SAFETY CHECK
Is EXANTE safe?
EXANTE is regulated by CySEC (165/12), keeps client funds in segregated accounts, and clients are covered by ICF (€20,000).
Operating: 3 of 4 register entries hold a live authorisation as of 2026-09-03; the rest no longer take new clients.
Verdict based on verified regulatory data below. We are not affiliated with regulators.
Legal entities behind EXANTE
Each row is one register card, read on the date shown. A brand can span several licences with different statuses — the one you contract with decides your protection.
| Entity | Regulator | Reference | Status | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXT Ltd | CySEC · Cyprus | 165/12 | Authorised | 2026-09-03 |
| EXT Ltd | FCA · United Kingdom | FRN 589898 | Run-off — closed to new clientsFCA notice: "This firm is running off its UK business and cannot deal with new customers." A post-Brexit contracts-regime entry, not a UK licence — FSCS does not cover a new account. | 2026-09-03 |
| LHCM Ltd | FCA · United Kingdom | FRN 789421 | Authorised, with requirementsFCA notice: "This firm has requirements or restrictions placed on the financial services activities that it can operate." A separate UK company — not the entity EU or CIS clients contract with. | 2026-09-03 |
| XHK Limited | SFC · Hong Kong | CE BNN565 | Authorised | 2026-09-03 |
Why this broker scores 68/100
Full methodology →Regulation
15/40
Compensation
15/15
Segregation & audit
15/15
Track record
20/20
Transparency
3/10
⚠ 2 axes account for 32 of 32 lost points
SAFETY
How safe is your money
Segregated client accounts
Client funds held separately from operating capital. Required by regulator.
Investor compensation: ICF (€20,000)
If broker becomes insolvent, your covered assets are reimbursed up to the scheme's limit.
Not a publicly traded company
Private — financials are not disclosed publicly.
15 years of operations
Founded 2011. No major regulatory actions on record.
Negative balance protection
You cannot lose more than your account balance.
What could go wrong
- €10,000 minimum deposit is a hard entry barrierBelow €10k you literally cannot open an account. This is positioned as a 'professional' filter but it excludes most retail investors. Compare to IBKR / Admirals / XTB ($0 min).
- €50/month inactivity fee on dormant, near-empty accountsIt triggers only when all three conditions hold: no trade for 90 days, free cash below €5,000, and no open positions or active orders. A funded buy-and-hold account holds positions and so is exempt — the fee penalizes abandoned low-cash accounts, not active or invested ones. There is also a €30 withdrawal fee. Still steeper than peers (Admirals €10/mo after 2 years), so don't leave a small idle cash balance sitting here.
- Trustpilot 3.4 / 'fake reviews removed' flag on broker pageTrustpilot flagged the account for compensated reviews. Verified rating 3.4 (May 2026, 47 reviews) — below the 4★ trust threshold. Mobile app ratings are also weak (3.4 Google Play, 3.9 iOS on 7 reviews).
- No fractional shares — must buy whole unitsFor high-priced stocks (BRK.A ~$700k, NVR $7k, BKNG $4k) this matters: a €10k account can't get diversified across 30+ holdings without forcing concentration into a few names. Compare to IBKR / Admirals (fractional supported).
- Compensation caps at €20,000 — below FCA (£85k) / SIPC ($500k)Investor compensation tops out at the listed cap — well below the FCA (£85k) or SIPC ($500k). Matters most if your balance exceeds it.
Frequently asked questions
Is EXANTE regulated?
Yes. EXANTE holds licenses from: CySEC (165/12). Regulated brokers must follow capital, reporting and client-money rules.
Is EXANTE legit or a scam?
EXANTE is a legitimate, regulated broker: 15 years in operation under one regulator (CySEC (165/12)). That is not an endorsement — check the trade-offs on this page.
Is EXANTE still operating, or closing down?
Yes, EXANTE is operating. As of 2026-09-03, 3 of its 4 register entries hold a live authorisation: EXT Ltd (CySEC 165/12), LHCM Ltd (FCA FRN 789421), XHK Limited (SFC CE BNN565). The rest — EXT Ltd (FCA FRN 589898) — no longer take new clients. A closed entry is the wind-down of one licence, not a shutdown of the brand — but it also means that licence's compensation scheme does not cover a new account.
Is my money protected at EXANTE?
Client funds are held separately from the company's own money, and the ICF (€20,000) compensation scheme applies if the broker fails.
What happens if EXANTE goes bankrupt?
Segregated client assets are returned to clients; cash shortfalls are covered by ICF (€20,000) up to its limit.
Has EXANTE ever been fined by a regulator?
Yes — twice, though neither action involves the Cyprus entity most EU clients contract with. In June 2026 Hong Kong's SFC reprimanded and fined XHK Ltd, a firm operating under the EXANTE brand, HK$2.5 million: its required liquid capital was in deficit for four months between 2020 and 2021, and between March and April 2021 it moved up to HK$206 million of client money out of segregated accounts without the written client direction the rules require. The SFC recorded that XHK had self-reported, that no client suffered a loss, and that its record was otherwise clean. In June 2020 the CME fined Exante Limited US$350,000 over a wash trade in Eurodollar options, improperly configured customer accounts and incomplete answers to regulatory requests; the case settled without admission or denial. Verified against the SFC and CME notices on 29 July 2026.
Sources & refresh log
How we verified this review
Every fact below is verified against primary sources. We refresh on a schedule and on reader feedback.
Sources
Last verified
2026-06-30
Next: 2026-09-30