In order to trade successfully, it is very important to choose the right broker. in the UK, a large number of companies provide access to trading and you will have to choose the one for you among them. It is important to work only with reliable brokers providing all the required instruments for trading based on your trading strategy. TU analysts have selected the best bitcoin brokers for short selling in the UK 2026. You can compare their features and trading conditions.
1
XM - Best for short selling in the UK
XM is a globally recognized broker, operating in nearly 190 countries and serving over 15 million traders. In 2025, the company marks its 15th anniversary. It provides access to more than 1,400 trading instruments, including Forex pairs, stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies, and precious metals. Licensed by CySEC (Cyprus), FSCA (South Africa), DFSA (Dubai), FSC (Belize), FSA (Seychelles), FSC (Mauritius), CMA (Kenya) and SCA (United Arab Emirates), XM offers a secure and regulated trading environment.
The broker ensures high-speed order execution without requotes, with 99.35% of trades executed almost instantly. Leverage is up to 1:1000 in some non-EU countries, while strict European compliance applies in other regions, and spreads start from 0.8 pips.
XM runs multiple bonus programs, adapts trading conditions to each client’s country, and provides negative balance protection. Accounts are available for traders of any level and strategy, and for passive income, the broker offers a copy trading platform for investors as well as experienced traders willing to share their strategies.
👍 Advantages of trading with XM for traders from the UK:
•Regulation in six jurisdictions;
•Accounts designed for different strategies and levels of trader experience;
•Minimum deposit of $5;
•Various bonuses, trading competitions, and an affiliate program;
•100% order execution;
•No markup on tight market spreads;
•Access to more than 1,400 instruments;
•No deposit or withdrawal fees;
•24/7 multilingual support in over 30 languages.
👎 Disadvantages of XM for traders from the UK:
•Copy trading and stock trading accounts are not available in all countries.
2
Pepperstone - Best for short selling in the UK
Pepperstone (Pepperstone.com) was founded in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, by professional traders who were not satisfied with the quality of services provided by most brokers. The founders decided to avoid many of the disadvantages of competitors, including high commissions, delayed execution of orders, etc. The founders therefore focused on improving the technical component. The company has set itself the goal of changing the “rules of the game” and setting the bar high for online trading.
Today, Pepperstone offers clients all over the world some of the best technological solutions and favorable trading conditions. The company also provides professional tools that help traders not only master the fine art of trading, but also significantly increase trading efficiencies. In addition, Pepperstone’s platform is scrutinized by seven regulatory authorities, including ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission, AFSL No.414530), FCA (UK Financial Conduct Authority, 684312), DFSA (F004356), BaFin (151148), CMA, SCB (SIA-F217), and CySec (388/20). Moreover, with Pepperstone, clients' assets are maintained in aggregated accounts with several major, global banking institutions.
👍 Advantages of trading with Pepperstone for traders from the UK:
•Attractive trading conditions.
•Fast order execution - 30 ms on average.
•1,200+ trading instruments.
•Low fees.
•No inactivity fee.
•Support service works only 24/7.
👎 Disadvantages of Pepperstone for traders from the UK:
•No cent account.
•Not available to US clients.
•Limited passive trading opportunities.
•Limited analytical materials available on the site.
•No news section.
•Demo accounts can trade for free for 60 days.
3
Fusion Markets - Best for short selling in the UK
Fusion Markets is a young broker from Australia. It was created in November 2017 and began to provide full services in 2019. The company offers to trade in currency pairs and CFDs. Headquartered in Cremorne, Melbourne, Australia, the broker is regulated by ASIC (Australian Securities and Investment Commission, 385620), FSA (Financial Services Authority of Seychelles, SD096) and VFSC (Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, 40256).
👍 Advantages of trading with Fusion Markets for traders from the UK:
•Reliable regulation;
•No non-trading fees;
•Diversity of financial instruments.
👎 Disadvantages of Fusion Markets for traders from the UK:
•Limited educational opportunities;
•No cent accounts;
•Inability to trade with bonus funds.
4
CMC Markets - Best for short selling in the UK
CMC Markets is one of the leading companies in Forex and CFD trading, founded in 1989. The broker is regulated by the FCA 173730 (UK Financial Conduct Authority). The company provides a wide range of trading assets, including indices, stocks, and cryptocurrencies. Solid experience in the financial services market, regulation in the UK, and segregated accounts for clients are the foundation of a high level of traders' trust. The broker also has a risk management program. CMC Markets is popular in many countries, for example, in Australia.
👍 Advantages of trading with CMC Markets for traders from the UK:
•a wide range of assets;
•high level of security and compensation in case the company is recognized as illiquid;
•high technical level of the proprietary platform.
👎 Disadvantages of CMC Markets for traders from the UK:
•the basic language of the site and support service is English;
•withdrawal and deposit methods are limited to bank transfers and Visa and MasterCard cards;
•despite the impressive amount of information, the official website does not have data on the minimum amount of start-up capital or trade speed;
•a new account must be opened for each category of trading assets;
•Apart from manual trading, there are no investment options.
5
AvaTrade - Best for short selling in the UK
AvaTrade was founded in 2006 in Dublin, Ireland. The company has offices in 10 countries. It currently has over 300, 000 registered users and processes more than 2 million transactions every month. These factors contribute to AvaTrade being a reliable and trusted broker. They are accredited across five continents and are one of the market leaders. The broker is regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC, 406684), the Japanese FSA ( 1662), and the South African FSCA ( 45984). AvaTrade holds accreditation by the Central Irish Bank ( C53877 ), the Abu Dhabi Financial Services Regulatory Authority (190018), and the British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission ( SIBA/L/13/1049), CySEC ( 347/17). AvaTrade allows traders to trade stocks, securities, indices, cryptocurrencies, and currency pairs. In total, the offer more than 1,200 tools to customers.
👍 Advantages of trading with AvaTrade for traders from the UK:
•a wide range of trading instruments;
•there is a license for the provision of services on the territory of 5 continents;
•customer service operates around the clock;
•provides competent assistance to users in 14 languages;
•a wide choice of convenient trading platforms;
•ability to trade from mobile devices;
•availability of an account for representatives of Islam (swap-free);
•for reliable storage of customer funds, the broker uses a segregated account;
•option for automated trading;
•no restrictions on trade and scalping;
•availability of training materials and conducting webinars.
👎 Disadvantages of AvaTrade for traders from the UK:
•the site interface is not user-friendly;
•customer service efficiency and response time
•trading terminals are prone to occasionally freeze.
TOP 5 Comparison
This table makes it easy to compare the best bitcoin brokers for short selling in the UK for 2026 by placing their information side by side all in one place. The table includes the categories that are most important when deciding on a broker to work with. The data contained in this table is verified and only includes the most reputable brokers.
| XM | Pepperstone | Fusion Markets | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Trading platform |
MT4, MT5, Mobile Trading, XM App |
MT4, Mobile Trading, WebTrader, cTrader, MT5, TradingView |
MT4, MT5, TradingView, WebTrader, cTrader |
MT4, Mobile Trading, Web platform |
MT4, Mobile Trading, AvaTrader, AvaOptions, AvaSocial, AVA Option, MT5 |
|
Min deposit |
$5 |
$1 |
$1 |
No |
$100 |
|
Leverage |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:30 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:200 |
|
Trust management |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Accrual of % on the balance |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Spread |
From 0.8 points |
From 0 points |
From 0.1 points |
From 0.3 points |
From 0.9 points |
|
Level of margin call / stop out |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Execution of orders |
Market Execution |
Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution |
Instant Execution |
|
No deposit bonus |
$30 |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Cent accounts |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Commissions & Fees
Brokerage fees are the amount of money that you pay for using the services that a brokerage offers in order to perform trading and manage investments. The brokerage fee structure and regulations vary from broker to broker, and there are two primary fee types which are:
Trading Fees: This type of fee is only charged when you perform a trade. It can be a conversion fee, margin rate, financing rate, spread, or commission.
Non-Trading Fees: This type of fee isn't directly related to your trading activity, and it can include inactivity fee, withdrawal fee, deposit fee, etcetera.
XM Commissions and Fees
Traders Union analysts have analyzed the main and additional commissions for each XM Broker account. There are no additional commissions on all accounts.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Ultra Low |
From 6 USD |
No |
|
Zero |
From 0 USD |
No |
Pepperstone Commissions and Fees
Pepperstone’s commissions and fee structure has been reviewed by our professional analysts for trading and non-trading commissions. The company's spread was considered as a trading commission. Our professional analysts also categorized additional fees charged for withdrawing funds as non-trading commission additional fees.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Razor |
From $0 |
No |
|
Standard |
From $1 |
No |
Fusion Markets Commissions and Fees
The results of the analysis carried out by the Traders Union specialists showed that trading and non-trading fees at the Fusion Markets broker are low. On Classic accounts, the brokerage commission is included in the spread. Zero accounts are charged an additional base commission per lot of $4.5 per round (open and close). Non-trading fees are $0. The broker does not charge commissions when depositing/withdrawing funds. However, warns that commissions may be charged on the side of the bank or the client's payment system.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Zero |
4,5$ |
No |
|
Classic |
9$ |
No |
|
Swap Free |
0$ |
No |
CMC Markets Commissions and Fees
The Traders Union analysts have analyzed the trading conditions of CMC Markets for explicit and implicit fees. There are no hidden fees. The company only charges for spreads. Their minimum value is the same for all account types.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Spread betting account |
From $7 |
No |
AvaTrade Commissions and Fees
The broker has been checked by our experts for the existence of explicit and hidden commissions, in particular a commission for trading volume and withdrawal of funds.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
From 0 to 20 US dollars, depending on the platform |
No |
Summary
Many brokers are available for traders from the UK, but not all of them offer good conditions. In this review, TU experts chose the Best bitcoin brokers for short selling in the UK 2026. These are the most trusted companies that offer the best conditions for traders. You will also be able to review the general assessment of each broker.
Overall score of the best Bitcoin Brokers For Short Selling in the UK
| XM | Pepperstone | Fusion Markets | CMC Markets | AvaTrade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall score |
9.3 |
9.25 |
9.2 |
6.85 |
7.58 |
|
Execution of orders |
9.35 |
9.15 |
7.95 |
7.15 |
8.05 |
|
Investment instruments |
10 |
10 |
9.2 |
10 |
10 |
|
Withdrawal speed |
7 |
7 |
10 |
7 |
5 |
|
Customer Support work |
9.6 |
7 |
6.2 |
4.5 |
7.9 |
|
Variety of instruments |
8.02 |
6.32 |
7.23 |
7.31 |
8.45 |
|
Trading platform |
8.9 |
7.3 |
6.6 |
7.9 |
6.8 |
|
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FAQ
What are the risks of trading in the financial markets?
Any trading in the financial markets carries risks of losing your money due to asset volatility. Therefore, it is important to develop the rules of risk management in your strategy and strictly follow them.
Can you earn passive income in the financial markets?
Yes, the best brokers in the UK offer passive income options. These could include copy trading, PAMM accounts, managed portfolios, etc.
Does the choice of a beginner differ from the choice of an experienced trader?
Yes. A novice trader should primarily consider the availability of educational tools and a demo account, as well as basic assets. A more experienced trader is interested in wider opportunities on advanced account types, a wider choice of instruments for technical analysis, and a greater number of trading instruments.
What learning instruments can a broker offer?
Brokers offer various educational options. These include full-fledged educational courses, or video tutorials, articles, and books. Companies also often hold seminars and webinars.
Best Bitcoin Brokers For Short Selling by Countries
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Team that worked on the article
Mikhail Vnuchkov joined Traders Union as an author in 2020. He began his professional career as a journalist-observer at a small online financial publication, where he covered global economic events and discussed their impact on the segment of financial investment, including investor income. With five years of experience in finance, Mikhail joined Traders Union team, where he is in charge of forming the pool of latest news for traders, who trade stocks, cryptocurrencies, Forex instruments and fixed income.
Olga Shendetskaya has been a part of the Traders Union team as an author, editor and proofreader since 2017. Since 2020, Shendetskaya has been the assistant chief editor of the website of Traders Union, an international association of traders. She has over 10 years of experience of working with economic and financial texts. In the period of 2017-2020, Olga has worked as a journalist and editor of laftNews news agency, economic and financial news sections. At the moment, Olga is a part of the team of top industry experts involved in creation of educational articles in finance and investment, overseeing their writing and publication on the Traders Union website.
