Is Exness regulated in the EU?

Broker review: Exness

Exness is a CySEC-regulated broker with ultra-tight pricing, instant withdrawals, and one of the highest monthly trading volumes in the industry ($4T+).

Is Exness a safe broker?

Yes, Exness is a safe broker for EU clients. Exness (Cy) Ltd is regulated by CySEC under license 178/12 and also holds FCA and FSA licenses. All EU clients are covered by ICF compensation up to EUR 20,000, segregated client funds, and mandatory negative balance protection under ESMA rules.

What is CySEC and why does it matter for forex traders?

CySEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission) is the financial regulator of Cyprus and the most common EU regulator for retail forex brokers. CySEC-licensed brokers comply with MiFID II, ESMA rules, and the Investor Compensation Fund which protects eligible clients up to EUR 20,000 in the event of broker insolvency.

FSCS vs ICF — what compensation do EU and UK forex traders get?

UK clients of FCA-regulated brokers are covered by FSCS up to £85,000 per person, per institution. EU clients of CySEC-regulated brokers are covered by ICF (Investor Compensation Fund) up to EUR 20,000. Both schemes pay out only if the broker becomes insolvent — not on trading losses.

EU-regulated vs offshore forex broker — which should I use?

EU-regulated brokers (CySEC, BaFin, FCA) offer ICF/FSCS compensation up to EUR 20,000-85,000, mandatory negative balance protection, and 30:1 max leverage. Offshore brokers (FSC Belize, IFSC, VFSC) offer higher leverage (500:1+) and looser margin rules but no compensation scheme and weaker investor protection. EU is safer; offshore is for high-risk-tolerance traders only.