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Octa regulation and how it scores

Regulation carries the heaviest weight in the score, which is why it is scored first. Here is Octa's licensing and the protections behind it.

Facts last checked . Read the full Octa review.

Regulation and safety

Regulated by
CySEC (372/18); Mauritius FSC (GB21027161); FSCA South Africa (FSP 51913); MISA Comoros (T2023320)
Regulator tier
Tier 1
Register entry
CySEC CIF Register, licence 372/18
Client money segregated
Yes
Held at
Regulated banking institutions
Negative balance protection
Yes
Compensation scheme
Investor Compensation Fund up to €20,000 for eligible CySEC clients; no statutory compensation scheme for international clients
Audited by
Independent external auditors
Not available to
European Union, United Kingdom, United States, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Philippines and other restricted jurisdictions for the international offering

Check the licence yourself: the CySEC register of investment firms, the Mauritius FSC register of licensees, the FSCA search of financial services providers.

What this means

Regulation carries the heaviest weight in the score, which is why it is scored first.

Octa holds a tier-one authorisation from CySEC. That matters more than any headline spread: it determines your leverage cap, whether losses can exceed your deposit, and what happens to your money if the firm fails.

It also operates an offshore entity (FSC). Which one you are onboarded to depends on where you live, and the two carry very different protections - worth confirming before you deposit.

CySEC licences passport across the EU and follow the 1:30 retail leverage cap, with the Investor Compensation Fund covering eligible claims.

The FSCA licenses derivative providers in South Africa without a fixed retail leverage cap, so headline leverage is often higher than an FCA or ASIC entity may offer.

An FSC licence (Mauritius or Belize, depending on the entity) is an offshore authorisation with lighter reporting duties than a tier-one regulator.

Client money is held separately from the firm's own money, at Regulated banking institutions. That separation is what makes your balance recoverable if the company fails, rather than part of the pool its creditors divide up.

Negative balance protection applies, so a losing position cannot take the account below zero and leave you owing the broker money.

Covered by Investor Compensation Fund up to €20,000 for eligible CySEC clients; no statutory compensation scheme for international clients, which pays eligible clients up to its limit if the firm fails owing client money.

Questions about Octa regulation

Is Octa tier-one regulated?

Octa's strongest licence is recorded as Tier 1.

Who regulates Octa?

Octa is regulated by CySEC (372/18); Mauritius FSC (GB21027161); FSCA South Africa (FSP 51913); MISA Comoros (T2023320).

Does Octa offer negative balance protection?

Yes. Octa offers negative balance protection, so a losing position cannot leave you owing the broker more than your account held.

Regulation at brokers under the same regulator

More about Octa