Beware! Markethouse.io is an offshore broker! Your investment may be at risk.
RECOMMENDED FOREX BROKERS
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Open trading accounts with at least two brokers.
Markethouse.io, or Market House, wants us to believe that it would be a good idea to invest in the financial markets through this forex broker. But careful inspection shows that this is not a licensed financial services provider. We have every reason to believe that this website is designed to scam inexperienced people out of their money. Let’s take a detailed look at why it is not in your best interest to trust Markethouse.io.
Markethouse.io Regulation and safety of funds
Guaranteed Funds | Segregated Accounts | Negative balance protection | |
Markethouse.io | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
UK regulated brokers | £85 000 | Yes | Yes |
EU regulated brokers | €20 000 | Yes | Yes |
AU regulated brokers | No | Yes | Yes |
US regulted brokers | Yes | Yes | No |
The first thing to look for in a forex broker’s website is which legal entity runs it, where it is based and what regulatory oversight it is subject to. Licensed companies are also required to provide a comprehensive set of legal documentation.
Markethouse.io is completely anonymous – even the text of the Terms and Conditions does not mention the name of a legal entity. That in itself is a big enough red flag that we’re dealing with a scam.
According to the website, Markethouse.io has offices in two regulated jurisdictions – the Netherlands and Canada.
But that can’t possibly be true. A check of the databases of the relevant financial regulators leads not to any info about a license, but to a warning that Markethouse.io is not authorized to offer financial services and products.
If you have decided to invest in financial instruments you have a choice of much more trustworthy options. Depending on your location, it is advisable to choose a company that is regulated by an institution such as Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in the US, Australian Securities and Exchanges Commission (ASIC), UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) or some EU regulator like Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
Clients of these brokers receive protections such as negative balance protection and segregation of the client’s funds from the broker’s funds. In the EU and the UK, brokers must also participate in guarantee schemes that cover a certain amount of the trader’s investment if the broker becomes insolvent. These guarantees amount to up to 20 000 EUR in the EU and 85 000 GBP in the UK. However, the likelihood of such a bankruptcy is low because regulators also have significant net capital requirements that companies must maintain – EUR 730 000 in UK and Cyprus, AUD 1000 000 in Australia and at least 20 million USD in the United States.
Markethouse.io Trading software
Analytical tools | Auto trading | Custom indicators | Mobile apps | |
Markethouse.io platform | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
MT4 | 30+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
MT5 | 50+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
cTrader | 40+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
Markethouse.io advertises innovative trading software, but in practice offers a pretty basic web platform that has nothing to impress. Here’s how it looks:
While the platform has the basic features for placing orders, customising charts and application of technical indicators, it lacks the more advanced functionality found in the most widely used trading platforms in the industry, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5).
These platforms have established themselves as industry standard because they offer a wide range of features, including a variety of options for customization, multiple account usage, designing and implementing custom scripts for automated trading and backtesting trade strategies.
It should be noted that the presence of a trading platform does not make this website any more legitimate and does not guarantee that this alleged broker offers real trading. Many scammers use rigged trading software to fool their victims that their money is being invested.
Markethouse.io Trading instruments
Currency | Stocks | Indices | Crypto | Commodities | |
Markethouse.io | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
XM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FBS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FXTM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Markethouse.io claims to offer over 500 tradable instruments including forex, stocks, commodities, indices and cryptocurrencies. But the website does not provide detailed information on trading conditions.
Genuine forex brokers provide detailed information about the trading conditions. Legitimate companies also offer different account types to suit clients with different experience, capital and investment intentions.
Markethouse.io Spreads and cost of trading
Markethouse.io | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
Spread EURUSD | 2 | 1.7 | 1 | 1.1 |
Spread GBPUSD | 2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
Spread USDJPY | 2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
In the trading platform we see a spread of 2 pips, which is a less favorable level than offered by legitimate forex brokers.
Markethouse.io Maximum leverage
Forex | Stocks | Crypto | Gold | Indices | |
Markethouse.io | 100:1 | 100:1 | 10:1 | 100:1 | 100:1 |
UK regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | ❌ | 10:1 | 10:1 |
EU regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | 2:1 | 10:1 | 10:1 |
AU regulated brokers | 30:1 | 5:1 | 2:1 | 10:1 | 10:1 |
US regulated brokers | 50:1 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
A high leverage of 1:100 is set in the Markethouse.io trading software. This is further evidence that this could not be a licensed broker operating in the EU and North America. This is not a level that you see with regulated brokers. Trading with high leverage allows higher profits, but also increases the risk of sudden and excessive losses proportionally. All leading regulators limit leverage for retail traders.
Another such piece of evidence is the claim that Markethouse.io offers bonuses. Regulated brokers are prohibited from offering bonuses and promotions. Scammers often use promises of supposedly generous bonuses to tie their potential victims to extortionate terms.
If you are nevertheless willing to take the risk of high-leverage trading and want to take advantage of bonuses, promotions and prize games, the best option is to use the services of offshore brokers operating under an established brand.
Markethouse.io Deposit and withdrawal methods
Deposit time | Withdrawal time | Price | |
Crypto | 24 hours | 24 hours | Fee depends on crypto |
We weren’t at all surprised that the only payment method accepted by Markethouse.io is Bitcoin.
Cryptocurrencies are the payment method of choice for most financial scammers. The reason for this is that on the one hand cryptocurrencies provide a degree of anonymity and on the other hand they do not allow the defrauded person to ask for a refund.
While there are some legitimate brokers that accept digital currencies like Bitcoin, they do so alongside other transparent payment methods such as credit/debit card, bank transfer or popular e-wallets like PayPal, Neteller or Skrill.
Markethouse.io Minimum deposit
Markethouse.io | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
Minimum deposit | $500 | $5 | $10 | $5 |
Markethouse.io requires a minimum deposit of 500 USD. For a significantly lower amount, you could open a starter trading account with an established broker, including some of the industry’s leading brands.
Markethouse.io Withdrawal requirements
Trading volume | Fee/Tax on withdrawal | Minimum withdrawal | |
Markethouse.io | Bonus x30 | Not specified | Not specified |
UK regulated brokers | No | No | No |
EU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
AU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
US regulated brokers | No | No | No |
If the account has received a bonus, it can only withdraw funds after meeting the minimum traded volume requirements. These requirements are quite high – the deposit amount plus the bonus times 30. Scammers use such clauses to block any withdrawal requests.
Markethouse.io also charges a very high monthly inactive account fee of 30 USD.