Safecap Investments Limited
Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) · Reference 092/08 1
Authorised Verified on register, 5 Oct 2026
Markets.com
Markets.com is a CFD broker operated in the EU by Safecap Investments Limited, licensed by CySEC. It also operates through Markets International Limited in St Vincent and the Grenadines and Markets South Africa (Pty) Ltd, which it says is licensed by the FSCA.
Research-based assessment This profile has not completed TTI’s on-site verification and 30-day platform review. How TTI verification works
Verified licences
| Regulator | Licence | Legal entity | Register status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) | 092/08 | Safecap Investments Limited | Authorised Checked 5 Oct 2026 | Register entry for Safecap Investments Limited (opens in a new tab) 1 |
Each licence was matched on the regulator’s own register on the date shown. Unverified claims are listed under Regulation and legal entities.
Assessment summary
Markets.com’s EU company, Safecap Investments Limited, is licensed by CySEC and publishes clear documents: segregated client money, negative balance protection, the Investor Compensation Fund, the Financial Ombudsman of Cyprus, a 50% margin close-out and full costs, including a 1.2% currency conversion fee. Its site warns that 85.4% of retail accounts lose money. International clients, however, can be served by Markets International Limited in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which holds no licence we could find, and the group does not say who owns it. Its regulatory findings, a 2015 CySEC fine and a 2015 Brazilian stop order, are more than ten years old.
Key positives
- Clients can tell which regulated entity serves them 23
The site names each Markets.com company and its regulator, and warns EU visitors when the offshore site is operated by a company not regulated in the EU.
- Client money segregation is disclosed 3
Safecap holds client money in segregated omnibus client accounts with authorised credit institutions. We could not read the offshore company’s terms.
- Authorisations are current and unrestricted 1
The Cyprus licence is current.
- Retail clients have negative balance protection 3
Safecap’s clients have negative balance protection, so losses cannot exceed their equity. We could not read the offshore company’s terms.
- A complaints procedure is published 10
Safecap publishes a complaint handling policy with a final response within at most three months.
Key concerns
- Client-facing entities appear on the regulator’s register 12
Partly met We matched Safecap Investments Limited on CySEC’s register. We could not check the South African company’s FSCA licence, and the St Vincent company that runs the offshore site names no licence.
- Complaint data is disclosed 10
Not met We found no complaint statistics published by Markets.com or by a regulator or ombudsman for its companies.
- Banking and custody arrangements are disclosed 3
Not met The agreement refers to authorised credit institutions without naming them.
- Regulatory claims on the website are accurate 12
Partly met The CySEC licence Markets.com states matches the register, and its site tells EU visitors that the offshore company is not regulated in the EU. We could not confirm the FSCA licence.
- Permissions cover the services offered 12
Partly met CySEC authorises Safecap to deal on own account and execute orders in all instrument classes. The offshore company names no licence, and we could not see the South African permissions on a register.
Breakdown by dimension
Each dimension is scored from its criteria, then weighted. Dimensions without enough evidence are left out and the remaining weights are rescaled. Open a dimension to see every criterion, our rationale and the sources.
Regulatory status and licence verification 26% of score Whether the firm’s licences exist, are current and cover what it offers.
- Partly met
- Met
Authorisations are current and unrestricted 1
The Cyprus licence is current.
- Partly met
- Partly met
- Met
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
Corporate transparency and ownership 13% of score Whether you can find out who owns and runs the firm.
- Partly met
Legal entity details are published 2
The site gives Safecap’s registration number and address and the St Vincent company’s registration number, but no address for the offshore or South African companies.
- Not determined
- Partly met
- Partly met
Directors or senior managers are identified 4
Safecap’s disclosures describe its board composition, but we found no named management team for Markets.com.
- Partly met
Financial statements are available 4
Safecap publishes annual prudential disclosures, most recently for 2025. We found no financial statements for the other companies or the group.
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
Client fund protections and disclosed safeguards 13% of score What protects client money if something goes wrong.
- Met
Client money segregation is disclosed 3
Safecap holds client money in segregated omnibus client accounts with authorised credit institutions. We could not read the offshore company’s terms.
- Met
Retail clients have negative balance protection 3
Safecap’s clients have negative balance protection, so losses cannot exceed their equity. We could not read the offshore company’s terms.
- Partly met
- Not met
Banking and custody arrangements are disclosed 3
The agreement refers to authorised credit institutions without naming them.
- Met
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
Enforcement and substantiated adverse findings 13% of score Regulator warnings, enforcement actions and final legal findings on record.
Starts at 100 and loses points for each substantiated adverse finding by severity and age. Allegations, complaints and clone warnings never count. Total deducted: 0 points.
- Met
- Enforcement action
CySEC fines Safecap Investments EUR 168,000 7
2 Jul 2015. Not counted: more than 10 years old at the review date.
- Enforcement action
Brazil’s CVM stop order against MARKETS.COM (2015) 8
17 Apr 2015. Not counted: more than 10 years old at the review date.
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
Complaint handling and documented resolutions 8% of score How the firm handles complaints, and what independent records show.
- Met
A complaints procedure is published 10
Safecap publishes a complaint handling policy with a final response within at most three months.
- Partly met
- Not determined
Independent complaint outcomes show no adverse pattern 9
We found no published ombudsman decisions about the Markets.com companies.
- Not met
Complaint data is disclosed 10
We found no complaint statistics published by Markets.com or by a regulator or ombudsman for its companies.
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
Trading terms and operational transparency 8% of score Whether costs, execution and risks are disclosed before you sign up.
- Met
Costs are disclosed before account opening 6
The costs document sets out spreads, swaps, rollovers, the inactivity fee and a 1.2% currency conversion fee with worked examples.
- Met
An order execution policy is published 11
The execution policy explains that Safecap acts as principal and sole counterparty, the execution factors and the use of liquidity providers.
- Met
The client agreement is available before sign-up 3
Safecap’s investment services agreement can be read without an account.
- Met
Leverage and margin terms are disclosed 12
The leverage policy sets out retail leverage within the EU limits, professional leverage of up to 1:300 and a 50% margin close-out.
- Met
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
Public disclosures and communication 4% of score Whether public claims hold up and the firm communicates openly.
- Partly met
Marketing claims are accurate and attributable 2
The site describes strict regulatory standards across multiple jurisdictions, although its offshore company holds no licence we could find.
- Met
- Partly met
Material changes are communicated 3
Material changes need at least seven business days’ notice, but Safecap may give shorter notice in volatile markets.
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
On-site office verification 5% of score What our visit confirmed in person: a real, staffed office of the assessed entity, not a ghost address.
We have not checked this firm’s office in person, so this dimension scores zero. We check offices through our on-site verification programme.
- Not met
Real office at the stated address, not a ghost address
- Not met
Office of the assessed entity
- Not met
Staffed and operating
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
On-site assessment and platform testing 10% of score What our on-site checks and 30-day platform testing found.
We have not completed an on-site assessment of this firm, so this dimension does not count and its weight is shared among the others.
- Not determined
Company identity
- Not determined
Regulatory claims
- Not determined
Office visit
- Not determined
Account opening
- Not determined
Platform usability
- Not determined
Costs and disclosures
- Not determined
Customer support
- Not determined
Deposits and withdrawals
- Not determined
Trading functions
- Not determined
Complaints process
Criteria and their weighting are explained in the methodology.
Regulation and legal entities
A brand can trade through several companies, each licensed in a different place with different protections. Check which entity your account would be with.
Markets International Limited
No licence recorded for this entity.
Markets South Africa (Pty) Ltd
Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) · Reference 46860 2
Over-the-counter derivatives provider
Stated by Markets.com. The FSCA register returned errors when we tried it.
Claimed by the firm, not yet verified
Dated findings
Warnings, enforcement actions, legal findings, allegations and complaint records are labelled separately. What each label means.
Enforcement action Concluded
CySEC fines Safecap Investments EUR 168,000 7
On 2 July 2015 CySEC announced fines totalling EUR 168,000 on Safecap Investments Ltd, which operates markets.com, under the investment services law and its directives on operating conditions and professional competence. The decision is more than ten years old and no longer affects the score.
Enforcement action Concluded
Brazil’s CVM stop order against MARKETS.COM (2015) 8
The CVM’s dataset records Ato Declaratório 14.193 of 17 April 2015 against MARKETS.COM, a stop order on offering securities intermediation services in Brazil. It is more than ten years old and no longer affects the score.
Company response
Firms can respond to their profile and to any finding. No response has been published for Markets.com. How firms can respond.
Assessment history
| Review date | Result | Methodology | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Oct 2026 | Trust score 80 out of 100 Strong | 1.2 | Current |
Corrections and updates
No corrections have been made to this profile.
Sources
- 1 CySEC register: Safecap Investments Ltd (opens in a new tab)
Licence 092/08 granted on 28 July 2008, company registration 186196, formerly Arbat Capital Ltd, address 10 Simonides Street, Cypress Tower, Strovolos, Nicosia. Approved trade names SCAPFX and MARKETS.COM; approved domain www.markets.com/en. Services: reception and transmission of orders, execution of orders and dealing on own account in all instrument classes, with safekeeping as an ancillary service.
- 2 Markets.com website: footer and legal pages (opens in a new tab)
Says www.markets.com/en/ is operated by Safecap Investments Limited (CySEC 092/08, HE186196, Cypress Tower, 10 Simonides Street, Strovolos, Nicosia), and that Markets.com also operates through Markets International Limited, registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines (27030 BC 2023), and Markets South Africa (Pty) Ltd, licensed by the FSCA as an over-the-counter derivatives provider (46860). Warns that 85.4% of retail investor accounts lose money trading CFDs with this provider, and shows EU visitors a notice that the offshore website is operated by an entity not regulated in the EU.
- 3 Safecap Investments Limited investment services agreement for retail and professional clients (opens in a new tab)
Client money is held in segregated omnibus client accounts with authorised credit institutions in Cyprus, the EU or elsewhere. Clients have negative balance protection, so losses cannot exceed their equity. Withdrawal requests are processed the same business day if received in office hours, otherwise the next business day. Clients can complain to CySEC or the Financial Ombudsman of Cyprus, or use alternative dispute resolution or the courts, and may be covered by the Investor Compensation Fund. Material changes need at least seven business days’ written notice, or less in volatile markets. The agreement warns that 74% to 89% of retail accounts lose money.
- 4 Safecap Investments Limited disclosures and market discipline report for 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Prudential disclosures for the year ended 31 December 2025, published in May 2026, covering own funds, risk management and a board of two executive and two non-executive directors; it refers to a group without naming the parent.
- 5 Investor Compensation Fund for IF clients: information (opens in a new tab)
Describes the Investor Compensation Fund for clients of Cyprus investment firms that are not credit institutions. Covered non-professional clients can claim the lower of 90% of their covered claims and EUR 20,000 if a member firm cannot meet its obligations.
- 6 Safecap Investments Limited cost and charges (July 2025) (opens in a new tab)
Sets out spreads, overnight swaps, rollover charges, an inactivity fee for accounts with no trading or deposits for 90 days, and a 1.2% currency conversion fee, with worked examples.
- 7 CySEC board decision: fine on Safecap Investments Ltd (opens in a new tab)
Announced on 2 July 2015: fines totalling EUR 168,000 on Safecap Investments Ltd under the investment services law and CySEC’s directives on operating conditions and professional competence.
- 8 CVM declaratory acts (stop orders) dataset (opens in a new tab)
Records Ato Declaratório 14.193 of 17 April 2015 against MARKETS.COM.
- 9 Searches of CySEC, FCA and CVM records and the Indian and Malaysian alert lists for Markets.com companies (opens in a new tab)
On 5 October 2026 we searched CySEC’s 1,173 board decisions, the FCA’s list, the CVM’s declaratory acts, KNF’s lists and the Indian, Securities Commission Malaysia and Bank Negara Malaysia alert lists, and ran web searches for other actions. The findings on this profile are what we found; both are more than ten years old.
- 10 Safecap Investments Limited client complaint handling policy (April 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Explains how to complain and how complaints are investigated, with a final response within at most three months of submission, and refers to CySEC and the Financial Ombudsman of Cyprus.
- 11 Safecap Investments Limited order execution policy (August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
The company acts as principal and is the sole counterparty to client trades even when it passes orders to third-party liquidity providers; the policy explains the execution factors and how prices are checked.
- 12 Safecap Investments Limited leverage and margin policy (August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Retail leverage within the EU limits (up to 1:30), a 50% margin close-out, and leverage of up to 1:300 for professional clients.
- 13 Safecap Investments Limited risk disclosure statement (August 2026) (opens in a new tab)
Risk disclosure for CFDs and the regulatory protections available to clients.
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