The week introduced a mixture of main transactions, regulatory
adjustments and restructuring throughout the retail buying and selling and monetary providers
sectors. FTMO’s acquisition of OANDA was put into sharper focus after the prop
buying and selling agency disclosed the value paid for the dealer, whereas Cyprus moved
in direction of a brand new management at its monetary regulator.
London’s buying and selling business is coming dwelling!
Regulatory developments additionally featured strongly, with
Nigeria’s proposed foreign exchange and CFD framework drawing business scrutiny. On the
similar time, IG Group and Valutrades made adjustments to their operations, whereas
StoneX ready to retire the Metropolis Index model within the UK. Prediction markets,
ETFs and monetary AI added additional developments throughout the broader buying and selling and
fintech sectors.
FTMO’s
$422 million OANDA acquisition was disclosed in larger element this week
after its guardian firm revealed 2025 annual financials. The submitting exhibits
FTMO paid greater than CZK 8.79 billion for OANDA, equal to about $422
million on the present trade fee.
The deal closed on 1 December 2025 after
FTMO agreed to accumulate the dealer from CVC. FTMO’s guardian, OHM, reported
income of CZK 8.9 billion for 2025, up 30% yr on yr, whereas paid prop
buying and selling orders rose practically 50% to 1.27 million.
Returning purchasers generated
near 80% of income. The group additionally stated the US turned FTMO’s
second-largest market, supported by its OANDA partnership.
George Karatzias Named New CySEC Chairman
George Karatzias
George Karatzias has
develop into the brand new chairman of the Cyprus Securities and Change Fee,
succeeding Dr George Theocharides.
Karatzias beforehand served as CySEC’s
vice-chairman from 2021 to 2024 earlier than becoming a member of the Central Financial institution of Cyprus as an
government board member.
Loukas Lagoudis has additionally been appointed vice-chairman
of the regulator. Theocharides had led CySEC since September 2021.
Throughout his
tenure, CySEC elevated supervisory exercise and established a nationwide
registry for crypto-asset service suppliers below the EU’s MiCA framework.
Nigeria’s Proposed CFD Guidelines Face Pricing Considerations
Nigeria’s proposed guidelines for on-line
foreign exchange and CFD buying and selling got here below additional scrutiny this week, with SALVUS
managing director Nikolas Xenofontos arguing that the framework is broadly
coherent however mispriced. The Nigerian SEC revealed the draft guidelines on 1
September below the Investments and Securities Act 2025.
Xenofontos highlighted
measures together with adverse stability safety, obligatory close-out at 50% of
required margin, client-fund segregation and restrictions on associates,
influencers and volume-based incentives.
The draft permits leverage of as much as
1:400 on main foreign money pairs, whereas setting paid-up capital necessities of three
billion naira for market makers and a couple of billion naira for STP or ECN companies.
Know-how suppliers would face a 5 billion naira capital requirement and 30%
native possession.
IG Prepares A whole bunch of Job Cuts in Client Restructure
IG Group is making ready to chop
a whole bunch of jobs because it combines regional shopper operations right into a single
division referred to as IG Client, in response to a Sky Information report cited this week.
The corporate’s workforce stood at about 2,300 on the finish of June, though IG
has not disclosed the precise variety of deliberate redundancies.
Consultations have
began within the UK, with discussions anticipated in different jurisdictions throughout
September, together with Poland, France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany,
Italy, Bermuda, the UAE and India. IG stated the method kinds a part of its
strategic evaluate and a refreshed organisational mannequin.
The restructuring
combines its UK and Eire, European, and Asia-Pacific and Center Japanese
shopper divisions, whereas North America and the institutional enterprise stay
separate.
An earlier IG Group restructuring plan additionally included a ten%
world headcount discount, overlaying about 300 staff. IG focused £50
million in annual price financial savings, phased throughout fiscal 2024–2026, amid weaker
market circumstances. The 2023 plan predates the present week and isn’t a brand new
September 2026 improvement.
Valutrades Pauses New CFD Shopper Onboarding Globally
Valutrades
paused new consumer onboarding throughout its UK- and Seychelles-regulated entities
this week, Finance Magnates reported after verifying that new accounts had been no
longer being accepted. CEO Graeme Watkins stated the dealer was “not exiting the
world market” however was making adjustments to the enterprise.
Graeme Watkins, CEO at Valutrades
The transfer adopted decrease
consumer exercise, buying and selling volumes and consumer numbers in 2025, though annual
turnover elevated to £2.25 million from £1.94 million.
Together with curiosity
earnings, the dealer reported a web lack of £671,705 for the yr, in contrast with
a £2.59 million loss within the earlier interval.
The corporate had additionally secured a
£600,000 capital injection in March 2026 after cumulative losses exceeded £6
million throughout 2023 and 2024.
Valutrades Says Operations Stay Enterprise as Normal
Valutrades later described its
operations as “enterprise as regular” whereas confirming that it had paused new
consumer onboarding and stopped serving some consumer segments. The dealer stated
it was conducting a strategic evaluate of its consumer portfolio and had not exited
any market.
New candidates would face tighter screening, notably the place
purchasers or jurisdictions carried larger threat. Valutrades additionally referred to
short-term technical adjustments to its KYC and onboarding processes, with out
figuring out the affected providers, consumer classes or jurisdictions.
The
firm stated it was concentrating sources on consumer segments and markets
aligned with its long-term enterprise mannequin. It didn’t specify when onboarding
would resume, leaving the scope and period of the adjustments unclear.
StoneX Retires Metropolis Index Model in UK
StoneX is retiring the
Metropolis Index model within the UK and transferring new accounts to StoneX Buying and selling, with
the change taking impact on 12 September. The transfer ends a 43-year run for the
model, which dates to 1983.
Present purchasers will retain their accounts,
buying and selling platforms and help preparations, so the transition doesn’t require
an account migration. The transfer locations the retail operation below the StoneX
guardian model after six years of possession. It follows a weaker quarter for the
group’s self-directed and retail enterprise.
FX and CFD income fell 19% yr on
yr to $64.7 million within the June quarter, whereas common every day quantity declined
27% to $6.805 billion. StoneX stated the income decline was primarily as a consequence of decrease
buying and selling quantity and didn’t hyperlink the outcomes to the model change.
CFTC Debate Centres on Prediction Market Mechanics
The CFTC’s remedy of prediction
markets and sportsbooks stays centred on how occasion contracts function,
with the company acknowledging that key statutory phrases corresponding to “gaming” and
“contain” will not be outlined. The excellence has develop into related as US
prediction-market venues search federal oversight whereas states apply playing
legal guidelines.
A sportsbook units its personal odds and acts because the counterparty to buyer
bets. An event-contract trade makes use of an order guide, matches members and
doesn’t take a directional place.
Contracts may commerce earlier than
settlement and resolve at $1 or zero. The regulatory query subsequently extends
past what a product is known as, specializing in worth formation, counterparty
construction, settlement and whether or not the venue stays impartial.
ETFs Transfer Additional In the direction of Tactical Buying and selling
ETFs are more and more getting used as tactical buying and selling
devices slightly than
solely as long-term portfolio autos, in response to this week’s evaluation.
Tradeweb information confirmed European-listed ETF exercise reached €77.5 billion in
July, up nearly 30% yr on yr, whereas 96% of tickets used its automated
clever execution device. US ETF notional buying and selling reached $90.6 billion, up
45% from a yr earlier.
🚨 TRADEWEB REPORTS AUGUST 2026 TOTAL TRADING VOLUME OF $61.2 TRILLION, AVERAGE DAILY VOLUME OF $2.8 TRILLION – PRESS RELEASE
— Blockchain Every day Information (@blckchaindaily) September 4, 2026
The shift can be seen in institutional execution,
with automated RFQs, NAV buying and selling, market-on-close and algorithmic methods
gaining use. On the retail facet, ETF inflows and exercise have risen sharply,
whereas leveraged ETF belongings reached a file $218 billion. The information factors to
ETFs getting used more and more for short-term sector, thematic and tactical
exposures.
OpenAI Launches Finance-Centered ChatGPT for Establishments
OpenAI launched a
finance-focused model of ChatGPT this week for analysts, bankers and
different institutional customers. The product combines ChatGPT with market information,
firm filings and source-backed analysis instruments, utilizing monetary datasets from
suppliers together with Daloopa, PitchBook and LSEG Information.
OpenAI stated the system
will cowl earnings transcripts, monetary statements and firm fundamentals
and assist finance groups hint figures again to supply materials. The preliminary
model runs on GPT-6 Astra, with newer fashions anticipated to switch it as they
develop into out there.
The launch kinds a part of OpenAI’s push to increase enterprise
use of its merchandise. The corporate stated its shopper and enterprise companies
had been practically evenly break up, highlighting the rising significance of company
clients to its enterprise technique.
The week introduced a mixture of main transactions, regulatory
adjustments and restructuring throughout the retail buying and selling and monetary providers
sectors. FTMO’s acquisition of OANDA was put into sharper focus after the prop
buying and selling agency disclosed the value paid for the dealer, whereas Cyprus moved
in direction of a brand new management at its monetary regulator.
London’s buying and selling business is coming dwelling!
Regulatory developments additionally featured strongly, with
Nigeria’s proposed foreign exchange and CFD framework drawing business scrutiny. On the
similar time, IG Group and Valutrades made adjustments to their operations, whereas
StoneX ready to retire the Metropolis Index model within the UK. Prediction markets,
ETFs and monetary AI added additional developments throughout the broader buying and selling and
fintech sectors.
FTMO’s
$422 million OANDA acquisition was disclosed in larger element this week
after its guardian firm revealed 2025 annual financials. The submitting exhibits
FTMO paid greater than CZK 8.79 billion for OANDA, equal to about $422
million on the present trade fee.
The deal closed on 1 December 2025 after
FTMO agreed to accumulate the dealer from CVC. FTMO’s guardian, OHM, reported
income of CZK 8.9 billion for 2025, up 30% yr on yr, whereas paid prop
buying and selling orders rose practically 50% to 1.27 million.
Returning purchasers generated
near 80% of income. The group additionally stated the US turned FTMO’s
second-largest market, supported by its OANDA partnership.
George Karatzias Named New CySEC Chairman
George Karatzias
George Karatzias has
develop into the brand new chairman of the Cyprus Securities and Change Fee,
succeeding Dr George Theocharides.
Karatzias beforehand served as CySEC’s
vice-chairman from 2021 to 2024 earlier than becoming a member of the Central Financial institution of Cyprus as an
government board member.
Loukas Lagoudis has additionally been appointed vice-chairman
of the regulator. Theocharides had led CySEC since September 2021.
Throughout his
tenure, CySEC elevated supervisory exercise and established a nationwide
registry for crypto-asset service suppliers below the EU’s MiCA framework.
Nigeria’s Proposed CFD Guidelines Face Pricing Considerations
Nigeria’s proposed guidelines for on-line
foreign exchange and CFD buying and selling got here below additional scrutiny this week, with SALVUS
managing director Nikolas Xenofontos arguing that the framework is broadly
coherent however mispriced. The Nigerian SEC revealed the draft guidelines on 1
September below the Investments and Securities Act 2025.
Xenofontos highlighted
measures together with adverse stability safety, obligatory close-out at 50% of
required margin, client-fund segregation and restrictions on associates,
influencers and volume-based incentives.
The draft permits leverage of as much as
1:400 on main foreign money pairs, whereas setting paid-up capital necessities of three
billion naira for market makers and a couple of billion naira for STP or ECN companies.
Know-how suppliers would face a 5 billion naira capital requirement and 30%
native possession.
IG Prepares A whole bunch of Job Cuts in Client Restructure
IG Group is making ready to chop
a whole bunch of jobs because it combines regional shopper operations right into a single
division referred to as IG Client, in response to a Sky Information report cited this week.
The corporate’s workforce stood at about 2,300 on the finish of June, though IG
has not disclosed the precise variety of deliberate redundancies.
Consultations have
began within the UK, with discussions anticipated in different jurisdictions throughout
September, together with Poland, France, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany,
Italy, Bermuda, the UAE and India. IG stated the method kinds a part of its
strategic evaluate and a refreshed organisational mannequin.
The restructuring
combines its UK and Eire, European, and Asia-Pacific and Center Japanese
shopper divisions, whereas North America and the institutional enterprise stay
separate.
An earlier IG Group restructuring plan additionally included a ten%
world headcount discount, overlaying about 300 staff. IG focused £50
million in annual price financial savings, phased throughout fiscal 2024–2026, amid weaker
market circumstances. The 2023 plan predates the present week and isn’t a brand new
September 2026 improvement.
Valutrades Pauses New CFD Shopper Onboarding Globally
Valutrades
paused new consumer onboarding throughout its UK- and Seychelles-regulated entities
this week, Finance Magnates reported after verifying that new accounts had been no
longer being accepted. CEO Graeme Watkins stated the dealer was “not exiting the
world market” however was making adjustments to the enterprise.
Graeme Watkins, CEO at Valutrades
The transfer adopted decrease
consumer exercise, buying and selling volumes and consumer numbers in 2025, though annual
turnover elevated to £2.25 million from £1.94 million.
Together with curiosity
earnings, the dealer reported a web lack of £671,705 for the yr, in contrast with
a £2.59 million loss within the earlier interval.
The corporate had additionally secured a
£600,000 capital injection in March 2026 after cumulative losses exceeded £6
million throughout 2023 and 2024.
Valutrades Says Operations Stay Enterprise as Normal
Valutrades later described its
operations as “enterprise as regular” whereas confirming that it had paused new
consumer onboarding and stopped serving some consumer segments. The dealer stated
it was conducting a strategic evaluate of its consumer portfolio and had not exited
any market.
New candidates would face tighter screening, notably the place
purchasers or jurisdictions carried larger threat. Valutrades additionally referred to
short-term technical adjustments to its KYC and onboarding processes, with out
figuring out the affected providers, consumer classes or jurisdictions.
The
firm stated it was concentrating sources on consumer segments and markets
aligned with its long-term enterprise mannequin. It didn’t specify when onboarding
would resume, leaving the scope and period of the adjustments unclear.
StoneX Retires Metropolis Index Model in UK
StoneX is retiring the
Metropolis Index model within the UK and transferring new accounts to StoneX Buying and selling, with
the change taking impact on 12 September. The transfer ends a 43-year run for the
model, which dates to 1983.
Present purchasers will retain their accounts,
buying and selling platforms and help preparations, so the transition doesn’t require
an account migration. The transfer locations the retail operation below the StoneX
guardian model after six years of possession. It follows a weaker quarter for the
group’s self-directed and retail enterprise.
FX and CFD income fell 19% yr on
yr to $64.7 million within the June quarter, whereas common every day quantity declined
27% to $6.805 billion. StoneX stated the income decline was primarily as a consequence of decrease
buying and selling quantity and didn’t hyperlink the outcomes to the model change.
CFTC Debate Centres on Prediction Market Mechanics
The CFTC’s remedy of prediction
markets and sportsbooks stays centred on how occasion contracts function,
with the company acknowledging that key statutory phrases corresponding to “gaming” and
“contain” will not be outlined. The excellence has develop into related as US
prediction-market venues search federal oversight whereas states apply playing
legal guidelines.
A sportsbook units its personal odds and acts because the counterparty to buyer
bets. An event-contract trade makes use of an order guide, matches members and
doesn’t take a directional place.
Contracts may commerce earlier than
settlement and resolve at $1 or zero. The regulatory query subsequently extends
past what a product is known as, specializing in worth formation, counterparty
construction, settlement and whether or not the venue stays impartial.
ETFs Transfer Additional In the direction of Tactical Buying and selling
ETFs are more and more getting used as tactical buying and selling
devices slightly than
solely as long-term portfolio autos, in response to this week’s evaluation.
Tradeweb information confirmed European-listed ETF exercise reached €77.5 billion in
July, up nearly 30% yr on yr, whereas 96% of tickets used its automated
clever execution device. US ETF notional buying and selling reached $90.6 billion, up
45% from a yr earlier.
🚨 TRADEWEB REPORTS AUGUST 2026 TOTAL TRADING VOLUME OF $61.2 TRILLION, AVERAGE DAILY VOLUME OF $2.8 TRILLION – PRESS RELEASE
— Blockchain Every day Information (@blckchaindaily) September 4, 2026
The shift can be seen in institutional execution,
with automated RFQs, NAV buying and selling, market-on-close and algorithmic methods
gaining use. On the retail facet, ETF inflows and exercise have risen sharply,
whereas leveraged ETF belongings reached a file $218 billion. The information factors to
ETFs getting used more and more for short-term sector, thematic and tactical
exposures.
OpenAI Launches Finance-Centered ChatGPT for Establishments
OpenAI launched a
finance-focused model of ChatGPT this week for analysts, bankers and
different institutional customers. The product combines ChatGPT with market information,
firm filings and source-backed analysis instruments, utilizing monetary datasets from
suppliers together with Daloopa, PitchBook and LSEG Information.
OpenAI stated the system
will cowl earnings transcripts, monetary statements and firm fundamentals
and assist finance groups hint figures again to supply materials. The preliminary
model runs on GPT-6 Astra, with newer fashions anticipated to switch it as they
develop into out there.
The launch kinds a part of OpenAI’s push to increase enterprise
use of its merchandise. The corporate stated its shopper and enterprise companies
had been practically evenly break up, highlighting the rising significance of company
clients to its enterprise technique.