Cyprus hit by wildfires
In our weekly review, we start with the effects of wildfires in Cyprus. A devastating wildfire in southern Cyprus killed two people,
injured at least ten, destroyed numerous homes, and forced the evacuation of
over a dozen villages near Limassol.
🚨 Massive Wildfire in Limassol Region, Cyprus 🔥Red alert issued as extreme heat and dry winds fuel the blaze. Villages evacuated. Smoke covers the area. [ ForestFire LimassolValley Cyprus Emergency StaySafe WildfireAlert BreakingNews ClimateCrisis Evacuation LimassolFire ] pic.twitter.com/CdfTWXiBAj
— Odin Root 🇸🇸🇺🇸 (@RootsOdin) July 23, 2025
Firefighters, supported by over 250 personnel and at least
14 aircraft from Cyprus, Spain, Jordan, and the UK’s RAF, battled the fire amid
strong winds and extremely high temperatures that peaked at 43°C (109.4°F),
with forecasts reaching 44°C—the hottest day of the year at that time.
Following the disaster, several CFD brokers have actively
supported communities affected by providing
financial aid and essential supplies. XM has pledged €5 million to assist
residents and areas impacted by the fires.
XM commits €5 million to Limassol fire relief via @In_Cyprus
— in-cyprus (@In_Cyprus) July 24, 2025
Additionally, IC Markets EU partnered with AEL Limassol to launch a campaign collecting essential goods for affected families. Tickmill
has established a donation drop-off point at its Mesa Geitonia, Limassol office.
IG’s profit up 24%
Shifting from flames to numbers, IG Group posted strong fiscal year 2025 results, with total revenue exceeding £1.07 billion, up 9%
compared to the previous year.
Net trading revenue grew 12% to £942.8 million. The company
also saw impressive profits, with adjusted pre-tax profit increasing 17% to
£535.8 million. Earnings per share stood at 106.3 pence, a 34% rise from
last year.
IG Group’s full-year report 2025 provided additional insights beyond the headline figures, revealing that the company exited several
legacy and sandbox initiatives during 2024, including Spectrum, Brightpool,
Raydius, BadTrader, and Small Exchange.
The report also highlighted a 7 per cent reduction in
organic fixed cost to serve per customer over the past fiscal year. IG plans to launch a new £125 million share buyback programme in the
first half of the current fiscal year.
Sports sponsorships: EC Markets, Moneta Markets, Mitrade
Meanwhile, the sports sponsorship market is expanding. EC Markets has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal withLiverpool FC, the reigning domestic league champions, becoming the club’s
“Official Global Partner.”
Under the agreement, EC Markets’ branding will be
prominently displayed at Liverpool’s iconic home stadium, Anfield. This stadium, opened in 1884, has a seating capacity of nearly 62,000.
Moneta Markets also ventured into the football arena by sponsoring the Spanish club Atlético de Madrid. This collaboration, however, is regional and exclusive to the Asia-Pacific market.
A partnership like no other 🙌
The PWR are partnering with eToro and to celebrate we’re launching the ‘eToro Try of the Week’ Award 🔥
Read more on the link below 👇#PWR #PoweredDifferently
— Premiership Women’s Rugby (@ThePWR) July 22, 2025
Down under, Mitrade became the official regional CFD sponsor of Argentina’s national football team, aiming to leverage the World Cup champions’ strong following in Southeast Asia and Australia to grow its user base.
Lastly, eToro is sponsoring Premiership Women’s Rugby, making it the first company to sponsor both the Premiership Men’s and Women’s Rugby competitions. The company has been sponsoring the men’s league since 2023.
LSE’s 24/7 plan
In the UK, the London Stock Exchange Group is
currently examining the operational and regulatory challenges of introducing 24-hour trading.
Several exchanges have already taken steps to lengthen trading hours in the United States. Last October, the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE) announced plans to extend weekday trading on its NYSE Arca
platform to 22 hours daily.
Rostro introduces crypto CFDs prime services
Rostro Group expanded its institutional services by launching prime services for digital asset derivatives. This new offering
will provide pricing and execution capabilities specifically for crypto
contracts for differences (CFDs), catering to institutional clients.
These prime services will be delivered under Rostro’s
institutional division, Scope Prime, which was formed following Rostro’s
acquisition of Scope Markets in 2022.
OctaFX India fined
India’s securities regulator has settled with Tauga Private Limited (formerly OctaFX India Private Limited), requiring the
company to pay INR 3.2 million (around $37,000) over alleged ties to an
unauthorized global forex and CFD trading platform.
As part of the agreement, Tauga must also surrender its
brokerage license, according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI).
AI bots dominate Gen Z crypto
A new report by cryptocurrency exchange MEXC shows that 67% of Generation Z crypto traders used at least one AI-powered trading bot in the second quarter of 2025.
The data is based on a sample of over 780,000 users aged 18 to 27.
According to the report, a majority of Gen Z traders now
rely on artificial intelligence tools to support their investment decisions.
Trump eases Nvidia China chip ban
Away from the industry, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang successfully lobbied Donald Trump to
reverse a ban on advanced AI chip exports to China.
Huang’s approach combined economic reasoning, emphasizing
the importance of U.S. tech leadership, with strategic messaging around global
competition and supply chain influence.
Following the discussions, Trump agreed to ease
restrictions, allowing Nvidia to resume certain chip sales to China under
defined conditions.
Revolut Picks Paris for EU Push
And lastly, Revolut established a Western Europe headquarters in Paris to expand its presence on the continent and
pursue a French banking license.
Revolut is the #1 finance app in Europe — once again (a thread 🧵)
Thanks to your trust, we set a new benchmark in 2024. pic.twitter.com/lf7fAMMoel
— Revolut (@RevolutApp) April 24, 2025
While Revolut is not leaving London, the decision signals a
strategic shift amid ongoing concerns about the UK’s post-Brexit appeal for
fintech firms.
Cyprus hit by wildfires
In our weekly review, we start with the effects of wildfires in Cyprus. A devastating wildfire in southern Cyprus killed two people,
injured at least ten, destroyed numerous homes, and forced the evacuation of
over a dozen villages near Limassol.
🚨 Massive Wildfire in Limassol Region, Cyprus 🔥Red alert issued as extreme heat and dry winds fuel the blaze. Villages evacuated. Smoke covers the area. [ ForestFire LimassolValley Cyprus Emergency StaySafe WildfireAlert BreakingNews ClimateCrisis Evacuation LimassolFire ] pic.twitter.com/CdfTWXiBAj
— Odin Root 🇸🇸🇺🇸 (@RootsOdin) July 23, 2025
Firefighters, supported by over 250 personnel and at least
14 aircraft from Cyprus, Spain, Jordan, and the UK’s RAF, battled the fire amid
strong winds and extremely high temperatures that peaked at 43°C (109.4°F),
with forecasts reaching 44°C—the hottest day of the year at that time.
Following the disaster, several CFD brokers have actively
supported communities affected by providing
financial aid and essential supplies. XM has pledged €5 million to assist
residents and areas impacted by the fires.
XM commits €5 million to Limassol fire relief via @In_Cyprus
— in-cyprus (@In_Cyprus) July 24, 2025
Additionally, IC Markets EU partnered with AEL Limassol to launch a campaign collecting essential goods for affected families. Tickmill
has established a donation drop-off point at its Mesa Geitonia, Limassol office.
IG’s profit up 24%
Shifting from flames to numbers, IG Group posted strong fiscal year 2025 results, with total revenue exceeding £1.07 billion, up 9%
compared to the previous year.
Net trading revenue grew 12% to £942.8 million. The company
also saw impressive profits, with adjusted pre-tax profit increasing 17% to
£535.8 million. Earnings per share stood at 106.3 pence, a 34% rise from
last year.
IG Group’s full-year report 2025 provided additional insights beyond the headline figures, revealing that the company exited several
legacy and sandbox initiatives during 2024, including Spectrum, Brightpool,
Raydius, BadTrader, and Small Exchange.
The report also highlighted a 7 per cent reduction in
organic fixed cost to serve per customer over the past fiscal year. IG plans to launch a new £125 million share buyback programme in the
first half of the current fiscal year.
Sports sponsorships: EC Markets, Moneta Markets, Mitrade
Meanwhile, the sports sponsorship market is expanding. EC Markets has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal withLiverpool FC, the reigning domestic league champions, becoming the club’s
“Official Global Partner.”
Under the agreement, EC Markets’ branding will be
prominently displayed at Liverpool’s iconic home stadium, Anfield. This stadium, opened in 1884, has a seating capacity of nearly 62,000.
Moneta Markets also ventured into the football arena by sponsoring the Spanish club Atlético de Madrid. This collaboration, however, is regional and exclusive to the Asia-Pacific market.
A partnership like no other 🙌
The PWR are partnering with eToro and to celebrate we’re launching the ‘eToro Try of the Week’ Award 🔥
Read more on the link below 👇#PWR #PoweredDifferently
— Premiership Women’s Rugby (@ThePWR) July 22, 2025
Down under, Mitrade became the official regional CFD sponsor of Argentina’s national football team, aiming to leverage the World Cup champions’ strong following in Southeast Asia and Australia to grow its user base.
Lastly, eToro is sponsoring Premiership Women’s Rugby, making it the first company to sponsor both the Premiership Men’s and Women’s Rugby competitions. The company has been sponsoring the men’s league since 2023.
LSE’s 24/7 plan
In the UK, the London Stock Exchange Group is
currently examining the operational and regulatory challenges of introducing 24-hour trading.
Several exchanges have already taken steps to lengthen trading hours in the United States. Last October, the New York Stock
Exchange (NYSE) announced plans to extend weekday trading on its NYSE Arca
platform to 22 hours daily.
Rostro introduces crypto CFDs prime services
Rostro Group expanded its institutional services by launching prime services for digital asset derivatives. This new offering
will provide pricing and execution capabilities specifically for crypto
contracts for differences (CFDs), catering to institutional clients.
These prime services will be delivered under Rostro’s
institutional division, Scope Prime, which was formed following Rostro’s
acquisition of Scope Markets in 2022.
OctaFX India fined
India’s securities regulator has settled with Tauga Private Limited (formerly OctaFX India Private Limited), requiring the
company to pay INR 3.2 million (around $37,000) over alleged ties to an
unauthorized global forex and CFD trading platform.
As part of the agreement, Tauga must also surrender its
brokerage license, according to the Securities and Exchange Board of India
(SEBI).
AI bots dominate Gen Z crypto
A new report by cryptocurrency exchange MEXC shows that 67% of Generation Z crypto traders used at least one AI-powered trading bot in the second quarter of 2025.
The data is based on a sample of over 780,000 users aged 18 to 27.
According to the report, a majority of Gen Z traders now
rely on artificial intelligence tools to support their investment decisions.
Trump eases Nvidia China chip ban
Away from the industry, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang successfully lobbied Donald Trump to
reverse a ban on advanced AI chip exports to China.
Huang’s approach combined economic reasoning, emphasizing
the importance of U.S. tech leadership, with strategic messaging around global
competition and supply chain influence.
Following the discussions, Trump agreed to ease
restrictions, allowing Nvidia to resume certain chip sales to China under
defined conditions.
Revolut Picks Paris for EU Push
And lastly, Revolut established a Western Europe headquarters in Paris to expand its presence on the continent and
pursue a French banking license.
Revolut is the #1 finance app in Europe — once again (a thread 🧵)
Thanks to your trust, we set a new benchmark in 2024. pic.twitter.com/lf7fAMMoel
— Revolut (@RevolutApp) April 24, 2025
While Revolut is not leaving London, the decision signals a
strategic shift amid ongoing concerns about the UK’s post-Brexit appeal for
fintech firms.
