IC Markets vs MultiBank Group: Which Broker Is Better?

IC Markets operates through regulated entities that include International Capital Markets Pty Ltd, authorised by ASIC under licence number 335692, and IC Markets (EU) Ltd, regulated by CySEC under licence number 362/18. International services are also provided through Raw Trading Ltd, regulated by the Seychelles FSA under licence number SD018, and IC Markets Global Ltd, regulated in the Bahamas.

The level of protection at IC Markets depends on the entity serving the client. An ASIC or CySEC account does not necessarily provide the same conditions and rights as an account opened with an international entity, and leverage, complaint procedures, negative-balance protection and available products may differ even when the client uses the same Raw Spread account or platform.

Before choosing IC Markets for scalping or algorithmic trading, traders should verify the legal company name and licence number shown during registration. Low spreads, liquidity and execution are important, but they do not determine which entity is responsible for client funds or what legal protection applies if a dispute or account problem occurs.

Regulated IC Markets entities hold eligible client funds in segregated accounts, separate from the capital used for the company’s operations, under the requirements of the relevant regulator. The broker also states that negative balance protection may apply to certain clients and entities under the conditions of the applicable account agreement.

Client-fund protection is not identical across the IC Markets group and may differ between the ASIC-regulated Australian entity, the CySEC-regulated European entity and international entities in Seychelles or the Bahamas. Traders should identify the legal company that will hold their funds before choosing a Raw Spread account or making a deposit.

MultiBank Group operates through a network of entities that includes MEX Australia Pty Ltd, authorised by ASIC under licence number 416279; MEX Asset Management GmbH, supervised by BaFin under number 119375; and MEX Europe Ltd, regulated by CySEC under licence number 430/23. The group also has an entity supervised by the SCA in the UAE and an international entity in Belize serving different markets.

The group’s multiple entities provide broad regulatory coverage, but they do not mean that every client receives the same protection available under ASIC, BaFin or CySEC. The actual entity may affect leverage, products, complaint procedures and investor protection, so traders should also verify the permitted scope of each legal company.

When researching MultiBank Group licences, traders should look beyond the number of licences and identify the entity shown in the client agreement. This is especially important for Arabic-speaking traders who may be directed to the UAE or international entity and need to balance global availability with the oversight applied to their account.

MultiBank Group entities apply client-money protection rules according to the regulator responsible for each legal company. These arrangements include separating eligible client funds from the group’s operating capital and business expenses, helping prevent client money from being used to finance the broker’s daily operations.

Fund custody rules, negative balance protection and investor compensation arrangements are not uniform across the ASIC, BaFin, CySEC, SCA and international Belize entities. Traders should verify the specific MEX or MultiBank company named in their client agreement instead of relying on the total number of licences held across the wider group.