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IC Markets Regulation and Licences: The Institutional Audit

By Ken Chigbo, Founder, KenMacro. 18-plus years across London trading floors and institutional FX. Audit framework runs daily inside the MACRO MASTERY desk.

Affiliate disclosure: KenMacro earns a commission if you open an account with IC Markets through links on this page, at no cost to you. The editorial verdict is independent of that commission and based on the desk’s institutional broker-audit framework.

The regulator stack, entity by entity

International Capital Markets Pty Ltd is regulated by ASIC under AFSL 335692. IC Markets (EU) Ltd is regulated by CySEC under licence 362/18. Raw Trading Ltd is registered with the FSA Seychelles under SD018. Notably, IC Markets does not operate an FCA UK entity, so UK-resident clients typically onboard under the Seychelles or CySEC entity rather than the FCA FSCS floor.

• ASIC Australia, AFSL 335692
• CySEC Cyprus, licence 362/18
• FSA Seychelles, SD018
• No FCA UK entity, an honest gap for UK retail clients

What each tier actually protects

Tier-1 regulators (FCA UK, ASIC Australia, NFA US) carry the deepest retail-client protection. Segregated client funds, audited capital adequacy, mandated negative balance protection, and compensation schemes that activate if the broker becomes insolvent. FSCS UK covers up to GBP 85,000 per client per firm on the FCA entity. AFCA Australia covers up to AUD 150,000 on the ASIC entity.

Tier-2 regulators (CySEC, BaFin, DFSA, FSCA) carry broad market acceptance but lighter compensation schemes. ICF Cyprus covers up to EUR 20,000 on the CySEC entity. FSCA does not run a compensation scheme equivalent to FSCS, the protection is procedural rather than capital-backed.

Offshore tiers (FSA Seychelles, SVG FSA, SCB Bahamas, FSC Mauritius) carry the lightest oversight. Higher leverage caps are the trade-off for lighter regulator protection. No comparable compensation scheme on most offshore entities.

The honest IC Markets read

No FCA UK entity. UK clients onboard via CySEC or FSA Seychelles, which sits below the FSCS floor. The desk’s framing: regulator depth is a structural filter, not a marketing line. The deeper the audited stack, the better the recourse if everything else fails. IC Markets’s ASIC, CySEC, FSA Seychelles stack is part of why the desk added the broker to the partner stack.

Which entity should you onboard under?

The default rule: onboard under the highest-tier entity that accepts your jurisdiction. UK residents should always prefer the FCA UK entity where available. Australian residents should prefer ASIC. EU residents should prefer CySEC or the local Tier-2 (BaFin Germany, AMF France). Offshore entities are a deliberate choice for high-leverage traders who accept the lighter regulator protection.

The pivot route

IC Markets is the partner stack the desk runs every day. The regulator stack is part of the daily institutional audit.

FAQ

Is IC Markets regulated?

Yes. International Capital Markets Pty Ltd is regulated by ASIC under AFSL 335692. IC Markets (EU) Ltd is regulated by CySEC under licence 362/18. Raw Trading Ltd is registered with the FSA Seychelles under SD018. Notably, IC Markets does not operate an FCA UK entity, so UK-resident clients typically onboard under the Seychelles or CySEC entity rather than the FCA FSCS floor.

Which entity should I onboard under at IC Markets?

Onboard under the highest-tier entity that accepts your jurisdiction. FCA UK and ASIC Australia are Tier-1 with the deepest retail-client protection. CySEC, BaFin and DFSA are Tier-2 with broad market acceptance. Offshore entities (FSA Seychelles, SVG FSA, SCB Bahamas) offer higher leverage with lighter regulator oversight.

Is IC Markets safe?

IC Markets segregates client funds at Tier-1 banks per regulator rules on the regulated entities listed above. Compensation schemes vary by entity: FSCS UK covers up to GBP 85,000 per client on the FCA entity (where present), AFCA Australia covers up to AUD 150,000, ICF Cyprus covers up to EUR 20,000. The desk has audited IC Markets as part of the partner stack screen.

Does IC Markets have FCA UK regulation?

No. IC Markets does not currently operate an FCA UK entity. UK-resident clients typically onboard under the CySEC, FSCA or offshore entity instead, which sits below the FSCS UK floor.