Is Deriv Regulated? Is it safe? - TU Expert review
License is the most important document you have to consider when choosing a broker. Many traders, who would like to start working with Deriv try to check whether it is regulated. Traders Union experts have already done that. In this article, you will learn whether Deriv is regulated, what regulatory authorities supervise the broker and whether it is safe to work with the company in general.
Short summary about the broker Deriv
Deriv is a brokerage company that started its activities in 1999. Deriv's mission is to make trading accessible. For this reason, the company has low minimum deposit requirements, but high-quality working conditions. DTrader is one of the broker's several proprietary trading platforms. Two others are Deriv bot and Deriv MT5. Deriv offers its clients to trade Forex assets, stocks, indices (including synthetic ones), CFDs, commodities, and options. Deriv is an international broker licensed and regulated by the following bodies: Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC, 14556), Malta and Labuan Financial Services Authority (MFSA, 71479 and Labuan FSA, MB/18/0024), BVI FSC (SIBA/L/18/1114). The rights of traders are guarded by the Financial Commission, of which Derive is also a member.
| 💰 Account currency: | Fiats, cryptocurrencies |
|---|---|
| 🚀 Minimum deposit: | 5-10 $ |
| ⚖️ Leverage: | Up to 1:1000, multipliers available (leverage levels may vary depending on the client's account and country of residence) |
| 💱 Spread: | Fixed, floating |
| 🔧 Instruments: | Cryptocurrencies, CFDs, Derived indices, Forex, stocks, commodities, ETFs |
| 💹 Margin Call / Stop Out: | 100% / 50% |
Pros and cons of Deriv
👍 Advantages of trading with Deriv:
•Low level of the minimum deposit.
•A wide range of payment agents for replenishment of the deposit and withdrawal of earned funds.
•Availability of trading instruments of different groups: currency pairs, stocks, indices, metals, etc.
•Broker regulation by several authorities from different countries.
•Round-the-clock client support.
•Choice of three convenient trading platforms.
•No commission for maintaining a trading account and using its platforms.
👎 Disadvantages of Deriv:
•The tutorials provided on the site may not be enough for novice traders.
•Deriv has only a few ways to contact support.
•The broker does not serve clients from several countries, such as the USA, Canada, Malaysia, Israel, and others.
Why is it important to work with a regulated broker?
License is a document that certifies that a broker operates legally and guarantees fulfillment of its obligations to the traders. A financial license is issued by a financial regulatory authority of a country (the National Bank) or a specialized authority (for example, Securities Commission, Futures Trading Commission, etc.). It is important to choose licensed brokers for the following reasons:
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A license guarantees that the broker operates in compliance with the rules of the financial regulator that issued the document.
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In order to obtain the license, a broker must comply with certain requirements, for example, the size of the authorized capital or personnel qualification. It is simply not lucrative for scammers to comply with such requirements.
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A broker’s license provides access to real markets, and you can be sure that the quotes are real and up-to-date.
The best option is to work with a broker that holds the license of the jurisdiction, where the trader resides. You can also choose a company with a financial license of another reliable jurisdiction, for example, the U.S. or the European Union.
Is Deriv Regulated? Broker’s license
Security (Protection for Investors)
Deriv provides services on an international level, and therefore the broker's activities are licensed by several bodies, including the MFSA (Malta Financial Services Authority), Labuan FSA (Labuan Financial Services Authority), VFSC (Vanuatu Financial Services Commission). In addition, Deriv is a member of the Financial Commission which deals with disputes between financial institutions (in this case, a broker) and their clients.
The broker uses the services of financial institutions to store client funds. Thus, if Deriv becomes insolvent, its clients will have their funds returned. The broker also takes care of the traders’ personal data protection. They can also activate two-factor authentication to protect the account from hacking.
👍 Advantages
- Client funds are held in segregated accounts
- The broker is licensed and regulated by several regulatory bodies
- Deriv cooperates with the Financial Commission
👎 Disadvantages
- The broker does not guarantee clients the return of lost funds in the event of an account hack
Brokerage fees
Broker’s regulation is the most important choice criterion. However, before you start working with the broker, it is also important to analyze its commissions and fees. TU analysts have studied the commissions and fees charged by Deriv, which you can see below.
Deriv was analyzed by the experts at the Traders Union to establish the amounts and types of fees that the broker charges its clients. It was not possible to establish exact data on the size of the spread because Deriv offers a fixed commission and a floating spread, so the commission size for different assets and different types of accounts may differ. There are no fees for maintaining a trading account, however, for inactivity, the broker may charge an additional commission. Withdrawing funds and replenishing an account with Deriv are free. Any commission, in this case, is set by the payment agent. No hidden fees were found.
| Account type | Spread (minimum value) | Withdrawal commission |
| Real account | From $1 | Yes - established by trading platform and payment system |
Brokers that are similar to Deriv
Many brokers operate legally, obtaining relevant licenses and permissions. However, when choosing a broker, it is important to compare their trading conditions. TU experts have prepared a comparative analysis of Deriv conditions with its closest competitors.
Comparison of Deriv with other Brokers
| Deriv | RoboForex | Pocket Option | Exness | XM Group | Tickmill | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trading platform |
Deriv bot, Deriv MT5, Derivix, Deriv Trader, SmartTrader |
MT4, MT5, R MobileTrader, R StocksTrader, R WebTrader |
Pocket Option, MT5, MT4 |
Exness Trade App (mobile), Exness Terminal (web), MetaTrader5, MetaTrader4 |
MT4, MT5, MobileTrading, XM App |
MT4, MT5, Tickmill Mobile App |
Min deposit |
$5 |
$10 |
$5 |
$10 |
$5 |
$100 |
Leverage |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
From 1:1 |
Trust management |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Yes |
Accrual of % on the balance |
1.00%% |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Spread |
From 0 points |
From 0 points |
From 1.2 point |
From 1 point |
From 0.6 points |
From 0 points |
Level of margin call / stop out |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Execution of orders |
Market Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution, Instant Execution |
Market Execution |
Market Execution |
No deposit bonus |
No |
No |
No |
No |
No |
$30 |
Cent accounts |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
No |
Deriv is a broker for beginners and professional traders who prefer to make trades on their own, as well as use auxiliary programs for more efficient trading.
The minimum deposit in RoboForex is $10. Leverage up to 1:2000. Traders choose RoboForex for reliability, favorable trading conditions, minimum spreads, and commission fees. The company is recommended for beginner traders and experienced investors.
Pocket Option offers a wide range of trading instruments and copy trading services. It constantly improves its service quality and expands the list of assets and trading platforms. The broker is suitable even for novice traders without significant capital due to the low initial deposit. Experienced traders who work with CFDs and binary options can also use Pocket Option’s services.
Exness broker is a trusted broker partner that is compliant with all relevant terms. Exness complies with all payment obligations and pays money earned.
XM Broker is a broker for professional trading. Trading conditions correspond to the average market; there are technical advantages that distinguish XM Broker from its competitors.
Tickmill is a suitable broker for both professional traders and novices. The company is good for robotic trading as well as for short-term strategies.
Conclusions
Deriv cannot be considered absolutely reliable. The broker operates on a license of an offshore regulator. This creates certain risks regarding security of your funds. The broker has a good reputation. However, you can work with companies with an offshore regulation only at your own risk.
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FAQ
How difficult is it to obtain a brokerage license?
The procedure for obtaining a license differs depending on the jurisdiction, but it is very difficult and expensive to get the document in a reliable jurisdiction. This is why only reliable brokers obtain licenses.
Why is it not recommended to work with offshore brokers?
Offshore brokers have to meet minimum requirements for obtaining a license and reporting, which is why often scammers get such licenses.
Can an offshore broker be reliable?
Yes, although there are not many of such brokers. There are brokers with a good reputation, but with an offshore license. You still need to be very cautious when working with such companies.
How do I check a broker’s reputation?
In order to check a broker’s reputation, you need to read user reviews. However, it is recommended to only use independent websites for that.
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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.