a tool known as Freeze Rate, allowing users to lock in exchange rates briefly during volatile market periods.[4]
In 2007, easyMarkets received regulatory approval from CySEC under the European Union’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID).[5] The following year, the company gained approval to operate in the United States.[1] However, between, 2010 and 2013, easyMarkets ceased operations in the United States, following increased capital requirements from the U.S. National Futures Association.[6] It surrendered its U.S. licenses and exited the market.[7][8]
In January 2016, Easy Forex rebranded as easyMarkets to reflect a broader range of trading instruments.[9] The broker remained under the ownership of Blue Capital Markets Ltd. In the same year, it launched dealCancellation, a risk management tool allowing clients to nullify a trade within a specified time frame for a fee.[10]
In subsequent years, the company expanded its instruments to include CFDs on stocks and digital assets. Further regulatory developments include a withdrawal from Poland in 2018, following changes in leverage rules.[11] In 2019, it began facilitating cryptocurrency trading and equities. In 2020, easyMarkets became the official online trading sponsor of Real Madrid C.F., a sponsorship that was renewed in 2022.[12] Also in 2020, it acquired regulatory licensing from the Seychelles FSA.[13]
In 2021, the broker launched a micro-bitcoin (μBTC) account and implemented workforce reductions, reportedly in response to reduced performance.[14][7] That same year, it added access to U.S. and European stocks through MetaTrader 4 and with the TradingView platform.[15][16] In 2022, it was granted regulatory status in the British Virgin Islands and expanded its MetaTrader 5 platform to include variable spreads, as well as additional cryptocurrency and equity instruments.[17][18][4] In June 2024, easyMarkets launched ai.easymarkets.com, an AI- driven platform designed to deliver real-time market analysis, trend identification, and data-based insights to support user decision-making.[19] In August of the same year, the firm received a license from the FSCA in South Africa.[20] By 2025, easyMarkets had made over 275 instruments available for trading across multiple asset classes.[21][16]
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Operations
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easyMarkets facilitates trading in approximately 60 currency pairs, along with CFDs based on commodities, indices, stocks, and cryptocurrencies. Its platforms include a proprietary web interface, MetaTrader 4 (MT4), MetaTrader 5 (MT5), and integration with TradingView.[15] Mobile applications are also available.[15] Since 2024, the company has also introduced an AI-powered tool to assist users with market analysis.[19]
easyMarkets enables the use of easyTrade, a simplified trading interface that allows users to set predefined risk and potential payout without requiring margin or stop-loss settings.[4] It also enables vanilla options trading on selected currency pairs and commodities.[22]
The broker emphasizes risk management mechanisms tailored for retail traders. These include fixed spreads, guaranteed stop-loss orders, and negative balance protection. The dealCancellation function enables users to reverse a trade within a fixed time window after execution.[10] The company maintains segregated client funds in accordance with regulatory requirements.
easyMarkets operates under Blue Capital Markets Ltd, which is incorporated in Cyprus.[23] The broker holds licenses from multiple financial authorities, including CySEC, ASIC, Seychelles FSA, the BVI FSC, and the South African FSCA.[24] It discontinued operations in Poland in 2018, following regulatory changes in the European Union that restricted leverage for retail CFD trading.[11] The firm does not operate in the United States.[6] easyMarkets operates in more than 150 countries.[25]
The company is headed by CEO Nikos Antoniades.[26]
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Other ventures
In 2014, easyMarkets became a sponsor of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, an Australian National Rugby League team.[27] In 2019, the company signed a three-year shirt sponsorship deal with Real Betis Balompié, which began at the start of the La Liga season.[28] In 2020, it entered into a sponsorship arrangement with Real Madrid C.F., which continued through the 2023–2024 season up to the present.[24][29] In 2024, easyMarkets and Real Madrid announced the return of the xBar Cup for 2025, a global freestyle football competition featuring expanded fan voting and new prize categories, including a $25,000 award for the top Football Freestyler.[30]
easyMarkets received the TradingView Broker Award for Best Forex/CFD Broker in 2023 and 2024, and was also named Best of the Best by TradingView in 2024.[3][21]
Controversy
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Employee arrest
In September 2016, easyMarkets' fraud and security manager Craig Jenkins was detained in Limassol after the firm accused him of involvement in a bomb threat. He was released four days later without charge and stated that the company refused to issue an apology.[31]
Israel lawsuits
Since the 2000s, easyMarkets (formerly Easy Forex) has been the subject of multiple lawsuits in Israel.[32] A former employee confirmed that more than 90% of clients lose money and that the firm's staff receive bonuses tied to client losses. He also alleged that company executives boasted about providing misleading investment advice and manipulating trading quotes.[33][34] The same employee claimed that workers were fined for allowing clients to profit.[35]
In 2009, Dr. Dan Haronian filed suit against Easy Forex, claiming the company profited directly from his losses. The case was settled out of court in December 2009, with the broker reportedly paying $500,000 to avoid adverse publicity.[36]
In January 2010, Benjamin Tiktuk and Arie Levy Dash pursued legal action in Haifa Magistrates Court, seeking 2 million shekels. They stated they had not been made aware that Easy Forex served as the counterparty in their transactions.[37][38]
Israel class action
In August 2010, a class action lawsuit was filed alleging easyMarkets engaged in fraudulent behavior and provided unlicensed investment advice, resulting in significant client losses—from hundreds of thousands to millions of shekels. The preliminary findings indicated that the company may have profited directly from those losses. The suit was valued at approximately 500 million NIS ($137 million).[37] while Easy Forex directly profited from their losses.[39][38]
Brand name lawsuit
In 2024, EasyJet (as EasyGroup Ltd and EasyGroup IP Ireland Ltd) initiated legal action against Easy Forex Trading Limited and its parent company, Blue Capital Markets Ltd, for infringing upon the "Easy" trademark.[23][40] The Irish High Court declined to hear the case due to jurisdiction issues, as Easy Forex is incorporated in Cyprus.[41]
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References
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