CFTC Expands RED List With 15 Newly Flagged Unregistered Brokers

The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)has expanded its Registration Deficient (RED)List, adding 15 new brands that the regulator says are offering financial services to U.S. residents without proper authorization.

The RED List, first launched in 2015, is designed to warn the public about foreign entities that appear to be operating illegally in markets under CFTC jurisdiction, primarily involving forex and binary options trading. The list serves a function similar to warning registers maintained by other regulators, such as Italy's CONSOB, but reflects what the CFTC describes as a more stringent enforcement approach.

According to the Commission, the listed entities typically operate outside the United States and have little or no physical presence domestically. Despite this, they solicit and accept funds from U.S. clients while offering products that fall under CFTC oversight.

"These organizations conduct business outside the United States and do not have (or have limited) physical presence in the United States," the CFTC noted, adding that its review found the entities "appear to be engaged in activities that require registration, but are not registered with the CFTC."

The regulator also stated that the RED List is compiled based on information received from the public and other sources, underscoring its role as an ongoing investor-protection tool rather than a final determination of wrongdoing.

Newly Added Entities to the CFTC RED List:

Forexcells, Forexcell, ForeXcells MKT, Forexcells M Group LLC, Forexcells Markets, AbileXAG (forcexcells.com/fxtrade)

Forex International Gain, Forex4Money Trading (forex4money.com)

NASDAQK (nasdaqkfx.com)

Optimaltradeinfo (optimaltradeinfo.com)

Global Official Trade (globalofficialtrade.com)

Fire Phoenix FX, Firephoenix.com (metatradeus.com)

Hotbglobal Finance (hotbgl.io)

OX Securities (SV), OX Securities Pty Ltd. (oxsecurities.com)

G-P, BF Traders (bftraders.com)

Global Buck Invest (globalbuckinvest.com)

Equity Price (equityprice.live)

ElixirVest (elixirvest.com)

Ares Global, TruBlue FX, TrueBlueFX (trubluefx.biz)

Binary Golden Options (bnrygoldenopts.com)

The CFTC reiterated that registration enables the regulator to enforce minimum financial standards and disclosure requirements, and urged investors to verify a firm's regulatory status before transferring funds.