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:
•The support service operates 24/5.
•A small number of analytical tools.
•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
XBTFX - Best for short selling in the UK
XBTFX is a CFD and cryptocurrency broker offering leveraged trading on digital assets and traditional financial markets. CFDs on more than 200 assets, such as currency pairs, cryptocurrencies, stocks, indices, commodities and precious metals are available. There is a free demo account and two live account types, namely Standard and ECN. Clients can open an Islamic swap free account upon request. There is no minimum deposit requirement, though minimum transfer amounts may apply depending on the funding method. This broker offers good training with articles for novice traders and experienced market participants. Passive income options are a copy trading service, MAM and PAMM accounts, and a referral program.
👍 Advantages of trading with XBTFX for traders from the UK:
•Wide pool of assets from different groups;
•The demo account is free;
•No minimum deposit;
•Top trading platforms are available;
•Does not set restrictions on trading;
•Best-in-class spreads and trading fees;
•Educational materials;
•Several passive income options;
•Technical support works 24/7.
👎 Disadvantages of XBTFX for traders from the UK:
•All trading instruments are CFDs
•Third-level regulation - FSA Seychelles;
•Does not provide its services to residents of Belgium, Belarus, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Yemen, etc.
4
Trademax - Best for short selling in the UK
Trademax (TMGM) is a CFD and Forex broker operating since 2013. The company offers its clients trading in five asset classes, including currency pairs, equity contracts, indices, energy and precious metals. Trademax has two offices, one in Australia (where the broker was founded) and one in Vanuatu. Services are provided under licenses from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC).
👍 Advantages of trading with Trademax for traders from the UK:
•more than 15,000 trading instruments.
•Spreads from 1.0 pips.
•HUBx copy trading service.
•3 trading terminals.
•Training for traders
👎 Disadvantages of Trademax for traders from the UK:
•No MAM or PAMM accounts.
•You cannot access your account without verification.
•Support works 24/5.
5
Grand Capital - Best for short selling in the UK
Founded in 2006, the Grand Capital broker delivers a full range of brokerage services, including cryptocurrency and futures trading. The company was one of the first to offer Copytrading services and Investment portfolio for passive investing and provide direct access to the largest liquidity aggregator. Traders’ money is insured by the Financial Commission, which guarantees up to 20,000 EUR coverage for every client.
👍 Advantages of trading with Grand Capital for traders from the UK:
•direct access to Currenex, which ensures faster execution of orders in ECN accounts and relatively tight spreads;
•segregated accounts and up to 20,000 EUR insurance coverage for every client;
•platforms for passive investing.
👎 Disadvantages of Grand Capital for traders from the UK:
•offshore regulation;
•fees apply on almost all account types;
•withdrawal fees apply;
•no demo accounts for cryptocurrencies;
•support service works slowly.
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 | XBTFX | Trademax | Grand Capital | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Trading platform |
MT4, MT5, Mobile Trading, XM App |
MT4, Mobile Trading, WebTrader, cTrader, MT5, TradingView |
cTrader, MetaTrader4, MetaTrader5 |
MT4, MT5, IRess |
MT4, MT5, WebTrader |
|
Min deposit |
$5 |
$1 |
$10 |
$100 |
$10 |
|
Leverage |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:100 |
From 1:1 |
|
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 points |
From 0 points |
From 0.4 points |
|
Level of margin call / stop out |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
Execution of orders |
Market Execution |
Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution |
|
No deposit bonus |
$30 |
No |
No |
No |
$10 |
|
Cent accounts |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
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 |
XBTFX Commissions and Fees
For traders, spreads and trading fees are the most important costs. Spreads can be floating or fixed, the second type is rare today. It can also be standard or raw Raw spreads are low and come from a liquidity provider without the broker's margin added on, but they come with a corresponding fee. The Standard account has spreads starting at 1 pips, with no fee for most assets; only stocks are traded with a $0.1 fee per stock. On the ECN account, spreads start from 0.01 pips, with a $3.5 fee per lot for trading currencies, metals, indices, and commodities; 0.075% of the amount for trading cryptocurrencies; and a $0.1 fee per stock.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Standard |
$10 plus a fee for trading stocks ($0.1 per stock) |
No |
|
ECN |
$1 pips plus fees: for trading stocks - $0.1 per stock; for cryptocurrencies - 0.075% of the trade amount; and for other assets - $3.5 per lot |
No |
|
Islamic |
$10 plus a fee for trading stocks ($0.1 per stock) |
No |
Trademax Commissions and Fees
Traders Union specialists analyzed the trading and non-trading commissions of the broker TMGM. Commissions differ depending on the type of trading account. The variable spread account is charged with a standard spread. The average spread for EUR/USD on Trademax is 1.1 pips. The Raw Spreads account has spreads starting from 0.0 pips, but offers a fixed commission. The commission is 7 USD per trade in both directions, which is equivalent to 3.5 USD per lot in one direction. There is also a commission for inactivity. It is 30 USD per month. It is charged after 6 months with no trades on the live account, and if the account has less than 500 USD.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Variable Spreads Account |
From $10 |
No |
|
Raw Spreads Account |
From $7 |
No |
Grand Capital Commissions and Fees
Experts at TU have analyzed Grand Capital’s offers and basic trading terms for obvious and hidden fees. No hidden fees were found. Besides spreads, evident fees worth noting include maintenance fees on ECN accounts ($5–15 for 1 lot or 0.5%) and withdrawal fees (deposit fees are absent). Withdrawal fees are 0.5%–0.6%.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commision |
|---|---|---|
|
Micro |
$1 |
Yes |
|
Standard |
$10 |
Yes |
|
MT5 |
$4 |
Yes |
|
ECN Prime |
$4 |
Yes |
|
Swap Free |
$10 |
Yes |
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 | XBTFX | Trademax | Grand Capital | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall score |
9.35 |
9.3 |
8.05 |
7.22 |
6.9 |
|
Execution of orders |
9.35 |
9.15 |
6.49 |
5.14 |
6.14 |
|
Investment instruments |
10 |
10 |
4.4 |
9.7 |
4.9 |
|
Withdrawal speed |
7 |
7 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
|
Customer Support work |
9.6 |
7 |
8.8 |
5.9 |
5.2 |
|
Variety of instruments |
8.02 |
6.32 |
8.23 |
6.31 |
5.46 |
|
Trading platform |
8.9 |
7.3 |
8.4 |
5.7 |
5.7 |
|
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FAQ
What is a demo account and why is it important?
On a demo account, you trade by using virtual funds. It is important to choose a broker offering a demo account both for beginners, who are only learning, and for experienced traders, who can use this account type to test new strategies or EAs risk-free.
What factors are important when you are choosing a broker?
When you are choosing a broker, it is important to make sure it is a reliable company, consider its fees, the list of trading instruments, deposit and withdrawal methods and other factors. It is important to study a broker in detail, before opening an account with it.
What commissions and fees should I take into consideration when I am choosing a broker?
The commissions and fees in the financial markets are divided into trading and non-tradings ones. Trading fees are the fees that are charged directly during trading (spread, commission per lot, etc.), while non-trading fees are the ones charged outside the trading process (for example, account fee, inactivity fee, deposit and withdrawal fee).
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.
Best Bitcoin Brokers For Short Selling by Countries
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.
