Part of the Hong Kong-founded Hantec Group, dating back to 1990, Hantec Markets holds direct FCA (UK) authorisation alongside a Seychelles FSA Securities Dealer licence for clients outside the UK/EU -- one of the longer operating histories among brokers covered here.
| Regulated entity | Hantec Markets Ltd / Hantec (Seychelles) Services Ltd |
|---|---|
| Regulation | FCA No. 502635 + FSA Seychelles No. SD164 |
| Other Tier-1 regulators | None confirmed |
| Founded | 1990 |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong / London, UK (Hantec Group); a Seychelles entity serves clients outside the UK/EU |
| Minimum deposit | Not independently confirmed |
| Avg. spread (EUR/USD) | Not independently confirmed |
| Platforms | MT4, MT5 |
| Instruments | Forex pairs, indices, commodities (gold, silver, oil), and stock/share CFDs. Cryptocurrency CFD availability is inconsistently reported across sources. No reliable total instrument count was found (sources range from ~50 to 2,650+). |
See Hantec Markets's full regulation dossier → · How to check whether a forex broker is regulated
Derived from the same confirmed data behind this broker's score (regulation, cost, platforms, deposit minimum) -- not a separate editorial judgment.
Via its FCA-regulated UK entity, eligible clients are covered by the UK's Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its Seychelles FSA-licensed entity, there is no statutory investor compensation scheme -- if that entity fails, there is no guaranteed fund to recover client money from.
Beyond the headline spread and minimum deposit above. Where our research hasn't independently confirmed a specific detail, we say so rather than guess -- verify directly with the broker before relying on it.
| Account types | A Cent account (low minimum, aimed at beginners) and a Standard account, with some sources also listing a Pro account at a notably higher minimum deposit -- minimum-deposit figures conflict across sources but likely reflect different tiers rather than a direct contradiction. An Islamic/swap-free account is confirmed available. |
|---|---|
| Execution model | Described as STP/ECN, with raw EUR/USD spreads from 0.0 pips plus roughly $4/lot commission on the ECN-style tier; not confirmed whether this formally varies by account type beyond the spread/commission structure. |
| Withdrawals & deposits | Deposits are mostly free; some withdrawal methods may carry fees. Deposits are typically instant, withdrawals 1-3 business days. Minimum deposit figures conflict between sources depending on account tier. |
| Overnight financing (swap) | Swap is charged per overnight position on standard accounts; the Islamic account is swap-free. No benchmark-plus-markup formula was disclosed. |
| Currency conversion cost | One single-sourced figure cites a 0.6% currency-conversion fee applied to the settlement exchange rate -- not independently cross-confirmed. |
| Inactivity fee | Reported at $15/month after a period of dormancy, though the exact trigger period (e.g. 6 or 12 months) wasn't confirmed, and this comes from a single source. |
| Customer service | 24/5 live chat, email and phone support is reported. One independent test described support as hit-and-miss, noting live chat can time out during urgent issues. |
| Mobile experience | One source cites around 4.8 on iOS and 4.4 on Android, not independently cross-confirmed against the live store listings -- treat as indicative only. |
| Educational offering | The broker reportedly emphasizes technology, education and customer support, but no specifics on courses, webinars or tools were found. |
See how Hantec Markets's spread cost compares across every researched broker → · Forex broker fees explained
Is Hantec Markets regulated?
Yes -- FCA No. 502635 + FSA Seychelles No. SD164. See the regulation dossier on this page for the underlying licence numbers.
Is my money protected if Hantec Markets fails?
Via its FCA-regulated UK entity, eligible clients are covered by the UK's Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to £85,000 per person if the firm fails. Via its Seychelles FSA-licensed entity, there is no statutory investor compensation scheme -- if that entity fails, there is no guaranteed fund to recover client money from.
What is the minimum deposit at Hantec Markets?
Not independently confirmed in our research -- verify directly with the broker.
What trading platforms does Hantec Markets offer?
Hantec Markets offers MT4, MT5.
What is Hantec Markets's average spread on EUR/USD?
Not independently confirmed in our research -- verify directly with the broker.
When was Hantec Markets founded?
Hantec Markets was founded in 1990.
How is Hantec Markets's overall score calculated?
Hantec Markets currently scores 2.45/5 overall under our disclosed nine-category methodology -- regulation & client protection 30%, trading costs 20%, non-trading fees 10%, platforms & tools 10%, execution/trading conditions 10%, product range 5%, deposits/withdrawals 5%, transparency 5%, track record 5%. It is not a comparison to other brokers and not based on hands-on testing.
A dated log of when our own published data about this broker actually changed -- not a reconstructed history of what the broker itself did. See the full change log tool for every broker.
EU clients typically served under Central Bank of Ireland / MiFID passporting rather than a direct CySEC CIF licence -- worth confirming which entity applies to you.
Publicly listed on Nasdaq (IBKR) and an S&P 500 constituent, Interactive Brokers is one of the largest electronic brokers globally by client equity, with access to 150+ markets worldwide. Founder Thomas Peterffy remains Chairman. Widely regarded as a low-controversy, Category-A-regulator-only broker relative to CFD-focused peers.
ThinkMarkets is a dual-headquartered (Melbourne/London) group founded in 2010 by brothers Nauman and Faizan Anees, in which each of its major-jurisdiction licences (FCA, ASIC, FSCA, DFSA, FMA) sits in a different legal entity from its CySEC-licensed European arm.