FX week in review: Saxo Bank sold, Panda TS forced sale, Ben Bilski’s crypto launch, NAGA and Finalto COOs leave

Mergers and acquisitions were top-of-mind in the FX and CFDs arena this past week. One of the leading and oldest brokers out there – Saxo Bank – was acquired by a surprise buyer from outside “the industry”, and broker technology provider Panda is facing a court-ordered forced sale of the company to a third party.

Who stepped up to buy Saxo Bank? And how did the price compare to Saxo Bank’s 2022 IPO attempt at a €2 billion valuation?

Why is Panda Trading Systems being sold?

What is NAGA Group founder and ex CEO Ben Bilski’s new crypto trading venture all about?

Why did Robinhood and BUX face multi-million dollar fines this week?

Which executive changes were seen at Leverate, Saxo Bank, ATFX, NAGA Group, StarTrader, 4OTC, and Daman Markets, among others?

Some of the most read and commented-on FX/CFD industry news stories to appear over the past seven days on FNG included:


Top FX and CFDs industry news stories this week

Saxo Bank valuation in sale to Safra: $1.74 billion. FNG has learned that the acquisition of control of Copenhagen based Retail FX and CFDs broker Saxo Bank by the Safra Group announced earlier today was done based on a valuation of approximately €1.609 billion (or USD $1.74 billion) for the company. The deal will see Safra Group unit J. Safra Sarasin Group buy Geely Group’s just-under-50% stake in Saxo Bank, alongside Mandatum’s 20% interest, giving Safra an approximate 70% controlling stake in the company.

Panda Trading Systems facing forced sale by Court. An interesting drama is playing out in the courts in Israel, that will result in the (attempted) sale of FX and CFD broker technology provider Panda Trading Systems to a third party. Maor Lahav and Shmuel Gutman co-founded Panda in 2007, and continue to each own 50% of the company. Why is Panda being sold?

Exclusive: Former NAGA CEO Ben Bilski launching “game changing” crypto trading. FNG Exclusive… Almost exactly a year to the day when he retreated into “stealth mode” after leaving NAGA Group, a company he founded and led as CEO for most of its existence, Ben Bilski has emerged to describe the new venture he is launching. What is Ben Bilski planning – which he described as a “new way of trading in crypto”, and as “game changing”?

BUX fined €1.6M for referral fees violating the inducements ban. The Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) has announced that neobroker BUX has been fined €1.6 million for violating the inducements ban. In the past, BUX has paid compensations to existing customers, comparison websites and finfluencers for introducing new customers. In the opinion of the AFM, the manner in which this was done violated the inducements ban.

Exclusive: Prospero Markets client refunds delayed to June 2025. FNG Exclusive… FNG has learned via court filings made in Australia that the liquidators of bankrupt Retail FX and CFDs broker Prospero Markets now expect that repayment of funds to former clients of the company will be delayed, and will likely not be effected until about June 2025.

Top FX industry executive moves this week

Ben Bittan

Exclusive: Leverate hires Ben Bittan as VP Marketing.

Exclusive: Saxo UK Chairman Richard Balarkas steps down.

❑ ATFX Connect hires FXCM exec Mohammed Khan as COO.

Exclusive: NAGA Group COO Madalina Rotaru departs.

Exclusive: Finalto management changes continue, COO Stanislav Bunimovich departs.

Exclusive: Pepperstone hires Kim Reilly from FP Markets as Head of Client Experience.

❑ Former TradingView CEO Oleg Mukhanov joins Dividenz as CFSO.

Exclusive: StarTrader hires Accuindex exec Ahmed Eskandar as Sales Director MENA.

❑ 4OTC hires EBS eFix alum Kyle Jannece as Head of Business Development.

❑ NAGA hires ActivTrades alum Alexander Boruvanov as Head of Global Markets.

Exclusive: Citi FX executive Charles Han moves to PAG.

Exclusive: Frini Fournari named Chief Compliance Officer at Rostro Group.

Exclusive: Daman Markets hires Tariq El Amine from Hantec as Art Director.

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