Trading 212

Trading 212 is a British financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It operates an electronic trading platform that enables trading in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and contracts for difference (CFDs).^[3] The company also provides debit cards and other banking services alongside a financial news website.^[3][4]

Trading 212 Group Limited^[1]

Company type	Privately held company
Industry	Financial services
Predecessor	Avus Capital Group
Founded	2004; 21 years ago (2004) in Sofia, Bulgaria
Founders	Ivan Ashminov and Borislav Nedialkov
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom
Number of locations	6 offices (2025)
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Stocks ISA Forex CFD
Services	Stockbroker, Electronic trading platform
Revenue	£116.1 million (2023)[2]
Operating income	£21.7 million (2023)[2]
Net income	£22.3 million (2023)[2]
AUM	£25 billion
Total assets	£177.5 million (2023)[2]
Total equity	£164.1 million (2023)[2]
Number of employees	1,100 (2025)
Website	www.trading212.com

Trading 212 serves clients worldwide, with operations across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region.^[5][6] As of 2025, the company reports having approximately 4.5 million users with funded accounts.^[7]

History

Trading 212 was founded in 2004 under the name Avus Capital.^[8] Initially, the company specialised in forex trading and developed proprietary trading software.^[9]

The company later expanded its product offerings and geographic reach, establishing a presence in several regulatory jurisdictions. It relocated its headquarters from Bulgaria to London after establishing its operations in the United Kingdom.^[10] In February 2021, Trading 212 was reported to be the most downloaded mobile application in the United Kingdom.^[11]

In 2024, the company introduced a debit card.^[4][12]

Business model

Trading 212 operates a commission‐free model for its stock trading services, meaning that clients are not charged commissions or custody fees for holding assets on the platform.^[13] The company derives revenue primarily through currency conversion fees when transactions are conducted in a currency different from the account's base currency, and through participation in a collateralised stock lending programme.^[6]

Regarding its contracts for difference (CFD) products, Trading 212 initially employed a spread‐based revenue model.^{[citation needed]} Between January 2021 and May 2021, the company generated revenue from the difference between the prices offered to clients and the hedging prices established via a back-to-back hedging arrangement with an affiliated entity. ^{[citation needed]} In May 2021, Trading 212 discontinued this internal hedging arrangement and subsequently adopted a risk management strategy whereby exposures were hedged externally with third parties.^{[14][verification needed]}

Since its launch, over 4.5 million accounts have reportedly been opened and funded, with total client holdings of over £25 billion. The platform has no trading or platform fees and allows minimum investments of £1.^[15]

Trading 212 provides three main account types:

• Invest: A general trading account enabling the purchase of more than 12,000 shares and ETFs. Users can hold multiple currencies in this account, including euros and US dollars.^[15]
• Stocks & Shares ISA: A tax-efficient account that allows UK residents to invest up to the annual ISA limit (currently £20,000), with no tax payable on returns. Unlike the Invest account, this ISA accepts only British pounds.^[15]
• Cash ISA: A savings account paying interest on uninvested cash. Withdrawals can be made at any time, and any removed funds can be replaced within the same tax year without affecting the ISA allowance.^[15][16]

Users can purchase portions of shares, broadening access to high-priced stocks. Investors may select ready-made portfolios or pies based on different risk levels. They can also automate contributions at chosen intervals. These tools allow users to automatically sell assets if values drop below or rise above preset thresholds. An in-app learn section introduces essential trading concepts. Basic company data, such as balance sheets and income statements, is also available.^[15]

Uninvested cash within the platform earns an Annual Equivalent Rate (AER) that is variable. At present, this rate is 4.90% and applies to balances in both the Invest account and the ISA accounts.^[15]

Regulations

Trading 212 is regulated in multiple jurisdictions. It is authorised by the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin),^[17] the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC),^[12][18] and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC).^[6]