Editor & Business Intelligence Analyst
Damian's adventure with financial markets began at the Cracow University of Economics, where he obtained his MA in finance and accounting. Starting from the retail trader perspective, he collaborated with brokerage houses and financial portals in Poland as an independent editor and content manager. His adventure with Finance Magnates began in 2016, where he is working as a business intelligence analyst.
The AI revolution is undeniable, but it’s time to recognize the boundaries of what current models can truly deliver without real data access. The lesson for business is clear: without proprietary...
The competition between MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5) has reached a turning point, with MT5 now commanding 62% of retail CFD trading volume on MetaQuotes platforms in Q3 2025, surpassing...
The updated MiFID II/MiFIR reforms introduce several key changes for EU brokers, including the abolition of PFOF, simplification of Best Execution reporting (RTS 27/28 reports removed), and the future...
For forex and CFD firms, the primary cost of operating in Cyprus is not the license or office, but talent retention. Executives command the highest salaries, with CEOs averaging approximately €192,500...
Tokenized stocks represent a fundamental shift in equity access, growing into a $700M market that is doubling annually. They pose a significant threat to CFD brokers by offering synthetic stock...
The Cryptocurrency Performance Benchmark increased slightly in Q3 2025. Though Bitcoin hit $118,000, Ethereum significantly outperformed, rising by a record 70% due to institutional interest and...
Q3 2025 key crypto moves: Kraken entered prop trading; Tether planned a US-compliant stablecoin; Bullish and Gemini went public; the US SEC accelerated crypto ETF approvals; and the UK FCA lifted the...
Q1 2025 saw major consolidation as FTMO acquired broker OANDA. The CFD market hit a milestone of 5M active accounts globally, led by XTB. However, market volatility due to US trade policies caused...
eToro successfully debuted on Nasdaq, surging 37%, valuing the firm at $4.2B. Meanwhile, Crypto.com expanded into CFDs in Europe via the acquisition of LegacyFX's MiFID license, and Spain's...
Joanna Frendo, Chief Compliance & Risk Officer at Deriv since 2004, has led the acquisition of 5 licenses and built a 110 person compliance team. She advocates for regulatory harmonization in the...
Wael Hammad, Group CCO of XS.com, is a Syrian FX/CFD veteran (since 2012) who champions a client first approach using new XS AI tools. He advocates for improved ethical trading and transparency across...
Deriv is a major global broker established in 1999 with 187M monthly trades and $650B monthly volume. It specializes in CFDs and derivatives, using MT5 and DerivTrader, and operates 20 offices...
Kama Capital, a global broker focused on the Middle East, boasts over 100,000 traders, 950 billion dollars in annual volume, and 4 global licenses. It exclusively uses the MT5 platform.
New broker Tauro Markets (2023), led by ex BDSwiss executives, offers forex, CFDs, and crypto. It is licensed in Kuwait/St. Vincent and aims for diverse asset offerings.
VT Markets, established in 2015, is a major global broker with a record monthly volume of $720B and 60M monthly trades. It is regulated by ASIC, CySEC, and FSCA, and is known for its multiplatform...
In Q3 2025, Libertex Group launched LBX, an offshore CFD broker regulated by the Mauritius FSC, specifically targeting emerging markets like Latin America and Southeast Asia. LBX recorded its highest...
Q3 2025 regulatory focus intensified, with MFSA exposing compliance gaps in market abuse detection among Malta brokers. The FCA radically scaled enforcement (3,200% increase) using AI to target...
Exness held the top spot among trading apps in Q3 2025 with a score of 8.25, surpassing eToro (7.74). XM Markets recorded the strongest score improvement, rising over 6.5 percent to rank fifth,...
The FX/CFD Industry Performance Index dropped 2.7% in Q3 2025 to 7,386 points, driven by a sharp 38% decline in eToro shares (due to a 50% drop in net income) and an 11.9% fall in XTB shares....
The CFD/FX industry saw five major shifts in Q3 2025: 1) The UK CFD trading base shrank to 167K but became more highly engaged; 2) Tokenized stocks and 24-hour trading emerged as a major trend, with...