In crypto news this week, BCS Markets, a Russian broker, rebranded itself as Ultima Markets without publicly announcing it. However, another retail trading broker named Ultima Markets already exists. Multiple prop firms have publicly opposed the arbitrage exploitation of their platforms, with some groups offering services claiming to guarantee profits from prop trading activities. XTB, an online brokerage firm in Poland, reported strong financial and operational results for 2024, including a surge in new clients and plans to introduce spot cryptocurrencies to its offering. The United Arab Emirates emerged as a dominant force in global retail trading, leading in volumes and delivering healthy returns. NAGA launched CryptoX, a new feature for crypto CFD trading that eliminates overnight fees on long positions and allows users to mirror successful trading strategies. EasyMarkets witnessed a sharp rise in cryptocurrency trading in Q4 2024, driven by the price surge of Bitcoin and increased market activity. Robinhood added futures trading to its offerings, including S&P 500, oil, Bitcoin, and more. Binance is facing a criminal investigation in France for alleged tax fraud, money laundering, and illegal operations tied to drug trafficking. The Financial Conduct Authority fined Infinox for transaction reporting failures, and Trump's federal aid freeze caused confusion and uncertainty.



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