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IC Markets regulation

Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest. Here is IC Markets's regulatory record in full.

Facts last checked . Read the full IC Markets review.

Regulation and safety

Regulated by
ASIC (AFSL 335692); CySEC (362/18); Seychelles FSA (SD018); Bahamas SCB (SIA-F214); Kenya CMA (Licence 123)
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
Top-tier international banks
Negative balance protection
Retail only
Compensation scheme
ICF up to €20,000 for eligible EU clients; Raw Trading Ltd insolvency insurance up to US$1,000,000
Audited by
External independent auditors
Not available to
United States, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Iran, North Korea, Belgium, Brazil and other restricted/sanctioned jurisdictions

Check the licence yourself: ASIC Connect, the CySEC register of investment firms, the Seychelles FSA list of regulated entities.

What this means

Across a hundred brokers, the licence is what separates the field fastest.

IC Markets holds tier-one authorisations from ASIC and CySEC. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (SCB and FSA). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

ASIC caps retail leverage at 1:30, requires negative balance protection, and obliges the broker to hold client money in a separate trust account.

CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.

The Securities Commission of The Bahamas is an offshore regulator, commonly used for entities offering leverage above EU and Australian caps.

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Top-tier international banks. That separation is what makes your balance recoverable if the company fails, rather than part of the pool its creditors divide up.

Covered by ICF up to €20,000 for eligible EU clients; Raw Trading Ltd insolvency insurance up to US$1,000,000, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Questions about IC Markets regulation

Who regulates IC Markets?

IC Markets is regulated by ASIC (AFSL 335692); CySEC (362/18); Seychelles FSA (SD018); Bahamas SCB (SIA-F214); Kenya CMA (Licence 123).

Is client money segregated at IC Markets?

Yes. IC Markets holds client money separately from its own funds, at Top-tier international banks.

Does IC Markets offer negative balance protection?

Negative balance protection at IC Markets is recorded as: Retail only.

Regulation at brokers under the same regulator

More about IC Markets