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Offshore broker StarfishFX offers trading in multiple currency pairs and CFDs on precious metals, indices and stocks, as well as binary options. The broker primarily focuses on clients from Asia.
Company. Fund security
Behind the brand is Starfish Markets Limited, which is licensed by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC).
The company was previously registered as a financial services provider in New Zealand. However, after tightening control over brokers, the company moved and received an FSC license to Vanuatu.
Vanuatu is a low tax area. The entire company registration procedure is fast and inexpensive. That is why Vanuatu is becoming more and more popular with Forex brokers and binary options brokers every year. Capital requirements are very low - just $ 2,000 - even lower than Mauritius or Belize.
And as is usually the case, in offshore jurisdictions, control is weakened. This is why we advise traders to choose brokers licensed in Cyprus, the UK or Australia, where the level of protection against fraudulent activities by companies is much higher.
Trading conditions
StarfishFX offers its clients a classic variable spreads account, a VIP account with fixed spreads and a demo account. Micro lots are not available for trading.
Minimum initial deposit
The minimum amount required to open a classic account is $ 2,000. Starfish recommends starting trading with $ 10,000. StarfishFX offshore broker requires a very high initial deposit. Many reputable brokers offer much lower deposit amounts, even $ 1.
Spreads and commissions
In fact, the fixed spreads offered by this broker are above average and equal to 2.5 pips on the EUR / USD pair. Most brokers with fixed spreads require 2 pips on the same pair.
Leverage
As for the leverage, its value should not exceed 1: 500.
Trading platforms
StarfishFX offers its clients the leading trading terminal MetaTrader 4, available in desktop and mobile versions.
On this platform, a trader will find everything he needs - from technical indicators to advisors that will help to fully automate transactions.
In addition, StarfishFX clients can use the social trading platform ZuluTrade and copy the trades of other more successful traders.
Analytics and news
The broker has a whole section "Resource Center" in which he talks about the basics of trading. Moreover, all information is in English and Chinese.
Support service
A separate phone number is available for Asian customers. If you are trading from another region, you can use e-mail. The broker does not have a live chat.
Ways of payment
StarfishFX offers its customers the following payment methods: Credit / Debit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Maestro), Wire Transfer, Skrill, PayPal, AlgoCharge and China UnionPay, as well as depositing funds using a special MasterCard StarfishFX.
Deposits are accepted in USD, EUR, GBP, CHF.
When depositing funds, the broker charges an additional commission: on a card - 4% of the amount, using bank transfers - $ 15-25, using electronic wallets - 2.4% -3.9%.
Pros:
selection of trading assets; MT4.
Minuses:
offshore broker; high minimum deposit; high spreads; additional fees for deposit / withdrawal of funds.
STARFISHFX is a company whose task is to provide intermediary services to traders. Brokers / Crypto exchanges provide access to currency / cryptocurrency trading, first of all. Also, many of them, if we are talking about brokers, give the opportunity to make transactions with company shares, bonds, commodities, precious metals, indices, cryptocurrency and other assets. A private person can make transactions with all these instruments only on a trading platform, access to which is provided by a broker or a crypto exchange.
In addition, thanks to such companies, an individual can operate in the market with amounts significantly exceeding the amount of his own funds. This is called the provision of leverage. For example, having a deposit of 1,000 USD with a leverage of 1:400, a trader can make transactions for 400,000 USD.
As well, the broker / crypto exchange opens access to analytics, auxiliary tools, trading signals. Without all this, modern trading is impossible.
STARFISHFX profits from traders' trades, usually in two main ways
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First – most common. Using spreads. This word refers to the difference between the best prices for buying and selling a certain asset at a particular moment. Moreover, in a transaction between a trader and a broker, the price is one, and between the broker and market users - another. The mediator takes the difference.
The second method is easier to understand. This is a fee for each operation performed. Most often it has a standard value, but can also be measured as a percentage.
Therefore, the company is interested in attracting as many clients as possible and that they conduct active trading.
How honest brokers / crypto exchanges should work and how they work, we found out. And now let's look at how scammers act, they are also called kitchens.
The most common way to cheat – is to twist quotes. Broker / crypto exchange gives the trader quotes that differ from the real market. There is a substitution of data in order to make operations unprofitable. The deposit is reduced, and then completely reset. At the same time, the trader thinks that his operations were made on the market, but in fact – just on the site of scammers.
Bonus – traps. They are generously distributed for anything: registration, account replenishment, etc. Only after that, in order for the client to withdraw his own money mixed with bonus money, it will be necessary to fulfill a number of actually impossible conditions. For example, to conduct trading operations in the amount of ten times more than the size of the deposit.
The User Agreement may also mask a clause that allows the broker / crypto exchange to dispose of the client's money. Inattention when reading such an agreement most often turns into a complete loss of the deposit.
One of the key points – it is the place of registration and regulation of the company's activities.
First let's talk about registration. As a rule, traders are more trusted by companies either from their own country or from an economically developed country, for example, a member of the European Union. Of course, compliance with UK law is reassuring, and compliance with the laws of an unknown island in the Indian Ocean does not mean anything to most at all.
On fact, most brokerage companies are registered offshore, and we are talking not only about small offices, but also about world leaders. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize, Marshall Islands, Mauritius are popular offshore zones among companies. Registering there, companies pay significantly less taxes than in the place of actual location, which is sometimes carefully hidden.
If a trader has claims against such a company, then it is likely that he will have to deal with it in accordance with the laws of the same conditional Belize. It is possible to be physically present there at court hearings. And this is extremely expensive and difficult.
No is it worth running like fire from just the word «offshore»? As an answer, we will cite the names of companies that are not related to brokerage, but with an impeccable reputation and also save on taxes with the help of offshore registration: Apple, Pfizer, Microsoft, General Electric, Intel.
And here we come to the second important point – this is the regulation of the broker / crypto exchange. First of all, it is carried out at the level of the state where the company is registered. Each country has its own regulatory body for brokering. So, in Russia it is the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. The trader can find permits on the websites of such authorities. But there are also supranational structures. For example, the International Financial Commission, which is an independent self-regulatory organization, specifies disputes between its members – brokers and their clients.
If there is no information on the broker's website / crypto exchange about the regulation of its activities or license, then it is almost certainly a scammer. Or on the site there is data on some license issued by him, but this information is not confirmed anywhere else. Most likely, these are also scammers.
When choosing a brokerage company, or crypto exchanges, study its history. Look at the links to its experts. If one of the leading TV channels in the economic news for 5 years in a row refers to the opinion of the analyst of the broker in question – this is good. If the broker / crypto exchange assures that it has been working for 15 years, but there is no information about it on the Internet at all – this is bad.
It is important to pay attention to reviews about the company. And read them not only on the website of the broker itself / crypto exchange. In the kitchen, they will certainly be only praiseworthy. It is better to view as many sites as possible.
Pay attention solely to the specifics in the offers on the websites of brokers / crypto exchanges. Honest companies openly write about interest, spread size, minimum deposit, etc. Scammers lure loud streamlined phrases about a rich tomorrow, a stable income, mislead with incomprehensible terms about multi-sites, superfunctions and so on.
Specify the company's connection with well-known brands, financial institutions, public organizations. For example, it can be sponsored. Large brokers / crypto exchanges sometimes hold social promotions. Scammers will definitely not do this.
Therefore, the process of choosing a broker / crypto exchange is complicated. But if you approach it carefully, it will allow you to enter the world of trading, which has made millions of people rich around the world
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Before any trade and choosing a broker You must always read reviews on this site and on other sites. Companies who are honest, have a rating of above 3.8. Also there is always the risk of loss when trading CFDs. Be careful and read the disclosure on the website of the company you chose. STARFISHFX received a score of 1 of 5 on our resource.