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easyMarkets
Founded2001
Headquarters
Limassol
,
Cyprus
Websiteeasymarkets.com

easyMarkets (previously known as Easy Forex until 2016) is a multi-licensed broker headquartered in Cyprus, offering foreign exchange (FX) and contracts for difference (CFDs) across a variety of platforms. Founded in 2001, the company holds licenses from regulators in Cyprus, Australia, Seychelles, South Africa, and the British Virgin Islands, and claims to operate in more than 150 countries.

The broker invests heavily in marketing, notably sponsoring Real Madrid C.F. and other sports teams. However, easyMarkets is also widely recognized for actively taking positions against its clients, which has resulted in multiple lawsuits in Israel alleging deceptive practices.

History

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According to its official statements, easyMarkets was founded in 2001, although publicly available information about its founders and key personnel remains limited.[1] One figure who has been mentioned in company-related contexts is Gadi Hadar, referred to as the founder of Easy Forex Australia.[2] In 2003, the company obtained a license from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and began operations in Australia. Two years later, it introduced the "freeze rate" tool, allowing users to temporarily lock in a specific market rate.[3]

In 2007, the broker obtained a license from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).[4] In 2010, it withdrew from the U.S. market as a Forex Clearing Dealer but remained licensed as a forex firm and FCM. The reason behind its gradual exit was growing regulatory pressure, including higher net capital requirements introduced by the National Futures Association (NFA).[5] By 2013, easyMarkets had fully exited the U.S. market, surrendering all relevant licenses and giving clients only one month to close their accounts.[6][7] In January 2016, the company rebranded from Easy Forex to easyMarkets.[8]

Further regulatory developments include a withdrawal from Poland in 2018, following changes in leverage rules (from 1:100 to 1:25),[9] and the acquisition of a license from the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) in 2020.[10] In 2021, easyMarkets introduced a μBTC trading account[11] but also made significant staff reductions, reportedly in response to a downturn in performance.[6] Later that year, it added U.S. and European stocks to MetaTrader 4 and integrated the TradingView platform.[12][13] In 2022, easyMarkets obtained licensing in the British Virgin Islands[14][15] and expanded into variable spread trading on the MT5 platform, including broader cryptocurrency and stock offerings.[3] In August 2024, easyMarkets obtained a Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) license in South Africa.[16]

Operations

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easyMarkets is owned by Cyprus-incorporated Blue Capital Markets Ltd.[17] The brokerage holds multiple licenses, including those from CySEC, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Seychelles FSA, the FSCA in South Africa, and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) in the British Virgin Islands.[18] It operates in more than 150 countries,[2] offering retail forex and CFDs across various trading platforms. As of 2025, the company provided access to approximately 275 tradable instruments.[19][13]

Details regarding easyMarkets’ ownership and management remain unclear, as minimal information is publicly disclosed about its founders or senior executives.

Marketing

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easyMarkets devotes significant attention to brand-building through sponsorships, promotions, and recognition from industry awards. It has partnered with sports teams, such as the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Australia's National Rugby League,[20] and embarked on a sponsorship collaboration with Real Madrid C.F. in 2020, that was extended in 2024.[18][21] By February 2024, easyMarkets claimed to have received a total of 51 awards, which it frequently references in its promotional materials.[1]

Controversy

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Employee arrest

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In September 2016, easyMarkets' fraud and security manager Craig Jenkins was detained in Limassol after the firm accused him of involvement in a bomb threat. He was released four days later without charge and stated that the company refused to issue an apology.[22]

Israel lawsuits

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Since the 2000s, easyMarkets (formerly Easy Forex) has been the subject of multiple lawsuits in Israel.[23] A former employee confirmed that more than 90% of clients lose money and that the firm's staff receive bonuses tied to client losses. He also alleged that company executives boasted about providing misleading investment advice and manipulating trading quotes.[24][25] The same employee claimed that workers were fined for allowing clients to profit.[26]

In 2009, Dr. Dan Haronian filed suit against Easy Forex, claiming the company profited directly from his losses. The case was settled out of court in December 2009, with the broker reportedly paying $500,000 to avoid adverse publicity.[27]

In January 2010, Benjamin Tiktuk and Arie Levy Dash pursued legal action in Haifa Magistrates Court, seeking 2 million shekels. They stated they had not been made aware that Easy Forex served as the counterparty in their transactions.[28][29]

Israel class action

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In August 2010, a class action lawsuit was filed alleging easyMarkets engaged in fraudulent behavior and provided unlicensed investment advice, resulting in significant client losses—from hundreds of thousands to millions of shekels. The preliminary findings indicated that the company may have profited directly from those losses. The suit was valued at approximately 500 million NIS ($137 million).[28] while Easy Forex directly profited from their losses.[30][29]

Brand name lawsuit

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In 2024, EasyJet (as EasyGroup Ltd and EasyGroup IP Ireland Ltd) initiated legal action against Easy Forex Trading Limited and its parent company, Blue Capital Markets Ltd, for infringing upon the "Easy" trademark.[17][31] The Irish High Court declined to hear the case due to jurisdiction issues, as Easy Forex is incorporated in Cyprus.[32]

References

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  1. ^ a b "easyMarkets Named Best Forex/CFD Broker at TradingView Broker Awards 2023". Finance Magnates. 2024-02-19. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  2. ^ a b "Easy-Forex wins leading Australian financial magazine preferred platform award". WebWire. 2008-09-23. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  3. ^ a b "High Trading Volumes Amid Market Shifts: easyMarkets Q2 2024". Finance Magnates. 2024-07-31. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  4. ^ "Easy Forex Trading Ltd". CySEC. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  5. ^ "CFTC Posts February FCM Financials - Easy Forex Exits the US". Finance Magnates. 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  6. ^ a b Saks McLeod, Andrew (2014-01-19). "Exclusive: Easy Forex Wields The Axe As Series Of Employees Are Made Redundant". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  7. ^ "Easy Forex to withdraw its status as a US clearing FDM". Finance Magnates. 2010-07-19. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  8. ^ "EasyForex rebranding as EasyMarkets". Leap Rate. 2016-01-20. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  9. ^ Abdel-Qader, Aziz (2018-05-29). "Exclusive: easyMarkets Closes Polish Branch 'Easy Forex Trading Sp Zoo'". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  10. ^ "easyMarkets Acquires Third Regulatory License from FSA Seychelles". Finance Magnates. 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  11. ^ "easyMarkets Launches μBTC Account". Finance Magnates. 2021-05-31. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  12. ^ "easyMarkets Adds US and European Listed Shares on MT4". Finance Magnates. 2021-06-03. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  13. ^ a b "easyMarkets integrates with TradingView platform". FX News Group. 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  14. ^ "Ohad Golan Steps Down as easyMarkets CMO". Finance Magnates. 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  15. ^ "easyMarkets Gains a New License from British Virgin Islands Regulator". Finance Magnates. 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2025-04-09.
  16. ^ Kirui, Jared (2024-08-06). "South Africa's Regulator Approves easyMarkets Operating License". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  17. ^ a b "EasyJet firms can't sue Cyprus company in Ireland for using 'easy' in title". Breaking News. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  18. ^ a b Sikder, Tareq (2025-01-30). "easyMarkets Q4 2024: Crypto Trading Volumes Triple as Bitcoin and Nasdaq100 Lead". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  19. ^ "easyMarkets Wins 'Broker of the Year 2024' and TradingView's 'Best of the Best'". Finance Magnates. 2025-02-07. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  20. ^ "easyMarkets Celebrates 20+ Years of Excellence in the Australian Financial Market". Finance Magnates. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  21. ^ Sikder, Tareq (2024-12-19). "easyMarkets Renews Real Madrid C.F Partnership Following FSCA Approval". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  22. ^ Golovtchenko, Victor (2016-09-08). "Breaking: Social Media Post Claims easyMarkets Security Officer Wrongly Arrested". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  23. ^ Mizrahi, Avi (2014-09-14). "Easy Forex Might Face 500 MLN Shekel Class Action Lawsuit, Israeli Paper Estimates". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  24. ^ Sheffer, Hadas (2010-06-16). "מאחורי הקלעים של חברת הפורקס הגדולה בישראל: "יותר מ-90% מהמשקיעים מפסידים"". Calcalist Israel. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  25. ^ Greenberg, Michael (2010-06-22). "Easy Forex slapped with a large lawsuit by a former client". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  26. ^ "Suit alleges Easy Forex rewards brokers for client losses". Globes. 2007-11-19. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  27. ^ Menahem, Sarit (2011-01-25). "Bottom Shekel Monte Carlo on the Yarkon". Haaretz. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
  28. ^ a b "Police probe alleged fraud by Easy Forex". En Globes. 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  29. ^ a b Greenberg, Michael (2011-06-14). "Easy Forex put under criminal investigation". Finance Magnates. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  30. ^ Levy-Weinreb, Eva (2011-06-14). "Police probe alleged fraud by Easy Forex". Globes. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  31. ^ "High Court in Dublin refuses to hear case against company over use of 'easy' in name". The Irish Independent. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2025-04-29.
  32. ^ "EasyJet firms can't sue Cyprus company in Ireland for using 'easy' in title". Echo Live. 2024-10-16. Retrieved 2025-04-30.
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