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Expert analysis, broker comparisons, regulatory updates, and educational content for European forex traders.

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Daily Roundup5 min read

Daily Market Roundup - Monday, 24 August 2026

Auto-generated summary of the most important moves across forex, equities, crypto, and commodities markets. Updated every morning with the latest headlines from trusted financial sources.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends12 min read

US CPI Preview September 2026: The Last Inflation Print Before the September FOMC

US CPI for August 2026 releases Friday 11 September at 12:30 GMT - the last inflation reading before the 15-16 September FOMC and its dot plot.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends12 min read

UK Retail Sales Preview September 2026: The Consumer Test After the BoE Decision

UK retail sales for August 2026 release Friday 18 September at 07:00 BST, the morning after the Bank of England decides. After July's -0.5% dip, what it means for GBP/USD and EUR/GBP.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

Poland's KNF Keeps Its CFD Review Open — What Tighter Appropriateness Tests Would Mean for EU Traders

Poland's regulator is still reviewing how CFDs are sold and how firms test whether clients understand the risk. XTB shares slid nearly 7% on the uncertainty. Here is what the MiFID II appropriateness test actually is, why Spain went further, and what it changes for EU retail traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

AI Trading Agents Reach Retail Brokers — Who Is Liable When the Bot Places the Trade?

ThinkMarkets, Robinhood and the MetaTrader ecosystem are wiring AI agents into live brokerage accounts. Under the EU AI Act, MiFID II best execution and DORA, the trade is still yours. Here is what agentic trading actually changes for EU retail clients.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends12 min read

XTB Weighs Internalising Stock Orders — What the Systematic Internaliser Shift Means for EU Traders

XTB is studying a MiFID II systematic-internaliser model to execute stock and ETF orders against its own book and keep commission-free trading affordable. Here is how internalisation, best execution and conflict controls actually affect EU retail traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

Australia Extends Its CFD Capital Rules to 2032 — The EU Wrote the Playbook First

ASIC is consulting on keeping its net-tangible-assets capital test for CFD issuers until 2032. For EU traders the story is a mirror: Australia is entrenching the capital-and-conduct architecture ESMA made permanent years ago.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

The FCA May Let Tokenised Gold Post as Margin. What Gold-CFD Traders Should Know

The FCA and Bank of England are weighing whether tokenised gold can serve as collateral for OTC derivatives. What the wholesale reform means for EU and UK retail gold-CFD traders - and the ESMA rules that still apply.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends12 min read

Brokers Are Launching 24/7 Weekend Gold CFDs. Here's What Changes for EU Traders

XM, Vantage, VT Markets and CMC now offer gold CFDs that trade through the weekend. For EU retail traders the headline 100:1 leverage and tight spreads belong to offshore books — ESMA caps gold at 20:1 and the weekend price is broker-set.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends12 min read

Elev8 Adds a Seychelles Licence: What an Offshore SDL Actually Buys a Retail Trader

Elev8 has secured a Securities Dealer Licence from the Seychelles FSA. For EU retail traders, an offshore SDL is a business licence — not the investor-protection package an EU/EEA regulator provides.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation12 min read

Your Broker's Licence Might Live in a Country You've Never Traded From: What ESMA's Cross-Border Data Reveals

ESMA's supervision data shows cross-border retail clients served from Lithuania jumped from roughly 500 in 2022 to over 2.5 million in 2024 — almost entirely one firm, Revolut's EU arm. A live illustration of MiFID passporting and why the regulator on your client agreement matters.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

ASIC Suspends GFA Capital Markets Over Client-Money Failures — What It Tells EU Traders

ASIC has suspended CFD issuer GFA Capital Markets for five months after finding it mixed client and company money. The lesson for EU traders is about who backstops your funds when segregation fails.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation12 min read

A CySEC Broker Went Offshore, Then Went Dark: The Squared Financial Withdrawal Freeze

Squared Financial surrendered its CySEC licence, routed clients through a Seychelles entity, and that offshore operation has now stopped opening accounts while traders report frozen withdrawals. A case study in why the legal entity on your client agreement matters more than the brand.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation11 min read

BaFin Restricts Turbo Certificates from 16 June 2026 — Loss Warning, Knowledge Test, Bonus Ban

BaFin's product intervention on turbo certificates takes effect 16 June 2026 — mandatory loss warning, a knowledge test and a bonus ban for German retail. What changes and how it compares to CFD rules.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides7 min read

Tokenised Equities Go Global — What Kraken's xStocks Deal Means for European Traders

Tokenised equities are expanding beyond US stocks to Asia and, next, Europe. In the EU a tokenised share is a MiFID II financial instrument, not a MiCA crypto-asset — which shapes how and whether retail clients can access it.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation9 min read

FCA Review: Nearly a Third of Firms Run No Transaction Monitoring

An FCA review of 242 alternative asset managers found 29% lack transaction monitoring. Why AML controls should shape how EU traders pick a broker.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends5 min read

Exness Recruits African Forex Educator Nathan Halaba to Team Pro

Exness has added Sub-Saharan African educator Nathan Halaba to its Team Pro influencer network, signaling continued expansion in markets outside the EU.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

€100m-a-Month Boiler-Room Fraud Ring Dismantled Across Europe

A boiler-room network of ~20 call centres and 700+ fake advisers, running at up to €100m a month, has been dismantled. How the scam worked and how to avoid the next one.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation8 min read

BaFin Names Eight Unauthorised Trading Sites in July 2026

Germany's financial regulator warned consumers about eight investment sites, several suspected of identity fraud. How to verify a broker before depositing.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends6 min read

US Retail Sales June 2026: +0.2%, Weakest in 5 Months — Consumer Cools

US retail sales rose just 0.2% MoM in June 2026, below the 0.3% forecast and the weakest in five months as gasoline receipts fell 5.3%. EUR/USD firm.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends7 min read

UK GDP May 2026: +0.1% Monthly Growth Returns — Sterling Firms

UK monthly GDP rose 0.1% in May 2026, beating the 0.0% forecast and reversing April's contraction. Three-month GDP +0.7%. GBP/USD holds above 1.30.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation11 min read

ActivTrades Moves Overseas Units to a New Guernsey Parent: What a Group Restructure Means for Your Protections

ActivTrades has reorganised its group so overseas units sit under a new Guernsey holding company rather than the UK entity. Here is what a group or domicile change means for entity-level protection — and how to check which regulated entity you are onboarded to.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

AMF & ACPR Add Forex and Crypto Firms to July 2026 Blacklist

France's financial regulators named unauthorised Forex and crypto-derivatives entities soliciting French residents. How to verify a firm before depositing.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends8 min read

US CPI June 2026: Inflation Collapses -0.4%, Core Flat — Fed Cut Odds Surge

US CPI for June 2026 fell 0.4% MoM, the sharpest drop since April 2020. Headline YoY eases to 3.5%. EUR/USD and GBP/USD spike on Fed-cut bets.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides7 min read

Plus500 H1 2026: Revenue Up 12% to $462.9M as Q2 Momentum Cools

Plus500's H1 2026 update shows revenue of $462.9M (+12% YoY) and record customer income, but a softer Q2 and thinner margin. EU CFD trader impact.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation9 min read

ESMA: Prediction Markets Can Still Be Banned Binary Options

ESMA's 3 July 2026 statement warns that yes-or-no event contracts can still be banned binary options for EU retail. How to spot an authorised CFD broker.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends12 min read

US Retail Sales Preview July 2026: The Consumer Test Before the FOMC

US retail sales for June 2026 release Thursday 16 July at 12:30 GMT. After May's +0.9% beat, this print feeds straight into the 28-29 July FOMC.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides8 min read

Capital.com Q2 volumes fall as gold loosens its grip on flows

Capital.com's Q2 2026 volumes fell to 1.13tn dollars as gold's share of flows eased. What fewer, larger trades mean for EU and UK retail CFD traders now.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

US CPI Preview July 2026: First Inflation Print Before the July FOMC

US CPI for June 2026 releases Tuesday 14 July at 12:30 GMT - the first Q3 inflation reading and key input into the 28-29 July FOMC decision.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

Coinbase wins FCA authorisation: why 'authorised' matters

Coinbase has won FCA investment-services authorisation. We explain what 'authorised' unlocks, why retail cannot trade perpetuals, and how to verify a broker.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends8 min read

FOMC Minutes Preview July 2026: Reading the June Hold's Fine Print

Minutes from the Fed's 16-17 June meeting release Wednesday 8 July at 21:00 GMT. What the internal debate reveals about the first cut and EUR/USD.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

Binance's £150m UK claim turns on one word: authorised

A £150m High Court claim alleges Binance sold leveraged derivatives it was not authorised to offer. Why that single check matters most before you deposit.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation9 min read

Why EU CFD Brokers Are Handing Back Their CySEC Licences — and What It Costs Your Protections

A growing list of retail CFD brokers has surrendered its CySEC licence and moved offshore. As the MiCA deadline lands on 1 July 2026, here is what the exodus means for EU traders — and the protections you forfeit if you follow a broker offshore.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation8 min read

Crypto Perpetuals Are CFDs in Disguise — and ESMA Already Treats Them That Way

Crypto perps are leveraged CFDs by another name. ESMA already says so — and offshore venues offering 10x to EU retail clients sit outside every protection that matters.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends9 min read

SpaceX CFDs Reach Europe: Leverage Caps, Thin-Float Risk, and Which Brokers List the Stock

Plus500 and CMC Markets have listed SpaceX as a single-stock CFD after the record IPO. What EU retail traders need to know: the 5:1 ESMA leverage cap, thin-float volatility, and the brokers offering it.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends9 min read

Eurozone Flash Inflation Preview: July 2026 (June HICP) — What EU Traders Need to Know

Eurostat publishes the June 2026 flash HICP on Wednesday 1 July. Headline and core consensus, EUR/USD scenarios and the ECB July read-through.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends9 min read

US Non-Farm Payrolls Preview: July 2026 — What EU Traders Need to Know

June 2026 Nonfarm Payrolls release Thursday 2 July at 12:30 GMT, a day early before US Independence Day. EUR/USD scenarios and EU broker picks.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

EU PFOF Ban June 2026: What Forex Traders Need to Know

The EU's Payment for Order Flow ban is now in effect under MiFIR. How it changes broker costs and execution quality for EU forex traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

Europe Signals Tighter Oversight for Prop Trading Firms — What It Means for Retail Traders (2026)

ESMA is examining whether prop firm challenges are MiFID-regulated services. What the shift means for retail traders and EU-regulated brokers.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides9 min read

Interactive Brokers Posts Record Q1 2026 Revenue ($1.67B) — What It Means for EU Traders

Interactive Brokers reported record Q1 2026 net revenue of $1.67B, a 77% pretax margin and EPS of $0.59. What IB's strength means for EU traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends6 min read

UK CPI Holds at 2.8%, Services Inflation Plunges to 3.2% — BoE Cut Now in Play

UK CPI for May 2026 held at 2.8%, below the 3.0% forecast, as services inflation fell from 4.5% to 3.2%. What it means for the BoE and GBP/USD.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends6 min read

UK CPI Preview June 2026: Last Inflation Print Before the BoE Decision

UK CPI for May 2026 releases Wednesday 17 June at 07:00 BST, hours before the FOMC and a day before the BoE. What to expect for GBP/USD and EUR/GBP.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends8 min read

BoE Rate Decision June 2026: Will the MPC Cut on 18 June?

The Bank of England MPC meets 18 June 2026 with Bank Rate at 3.75%. What sticky services inflation means for GBP/USD and EU forex traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

ECB Hikes Rates to 2.25% — First Increase Since 2023

The ECB raised the deposit rate 25bps to 2.25% on 11 June 2026, its first hike since September 2023. EUR/USD failed to rally as risk dominated.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends10 min read

FOMC June 2026 Preview: Rate Decision, Dot Plot & EUR/USD Implications

The FOMC meets 16-17 June 2026 with a rate decision, dot plot, and Summary of Economic Projections. What EU traders need to know about EUR/USD positioning.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends7 min read

US CPI May 2026: Headline Hits 4.2% but Core Softens — EUR/USD Reaction

May 2026 US CPI held at 4.2% YoY but core MoM printed 0.2%, softer than the 0.3% forecast. What it means for the ECB, the FOMC and EUR/USD.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

US CPI Preview June 2026: Last Inflation Print Before FOMC and ECB

US CPI for May 2026 releases Wednesday 10 June at 12:30 GMT - the last major inflation print before the 16-17 June FOMC and 11 June ECB.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends7 min read

NFP Doubles Forecast: 172K Jobs vs 85K Consensus — EUR/USD Reaction

May 2026 Non-Farm Payrolls hit 172K, more than double the 85K consensus, with April revised up to 179K. What it means for EUR/USD and the Fed.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation8 min read

FCA Warns Football Clubs Over Crypto and Trading Firm Sponsorships

The FCA warned Premier League clubs that sponsorship deals with unauthorised crypto and trading firms may breach criminal law. EU trader impact.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends8 min read

US Non-Farm Payrolls Preview: June 2026 — What EU Traders Need to Know

May 2026 Nonfarm Payrolls release Friday 5 June at 12:30 GMT. Consensus, EUR/USD scenarios and which EU-regulated brokers handle NFP volatility.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

Japan Confirms JPY 11.7 Trillion FX Intervention: What EUR/JPY Traders Need to Know

Japan's MOF confirmed JPY 11.735tn of FX intervention in April-May 2026, the largest since July 2024. USD/JPY fell from 160 to below 156.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends10 min read

Core PCE Reaction: 3.3% In Line but MoM Softer — What It Means for EUR/USD and the June FOMC

April 2026 Core PCE printed 3.3% YoY as expected but monthly pace slowed to +0.2%. Dollar weakened, yields fell. What it means for EUR/USD.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends10 min read

ECB Financial Stability Review: Middle East War Testing Europe's Markets

The ECB's May 2026 Financial Stability Review warns Middle East geoeconomic shock is raising financial-stability risks across Europe. EUR impact.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends9 min read

German CPI and Eurozone Inflation Preview: The ECB Rate Decision Pipeline

German CPI prelim for May releases Friday 29 May at 12:00 GMT. With the forecast rising to 3.1%, it sets the stage for the 11 June ECB meeting.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation10 min read

ESMA Rules Perpetual Futures Are CFDs: What EU Crypto Traders Need to Know

ESMA confirmed perpetual futures fall under CFD product intervention. EU crypto leverage is capped at 2:1 with mandatory risk warnings.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends10 min read

Core PCE Preview: Why the Fed's Key Inflation Gauge Could Spike in May 2026

Core PCE for April releases Thursday 28 May at 12:30 GMT. With the forecast jumping from 2.6% to 3.3%, it could reshape June FOMC rate bets.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

ECB Rate Hike in June 2026: What EU Forex Traders Need to Know

The ECB Governing Council meets 11 June 2026 with markets fully pricing a 25bps hike. What rising eurozone inflation means for EUR/USD.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation11 min read

China Fines Tiger Brokers and Futu $330M in Largest Cross-Border Enforcement of 2026

The CSRC has fined Tiger Brokers, Futu and Longbridge a combined $330M+ for unlicensed cross-border broking. What it means for EU traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation12 min read

Best MiCA-Compliant Forex Brokers in Europe (2026)

Which forex brokers were ready for the MiCA CASP deadline on 1 July 2026? We review the top EU-regulated brokers offering crypto CFDs under MiCA.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation7 min read

MiCA Deadline: What Changes for Forex Traders on 1 July 2026

The MiCA transitional period ended 1 July 2026 and ESMA confirmed no extension. Here's what changed for forex traders with crypto CFD positions.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulatory Analysis10 min read

ICF, FSCS, SIPC Payout Mechanics — Three Case-Study Walk-Throughs

The headline compensation-scheme cap tells a partial story. The actual payout mechanics — how claims are filed, how the cap interacts with insolvency recovery, how long the cycle takes — vary materially across the three major schemes.

RDRegulation Desk
Regulatory Analysis10 min read

Cross-Border CFD Bans 2024-2026 — Which Jurisdictions Cracked Down, and Why

A wave of national-CA actions against cross-border CFD marketing has reshaped the retail-FX landscape since 2024. Belgium, Spain, France, Poland, and others have all moved. The drivers are domestic-protection consistent and the consequences are still unfolding.

RDRegulation Desk
Broker Operations10 min read

Withdrawal Latency at Scale — Patterns from Long-Form Trader Interviews

The published withdrawal cycle on a broker\u2019s terms page is one signal. The actual operator experience across thousands of withdrawal events is another. Pattern analysis across long-form trader-interview data reveals where the published cycles diverge from reality.

AMAlex Marchetti
Industry Analysis10 min read

Affiliate Disclosure Standards — Comparing fx-brokers.eu to Top 10 Competitors

Most retail forex comparison sites display an affiliate disclosure somewhere. The standard of disclosure varies from prominent and specific to buried and generic. A structured comparison shows where the industry sits in 2026.

AMAlex Marchetti
Broker Regulation10 min read

Why "Regulated by X" Is Not Enough — How to Inspect Segregation Policy Depth

A regulator badge in the footer signals authorisation, not operational discipline. Five depth questions about segregated-funds policy separate the brokers operating to genuine segregation standards from those meeting the regulatory minimum.

RDRegulation Desk
Broker Operations10 min read

Slippage at News Events — A Broker-by-Broker Comparison Methodology

Slippage at high-volatility news releases is the single most important execution-quality differentiator across retail forex brokers. A repeatable methodology for measuring it produces materially different rankings than headline-spread comparison.

PDPlatforms Desk
Broker Operations10 min read

Spread vs Commission — The Long-Run Math for Active Traders

The choice between a spread-only standard account and a raw-spread-plus-commission account looks like a binary preference. Over multi-year holding periods it compounds into a meaningful drag on returns. The math is more skewed than the headline suggests.

AMAlex Marchetti
Regulatory Analysis9 min read

The Negative Balance Protection Illusion — Where ESMA\u2019s Promise Has Limits

ESMA\u2019s mandatory NBP is a real protection that has functioned as designed since 2018. It also has narrower scope than retail clients commonly assume. Five edge cases show where the protection ends and the client liability begins.

RDRegulation Desk
Regulatory Analysis10 min read

MiCA July 2026 Deadline — What Retail Comparison Sites Need to Disclose

The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation reaches full application across the EU in late 2024 and continues to roll out provisions through 2026. Retail comparison sites covering crypto-asset service providers face disclosure obligations they have largely overlooked.

RDRegulation Desk
Regulatory Analysis10 min read

Does the FCA Have an RDR-Equivalent for Derivatives? What\u2019s Coming, What Is Not

The 2012 Retail Distribution Review reformed UK investment advice by banning commission. No equivalent reform exists for retail derivatives distribution. We walk what the FCA has done since 2018, what is on the regulatory agenda, and what is unlikely to come.

RDRegulation Desk
Industry Analysis10 min read

Cyprus Retail CFD Economics — The Real Cluster Numbers vs the Offshore Narrative

The "Cyprus is offshore-lite" narrative misses the real economics. Cypriot retail CFD brokers operate inside MiFID II with full passport, ICF protection, and CySEC supervision. The cluster has matured into a substantive financial-services sub-economy.

AMAlex Marchetti
Regulatory Analysis10 min read

RTS 28 Top-Five Venues — A Worked Example of What the Numbers Actually Mean

A side-by-side worked example of two anonymised broker RTS 28 disclosures shows what venue concentration, passive/aggressive split, and routing narrative actually reveal about execution quality. The numbers diverge sharply for brokers running different commercial models.

PDPlatforms Desk
Asia Regulation10 min read

The MAS Suitability Assessment — The 20-Minute Test Most Retail Traders Cannot Pass

Singapore retail forex clients must pass the MAS Customer Knowledge Assessment before opening a leveraged-FX account. The CKA is the most evidence-supported retail-protection innovation in the world. EU regulators have not adopted an equivalent.

AMAlex Marchetti
Prop Firms11 min read

Why Most Prop-Firm Models Are Structurally Broken — Three Exhibits with Financials

The retail prop-firm boom of 2021-2024 produced a wave of business failures and regulator interventions. Three named exhibits — My Forex Funds, True Forex Funds, and the post-MetaQuotes withdrawal of liquidity — show why the economics do not work for most operators.

AMAlex Marchetti
Regulatory Analysis11 min read

ESMA 30:1 Leverage Cap, 8 Years On: What the 2018–2026 Data Shows

ESMA capped retail leverage at 30:1 in 2018. Eight years of data: loss severity fell, the share of losing accounts did not, and 15–35% of volume went offshore.

RDRegulation Desk
Industry Analysis9 min read

Why Cyprus Dominates EU Retail FX — The Tax + Licence Cost-of-Doing-Business Math

A disproportionate share of EU-regulated retail forex brokers are headquartered in Limassol. The driver is not Mediterranean lifestyle. The CySEC licence cost, 15% corporate tax, MiFID II passport, and the Limassol cluster economics combine into a margin equation no other EU jurisdiction matches.

AMAlex Marchetti
Regulatory Analysis10 min read

ICF, FSCS, SIPC — What Investor Compensation Schemes Cover, and What They Don\u2019t

The €20,000 ICF, the £85,000 FSCS and the $500,000 SIPC headlines hide more than they reveal. The schemes cover broker insolvency, not broker fraud, market loss, or trading-decision regret. Three named historical claims show what each scheme actually pays out — and where the gaps are.

AMAlex Marchetti
Broker Operations9 min read

Withdrawal Latency as a Broker Quality Signal — 4 Brokers Benchmarked May 2026

How fast a broker processes a withdrawal request says more about back-office quality than any marketing claim. We benchmark withdrawal latency across Exness, Pepperstone, IG and Saxo, explain what AML rules actually require, and translate the gap into what each broker is signalling.

AMAlex Marchetti
Regulatory Analysis10 min read

MiFID II RTS 28 Best-Execution Reports — Abolished in 2024: What They Were and What Replaced Them

For years the annual RTS 28 report was the single most useful execution-quality disclosure an EU broker produced. The 2024 MiFID II review abolished it. Here is what RTS 28 was, why it was scrapped, and how to assess a broker's execution quality now that the standardised report is gone.

AMAlex Marchetti
Broker Operations10 min read

How Brokers Actually Make Money on Raw-Spread Accounts — Commission Math Explained

Raw-spread accounts look like brokers are giving the spread away for free. They are not. The commission, the markup hidden in execution latency, and the per-broker round-turn cost on EUR/USD all reveal where the real margin sits.

AMAlex Marchetti
Industry Analysis11 min read

The Honest State of Forex Affiliate Comparison Sites in 2026

Most "best forex broker" comparison sites are paid placements wearing a thin editorial coat. We break down how the industry actually works, what to look for, and what we do differently — including the parts that lose us partner revenue.

AMAlex Marchetti
Industry Trends6 min read

UK CPI Drops to 2.8% in April 2026 — Rate Cuts Back on the Table

UK CPI fell sharply to 2.8% YoY in April 2026 from 3.3%, below the 3.0% consensus. Core dropped to 2.5%. What it means for GBP/USD and the BoE.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends6 min read

UK CPI April 2026 Preview: What European Traders Need to Know

UK CPI for April 2026 releases 20 May. March printed 3.3% with services at 4.5%. GBP/USD scenarios and the BoE June read-through.

MDMarkets Desk
Asia Regulation6 min read

Forex Brokers in Singapore 2026 — MAS Type 3 Licence vs Offshore Solicitation

Singapore retail forex is restricted to MAS-licensed Capital Markets Services holders dealing in leveraged foreign exchange. The MAS Financial Institutions Directory is the canonical register. Retail leverage is capped at 20:1 on Specified Investment Products. Offshore solicitation is a real risk in 2026.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Regulation7 min read

Can EU Residents Open an Exness Account? Status in 2026 (Short Answer: No)

Exness withdrew from EU/EEA and UK retail onboarding in 2019, so EU and UK residents cannot open an Exness account and EU investor protections — ICF up to EUR 20,000, ESMA leverage caps, negative balance protection — do not apply to them. EU-eligible alternatives include Pepperstone, IG, XM and Tickmill.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends7 min read

Kevin Warsh Confirmed as Fed Chair — What It Means for EUR/USD and EU Traders

Kevin Warsh replaces Jerome Powell as Federal Reserve Chair on 15 May 2026. What his hawkish stance means for EUR/USD and European forex traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Prop Firms10 min read

FundedNext Prop Firm Evaluation: Challenge Fee Pricing Breakdown 2026

FundedNext's evaluation challenges range from USD 59 to USD 549 across one-step and two-step models. We break down what each fee tier buys, how the profit split scales, and where FundedNext sits against FTMO, The5%ers and MyForexFunds alternatives.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Review11 min read

Pepperstone Reputation in 2026: Regulation, Fees and Platform Features

How has Pepperstone's reputation held up in 2026? We assess regulatory track record, fee transparency, platform stability and client outcomes -- and how Pepperstone compares to the EU brokers it is most often benchmarked against.

RDRegulation Desk
Broker Review12 min read

Pepperstone CFD Review 2026: Regulation, Fees, Platforms, Pros and Cons

A structured 2026 review of Pepperstone for EU traders: regulatory standing across CySEC, BaFin and FCA, full fee breakdown for Standard and Razor accounts, the four platforms it supports, and an honest pros/cons summary based on live-account testing.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends8 min read

US CPI Hits 3.8% on Oil Shock — Fed June Cut Dead

April 2026 CPI printed 3.8% YoY, above the 3.7% consensus. Energy surged 17.9%. EUR/USD barely moved. What the hot print means for EU forex traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides8 min read

eToro Q1 2026: Record $82M Profit, Commodities Surge, Zengo Acquired

eToro posted record Q1 2026 net income of $82M (+37% YoY) and $258M net contribution, and closed its Zengo crypto wallet deal. EU impact.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation3 min read

Sapin II Killed Forex Advertising in France. Then Comparison Sites Took Over.

France made it illegal to advertise forex CFDs to retail clients in 2017. Eight years on, French retail CFD volume is still in the top five in Europe. The bans did not kill demand. They moved it.

AMAlex Marchetti
Behind The Build4 min read

Why I Removed AdSense from a Finance Comparison Site After One Month

Google AdSense flagged FX-Brokers as "low value content" after our first month. Standard reaction: panic and request review. I withdrew instead. The maths is straightforward and surprised me.

AMAlex Marchetti
Industry Trends9 min read

US CPI Preview April 2026: What EU Traders Need to Know

US CPI for April 2026 drops Monday 12 May at 13:30 BST. With oil collapsed from $125 to $101, a soft print could send EUR/USD toward 1.20.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends5 min read

NFP Smashes Expectations: EUR/USD Drops as Payrolls Beat by 3x

April 2026 NFP crushed the 62K consensus. EUR/USD fell to 1.1530 as markets trim Fed rate-cut bets. What the jobs blowout means for EU traders.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends7 min read

Trump Sets One-Week Iran Deal Deadline: EUR/USD, Oil, and What EU Traders Should Watch

Trump says a US-Iran deal is days away and sets a 13 May deadline. Brent below $102, EUR firming on risk-on. What European forex traders need.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides6 min read

Plus500 Q1 2026: Revenue Jumps 18% to $242M, Full-Year Outlook Raised

Plus500 reported Q1 2026 revenue of $242.1M (+18% YoY), record customer income of $270.6M, and raised its FY EBITDA forecast above $360M.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends9 min read

BoE Rate Decision May 2026: Will Bailey Cut Before the Fed? (8 May)

Bank of England decision lands 8 May at 12:00 BST, 90 minutes before US NFP. With UK CPI at 2.8%, the MPC vote split is the GBP/USD catalyst.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides5 min read

Tickmill Raises Raw Account Commission from $2 to $3 Per Lot

Tickmill has raised its Raw account commission 50%, from $2.00 to $3.00 per lot per side, so it's no longer the cheapest. Here's who leads now.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends7 min read

April NFP Preview: Will the US Jobs Market Crack? (8 May 2026)

US Nonfarm Payrolls for April release 8 May at 13:30 BST. After the FOMC's 4-dissenter split, NFP is the tiebreaker for the Fed's next move.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides5 min read

XTB Posts Record Q1 2026: Revenue Up 79% to $301M as Oil Drives Commodity Trading

XTB's Q1 2026 revenue surged 79% QoQ to PLN 1.094bn ($301M), a record quarter driven by commodity CFDs as Brent topped $125. Active clients 1.27M.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends6 min read

Eurozone CPI Hits 3.0% as GDP Stalls at 0.1% — Stagflation Arrives

Eurozone inflation jumped to 3.0% in April while Q1 GDP grew just 0.1% - the clearest stagflation signal since 2023. What it means for EUR/USD.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides6 min read

Capital.com Opens Offices in Germany, Bahrain, and Azerbaijan

Capital.com is expanding into Germany, Bahrain and Azerbaijan. The CySEC-regulated, MiCA-licensed broker did $1.27tn in Q1 2026 volume.

MDMarkets Desk
Industry Trends11 min read

Central Bank Super Wednesday: FOMC, ECB, BoE All Decide 30 April 2026

Three major central banks decide rates on the same day, with oil at $125 after the UAE quits OPEC. What EUR/USD, GBP/USD and USD/JPY traders need.

MDMarkets Desk
Broker Guides10 min read

Best Forex Broker for German Traders in 2026

Germany has unique requirements for forex traders, from BaFin regulation preferences to tax reporting obligations. We break down which brokers serve German traders best and why local regulation matters.

MDMarkets Desk
Comparisons11 min read

Exness vs Pepperstone: Head-to-Head Comparison

Exness no longer accepts EU, EEA or UK retail clients, so for those readers Pepperstone wins by default. We keep the spreads, platforms and execution comparison for traders in the regions Exness still serves.

MDMarkets Desk
Beginner Guide8 min read

5 Common Mistakes New EU Forex Traders Make in 2026

Starting your forex journey in the EU? Avoid these costly beginner errors that drain accounts and confidence. From ignoring ESMA leverage rules to chasing broker bonuses, we cover the traps that catch most newcomers.

MDMarkets Desk
Regulation9 min read

ESMA Leverage Limits 2026: Still 30:1 on Majors — August Update

ESMA's 30:1 cap on major FX pairs still applies in August 2026 — 20:1 on minors and gold, 2:1 crypto. What changed: most EU states made the caps permanent.

RDRegulation Desk
Regulation10 min read

CySEC vs BaFin: Which EU Regulator Offers Better Protection?

Cyprus and Germany are the two most popular EU regulatory hubs for forex brokers. We compare CySEC and BaFin on enforcement, compensation schemes, oversight rigour, and what it all means for your trading account.

RDRegulation Desk
Education10 min read

How to Choose a Forex Broker: The Complete Checklist

With dozens of EU-regulated brokers available, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. This comprehensive checklist walks you through every factor to evaluate before committing your capital.

PDPlatforms Desk
Education9 min read

How to Read Forex Broker Spreads: A Complete Guide

Spreads are the primary trading cost for most forex traders, but broker marketing makes them confusing. Learn the difference between raw, typical, and average spreads, and how to calculate your actual trading costs.

MDMarkets Desk
Education10 min read

Prop Trading vs Own Capital: Which Path is Right for You?

The choice between trading your own money with a retail broker and pursuing prop firm funding affects your costs, risk exposure, potential earnings, and regulatory protections. We break down both paths.

RDRegulation Desk
Industry Trends9 min read

The Rise of Prop Trading in Europe: What You Need to Know

Proprietary trading firms are reshaping how European traders access the markets. We examine the prop trading boom, how it differs from retail trading, regulatory concerns, and whether it is right for you.

MDMarkets Desk
Platforms10 min read

MT4 vs MT5 vs cTrader: Which Platform Should EU Traders Choose?

The platform choice shapes your entire trading experience. We compare MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, and cTrader across charting, execution, automated trading, and broker availability for European traders.

PDPlatforms Desk

Find the Right Broker

Use our broker finder tool to compare EU-regulated brokers by spreads, platforms, regulation, and more.

Free: EU Broker Regulatory Cheatsheet

4-page A4 reference — ESMA leverage caps, regulator strength ranking, and the 12-point pre-account checklist. Plus weekly broker updates.

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