FXTM, the forex and CFD broker better known to traders as ForexTime, is giving up its United Kingdom licence. The FXTM FCA licence surrender, reported in April 2026, is part of what the firm calls a global realignment of its priorities, away from the British retail market and toward the Gulf and Asia.
The broker, owned by Andrey Dashin, concluded that the United Kingdom retail market is no longer its core growth area. It is instead gaining full brokerage status in the United Arab Emirates and has partnered with a local broker in Indonesia. The UK exit is voluntary. It is not a fine or a suspension, and there is no allegation of misconduct behind it.
Voluntary, But Not Without Consequence
It is only fair to state plainly what this is and is not. A firm is entitled to decide that a market no longer suits its strategy and to hand a licence back in an orderly way. There is no wrongdoing here. But for a client, the disappearance of a Tier one regulator from behind an account is not a neutral event. The oversight of the Financial Conduct Authority, and the client protections that come with a UK authorisation, do not follow the business to a lighter touch jurisdiction.
This is a broker with a long history of shrinking its regulated European footprint. FXTM stopped offering services to retail clients under its Cyprus entity back in February 2021 and gave up that licence in 2023. The UK surrender continues the same direction of travel. Piece by piece, one of the best known retail forex brands has been stepping out of the strictest regulatory regimes it once held.
Where the Clients Go
The question that matters for traders is where their account ends up. When a broker leaves a market like the United Kingdom, the business rarely stops. It moves. In FXTM's case the destination is the United Arab Emirates and a partner in Indonesia, jurisdictions whose retail protections and leverage limits are not the same as those a UK client is used to. A familiar brand and a working platform can look unchanged while the regulator standing behind them changes completely.
FXTM is a large, established name, and its exit is a strategic choice rather than a scandal. But it is also a clear example of a wider migration in retail forex, away from the heavily regulated centres of Europe and the United Kingdom and toward the Gulf and Asia. For a client who valued a UK licence specifically, the most important thing to check now is which entity holds the account and which regulator, if any, is watching it. The brand on the screen is not the same as the protection behind it.
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The Brand on the Screen Is Not the Same as the Protection Behind It.
There is nothing improper in a broker handing back a licence it no longer wants, and FXTM is not accused of any wrongdoing here. What makes the move worth reporting is what it removes. A UK FCA authorisation is one of the strongest credentials a retail forex broker can hold, and FXTM has now given it up, just as it gave up its Cyprus licence before.
The business does not vanish — it relocates to the UAE and Asia, where the rules and the leverage limits are not the same.
For a trader the essential question after any exit like this is simple and rarely asked: which entity now holds my money, and who is regulating it?
About the Company
About FXTM (ForexTime)
Regulator
FCA (United Kingdom)
Jurisdiction
United Kingdom
Action Type
Voluntary Licence Surrender
Moving To
UAE + Asia (Indonesia)
FXTM, trading as ForexTime, is a retail forex and CFD broker owned by Andrey Dashin, offering leveraged trading across currencies, metals, indices and commodities to clients around the world. It previously held a Cyprus investment firm licence, which it gave up in 2023, and a United Kingdom licence from the Financial Conduct Authority.
In 2026 the firm decided to surrender its UK authorisation as part of a global realignment toward the United Arab Emirates and Asia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is FXTM still regulated in the UK?
No. FXTM decided in 2026 to give up its United Kingdom FCA licence, pulling back from the British retail market. It remains regulated elsewhere, including new full brokerage status in the United Arab Emirates.
Did FXTM do anything wrong?
No. The UK exit is a voluntary strategic decision, not a fine or a finding of misconduct.
Is FXTM safe now?
FXTM is an established broker, but the UK protections tied to the FCA licence end with it. Clients should confirm which entity now holds their account and which regulator oversees it.
Where is FXTM moving?
The firm is focusing on the United Arab Emirates, where it is gaining full brokerage status, and on Asia, including a partnership with a broker in Indonesia.
Editor's note & source: Factual points are drawn from the FCA Register and industry reporting. Primary source: FCA Register. This article is not legal advice. Last updated: 7 August 2026.