CFD Market Share Slumps to 6.7% in Europe, Overtaken by Crypto and Equities: ESMA
By Tanya Chepkova
AI summary of the source article
According to an ESMA report, CFD market share among Europe's cross-border retail clients fell to 6.7% in 2025. Total cross-border retail clients expanded to 15.5 million, led by growth in shares, UCITS funds, and crypto-assets.
Key facts
- CFDs' share of reported cross-border product holdings fell from 11% to 6.7%, with client numbers dipping to 1.3 million.
- Cross-border retail clients grew overall from 10.5 million to 15.5 million, with shares reaching 7.3 million clients and UCITS funds reaching 6 million.
- MiCA-regulated crypto-assets from traditional institutions surpassed CFDs, accounting for nearly 1.6 million clients and an 8.4% share.
Source excerpt · Finance Magnates
Europe's cross-border retail investment market picked up about five million reported clients in 2025, and CFDs missed out on almost all of it. ESMA's latest annual report shows the overall total rising from 10.5 million to 15.5 million, while CFD client numbers dipped to 1.3 million, falling behind even the tokenised assets offered by traditional banks. CFDs' share of reported product holdings dro…