The Most-Read Stories on Finance Magnates for 2018

Most of you have read the most interesting stories on Finance Magnates in 2018. That said, it would probably be interesting for you to find out which are the hottest topics that attracted the attention of the industry.
The various topics that interested forex brokers, technology and liquidity providers, and traders were closely related to a number of subjects. The ESMA’s new regulations and the challenges associated with payments caught the industry ill-prepared.
Despite several quarters of deliberations, the initial draft of the new regulatory framework which got published in December 2016, was more or less the same as the final version. This is the main reason why three out of the top 6 stories are related to the ESMA.
Mastercard and VISA Reclassified Brokers
The most viewed story for 2018 was the introduction of the new commercial restrictions to brokerage companies. While advertising took center stage at the beginning of the year with Google, Facebook, and Twitter all taking action to limit some companies, it was the payments industry that worried the industry most in 2018.
Our coverage of Mastercard and VISA’s actions to reclassify certain brokers to high-risk clients was of special interest. The action put those brokers on par with gambling companies. Offshore brokers have been struggling to find alternative solutions to get merchant accounts despite the changes. 

Ever Wondered How Many Traders are Profitable?
The answer to the question was provided publicly after the ESMA mandated brokers to display their percentage of winning traders. From the low 60s to the high 80s, the stats confirmed that only a select few retail traders are not losing money while trading forex and CFDs.
The statistics also displayed a clear balance in favor of companies that have a social aspect to their offering. While not a panacea, sharing of ideas helped traders to be more precise when making trading decisions. Our coverage of the subject was the second most-read article on Finance Magnates in 2018.

Drastic Changes to the Industry
Since the rollout of the new regulatory measures by the ESMA in March, the industry has taken a number of steps to adapt. At the time of the introduction of the , many of you set sight to find out how exactly it would change the industry.
Our theories about how brokers would  to the new market have been largely proven. Firms are looking for new ways to provide added value tools, while also optimizing their costs and finding new ways to advertise their brands. With consolidation still being a theme and offshore brokers growing, we are yet to find out the full impact of the new regulations.
A Retail Trader Makes €10 mln?
The alleged and quite of one retail trader triggered widespread media coverage. The person allegedly made close to €10 million on his account while thinking that he was trading in demo mode. The story of Harouna Traore made headlines in June, just as the market was preparing for a tough summer.
MetaTrader 4 Waves Goodbye
This year was the end of an era and not only from a regulatory standpoint. The creator of the most popular trading platform in the industry, MetaQuotes, stopped offering its MT4 software suite. The company accelerated the slow migration towards MT5, sparking readership interest in the process.

These are the top stories for 2018. In the first days of 2019, we will find out more about what the industry is expecting for next year.