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Tier 2
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
Cyprus Regulator
"CySEC regulates the financial markets in Cyprus. As an EU member state, it complies with MiFID II, granting 'Passporting Rights' to operate across the entire EU."
About CySEC
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) was established in 2001. After Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, CySEC became part of European MiFID regulation, giving firms registered in Cyprus access to all European markets. It is known for being home to a large number of retail forex brokers.
Key Investor Protections
- Investor Compensation Fund (ICF): Covers 90% of the claim, up to €20,000 per client.
- MiFID II & MiCA Compliance: Adheres to EU standards for financial and crypto assets (CASP registration required).
- Segregated Accounts: Client funds must be separated.
- Negative Balance Protection: Mandatory for retail clients.
Max Leverage
Restricted under ESMA rules (max 30:1 for major pairs, 2:1 for crypto). Bonuses/Promotions are strictly prohibited.
Safety Rating
Moderate
Pros
- Passporting Rights: Legally serve clients across all EU member states.
- Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) coverage.
- Balanced regulation that fosters business while protecting consumers.
Cons
- Historically perceived as looser than FCA (though significantly tightened recently).
- Many brokers use it as a base, so quality varies.
- Warning: Ensure your account is under the CIF entity, not an offshore branch (no ICF/EU protections).
Top Brokers Regulated by CySEC
WT
6.44
WeTrade
UK
Min DepositN/A
M4
6.54
M4Markets
Seychelles
Min Deposit$5
UM
7.51
Ultima Markets
Mauritius
Min Deposit$50
DP
5.91
Doo Prime
Singapore
Min Deposit$100
LF
4.89
LiteFinance
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
JM
3.94
JustMarkets
Seychelles
Min Deposit$100
FO
6.53
FxOpen
UK
Min Deposit$100
FC
8.17
FOREX.com
USA
Min Deposit$100
OC
7.75
Octa
St. Vincent
Min Deposit$25
FB
7.58
FBS
Belize
Min Deposit$1
IR
7.82
IronFX
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
MB
2.54
MultiBank Group
Hong Kong
Min Deposit$50
WB
6.40
Windsor Brokers
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
FX
9.40
FXCM
United Kingdom
Min Deposit$50
XM
9.32
XM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$5
FI
9.20
Finalto
United Kingdom
Min Deposit$10000
IC
9.09
IC Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$200
EX
8.99
Exness
Cyprus
Min Deposit$10
EI
7.48
Eightcap
Australia
Min Deposit$100
PS
7.77
Pepperstone
Australia
Min Deposit$0
FT
8.80
FXTM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
FP
8.88
FP Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$100
TK
7.62
Tickmill
UK
Min Deposit$100
HF
8.33
HFM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$0
TH
7.75
ThinkMarkets
Australia
Min Deposit$500
XT
7.04
XTB
Poland
Min Deposit$0
ET
7.58
eToro
Israel
Min Deposit$50
PL
7.99
Plus500
Israel
Min Deposit$100
FP
8.54
FxPro
UK
Min Deposit$100
MK
6.27
Markets.com
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
AX
8.12
Axi
Australia
Min Deposit$0
AM
8.00
Admiral Markets
Estonia
Min Deposit$100
GO
8.98
GO Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$200
FX
6.78
FXGT
Seychelles
Min Deposit$5
ER
6.46
Errante
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
LR
8.09
LIRUNEX
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
SM
6.06
Scope Markets
Belize
Min Deposit$200
LX
6.49
Libertex
Cyprus
Min Deposit$10
CC
7.94
Capital.com
Cyprus
Min Deposit$20
SK
5.23
Skilling
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
NG
6.8
NAGA
Germany
Min Deposit$250
SF
6.22
SquaredFinancial
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
AT
8.89
ATFX
UK
Min Deposit$200
CF
7.11
CFI Financial
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
EM
8.55
easyMarkets
Cyprus
Min Deposit$25
FT
8.06
Fortrade
UK
Min Deposit$100
T3
4.13
Trade360
Cyprus
Min Deposit$250
CP
7.79
Colmex Pro
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
OX
6.55
Orbex
Cyprus
Min Deposit$200
AG
7.61
Aus Global
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
HM
5.45
Hero Markets
China
Min Deposit$50
MI
8.61
MiTRADE
Australia
Min Deposit$50
WT
6.44
WeTrade
UK
Min DepositN/A
M4
6.54
M4Markets
Seychelles
Min Deposit$5
UM
7.51
Ultima Markets
Mauritius
Min Deposit$50
DP
5.91
Doo Prime
Singapore
Min Deposit$100
LF
4.89
LiteFinance
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
JM
3.94
JustMarkets
Seychelles
Min Deposit$100
FO
6.53
FxOpen
UK
Min Deposit$100
FC
8.17
FOREX.com
USA
Min Deposit$100
OC
7.75
Octa
St. Vincent
Min Deposit$25
FB
7.58
FBS
Belize
Min Deposit$1
IR
7.82
IronFX
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
MB
2.54
MultiBank Group
Hong Kong
Min Deposit$50
WB
6.40
Windsor Brokers
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
FX
9.40
FXCM
United Kingdom
Min Deposit$50
XM
9.32
XM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$5
FI
9.20
Finalto
United Kingdom
Min Deposit$10000
IC
9.09
IC Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$200
EX
8.99
Exness
Cyprus
Min Deposit$10
EI
7.48
Eightcap
Australia
Min Deposit$100
PS
7.77
Pepperstone
Australia
Min Deposit$0
FT
8.80
FXTM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
FP
8.88
FP Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$100
TK
7.62
Tickmill
UK
Min Deposit$100
HF
8.33
HFM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$0
TH
7.75
ThinkMarkets
Australia
Min Deposit$500
XT
7.04
XTB
Poland
Min Deposit$0
ET
7.58
eToro
Israel
Min Deposit$50
PL
7.99
Plus500
Israel
Min Deposit$100
FP
8.54
FxPro
UK
Min Deposit$100
MK
6.27
Markets.com
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
AX
8.12
Axi
Australia
Min Deposit$0
AM
8.00
Admiral Markets
Estonia
Min Deposit$100
GO
8.98
GO Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$200
FX
6.78
FXGT
Seychelles
Min Deposit$5
ER
6.46
Errante
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
LR
8.09
LIRUNEX
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
SM
6.06
Scope Markets
Belize
Min Deposit$200
LX
6.49
Libertex
Cyprus
Min Deposit$10
CC
7.94
Capital.com
Cyprus
Min Deposit$20
SK
5.23
Skilling
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
NG
6.8
NAGA
Germany
Min Deposit$250
SF
6.22
SquaredFinancial
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
AT
8.89
ATFX
UK
Min Deposit$200
CF
7.11
CFI Financial
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
EM
8.55
easyMarkets
Cyprus
Min Deposit$25
FT
8.06
Fortrade
UK
Min Deposit$100
T3
4.13
Trade360
Cyprus
Min Deposit$250
CP
7.79
Colmex Pro
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
OX
6.55
Orbex
Cyprus
Min Deposit$200
AG
7.61
Aus Global
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
HM
5.45
Hero Markets
China
Min Deposit$50
MI
8.61
MiTRADE
Australia
Min Deposit$50
WT
6.44
WeTrade
UK
Min DepositN/A
M4
6.54
M4Markets
Seychelles
Min Deposit$5
UM
7.51
Ultima Markets
Mauritius
Min Deposit$50
DP
5.91
Doo Prime
Singapore
Min Deposit$100
LF
4.89
LiteFinance
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
JM
3.94
JustMarkets
Seychelles
Min Deposit$100
FO
6.53
FxOpen
UK
Min Deposit$100
FC
8.17
FOREX.com
USA
Min Deposit$100
OC
7.75
Octa
St. Vincent
Min Deposit$25
FB
7.58
FBS
Belize
Min Deposit$1
IR
7.82
IronFX
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
MB
2.54
MultiBank Group
Hong Kong
Min Deposit$50
WB
6.40
Windsor Brokers
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
FX
9.40
FXCM
United Kingdom
Min Deposit$50
XM
9.32
XM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$5
FI
9.20
Finalto
United Kingdom
Min Deposit$10000
IC
9.09
IC Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$200
EX
8.99
Exness
Cyprus
Min Deposit$10
EI
7.48
Eightcap
Australia
Min Deposit$100
PS
7.77
Pepperstone
Australia
Min Deposit$0
FT
8.80
FXTM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
FP
8.88
FP Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$100
TK
7.62
Tickmill
UK
Min Deposit$100
HF
8.33
HFM
Cyprus
Min Deposit$0
TH
7.75
ThinkMarkets
Australia
Min Deposit$500
XT
7.04
XTB
Poland
Min Deposit$0
ET
7.58
eToro
Israel
Min Deposit$50
PL
7.99
Plus500
Israel
Min Deposit$100
FP
8.54
FxPro
UK
Min Deposit$100
MK
6.27
Markets.com
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
AX
8.12
Axi
Australia
Min Deposit$0
AM
8.00
Admiral Markets
Estonia
Min Deposit$100
GO
8.98
GO Markets
Australia
Min Deposit$200
FX
6.78
FXGT
Seychelles
Min Deposit$5
ER
6.46
Errante
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
LR
8.09
LIRUNEX
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
SM
6.06
Scope Markets
Belize
Min Deposit$200
LX
6.49
Libertex
Cyprus
Min Deposit$10
CC
7.94
Capital.com
Cyprus
Min Deposit$20
SK
5.23
Skilling
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
NG
6.8
NAGA
Germany
Min Deposit$250
SF
6.22
SquaredFinancial
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
AT
8.89
ATFX
UK
Min Deposit$200
CF
7.11
CFI Financial
Cyprus
Min Deposit$100
EM
8.55
easyMarkets
Cyprus
Min Deposit$25
FT
8.06
Fortrade
UK
Min Deposit$100
T3
4.13
Trade360
Cyprus
Min Deposit$250
CP
7.79
Colmex Pro
Cyprus
Min Deposit$500
OX
6.55
Orbex
Cyprus
Min Deposit$200
AG
7.61
Aus Global
Cyprus
Min Deposit$50
HM
5.45
Hero Markets
China
Min Deposit$50
MI
8.61
MiTRADE
Australia
Min Deposit$50