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MetaTrader Apps Face Ban in Indian Google Play Store Amid Regulatory Crackdown

MetaQuotes, the company behind the widely-used trading applications MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5), faces a significant setback in India as its mobile platforms are removed from the Google Play Store, affecting a substantial portion of the global investor community.

MetaTrader

India, home to one-fifth of the world’s retail investors, has seen these applications blocked due to regulatory actions against unregulated FX trading within the country.

The blockage was first brought to light by the Forex Salary channel on YouTube, which has a subscriber base of 120,000, predominantly Indian users. The channel revealed that MT4 and MT5 were no longer available in the Indian version of the Android app store. This development poses a considerable challenge for the local investment sector, given that Android devices account for 95% of the market share in India.

The exact reasons behind the apps’ removal are not transparent, but it appears to be linked to the Indian government and the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) stringent stance against unregulated brokerage activities. Throughout 2023, both entities have issued warnings about the risks associated with unregulated brokers, emphasizing the speculative and risky nature of retail FX trading, which they equate to gambling.

In a significant move in November 2023, the RBI updated its list of “illegal” FX trading platforms, flagging popular international brands and bringing the total count to 75. Officials have indicated an increase in scrutiny over forex transactions on non-authorized platforms, emphasizing the importance of strict adherence to Know Your Customer (KYC) norms.

This is not the first time MetaQuotes has encountered issues with app stores. In September 2022, a similar ban was imposed on MT4 and MT5 apps in Apple’s App Store globally, with the ban lifted after nearly six months following extensive negotiations. MetaQuotes successfully demonstrated compliance with Apple’s requirements, leading to the reinstatement of its apps.

The situation in India, however, may present unique challenges due to the regulatory pressures from local authorities. It remains uncertain if MetaQuotes can navigate through this regulatory landscape as successfully as it did with Apple.

Additionally, MetaQuotes has been active in regulating prop trading firms globally, including a recent crackdown leading to the suspension of services for Funding Pips by Blackbull Markets. This action has prompted prop firms to seek alternatives to MetaTrader platforms, highlighting the shifting dynamics in the trading industry.

As the situation unfolds, the industry watches closely to see how MetaQuotes and the Indian investment community adapt to these significant regulatory challenges.

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MetaQuotes to Change MetaTrader Web Terminal Addresses

MetaQuotes, a leading trading software provider, has announced the moving of old MetaTrader Web terminals from https://trade.mql5.com/trade to https://metatraderweb.app/trade.

MetaQuotes logo

Users can access the new web terminal through the WebTerminal section of the existing MetaQuotes website. However, it’s important to note that support for the MetaTrader 5 Web version will permanently end on August 1, 2023. On the other hand, MetaTrader 4 Web will continue to operate without interruption.

For users currently utilizing the old MetaTrader 5 Web terminal, MetaQuotes strongly advises requesting the new version of MetaTrader 5 WebTerminal from their respective brokers. The new web terminal offers improved functionality and efficiency, compatible with various platforms including Linux, Mac, iOS, and Android OS. Moreover, it can be accessed through any modern browser.

MetaQuotes emphasizes that all new technologies and services will only be available on the new web terminal. Therefore, users are encouraged to transition to the new version to take advantage of the latest features.

One notable change in the MetaTrader 5 Web Terminal is that it will allow connection exclusively to the specific broker based on domain linkage. This means that users will no longer need to search for their broker in the available list. Instead, they can simply enter their trading account login and password to access their trading platform.

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Swissquote Launches Crypto Exchange SQX

The crypto exchange maintains a centralized order book by sourcing liquidity from several hubs.

Its other competitors, like Dukascopy, are already offering wide crypto services.

crypto exchange

Swissquote announced the launch of its much-anticipated cryptocurrency exchange, which has been branded as SQX

The launch came after confirmation from a Swissquote executive late last year about the plans of starting a crypto exchange. However, the company missed the initial deadline for launching the crypto trading platform by June 2022.

SQX is a centralized crypto trading venue and, according to the official press release, it will enhance customers’ experience in the areas of “trading, execution and liquidity.”

It is maintaining a central order book by sourcing and aggregating liquidity from several liquidity hubs.

Swissquote’s CEO, Marc Bürki said: “Swissquote is at the forefront of innovation and was one of the first institutions in Europe with a banking license to offer cryptocurrency trading. The launch of our own crypto exchange is an important step forward in offering our customers deeper liquidity and faster execution.”

Indeed, Swissquote being a Switzerland-headquartered broker operates with a banking license, a mandatory regulation for Swiss brokers.

However, Swissquote is not the only brokerage in the country to jump into the cryptocurrency space. Rather, it has joined local competitors like Dukascopy to offer crypto products. Switzerland’s largest stock exchange, Six Swiss Exchange, has listed several crypto exchange-trades products over the years.

In its initial phase of the crypto exchange, it will offer Bancor Network (BNT). In addition, the company ensured the addition of other crypto assets which are already available on Swissquite to be added on the new crypto exchange.

“In terms of services for institutional clients, SQX also represents an increase in competitiveness when it comes to offering trading and custody services to other banks and brokers,” Bürki added.

Meanwhile, Swissquote reported a 23.1 percent yearly decline in its operating revenue for the first half of 2022 which came in at CHF 204.8 million. Moreover, its net revenue dropped by 24.4 percent. Interestingly, the company also witnessed a 69.2 percent drop in net crypto assets income in the period as the number reached CHF 19.5 million.

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EU Bans Crypto Payments from Russia

EU bans crypto services in Russia and it is one of several new ‘hard-hitting’ measures of the EU against Russia.

The bloc banned seven Russian banks from accessing SWIFT earlier in March

Crypto ban
Crypto ban

The European Union has imposed sanctions that forbid European crypto operations from providing virtually any cryptocurrency services to Russians. Russia will lose access to most of the cryptocurrency services in the European Union.

On September 6, the EU announced its eighth package of sanctions against Russia in response to its ongoing invasion and annexation of Ukraine.

The EU Council describes the new policy as “a full ban of the provision of… wallets, account or custody services to Russian persons and residents, regardless of the total value of those crypto-assets.”

A separate statement published by the European Commission indicates that related restrictions had been put in place before today, but that wallets holding less than €10,000 ($9,800) had been exempt from those sanctions.

Today’s announcement only names “crypto-asset wallets, accounts, or custody services” as services that cannot be offered to Russian users. However, it seems that crypto exchanges, brokerages, and payment services will be covered by the ban as account-based services.

The sanctions package also contains bans unrelated to cryptocurrency. Specifically, it aims to restrict Russian imports and exports, limit the movement of military equipment, and implement a price cap on Russian oil exports.

The EU Commission said that sanctions are “proving effective” in limiting Russia’s ability to manufacture and repair weapons. It also expressed its support for Ukraine.

Russia, for its part, has been attempting to lift its own restrictions on cryptocurrency usage. This week, Russia’s finance ministry announced plans to allow international cryptocurrency settlements for most industries. The country has been open to that possibility since at least May.

It is unclear whether today’s sanctions will limit those plans, as Russia may plan to transact in crypto outside of the EU.

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Spotware Sees a Spike in Demand for cTrader Amid MetaQuotes Delisting

Recently, Spotware Systems announced that the company is currently facing exploding demand for cTrader, especially from large brokers as remains the safest option in the market.

Spotware faces growing demand for cTrader
cTrader by Spotware Systems

Spotware Systems has recently announced that its flagship trading platform cTrader is facing a spiking demand. The increased demand especially comes from large brokers since cTrader has established itself as the safest trading platform in the market.

The demand for cTrader spiked amid the MetaQuotes delisting from iOS. The brokers are concerned about the situation that had popped up around MT4/MT5 as they risk losing customers to competitors offering alternative platforms, such as cTrader.

Spotware Systems is well known in the industry for its “traders first” approach and is one of the safest platforms in the market. Since the inception of cTrader, for more than 12 years, Spotware kicked out multiple bucket shop brokerage companies and companies accepting US clients.

The cTrader platform is designed to keep track of users activity to make it easy for traders and investors alike, each track amendment is recorded and marked separately. It was built to protect users by not allowing the “inject price” function and preventing scam brokers from stop-loss hunting or installing any plugins like “Virtual Dealer”.

“cTrader is hosted on Spotware’s infrastructure and only Spotware employees have access to it. Trade receipts with all necessary information about each trade, including but not limited to chronological events, slippage, and Level 2 market snapshot and execution times are stored and cannot be modified, ensuring trading transparency. All the above features make cTrader less appealing to brokers with malicious intentions.”

John Parnaby, The Head of Technical Support at Spotware

About cTrader

Founded in 2011, cTrader is a leading multi-asset forex and CFD trading platform developed by Spotware Systems, an award-winning financial technology provider based in Cyprus.

The platform is one-of-a-kind and doesn’t engage in fraud and prides itself on 100% transparency providing brokers with exceptional solutions while at the same time catering to the needs of traders.

cTrader offers quite a comprehensive and sophisticated range of tools, including a great variety of charts, over 70 pre-installed technical indicators, cTrader Automate Algo trading solution, Copy trading, Open API, etc.

For further information visit cTrader’s official website – ctrader.com or read their Wikipedia article.

Also, read our review article on 6 best brokers with cTrader.