IC Markets Information

IC Markets Global is an Australian online forex and CFD broker that provides traders access to the global financial markets. The company was founded in 2007 and is regulated by ASIC in Australia, CySEC in Cryprus and FSA in Seychelles. IC Markets offers 2,250+ CFDs on 61 currency pairs, 24 commodities, 2,100+ stocks, 25 indexes, 9 bonds, 21 cryptocurrencies, and 4 futures via the advanced trading platforms such as MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5, cTrader, and TradingView. The company also offers 24/7 customer support and a variety of educational resources for traders of all levels.

Is IC Market Legit?

IC Markets Global maintains regulatory compliance in both Australia and Cyprus, adhering to the respective financial regulatory standards in these jurisdictions. Regulatory oversight by Australia Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC) and Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CYSEC) contribute to a safer trading environment for clients.

IC Markets' Australian entity, INTERNATIONAL CAPITAL MARKETS PTY. LTD., regulated by ASIC under license number 335692, holding a license for Market Making (MM).

IC Markets' enropean entity, IC Markets (EU) Ltd, regulated by CYSEC under regulatory number 362/18, holding a license for Maket Making ( MM) as well.

IC Markets Global is operated by Raw Trading Ltd and holds a Derivatives Trading License (No. SD018) issued by the Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA), authorizing futures, financial derivatives, securities, bond, options, and other financial product trading.

Market Instruments

IC Markets Global offers a wide range of over 2250 tradable instruments to trade, including CFDs on 61 currency pairs, 24 commodities, 2,100+ stocks, 25 indexes, 9 bonds, 21 cryptocurrencies, and 4 futures. This provides traders with the opportunity to diversify their investment portfolio and access multiple markets and assets.

Minimum Deposit

IC Markets Global requires a minimum deposit of $200 for traders to open an account. In the industry, many established brokers frequently impose minimum deposit requirements that surpass $500 or even reach $1,000. In contrast, certain major players such as Avatrade and Aixonly mandate minimum deposits of $100 and $0, respectively. So, IC Markets's minimum deposit requirement seems to be in the “middle”.

Here is the comparison of IC Markets Global minimum deposit with Avatrade, Exness, and Axi:

Broker	Minimum Deposit
	$200
	$100
	$10
	$0

Account Type/Fees

Demo Account

IC Markets Global offers a free advanced demo account for beginner traders to practice on, which lasts for 30 days.

Users who open a demo account can enjoy the following features:

• Access to Raw Pricing
• Spreads Starting at 0.0 pips
• Fast Order Execution
• Available on MT4, MT5 and cTrader platforms

However, demo accounts aim to mimic real markets but function in a simulated environment. This means there are significant differences compared to real accounts, including not relying on real-time market liquidity, encountering price delays, and having access to certain products that may not be tradable on live accounts.

Opening a demo account is simple:

Step 1: Click the “Try a Free DEMO” button on the homepage of IC Markets.

Step 2: Fill in your personal info, including your country of residence, name, email, phone number to get a verification code.

Step 3: Choose to demo accounts on your preferrable trading platform, MT4, MT5, cTrader, or TradingView. Then choose your account currency, virtual funds, starting from $200 to $5,000,000, your desired leverage level.

Step 4: Log into your demo account and start trading.

Leverage

IC Markets' maximum leverage offering of up to 1:1000 can be beneficial for experienced traders who know how to manage their risks well. The high leverage can potentially magnify the profits of a successful trade, enabling traders to take advantage of larger positions in the market.

Trading Platform

IC Markets Global offers its clients a variety of trading platforms, including the popular MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5 platforms as well as the cTrader and TradingView platforms.

The MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5 platforms are similar and offer a range of trading tools and indicators, as well as the ability to use Expert Advisors (EAs) and automate trading strategies.

The cTrader platform, on the other hand, offers advanced charting capabilities and a variety of order types. However, it has a steeper learning curve and limited customization options compared to the MetaTrader4 and MetaTrader5 platforms.

Deposit & Withdrawal

IC Markets Global offers a variety of deposit and withdrawal options, including MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, Neteller, Skrill, UnionPay, Wire Transfer, Bpay, Broker to Broker, POLi, Thai Internet Banking, Rapidpay, Klarna, and Vietnamese Internet Banking.

IC Markets Global does not charge any fees for deposits and withdrawals. However, additional fees may occur at some banking institutions.

Withdrawal requests have a cut off time at 12:00 AEST/AEDT, and take up to 10 business days to process depending on the bank.

International bank wire transfers take up to 14 days and incur additional intermediary and/or beneficiary fees.

Credit/debit card withdrawals are processed free of charge and take 3-5 business days to reach your credit card.

Paypal/Neteller/Skrill withdrawals are processed instantly and free of charge, but must be made from the same account as the initial funds were sent from.

LION Information

LION is a financial company registered in Cayman Islands and started its business since 2015. With its dual headquarters in Hong Kong and Singapore, the company expands its global presence to USA, Dubai, Malaysia, Vietnam and so on.

Its business scope mainly focus on trading in forex, securites and futures, and product number is said to be more than 10000 kinds. There's an education center with “Lion School” where traders can get “news flash” for market trends analysis and financial calendar to reach the latest market updates.

The broker is decently regulated by two authorities: SFC (Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong) and MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore), assuring some level of credibility and reliability in these countries.

However, the broker also holds an offshore license from CIMA (Cayman Islands Monetary Authority) and an exceeded license from SFC (Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong), which should raise traders' attentions about potential risks.

Pros and Cons

Is LION Legit?

LION is officially regulated by SFC (Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong) and MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore), with a licenses numbering at BID234 and BID234 respectively.

However, the broker also holds an SFC exceeded license and a CIMA offshore license, imparing its liability.

Regulated Country	Regulator	Regulatory Status	Regulated Entity	License Type	License Number
	SFC	Regulated	Lion Futures Limited	Dealing in futures contracts	BID234
	MAS	Regulated	LION INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.	Retail Forex License	CMS101140
	CIMA	Offshore	Lion Brokers Limited	Market Making (MM)	1455005
	SFC	Exceeded	Lion International Securities Group Limited	Dealing in securities	BHY491

What Can I Trade on LION?

LION boasts more than 10000 securites, 100+ futures and 100+ forex for global clients.

Securities:

• Lion A-shares Stock Connect: Offers leveraged investments up to 2.5 times through Total Return Swap (TRS) derivatives, ensuring client privacy and low financing costs.
• Hong Kong and U.S. Equities: The T+0 same-day selling enables immediate trading for enhanced flexibility.

Futures:

Enables direct access to top international exchanges with a safe and standardized market, traders can access millisecond data updates.

Forex:

Traders can enjoy spread from as low as 0 pip with forex trading, STP-ECN trading model and flexible leverage options, with no commission from deposits and withdrawals.

Trading Platform

LION provides two trading platforms: LionBrokersElite for securities and CFDs; LionBrokers for futures. Traders need to download different apps for different products.

Both platforms are downloadable from Windows, macOS, iOS and Android devices. Traders can approach real-time monitoring of their transactions and financial instrument trends with these platforms.