Forex Policy, Dubai (2026)

14/10/2026

MAS Markets has appointed Simon Naish as Head of APAC, bringing extensive institutional banking, FX, and financial services experience to the company’s regional expansion strategy.

Naish joins the institutional liquidity and trading solutions provider after serving as Australia Country Head at ATFX for three years. He previously led FX business development in Australia for Velocity Trade and spent 33 years at National Australia Bank, where he concluded his tenure as Head of Bank and Diversified Financial Institutions Sales for APAC.

In his new role, Naish will lead the development and ex*****on of MAS Markets’ strategy across the Asia-Pacific region. His responsibilities will include expanding market presence, building regional teams, and developing partnerships with brokers, hedge funds, family offices, and professional trading firms.

MAS Markets CEO and Founder Simon Blackledge highlighted Naish’s institutional trading expertise and regional leadership experience as key assets in the company’s growth plans. Naish said he would focus on strengthening operational capabilities and strategic partnerships to support the firm’s expansion across APAC.

The appointment follows the departure of former APAC head Harry Fry, who recently moved to rival liquidity provider Edgewater Markets.

Founded in 2021, MAS Markets is an FCA-regulated multi-asset liquidity provider offering institutional liquidity, trading technology, and tailored solutions to financial market participants worldwide. The company operates as part of MAS Group.

14/10/2026

Wise Group plc has appointed Barak Eilam to its Board of Directors as Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate, setting the stage for a leadership transition scheduled for April 2027.

Eilam will succeed David Wells as Chair, who has held the position since 2021 after joining Wise’s board in 2019. Wells will step down as Chair and as a Director in April 2027, following a transition period. As Chair Designate, Eilam will also serve as Chair of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

Eilam brings nearly three decades of technology and board leadership experience, including 25 years at NICE, where he progressed from engineer to CEO. Between 2014 and 2024, he led NICE’s transformation into a cloud-based enterprise technology provider. He currently serves on the boards of FactSet, CCC Intelligent Solutions, and Similarweb, and previously served on Payoneer’s board.

Wise CEO and Co-Founder Kristo Käärmann highlighted Eilam’s experience scaling global technology businesses and his board-level expertise as important assets for the company’s next phase of growth. Eilam described Wise as a distinctive technology company in global financial services, pointing to opportunities to expand its international impact and create long-term value.

The transition comes after a period of significant growth for Wise. According to Käärmann, the company has expanded from six million customers when Wells joined the board in 2019 to nearly 19 million, while also developing relationships with major global banks and becoming a dual-listed company.

14/10/2026

ATFX Connect has appointed Dubai-based executive Meenaz Sayyed as MENA Director, strengthening its regional leadership as the institutional services business continues to develop its presence across the Middle East and North Africa.

Sayyed joins ATFX Connect, the institutional B2B services arm of ATFX, after spending approximately 18 months as Head of Sales at regional brokerage ANAX Capital. She previously served as Sales Director at Daman Markets and worked as an Account Executive at IG MENA.

Her professional background also includes experience across wealth management and banking, with roles at Exuberance Wealth Management, Century Financial, HSBC, and JPMorgan. Her experience across brokerage sales and financial services brings a broad regional perspective to her new position.

The appointment follows the recent departure of Hormoz Faryar, who served as Managing Director of Institutional Sales at ATFX MENA for three years before joining Sky Links Capital earlier this month.

Sayyed’s move marks another leadership change in the region’s institutional FX and CFD brokerage sector.

14/10/2026

Binance has introduced Auto Order Routing for spot trading, a feature designed to help users access better quoted prices and deeper liquidity across trading pairs, particularly those involving local fiat currencies.

The system compares the order book of a local currency pair with that of a more liquid intermediary pair, then automatically routes orders through the path offering the better quoted price. This automates a process that previously required traders to complete multiple steps manually.

Auto Order Routing supports both market and limit orders, including Limit GTC, Limit IOC, Market Sell orders denominated in the base currency, and Market Buy orders denominated in the quote currency. Users pay one trading fee at the applicable rate, deducted from the receiving asset of the executed pair. Eligible users can also continue to benefit from the BNB fee discount when enabled.

The feature is initially available for U-quoted symbols. Support for USD, USD1, USDC, and other quote assets is expected to follow, subject to regulatory approvals in relevant jurisdictions.

Users can enable or disable the feature through the “Trading Mode” dropdown on Binance’s trading interface. The rollout will take place gradually, with eligible trading pairs identified on the platform and availability subject to regional and user restrictions.

The launch adds another automated trading capability to Binance’s spot market infrastructure, aimed at simplifying order ex*****on and improving access to liquidity across eligible pairs.

14/10/2026

CME Group has reported a new daily volume record for its Corn futures, with 1,206,376 contracts traded on October 9, surpassing the previous record of 1,128,597 contracts set on March 29, 2019.

The record follows a USDA report that showed higher-than-expected ending stocks, crop yields, and production. According to John Ricci, CME Group’s Global Head of Agricultural Products, market participants turned to Corn futures to adjust positions and manage price risk as expectations for the agricultural market shifted.

The latest milestone reflects broader growth across CME Group’s agricultural derivatives business. Average daily volume across agriculture products reached 2,022,488 contracts in the third quarter, an 18.1% increase year over year. September average daily volume also rose 28.8% year over year to 1,936,761 contracts.

Corn futures recorded average daily volume of 502,004 contracts in the third quarter, up 35.2% year over year, while Corn options averaged 179,674 contracts, marking a 31.4% increase.

The figures highlight increased activity in agricultural derivatives as market participants use futures and options to respond to changing crop forecasts and manage exposure to commodity price fluctuations.

12/10/2026

AvaTrade has agreed to acquire the majority of FXCM Group’s business, marking a significant expansion move in the global online trading industry.

The proposed transaction brings together AvaTrade, founded in 2006, and FXCM, an established trading brand founded in 1999. AvaTrade aims to combine FXCM’s global market presence with its own technology and product innovation to expand its international reach and strengthen its multi-asset offering.

While the exact scope of the acquisition has not been disclosed, the announcement follows Trade Nation’s agreement to acquire FXCM’s UK client book. FXCM also operates institutional services and liquidity business FXCM Pro, leaving the full extent of the assets included in AvaTrade’s transaction unclear.

AvaTrade CEO Daire Ferguson said the deal supports the company’s strategy to expand internationally, broaden its trading solutions and continue investing in technology, including AI-powered tools and infrastructure.

The acquisition follows a series of technology-focused initiatives by AvaTrade, including the launch of an AI-powered trading platform, as the broker continues to develop its global operations and product capabilities.

12/10/2026

Offshore CFDs broker Bullwaves has appointed Martin Stoilov as Chief Operating Officer (COO), tasking him with leading global operational strategy, customer experience, and partner relations as the company continues to expand its international presence.

Stoilov joins Bullwaves after six years at FP Markets in Cyprus, including four years as Global Head of Customer Experience and Client Relations. During his tenure, he led global customer experience strategies, optimized client acquisition funnels, implemented AI and automation frameworks, and aligned retention initiatives with regulatory and commercial objectives.

In his new role, Stoilov will oversee operational scaling, cross-departmental integration, and client retention frameworks. He also plans to advance AI adoption and technology-driven operations to support the broker’s growth and improve experiences for clients and partners worldwide.

Bullwaves CEO Filippo De Rosa said the appointment reflects the company’s ambition and growing ability to attract experienced industry talent. Stoilov described the role as an opportunity to build scalable operational systems and support the broker’s next phase of development.

Bullwaves operates primarily from Cyprus and Dubai and is domiciled in Seychelles. The group also operates Bullwaves Prime, a proprietary trading firm.

12/10/2026

OANDA has appointed Karolina Jasica, formerly of IG Group, as its new Global Compliance Officer, adding experienced compliance leadership as the broker continues to reshape its senior management team.

Based in Krakow, Poland, Jasica will report to OANDA Chief Legal Officer Eva Svobodova in Prague. She joins from IG Group, where she spent four years as Head of Compliance Monitoring, Assurance and Regulated Complaints.

Jasica brings 15 years of previous experience at State Street, where she held several compliance-related roles in Ireland and Poland, adding extensive financial services and regulatory expertise to her new position.

The appointment comes as OANDA continues to undergo leadership changes following its acquisition by proprietary trading firm FTMO late last year. FTMO co-founders Otakar Šuffner and Marek Vašíček subsequently took over as OANDA’s Co-CEOs.

Meanwhile, IG Group has been navigating workforce reductions and weaker financial results, creating a period of significant change across both brokerage firms.

12/10/2026

Next Ventures has appointed Dana Massey, formerly Chief Product & Growth Officer at MultiBank, to the same role within its growing portfolio of trading brands.

As Chief Product & Growth Officer (CPGO), Massey will bring together the Product, Design, and Marketing teams across Next Ventures’ businesses, including FundedNext, a prop trading firm focused on CFDs and futures, and FNmarkets, its recently launched offshore CFDs brokerage domiciled in Mauritius.

Massey brings extensive experience across online trading, fintech, and gaming. Before joining Next Ventures, he spent approximately 18 months at MultiBank. He previously held senior product and technology leadership positions at Capital.com, including Chief Product & Marketing Officer and Chief Product & Technology Officer.

His career also includes product leadership at international money transfer provider WorldRemit and nearly two decades in the gaming industry, including a role as Senior Director of New Games at King, the company behind titles such as Candy Crush and Farm Heroes.

Led by Co-Founder and CEO Abdullah Jayed, Next Ventures operates primarily from Dubai. Massey’s appointment brings product, design, marketing, and growth leadership experience to the group as it develops its presence across proprietary trading and brokerage services.

12/10/2026

Mitrade has appointed former TD Ameritrade Singapore CEO Christopher Brankin as Global Markets Advisor, bringing more than three decades of trading and brokerage leadership experience to the CFD trading platform.

Based in Singapore, Brankin will contribute institutional analysis, market commentary, and educational insights on global market developments. He previously led TD Ameritrade Singapore from 2011 to 2022 before heading regional expansion for Capital.com between 2022 and 2023.

Brankin began his career in Chicago’s open-outcry futures markets in 1995. He later managed a proprietary trading desk and oversaw ex*****on and clearing at thinkorswim before moving into senior leadership roles at regulated brokerage firms across Asia.

His experience spans major market events, including the 2008 financial crisis and the volatility of 2020. Brankin has also provided market commentary through international media outlets such as CNBC, Bloomberg, and Reuters.

Commenting on the appointment, Brankin highlighted the impact of geopolitical developments and interest-rate changes on European markets, emphasizing the importance of understanding the forces driving market volatility. His role will support Mitrade’s focus on financial education and market insights for its global audience.

Founded in Melbourne, Mitrade operates through regulated subsidiaries in several jurisdictions, including Australia, Cyprus, the UAE, and South Africa, alongside offshore entities.

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