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- Author: James West
Having started his online career back in 2005, over the years, James has written for scores of websites, covering online poker, eSports, Forex trading, binary options, and digital ledger technology - among other verticals.
Writing under different pen names and sometimes his real name, he provided articles for sites such as Mforex.com, Fxempire.com, Daytrading.com, echofin.co, Brainyforex.com and totalcrypto.io
His recent work has been focused almost entirely on the cryptocurrency space, covering emerging technologies, trading, technical analysis, and industry trends.
He wrote for Cyprobriefing and he is currently one of the in-house writers at BitcoinMarketJournal.com
Published
November 5, 2020
by: James West
Updated November 11th, 2020
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Founded in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2014, BlackBull Markets has racked up a fair amount of experience over the past six years. It is a true ECN, no dealing desk broker, looking to deliver an institutional-level trading experience to retail clients. How does this objective translate to the real world through what BlackBull Markets offers? … Continued
Published
August 31, 2020
by: James West
Updated September 21st, 2020
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Tradeo is a fairly run-of-the-mill Forex/CFD brokerage, currently based in Cyprus, with a rather murky background for several reasons. First off, Tradeo seems to have been around the regulatory block a few times already. It used to be regulated by Belize’s IFSC for a while, but that is no longer the case. Also, its offices … Continued
Published
August 31, 2020
by: James West
Updated January 5th, 2021
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Based in Australia, VTMarkets is a member of Vantage International Group Limited, together with brokers such as KlimexCM.com and VantageFX.com. Launched in 2016, VTMarkets is hardly a new operation. That said, it has thus far failed to accrue much relevant feedback from its users. This lack of trader feedback is peculiar, to say the least. … Continued
Published
July 15, 2020
by: James West
Updated July 16th, 2020
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Skilling is an online FX/CFD brokerage of Scandinavian pedigree. Launched in 2016, it is a relatively new broker. At first glance, its main selling point seems to be transparency. Unlike some of its shadier peers, it lays all of its cards on the table from the very beginning. Its founders do not attempt to hide … Continued
Published
July 8, 2020
by: James West
Updated July 15th, 2020
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Founded in 2014, Tickmill is a fairly standard regulated online trading destination. The broker has been around for a while and that means it has accrued relevant trader feedback. It is an NDD broker, meaning that it does not use a dealing desk. The broker boasts more than a quarter-million registered trading accounts. Let us … Continued
Published
June 19, 2020
by: James West
Updated July 30th, 2020
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Moneta Markets is a Forex/CFD brokerage which has not yet accrued significant direct user feedback. It is a member of the Vantage International Group, together with other online trading destinations such as VantageFX and VTMarkets. Many of these other group members have less-than-savory reputations among the trading public. The user complaints about the services of … Continued
Published
June 17, 2020
by: James West
Updated June 30th, 2020
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FXCM is a currency, CFD trading, and spread betting brokerage established in 1999. As such, it has an enormous amount of experience under its belt. There is no shortage of user feedback regarding FXCM’s services. The brokerage is licensed and regulated in three jurisdictions. It is thus entitled to deliver trading services in an impressive … Continued
Published
June 4, 2020
by: James West
Updated July 21st, 2020
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PrimeXBT is an interesting and quite quirky online FX/crypto/commodities/indices CFD trading destination. Unlike most other actors in this space, it does indeed bring something new and unique to the table. It is Bitcoin-based, meaning that traders can only make deposits in BTC. Thus, it requires no personal information from traders and it does not observe … Continued
Published
May 15, 2020
by: James West
Updated June 12th, 2020
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As online CFD brokers go, FXVC is a rather peculiar operation. On the one hand, the broker uses a proprietary, browser-based trading platform. This is not common practice these days. Some would consider the lack of an MT4 or MT5 option worrying. On the other hand, there is not much user feedback available on the … Continued
Published
April 30, 2020
by: James West
Updated November 30th, 2020
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As of November 30th ATFX does not allow retail traders.ATFX is a brand of branches providing CFD/forex trading services within the global financial consortium, AT Group. ATFX (UK) started as a FX/CFD broker in 2017 and has quickly risen to notoriety due to the company’s well-tailored offerings of competitive spreads and zero commissions, across a … Continued
Published
February 13, 2020
by: James West
Updated August 31st, 2020
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NSBroker is a Malta-based online Forex and CFD trading service provider. The operator seems to be extremely proud of two accomplishments: It is based and regulated in Malta, which means that it is the possessor of an EU license. It offers pure ECN services. Due to the power of the Electronic Communication Network, it is … Continued
Published
February 3, 2020
by: James West
Updated February 6th, 2020
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Advertised as “your local international broker” CMTrading is an FX/CFD broker based in South Africa. The true reputation of this operator is difficult to establish. On the one hand, affiliated reviewers have posted scores of positive feedback on it. On the other hand, there are some rather heavy scam allegations floating around the search results … Continued
Published
January 31, 2020
by: James West
Updated September 19th, 2020
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XTB is a relatively small Forex/CFD brokerage. It has 170,000 clients worldwide. What it lacks in weight, it makes up in reputation, however. This is not empty talk either. We took a look at some of the popular consumer protection/feedback sites before drawing this conclusion. At one of these sites, the operation has earned a … Continued
Published
January 23, 2020
by: James West
Updated August 31st, 2020
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Tradeview Forex is an online Forex/CFD brokerage, launched in 2004. That makes the operation 16 this year. This sort of longevity is impressive in and of itself in this industry. What is more impressive about the broker is the fact that its users still have an overwhelmingly positive opinion about its services to this day. … Continued
Published
September 27, 2019
by: James West
Updated October 3rd, 2019
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A well-known FX broker based in Mauritius, Alpari is one of the oldest players of the scene. It has racked up some 20 years worth of experience and it has served more than 2 million customers through good and bad. As far as its regulatory status is concerned, Alpari’s case is a little shaky these … Continued
Published
August 16, 2019
by: James West
Updated May 27th, 2020
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Copper is a reddish/gold metal, which is relatively abundant on Earth. The physical and chemical characteristics of this metal make it one of the most needed commodities for various modern industries. Copper is malleable and ductile. It is an excellent conductor of electricity (though it is not up to par with Silver and Gold in … Continued
Published
August 15, 2019
by: James West
Updated August 16th, 2019
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Despite China’s economy being on course to become the biggest in the world, the USD/CNY pair is usually not counted as a major currency pair. This may be due to the fact that it is not traded as much as some of the majors. The USD/CNY pair showcases the value of the US dollar against … Continued
Published
July 17, 2019
by: James West
Updated March 10th, 2020
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Launched in 2012, BDSwiss may not be an industry veteran yet. But over its relatively brief existence, it has registered massive growth, becoming one of Europe’s most trusted, and popular online brokerages. It has not all been smooth sailing for BDSwiss though…Its growth from some 130,000 processed transactions in 2012, to more than 9 million … Continued
Published
July 9, 2019
by: James West
Updated June 24th, 2020
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EverFX’s current global corporate model seems to be confusing for many. There are two websites out there, both pushing the same online FX/CFD deals and the same EverFX brand: everfx.com and everfxglobal.com. Some people seem to think that everfx.com is where the broker used to operate, before it moved to everfxglobal.com. Here’s what is really … Continued
Published
July 4, 2019
by: James West
Updated October 5th, 2020
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Launched in 2007 in Australia, Axi is one of the oldest actors of the online Fx/CFD trading scene. Axi is well regulated and it seems to enjoy a decent reputation among actual users. In addition to its Australian headquarters (located at Level 10, 90 Arthur Street, North Sydney, 2060, Australia), the broker maintains regional offices … Continued
Published
June 28, 2019
by: James West
Updated November 4th, 2020
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Established in 2010, ThinkMarkets has its act together in regards to regulation and pretty much every other operational aspect too. ThinkMarkets is based in Australia, but it maintains offices in other parts of the world as well. Its second headquarters are located in London. In addition to that, the company is present in Europe, the … Continued
Published
June 27, 2019
by: James West
Updated August 31st, 2020
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Regulation is usually a sensitive issue with online FX/CFD providers. Many such operators seem to try to avoid the matter altogether when advertising their products. Not so HYCM. Launched in 1977 in the UK and still headquartered there, HYCM has made regulation its focus apparently. The broker does not accept traders from the US. Outside … Continued
Published
June 26, 2019
by: James West
Updated March 10th, 2020
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VantageFX is one of Australia’s top Forex/CFD brokers, regulated by ASIC, CIMA and the FCA. Some may be confused by the fact that the broker’s international site used to list CIMA as its only regulator and the Cayman Islands as its sole headquarters. The confusion was caused by ASIC’s moves to prevent Australian brokers from … Continued
Published
May 10, 2019
by: James West
Updated July 8th, 2020
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FxExplained does not recommend this broker! Finq is an FX/CFD brokerage that’s regulated in the Seychelles. Finq.com targets traders in Asia, India and South Africa. It offers a high leverage, a very good selection of tradable assets, a minimum deposit of $100 and an extremely nice welcome bonus of up to $4000. Launched in 2017, … Continued
Published
May 8, 2019
by: James West
Updated September 9th, 2019
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Founded in 2009, Trade.com is an online Forex/CFD brokerage based, regulated and licensed in Cyprus. While at first glance the brokerage seems to be a fair and honest operation, digging up some user feedback on it will unearth some unsettling details. There was apparently at least one person, who took advantage of a slip-up on … Continued
Published
May 7, 2019
by: James West
Updated September 2nd, 2020
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NordFX is, at first glance, a fairly run-of-the-mill online FX/CFD broker. NordFX is regulated in a rather impressive number of jurisdictions and it offers a fair selection of tradable assets. NordFX also has some special tricks up its sleeves. The broker used to offer a RAMM account option, but this is no longer mentioned anywhere … Continued
Beginner
Published
March 28, 2019
by: James West
Updated October 12th, 2020
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Table of contents 1. Know your trading goals 2. Based on your goals – draw up a battle-plan and stick to it 3. Choosing a broker – perhaps THE most important hurdle a beginner needs to clear 4. Do not be overly ambitious when picking your account type 5. Make sure your broker offers a … Continued
Published
May 28, 2018
by: James West
Updated September 21st, 2020
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Forex.com might just be the perfect online FX/CFD provider… The brokerage has many things going: its URL, the fact that it accepts traders from the US (and that it is indeed one of the top options for online Forex trading for US-based traders), and its regulatory profile, which is indeed quite outstanding. Still, the factor … Continued
Published
May 16, 2018
by: James West
Updated October 3rd, 2019
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Alvexo was recently founded in 2014 and is owned and operated as a brand of Cyprus-based VPR Safe Financial Group Limited. The CySEC regulated company has its headquarters in Limassol, and its official website can be found at www.alvexo.com. A screenshot of its welcome page appears below: From a regulatory perspective, Alvexo is regulated by … Continued
Published
May 6, 2018
by: James West
Updated September 30th, 2020
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In the beginning of 2020 Markets.com rebranded to MarketsX. MarketsX has been around since 2008, peddling its Forex and CFD deals in a regulated manner, straight out of Cyprus. The operation features a nice selection of tradable assets, several trading platform options and – as already mentioned above – it is regulated in two jurisdictions. … Continued
Published
February 28, 2018
by: James West
Updated September 29th, 2020
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The CAPEX forex broker review summarizes that CAPEX is regulated by CySEC, has very high safety standards, offers perfectly capable trading platforms in WebTrader and MetaTrader 5 and several account options as well as tight spreads and a great support, however only open 24/5. CAPEX is a great choice for many traders. This broker changed its … Continued
Published
February 21, 2018
by: James West
Updated December 29th, 2020
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Pepperstone is a global Forex and CFD broker, which – among its standard selection of tradable assets – features cryptocurrencies as well, like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and Dash. That’s far from being Pepperstone’s main selling point though. The brokerage Pepperstone offers a superb selection of trading platforms and account types that will fulfill the needs … Continued
Published
December 7, 2017
by: James West
Updated September 25th, 2019
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Launched way back in 2005, in California, Multibank Exchange Group has grown into one of the largest and most solid Forex and CFD brokerages, by volume and capitalization. Indeed, the advantages offered by MultiBank Exchange Group are numerous, their trading platforms are solid, and their product selection is more than decent. The operator boasts paid … Continued
Published
November 6, 2017
by: James West
Updated September 25th, 2019
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IQ Option used to be one of the staples of the binary option trading industry. Always striving to stay on the cutting edge, it was the first binary option brokerage to make it possible for its clients to build and even monetize their own trading bots. Although their bot builder looked solid, it ended up … Continued
Published
October 31, 2017
by: James West
Updated July 4th, 2019
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FXGiants is another major regulated Forex and CFD brokerage, which ended up with a nasty reputation after a 2015 series of debacles. To this day, there are many user complaints online about the operation, most focused on how FXGiants make it difficult for their clients to withdraw funds, while making it extremely easy for them … Continued
Published
October 26, 2017
by: James West
Updated September 25th, 2019
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Launched in 2010, IronFX has a long history behind it. Unfortunately, not all of that history is something the operator can be proud of. Around 2015, problems surfaced in the way the brokerage was treating its clients. Eventually, the issues were sorted out, when IronFX reached a settlement with CySEC, its regulator and licensing authority. … Continued
Published
October 12, 2017
by: James West
Updated September 21st, 2020
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FP Markets is an online CFD/Forex broker we can indeed, whole-heartedly, recommend to retail traders, because its market coverage is superb, its trading platforms are solid and it is licensed by one of the world’s most exigent financial authorities. We have to add though that FP Markets is much more than that. It offers a … Continued
Published
October 9, 2017
by: James West
Updated March 18th, 2020
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Libertex is the brand for the brokerage division and trading platform of Indication Investments Ltd, The company was founded in 2015 and now offers its clients online brokerage services in forex, soft commodities, oil and natural gas, stocks, indexes, and precious metals. The Libertex Group currently has 2.2 million clients trading from 27 nations all … Continued
Published
October 2, 2017
by: James West
Updated October 9th, 2019
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Swiss Markets began as a brand in 2016 and was originally part of the BDSwiss Holding PLC group, which was founded in 2012. Swiss Markets was founded with the vision of creating a competitive environment for its clients where they could reliably and securely execute trades in multiple markets via an STP or Straight Through … Continued
Published
August 12, 2017
by: James West
Updated March 10th, 2020
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24Option was founded in 2009 as a binary option broker and is currently based in Cyprus and Belize. The company now offers its clients access to trading in Forex currency pairs, CFDs, stocks, commodities and indexes. 24 Option is operated in Europe by Rodeler Limited, which is regulated by CySEC under CIF license number 207/13 … Continued
Published
August 2, 2017
by: James West
Updated September 21st, 2020
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City Index dates back to 1983 when it began operation as one of the first spread betting companies in the United Kingdom. In 2001, it started offering Contracts for Difference to clients, and in 2005, City Index acquired spread betting competitor Finspreads that had been active online since 1999. From a regulatory perspective, City Index’s … Continued
Published
June 14, 2017
by: James West
Updated April 15th, 2020
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USD/ZAR – Live and Historical Rates The pairing of the USD with the ZAR (South African Rand) is one of a major currency and a non-major one. It is indeed quite obvious that the major is the USD. The resulting pair is not a commodity pair, nor is it a major one. The chart featured … Continued
Published
July 14, 2016
by: James West
Updated October 3rd, 2019
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Founded in 2013, Trade360 is a registered trade name of MPF Global Markets Ltd. Based in Limassol, Cyprus, the company is authorized and regulated by the Cyprus Securities Exchange Commission (CySEC) under license number 202/13 and also has offices in the United Kingdom. In addition, Trade360 is approved by regulatory organizations in Europe and the … Continued
Published
June 30, 2016
by: James West
Updated October 3rd, 2019
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FxPro has been one of the best forex brokers since its founding in 2006. The company has a broad client base, high volume turnover, and a global presence serving customers in more than 150 countries around the world, although the company does not accept U.S. based clients at this time. FxPro UK Limited is regulated … Continued
Published
June 30, 2016
by: James West
Updated September 21st, 2020
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FXTM is a licensed and well regulated broker with an impressive list of awards. FXTM offers many different payment methods, tight spreads, PAMM accounts, trading in all currency pairs as well as a wide range of other financial products and derivatives and a minimum deposit of $10. FXTM or ForexTime is owned and managed by … Continued
Published
June 30, 2016
by: James West
Updated January 18th, 2021
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Founded in 2006 by brothers Yoni and Ronen Assia and David Ring, eToro is based in Tel Aviv, Israel and was established with the vision of creating a financial investment platform for everyone. The company currently boasts more than 15 million users from over 170 countries, who use eToro for trading in currencies, commodities, stocks, … Continued
Published
June 30, 2016
by: James West
Updated September 28th, 2020
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easyMarkets was originally founded as easyForex in 2001 but changed its name when it expanded its product offerings to include other asset classes. By 2013, the company had grown to have more than 100,000 active traders using its trading platform to amass over $1.5 trillion in accumulated trade turnover in its first decade in business. … Continued
Published
June 30, 2016
by: James West
Updated October 8th, 2020
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OctaFX is a quite recently formed Straight Through Processing (STP) ECN forex broker. OctaFX offers both the MetaTrader and cTrader platforms, all major currency pairs and commodities, leverage 1:500, and a minimum deposit of $5. OctaFX has been operating since 2011 out of its main center in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company is also registered in … Continued
Published
June 30, 2016
by: James West
Updated January 14th, 2021
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Plus500 is an online CFD broker that presently offers a wide range of Contracts for Difference or CFDs for its clients on over 2,000 underlying assets such as Forex, Options, Commodities, Cryptocurrencies. It is operated in Europe by Plus500CY Ltd., which has its base offices situated in Limassol, Cyprus and is regulated by the Cyprus … Continued
Published
June 29, 2016
by: James West
Updated October 3rd, 2019
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HotForex is a member of HF Markets Group and was formed in 2008 as a Straight Through Processing (STP) forex broker. Based in Mauritius, the company is regulated by both the Financial Services Commission or FSC which handles its Mauritius compliance, and CySEC which regulates it’s Cyprus offices. This dual regulatory status gives HotForex’s clients … Continued