Forex In Russia
Forex trading in Russia can be a fairly complex matter; not everyone is capable of understanding every concept and variable, let alone act in accordance to them. However, it is a complex matter that attracts thousands of new investors every day, from around the world.
We have taken the responsibility of informing you about Forex trading in Russia for Russians, from the best Russian Forex brokers, to how regulation works in this region so you can gather the experience necessary to either beat the curiosity or actually start trading the Russian market.
As such, it is time to delve into the inner workings of Forex trading in Russia.
Article Summary:
- Brokers offing Russian Ruble
- Russia and Forex: The history/Regulations
- Best Forex brokers for Russians
- Russian FX broker list
Brokers Offering Russian Ruble
Russia And Forex: The History.
When someone thinks about Russia, the usual image is that of a totalitarian nation with zero financial liberties for its citizens. However, that has changed with time, and the main reason behind that image is its history as that type of nation.
Today, not only are there Russian Forex brokers, but they also spearheaded the incursion of cryptocurrencies in governments, with Russia being one of the first to establish their interest in the crypto assets and blockchain technology.
However, we are interested in Forex trading Russia, so it is time to start evaluating what it is right now and how it came to be that way.
Forex trading Russia started small, with only a small amount of traders taking part in it. This changed in the 90’s, when interest in Forex started taking over the world, and the wave hit Russia.
Since then, Russian Forex brokers and traders are a significant presence in the region, with the most successful becoming relevant in the global Forex environment—yet this does not mean they cannot improve.
As stated previously, Russia has been developing its economy, emphasising its part in the global economy. The government has taken steps to create a real market economy, and this development leads to certain instability and uncertainty among citizens and those looking from the outside.
One of the best examples of this development is how the foreign exchange has become easily accessible, as it was only possible via public auctions—a very primitive and disorganised method for trading currencies.
However, 1989 marked the beginning of a series of changes to induce flexibility for exchange rates, and the Central Bank of Russia opened the first currency exchange in 1992, called the Moscow Interbank Currency Exchange, or MICEX. Since then, it is the main entity responsible for Forex trading.
While there are financial regulators in Russia, the Central Bank of Russia is still the main regulator when it comes to Forex Trading Russia. As it has the ability of giving special licenses to banking institutions, it virtually sets it to moderate the turnover generated by Forex Trading Russia.
What that means is that its news and stands influence most of the Forex exchange inside the Russian nation.
From The Federal Financial Markets Services, To The Central Bank Of Russia And The Financial Markets Relations Regulation Center.
There are two regulatory authorities when it comes to licensing Russian Forex brokers besides the Central Bank of Russia.
Just like in most countries, every financial activity is supervised by a regulatory body which partakes in evaluating actors and conditions to ensure a proper functionality of the market.
Forex trading Russia has seen a somewhat recent change in regulation regarding its main entity, and understanding it is crucial to understand the current market situation.
The first financial regulator was the Federal Financial Markets Service, or FFMS. It was tasked to draft regulations for Russian Forex brokers, which were drafted back in 2008.
Nevertheless, the FFMS was dissolved in 2013, and its functions were passed directly to the Central Bank of Russia, as stated previously.
There is yet another body that acts as a supervisor to Russian Forex brokers, and that is the Financial Markets Relations Regulation Center (or FMRRC), but it is an agency that functions completely segregated from the Russian government to evaluate institutions dealing with securities, CFDs, and derivatives.
However, as the FMRRC is not recognised by the government, it does not possess the authority to exercise complete control over the Russian Forex brokers. What it does is granting licensing to its members through its own guidelines and norms.
That means that the FMRRC cannot impose sanctions against the brokers under its license. The answer for those who infringe the rules for the license do get theirs revoked, but the trader is the one responsible for staying informed.
The FMRRC recommends investors to contact the agency directly in case of any complaints or suspicions on any of its licensed brokers. Additionally, the body handles consumer compensation by themselves in case of broker bankruptcy, just like the large regulators in other parts of the world.
Despite this, the FMRRC is not the main authority in Forex trading Russia due to a lack of trust from investors as the process of licensing has been quoted as “dubious” and “not transparent”.
In addition, the consensus is that the overall look of the regulator is not as professional as required by industry standards.
At last, the FMRRC has a commercial nature, so many suspicions rise from the idea that it may favour some brokers over others and generally protecting brokers instead of investors.
Luckily, several reliable Russian Forex brokers have a FMRRC license, which does provide a sense of stability when it comes to its license.
Best Forex Brokers For Russians
Forex trading Russia is considered to be at the top when it comes to trading technology, and some of the big players and brokers of the global Forex industry are thought to have originated from the nation.
Still, Russia is also known as home to several proven frauds, which is something that makes it a tough market to trust.
That is why it is important to know which brokers are safe for Forex trading Russia, and it is also what we are going to do.
Russian FX Broker List
Broker Name: LMFX
| Broker Type | ECN |
| Regulations | UNREGULATED |
| Min Deposit | $50.00 |
| Account Base Curreny | USD, EUR, GBP, AUD, CAD, Bitcoin, Gold, Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Ethereum and XRP |
| Max Leverage | 1:1000 |
| Trading Platforms | Metatrader 4, Web trader, Mobile app(MT4) |
Broker Name: IC Markets
| Broker Type | ECN |
| Regulations | ASIC, FCA, CySEC |
| Min Deposit | $200.00 |
| Account Base Currency | USD, AUD, EUR, GBP, CAD, JPY, NZD,CHF, SGD, HKD |
| Max Leverage | 500:1 |
| Trading Platforms | Metatrader 4/5, cTrader, Webtrader, API Trading, MAM / PAMM |
XM Group
XM is a highly popular broker for Forex trading in Russia, and it is—by far—the most famous broker on the list. XM Group was also ranked #1 (in 2020) out of all the top broker on Forex Rank. For 2021 XM is ranked in the top 5 again with the number 2 spot.
While it keeps things simple, with MT4, 5, and WebTrader, XM has developed a strong reputations among the largest names in the global Forex industry.
To make the most of this broker, you must choose your account wisely, as some have high pricing that can be detrimental to your profits, but Zero accounts are highly competitive when it comes to accessibility.
The broker is regulated by the FCA, and it adds to the already well-established reputation of XM. Its customer service is also stellar, with connection times averaging lower than a minute. That, plus a minimum deposit of \$10 (depending on the account) makes XM a great choice for traders.
About This Article
Author: Mark Prosz
Sources of information and credits for this post include: https://ifmrrc.com/
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