Beware! LeonMarket 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.
LeonMarket is an unregulated offshore broker offering unfavourable trading conditions. In this review we will show you in detail why it is not a good idea to invest through LeonMarket and what better options you have.
LeonMarket Regulation and safety of funds
| Guaranteed Funds | Segregated Accounts | Negative balance protection | |
| LeonMarket | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| 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 most important information about a financial services provider is its regulatory status. Licensed brokers provide detailed information about which company runs them, where it is based, which jurisdictions it is authorised in and which regulatory bodies oversee its activities.
This brokerage is operated by a company called Zoltect Solutions Ltd, which is allegedly based in the Marshall Islands. This offshore zone does not require any registrations for forex brokers. This means that LeonMarket is not subject to any oversight and provides no guarantees of transparency and fair treatment of clients.
In addition to this, the financial authorities in British Columbia have blacklisted LeonMarket.
If you have decided to invest in financial instruments, and especially if you are a novice trader, you should use the services of a licensed broker based in a jurisdiction with strong regulations.
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.
LeonMarket Trading software
| Analytical tools | Auto trading | Custom indicators | Mobile apps | |
| LeonMarket platform | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| MT4 | 30+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
| MT5 | 50+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
| cTrader | 40+ indicators | ✅ | ✅ | Android and iOS |
LeonMarket implements a standard-looking web-based software. Here is how it looks like:
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.
LeonMarket Trading instruments
| Currency | Stocks | Indices | Crypto | Commodities | |
| LeonMarket | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| XM | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| FBS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| FXTM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
LeonMarket offers trading in all major asset classes. But with such an unregulated broker we cannot even be sure that the trade is real and not fictitious.
LeonMarket Spreads and cost of trading
| LeonMarket | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
| Spread EURUSD | 3 | 0.6 | 1 | 1.1 |
| Spread GBPUSD | 3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
| Spread USDJPY | 3 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 |
With the trading software we see a spread of 3 pips for the main currency moves. This level is double the typical industry level and is very unprofitable for the trader.
In addition to this, LeonMarket charges a monthly maintenance fee of 10 USD. Legitimate forex brokers do not charge similar fees.
LeonMarket Maximum leverage
| Forex | Stocks | Crypto | Gold | Indices | |
| LeonMarket broker | 400:1 | 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 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
LeonMarket offers leverage up to 1:400.
Regulated brokers do not offer such levels to retail traders as trading with high leverage carries risks of sudden and excessive losses. If you are willing to take the risk of trading with high leverage and benefit from bonuses and promotions, the best option is to invest through an offshore division of an established brand.
LeonMarketDeposit and withdrawal methods
| Deposit time | Withdrawal time | Price | |
| Credit card | Instant | 24 hours | 3.5% |
| Crypto | 24 hours | 24 hours | Fee depends on crypto |
LeonMarket allows depositing funds via cryptocurrencies and credit cards.
Licensed brokers typically offer clients a wide choice of transparent payment methods, including established e-wallets such as PayPal, Skrill or Neteller
LeonMarket Minimum deposit
| LeonMarket | XM | FBS | FXTM | |
| Minimum deposit | $250 | $5 | $10 | $5 |
LeonMarket specifies a minimum deposit of 250 EUR/USD, which is the industry standard. But this means that for the same amount you could open a trading account with an established and duly licensed forex broker. Some of the leading brands in the industry offer Micro and Cent accounts with a very low entry threshold that are suitable for novice investors.
LeonMarket Withdrawal requirements
| Trading volume | Fee/Tax on withdrawal | Minimum withdrawal | |
| LeonMarket | Not specified | 3.5%/$30 | $100 |
| UK regulated brokers | No | No | No |
| EU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
| AU regulated brokers | No | No | No |
| US regulated brokers | No | No | No |
LeonMarket charges a first withdrawal fee of 10 USD. Thereafter, the fees are 3.5% for credit card withdrawals and 30 USD/EUR for other payment methods. Established brokers rarely charge transaction fees.
The minimum withdrawal amount is 100 USD. LeonMarket also charges very high monthly fees for inactivity, which can reach 500 USD after six months.
