Author
A graduate of the Warsaw School of Economics, Sylwester received an MA specializing in finance and banking. As Finance Magnates’ research associate and STA certified analyst, he leaves no stone unturned. Sylwester is the previous minority partner of an NFA registered US broker, and since 2003, has participated in many projects.
ESMA’s Digital Strategy signals a shift toward digitally driven supervision, with the regulator increasingly shaping the technological infrastructure underlying EU financial market oversight.
APAC still led broker website traffic at the end of 2025, but Europe steadily narrowed the gap, pointing to a more balanced regional distribution of trading interest.
The CFD
industry finished 2025 strongly, with rising retail activity and active
accounts driven by higher trading volumes, growing interest in metals, and
shifting participation trends, pointing to...
Formula 1’s growing global popularity has reignited interest from various industries, with CFD brokers and crypto firms returning to the sport. A new wave of sponsorship deals is emerging between...
Identifying where to attract new clients is a major challenge for CFD brokers. Using Finance Magnates’ annual “Heat Map,” this piece highlights global shifts in retail interest in FX/CFD products and...
Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping KYC and AML processes in financial services, delivering significant gains in speed and efficiency for CFD brokers. New AI models claim to reduce...
India has emerged as the biggest global source of FX/CFD online interest, driving over half of broker website visits and signaling booming retail curiosity despite lacking CFD regulation and not yet...
The SEPA Instant Payments Regulation (EU 2024/886) establishes a mandatory, 24/7/365 standard for euro transfers to be completed within 10 seconds (effective Oct 2025). This instantly removes client...
The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) has just announced a major regulatory and technological upgrade that promises to cut licensing timelines by up to 33%. Dubbed DFSA Connect, the new...
Running a brokerage in Cyprus is less about licensing costs and more about staffing expenses. While salaries are lower than in major EU hubs, they remain a significant cost for forex and CFD firms in...
The EU AI Act is in force and key enforcement deadlines have passed, making AI governance and compliance requirements legally binding for fintech firms, retail brokers, and their technology providers.
The EU is establishing the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) to strengthen and centralize AML supervision across Member States. With a single rulebook and direct oversight of high-risk...
The European Accessibility Act requires financial firms, especially retail trading platforms and fintechs—to make their digital services accessible to persons with disabilities, turning accessibility...
The European Commission’s targeted consultation aims to advance the Capital Markets Union by reducing regulatory fragmentation and cross-border barriers, making it easier for companies to raise...
Effective 1 April 2025, the Cayman Islands’ updated VASP rules require licensing for virtual asset custodians and trading platforms, strengthen governance and registration requirements, and align the...
A shift toward deregulation and reduced enforcement will reshape compliance obligations for brokerages, crypto firms, and payment providers. We break down what’s changing and how businesses should...
DORA is an EU regulation that strengthens cybersecurity and operational resilience in financial institutions, ensuring they can manage and recover from digital and IT-related disruptions.
In the first quarter of 2024, rising gold prices, alongside interest in Bitcoin’s halving, became a key driver of retail trading activity in the CFD industry. Demand for gold was supported by...