Desk file · 2026 edition · record confidence: medium
Trading 212
We opened the file on Trading 212 the way we open every file: register first, marketing never. Trading since 2004, run out of London, UK, and carrying 5 licence entries on the public record, 3 of them tier-1.
What the two desk scores say
Both are out of 10 and both are computed, not felt.
| Cost score | Priced off the spread basis below, not off a headline rate card. | not verified |
|---|---|---|
| Safety score | Weighted on licence tier and on how many of the entries we could re-read at source. | not verified |
| Cost per 10 lots | Ten round-turn EUR/USD lots priced at the spread basis, commission excluded. | $not verified |
Spread basis. . Nothing on this page is a live quote; a spread printed on a Tuesday afternoon is not the spread you get thirty seconds after a non-farm payroll release.
Licence entries, one row per entity
Every row links to the document we read it from.
| Regulator | Licence no. | Jurisdiction | Tier | Licensed entity | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCA | 609146 | UK | T1 | Trading 212 UK Ltd | register.fca.org.uk |
| CySEC | 398/21 | Cyprus | T2 | Trading 212 Markets Ltd | cysec.gov.cy |
| ASIC | AFSL 541122 | Australia | T1 | Trading 212 AU Pty Ltd | search-afsl.com |
| BaFin | 10109603 | Germany | T1 | Trading 212 EU GmbH | trading212.com |
| Financial Supervision Commission (Bulgaria) | RG-03-0237 | Bulgaria | T2 | Trading 212 Ltd (Bulgaria) | trading212.com |
Which entity actually holds your money is decided at signup, by the country on your application — not by the strongest licence in this table. Read the client agreement you are handed, then match the entity name against the row above.
What we were able to confirm
Confirmed at source
- Trading 212 was founded in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2004 and is headquartered in London.
- Trading 212 UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 609146.
- Trading 212 Markets Ltd holds CySEC licence number 398/21, dated 1 March 2021.
- Trading 212 offers commission-free share and ETF investing alongside a separate CFD account.
- Trading 212's own imprint lists five regulated group entities: Trading 212 UK Ltd (FCA 609146), Trading 212 Markets Ltd (CySEC 398/21), Trading 212 EU GmbH (BaFin licence 10109603), Trading 212 AU Pty Ltd (AFSL 541122) and Trading 212 Ltd (Bulgaria FSC RG-03-0237) (https://www.trading212.com/imprint).
- Trading 212's own community announcement states it began onboarding new German clients through FXFlat Bank GmbH, a BaFin-licensed broker that Trading 212 acquired, with German depositor protection of up to EUR 100,000 (EdB) and investor compensation up to EUR 20,000 (EdW) (https://community.trading212.com/t/big-news-for-german-residents/80734).
- The FCA published a warning about a clone firm 'TRADING212' using the website thetrading212.com, stating the clone is not authorised and has no association with the genuine Trading 212 UK Limited (FRN 609146) (https://www.fca.org.uk/news/warnings/trading212-clone-authorised-firm).
Not verified
The following could not be traced to a primary source at the time of filing. We publish the gap rather than a number that would look tidier:
- spreadEurusd — third-party measurements vary widely (roughly 1.5 to 2.7 pips) and Trading 212 does not publish a typical average
- Minimum deposit (Trading 212 markets a £1 minimum for Invest/pies; CFD minimum may differ)
- public listing status
- whether Trading 212 EU GmbH is FXFlat Bank GmbH renamed — the imprint does not state a rename; the community announcement names FXFlat Bank GmbH as the acquired BaFin-licensed broker onboarding German clients
| Founded | 2004 |
| Head office | London, UK |
| Minimum deposit | $1 |
| Leverage cap | 1:30 (UK/EU retail) |
| EUR/USD | not verified pips |
| Tier-1 entries | 3 |
| Record confidence | medium |
Platforms and account types on file
Platforms
Account types
Markets
Other records open on the desk
CFDs are complex instruments with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. A desk file is a record of what the public register said on the day we read it, not a recommendation to open an account.