Over the past two years, the number of active CFD accounts worldwide has increased by almost 30%, exceeding 5 million. However, according to data from Finance Magnates Intelligence, only 7 out of more than 50 largest brokers in the industry have crossed the threshold of 100,000.

1 in 4 Active FX/CFD Clients Traded With One of These 7 Brokers

XTB ranks first, reaching 555,000 active monthly clients in Q4 2024. IC Markets, placed second, gathered three times fewer active clients (168,000), but on the other hand, achieved much higher average monthly volumes.

The data could be summarized in one sentence: XTB is in a league of its own. The publicly listed Polish fintech dominated the ranking in terms of active accounts. This aligns with CEO Omar Arnaout's statement that acquiring customers is more important to him than revenue and profits.

Only seven brokers exceeded the average number of active clients per month above 100,000 in the last quarter of the previous year. If all their results were summed up, they would collectively serve almost 1.4 million active FX/CFD traders.

This means that one in four from the base of 5 million clients monthly is a client of XTB, IC Markets, and five other companies.

Want to find out what these companies are? Subscribe now to the latest edition of the Quarterly Industry Report by Finance Magnates Intelligence. You will find data on accounts and volumes of more than 50 largest FX/CFD brokers in the world, a range of proprietary indicators and data, as well as analyses with expert comments.

From 3.9 to 5 million investors

The data shows that the number of monthly active traders has grown significantly over the year, increasing by almost 30% from 3.9 to 5 million. According to Sylwester Majewski, Head of Intelligence at Finance Magnates, this is thanks to one particular market.

"Where is this growth coming from? Emerging markets—especially in Asia—are fueling expansion, as large, densely populated regions with evolving regulations continue to drive opportunities," Majewski commented.

The latest metrics on the CFD industry can be found in our Quarterly Intelligence Reports.