What is the FSA Seychelles and how does it regulate forex brokers?
How this answer was verified
- Cross-checked against broker-published fact sheets, regulator licensing databases, and ESMA product intervention notices.
- Reviewed by the FX-Brokers EU editorial desks (Markets, Platforms, Regulation). Desk structure disclosed at /about/editorial-desks.
- Refreshed quarterly. The most recent verification date is shown above. Read our methodology.
Related
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.
Is Exness a safe broker?
Exness is an established, well-capitalised broker, but it does not accept EU, EEA or UK retail clients — it closed onboarding to those residents in 2019. EU and UK traders therefore cannot open an Exness account or rely on CySEC/FCA investor-protection schemes through it. Where Exness does onboard (non-EU and emerging markets), clients are served by its offshore Seychelles FSA entity (license SD025), which sits outside EU/UK compensation schemes such as the ICF and FSCS.
How do I verify a forex broker license is real?
Look up the license number on the regulator official register. FCA: register.fca.org.uk. CySEC: cysec.gov.cy/en-GB/entities/investment-firms. BaFin: portal.mvp.bafin.de. ASIC: asic.gov.au/online-services. The broker entity name must match exactly. Cross-reference license dates and any restrictions or warnings.