National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • European Economic Area & Switzerland
CYSEC
CyprusCyprus Securities and Exchange Commission
Source / Native Reference: 塞浦路斯证券和交易委员会
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-2
- License classes
- 3
- Licensed records
- 171
- Active / regulated
- 153
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Capital Markets Board of Türkiye (SPK / CMB) (CMB) is the Tier-2 statutory financial markets and securities supervisory authority in Türkiye. It grants and supervises financial services licences across broker-dealers, investment advisers, asset managers, and market operators, enforcing initial and ongoing prudential capital requirements, segregated client asset rules, market conduct standards, and public register disclosures.
Supervises Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs), Alternative Investment Fund Managers (AIFMs), UCITS Management Companies, Administrative Service Providers, and Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) under EU directives.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-2EU/EEA MiFID II and MiCA national competent authority supervising the largest concentration of cross-border European retail FX/CFD investment firms (CIFs).
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (CYSEC)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by CYSEC in Cyprus.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CIF — Full Scope / Market Maker (IFR €750k) | Cyprus Investment Firm — Dealing on Own Account & Underwriting | Acting as principal / market maker in CFDs, rolling spot FX, transferable securities, and derivatives across the EEA. | EUR €750,000 Permanent Minimum Capital Requirement (PMR) under EU IFR Article 14(1). | Higher of €750k PMR, 25% Fixed Overheads Requirement, or K-Factor Requirement; ESMA/CySEC 30:1 retail leverage limits. |
| CIF — STP / Agency & Portfolio Manager (IFR €150k) | Cyprus Investment Firm — Holding Client Money / Assets (Non-Dealing) | Reception and transmission of orders, execution of orders on behalf of clients (STP), and portfolio management with client asset custody. | EUR €150,000 Permanent Minimum Capital Requirement (PMR). | Quarterly Form 165-01 / 165-02 IFR prudential filings, ICAAP/ICARA review, and annual external client asset audit. |
| CIF — Advisory / Non-Custodial (IFR €75k) | Cyprus Investment Firm — Non-Custodial Order Transmission & Advisory | Investment advice and reception/transmission of orders without permission to hold client money or financial instruments. | EUR €75,000 Permanent Minimum Capital Requirement (PMR). | Simplified SNI prudential regime, MiFID II suitability assessments, and annual CySEC risk-based supervision levy. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under CYSEC.
Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) for Clients of CIFs
- Maximum coverage per client
- EUR €20,000 per retail client (or 90% of the cumulative covered claim, whichever is lower)
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail clients of CySEC-authorised CIFs (Professional Clients and Eligible Counterparties under MiFID II Annex II are excluded).
CySEC Directive DI87-01 & Law 87(I)/2017 Section 17(8)-(10)
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Daily internal reconciliation of client money trust accounts; strict prohibition on Title Transfer Collateral Arrangements (TTCAs) with retail clients.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Client funds must be held in segregated accounts at EEA central banks or CRD credit institutions; mandatory Negative Balance Protection and 50% margin close-out per account.
EU MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) Authorisation
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- Full EU Transfer of Funds Regulation (TFR) Travel Rule enforcement and DORA ICT operational resilience standards.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Investment Services and Activities and Regulated Markets Law of 2017 (Law 87(I)/2017 — transposing EU MiFID II)
- Prudential Supervision of Investment Firms Law of 2021 (Law 165(I)/2021 — EU IFR/IFD)
- EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA — Regulation (EU) 2023/1114)
- CySEC Directive DI87-01 (Safeguarding of Client Assets) & Directive DI87-09 (CFD Product Intervention)
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Quarterly IFR Prudential Supervision returns, COREP/FINREP filings, and annual Pillar 3 Risk DisclosuresMiFIR T+1 transaction reporting, EMIR daily derivatives reporting, and RTS 27/28 execution quality disclosuresAnnual AML/CFT Compliance Officer Report and Internal Audit Report submitted directly to the CySEC Board
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Full EU/EEA MiFID II and MiCA passporting across all 30 EEA jurisdictions via cross-border notification (Art. 34 MiFID II) or tied-agent/branch establishment (Art. 35 MiFID II).
Supervised institutions & CYSEC licence records in our database
171 licence records referencing CYSEC (153 regulated/registered, 15 flagged with warnings/revocations).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plus500 | 250/14 | Regulated | Plus500CY Ltd | 2014-10-10 | |
| bybit | Number pending check | Registered | Bybit Fintech Limited | 2023 | |
| Swissquote | 422/22 | Regulated | Swissquote Capital Markets Limited | 21/11/2022 | |
| AXICORP | 433/23 | Regulated | Solaris EMEA Limited | 2023-07-10 | |
| MultiBank | 430/23 | Regulated | MEX Europe Ltd | 2023-05-22 | |
| Pepperstone | 388/20 | Regulated | Pepperstone EU Limited | 2020-08-03 | |
| Equiti | 415/22 | Regulated | Equiti Global Markets Ltd | 2022-09-12 | |
| XM | 120/10 | Regulated | Trading Point of Financial Instruments Ltd | 2010-08-05 | |
| ATFX | 285/15 | Regulated | ATFX Global Markets (Cy) Limited | 2015-12-17 | |
| Amana Capital | 155/11 | Regulated | Amana Capital Ltd | 2011-10-21 | |
| easyMarkets | 079/07 | Regulated | Easy Forex Trading Ltd | 29/05/2007 | |
| Fortrade | 385/20 | Regulated | Fortrade Cyprus Ltd | 2020-03-09 | |
| Royal | 312/16 | Regulated | Royal | 2016-08-10 | |
| Finalto | 092/08 | Regulated | Safecap Investments Ltd | 2008-07-28 | |
| HFM | 183/12 | Regulated | HF Markets (Europe) Ltd | 2012-11-20 | |
| HYCM | 259/14 | Regulated | HYCM (Europe) Ltd | 2014-11-26 | |
| ETORO | 109/10 | Regulated | Etoro (Europe) Limited | 2010-01-14 | |
| FBS | 331/17 | Regulated | Tradestone Limited | 2017-08-07 | |
| FP Markets | 371/18 | Regulated | First Prudential Markets Ltd | 2018-11-19 | |
| FXOpen | 194/13 | Regulated | FXOpen EU Ltd | 2013-04-17 | |
| GO MARKETS | 322/17 | Regulated | Go Markets Ltd | 2017-04-25 | |
| LMAX Group | 310/16 | Regulated | LMAX Broker Europe Ltd | 2016-08-08 | |
| M4Markets | 301/16 | Regulated | Harindale Ltd | 2016-04-27 | |
| MARKETS.COM | 092/08 | Regulated | Safecap Investments Ltd | 2008-07-28 | |
| The | 166/12 | Regulated | The First Interstellar Capital Limited | 2012-03-21 | |
| IC Markets | 362/18 | Regulated | IC Markets (EU) Ltd | 2018-06-25 | |
| LIRUNEX | 338/17 | Regulated | Lirunex Ltd | 2017-09-25 | |
| MiTRADE | 438/23 | Regulated | MiTrade EU Limited | 2023-10-09 | |
| Octa | 372/18 | Regulated | Octa Markets Cyprus Ltd | 2018-12-10 | |
| FXGlobe(Global network record) | 205/13 | Regulated | FXGlobe Ltd | 2013-06-20 | |
| FxPro(Global network record) | 078/07 | Regulated | 078/07 | 2007-03-05 | |
| GLOBAL(Global network record) | 370/18 | Regulated | B2B Prime Services EU Ltd | 2021 | |
| Exness(Global network record) | 178/12 | Regulated | Exness (Cy) Ltd | 2012-09-05 | |
| Viverno(Global network record) | 199/13 | Regulated | Viverno Markets Ltd | 2013-05-31 | |
| GVD Markets(Global network record) | 411/22 | Regulated | GVD Korimcy Ltd | 2022-02-07 | |
| RoboForex(Global network record) | 191/13 | Regulated | Robomarkets Ltd | 2013-01-30 | |
| Squared Financial(Global network record) | 329/17 | Regulated | Squared Financial (CY) Ltd | 2017-06-23 | |
| Tickmill(Global network record) | 278/15 | Regulated | Tickmill Europe Ltd | 2015-08-05 | |
| Windsor Brokers(Global network record) | 030/04 | Regulated | Windsor Brokers Ltd | 2004-05-20 | |
| WisunoFX(Global network record) | 450/24 | Regulated | WSN Capital Ltd | 2024-12-23 | |
| Alvexo(Global network record) | 236/14 | Regulated | VPR Safe Financial Group Ltd | 03/06/2014 | |
| BHC(Global network record) | 442/24 | Regulated | Brickhill Capital (CY) Ltd | 2024-01-22 | |
| Capex(Global network record) | 292/16 | Regulated | Key Way Investments Ltd | 2016-01-21 | |
| CFI International Ltd(Global network record) | 179/12 | Regulated | Credit Financier Invest (CFI) Ltd | 2012-09-25 | |
| Conotoxia(Global network record) | 336/17 | Regulated | Conotoxia Ltd | 2017-09-11 | |
| FXGT.com(Global network record) | 382/20 | Regulated | GT Investment Services Ltd | 2020-01-27 | |
| FXORO(Global network record) | 126/10 | Regulated | MCA Intelifunds Ltd | 2010-12-21 | |
| FXTM(Global network record) | 185/12 | Regulated | Forextime Ltd | 2012-12-13 | |
| HTFX(Global network record) | 332/17 | Regulated | HTFX (EU) Ltd (EX CDG Global (EU) Ltd) | 2017-08-07 | |
| Interstellar Group(Global network record) | 166/12 | Regulated | The First Interstellar Capital | 2012-03-21 | |
| IronFX(Global network record) | 125/10 | Regulated | Notesco Financial Services Ltd | 16/11/2010 | |
| JFD(Global network record) | 150/11 | Regulated | JFD Group Ltd | 2011-08-05 | |
| PRCBroker(Global network record) | 253/14 | Regulated | Performance Ronnaru Company Ltd | 2014-10-30 | |
| Scope Markets(Global network record) | 339/17 | Regulated | SM Capital Markets Ltd | 2017-11-02 | |
| TRADE.COM(Global network record) | 227/14 | Regulated | Trade Capital Markets (TCM) Ltd | 2014-02-17 | |
| Tradu(Global network record) | 392/20 | Regulated | Stratos Europe Ltd | 2020-11-23 | |
| XNT LTD(Global network record) | 165/12 | Regulated | EXT Ltd | 2012-02-28 | |
| XTB(Global network record) | 169/12 | Regulated | XTB Ltd | 2012-04-18 | |
| Advanced Markets(Global network record) | 127/10 | Cancelled | Advanced Markets | 2010-12-22 | |
| AMP Global(Global network record) | 360/18 | Revoked | AMP Global LTD | 2018-06-04 | |
| APME FX(Global network record) | 335/17 | Regulated | APME FX Trading Europe Ltd | 2017-08-10 | |
| Axia Investments(Global network record) | 217/13 | Suspected clone | OBR Investments Ltd | 2013-10-07 | |
| Banxso(Global network record) | 413/22 | Regulated | Banxso Ltd (ex XF Services Ltd) | 2022-10-10 | |
| BUX(Global network record) | 374/19 | Regulated | BUX Europe Ltd | 2019-04-15 | |
| doto(Global network record) | 399/21 | Regulated | DOTO EUROPE LTD | 2021-04-12 | |
| Errante(Global network record) | 383/20 | Regulated | Notely Trading Ltd | 2020-02-03 | |
| Fidus Investments Cyprus Ltd(Global network record) | 326/17 | Regulated | Fidus Investments Cyprus Ltd | 2017-05-12 | |
| FONDEX(Global network record) | 138/11 | Suspected clone | Topfx Ltd | 2011-04-19 | |
| Forex(Global network record) | 164/12 | Regulated | Indication Investments Ltd. | 2012-01-31 | |
| FXGM(Global network record) | 161/11 | Regulated | Naxex Invest Ltd | 2011-12-27 | |
| GMI(Global network record) | 226/14 | Regulated | Mount Nico Corp Ltd | 2014-02-07 | |
| iFOREX(Global network record) | 143/11 | Regulated | ICFD Ltd | 2011-05-23 | |
| Klips(Global network record) | 434/23 | Regulated | Klips CY Ltd | 2023-08-01 | |
| LegacyFX(Global network record) | 344/17 | Regulated | A.N. Allnew Investments Ltd | 2017-11-27 | |
| Oqtima(Global network record) | 406/21 | Regulated | Nordskov Capital Ltd | 2021-11-02 | |
| Orbex Limited(Global network record) | 124/10 | No licence | Orbex Limited | 2010-10-21 | |
| Pipbull Ltd(Global network record) | 411/22 | Regulated | GVD Korimcy Ltd | 2022-02-07 | |
| Primus(Global network record) | 261/14 | Regulated | Primus Global Ltd | 2014-12-22 | |
| Purple Trading(Global network record) | 271/15 | Regulated | L.F. Investment Limited | 2015-04-06 | |
| Skilling(Global network record) | 357/18 | Regulated | Skilling Limited | 2018-05-07 |
CYSEC (Cyprus): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under CYSEC (Cyprus)?
CYSEC (Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission) supervises financial institutions in Cyprus under Investment Services and Activities and Regulated Markets Law of 2017 (Law 87(I)/2017 — transposing EU MiFID II) and Prudential Supervision of Investment Firms Law of 2021 (Law 165(I)/2021 — EU IFR/IFD). Key statutory authorisation classes include: CIF — Full Scope / Market Maker (IFR €750k) (Cyprus Investment Firm — Dealing on Own Account & Underwriting — min. capital: EUR €750,000 Permanent Minimum Capital Requirement (PMR) under EU IFR Article 14(1).); CIF — STP / Agency & Portfolio Manager (IFR €150k) (Cyprus Investment Firm — Holding Client Money / Assets (Non-Dealing) — min. capital: EUR €150,000 Permanent Minimum Capital Requirement (PMR).); CIF — Advisory / Non-Custodial (IFR €75k) (Cyprus Investment Firm — Non-Custodial Order Transmission & Advisory — min. capital: EUR €75,000 Permanent Minimum Capital Requirement (PMR).). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does CYSEC provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under CYSEC's framework, investor protection is governed by Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) for Clients of CIFs with maximum coverage of EUR €20,000 per retail client (or 90% of the cumulative covered claim, whichever is lower) (Retail clients of CySEC-authorised CIFs (Professional Clients and Eligible Counterparties under MiFID II Annex II are excluded).). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with CySEC Directive DI87-01 & Law 87(I)/2017 Section 17(8)-(10), performing daily internal reconciliation of client money trust accounts; strict prohibition on title transfer collateral arrangements (ttcas) with retail clients. with client funds must be held in segregated accounts at eea central banks or crd credit institutions; mandatory negative balance protection and 50% margin close-out per account..
How does CYSEC regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
CYSEC's digital-asset regime is structured around EU MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) Authorisation (Transitioned from the CySEC National CASP Register to full EU-wide MiCA CASP licensing with EEA passporting.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: Full EU Transfer of Funds Regulation (TFR) Travel Rule enforcement and DORA ICT operational resilience standards.
How can I verify an institution's CYSEC licence number and check our 171 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 171 licence records referencing CYSEC (153 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open CYSEC's official public register (https://www.cysec.gov.cy/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
Research and compliance analysis from APAC Capital Brief relevant to CYSEC and Cyprus.
APAC Macro & Institutional Capital Markets
HKEX Swap Connect & Northbound Bond Connect Hedging, Nippon NISA Equity Flows & APAC Sovereign Wealth Allocation (2026 Briefing)
HKEX Swap Connect refers to the mutual interest rate derivatives clearing link between Hong Kong and mainland China, clearing ¥31.8 billion in daily notional volume [¥31.8 billion, HKEX, Q3 2026] alongside record Nippon NISA and Singapore sovereign allocations.
BOJ & Yen Rates
BOJ 1.25% Policy Rate, 10Y JGB Yield Curve & TSE PBR Governance Reform Breakdown (2026)
The Bank of Japan holds its policy rate at 1.25% (Source: BOJ, 2026-09-19) while 10-year JGB yields trade at 2.89% and 94.2% of TSE Prime issuers execute PBR capital plans.
BOJ & Yen Rates
Bank of Japan 1.25% Overnight Call Rate & Monetary Normalization Path: Foreign Institutional Flow Attribution & Balance-Sheet Positioning (1.25% Policy Target Rate Benchmark)
Bank of Japan 1.25% Overnight Call Rate & Monetary Normalization Path (BOJ-125-CALL-RATE) stands at 1.25% (Policy Target Rate) (Source: Bank of Japan Policy Board, 2026-10-20), governing weekly net foreign buying across
TSE Governance & Equities
Bank of Japan 1.25% Overnight Call Rate & Monetary Normalization Path: Return on Equity (ROE) vs. Cost of Equity & Buyback Yield Math (1.25% Policy Target Rate Benchmark)
Bank of Japan 1.25% Overnight Call Rate & Monetary Normalization Path (BOJ-125-CALL-RATE) stands at 1.25% (Policy Target Rate) (Source: Bank of Japan Policy Board, 2026-10-20), governing unwinding strategic cross-shareho
Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for CYSEC (Cyprus) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on CYSEC’s official public register.