CMC Markets Institutional (CMC Connect / API Direct) vs. Evaluate CMC Markets against single prime brokers and multi-PoP setups for liquidity access and technology integration.

Founded in 1989, CMC Markets UK plc is a tier 1 FCA-licensed institutional liquidity provider. They focus on CFD and FX liquidity with a robust API offering, serving clients in over 25 countries. However, their institutional arm does not cater to retail clients, and their self-measured claims should be independently verified.

CMC Markets UK plc (institutional services; group parent CMC Markets Group plc, LSE: CMCX)City of London, United Kingdom · LSE-listed institutional liquidity provider (B2B) — CFD and FX liquidity, white label, APIEvidence score 90/100last re-checked 2026-09

90Evidence score/100

4Venues

4Connectivity

4Asset classes

Licence, read on the register

Tier classification follows the same scale as the retail register: tier-2 means real supervision and client-money segregation, without an investor compensation scheme — never misread it as tier-1 protection.

CMC Markets Institutional (CMC Connect / API Direct): Licence, read on the register
Regulator	Licence number	Jurisdiction	Tier	Source
FCA	173730	UK	tier-1	https://register.fca.org.uk/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?file=0150X000006gbb6

Source: www.cmcmarkets.comen/connect · open source ↗

The comparison ledger

Where the model wins, where it merely competes, and which claims a counterparty can actually test.

Wins where

API-driven liquidity solutions
Multi-asset trading needs
Partnerships with banks and brokers

Merely competes where

Single prime brokers
Multi-PoP liquidity providers
Direct venue memberships

Testable claims

CMC's own institutional page states 'Formed in 1989 and listed on London Stock Exchange, we have accumulated over 20 years' institutional experience, with existing partnerships in more than 25 countries' (cmcmarkets.com/partners/institutional)
Own API Direct description: 'comprehensive multi-asset coverage from a single provider with our API Direct feed, including access to our market-leading CFD liquidity and FX product suite' with 'consistent pricing and market depth across more than 400 instruments' (cmcmarkets.com/partners/institutional)
CMC Connect page: 'CMC Connect offers multi-asset liquidity provision and tailored trading technology to a global institutional client base' (cmcmarkets.com/en/connect)

Claims we cannot verify from outside

64.5m spread bet and CFD trades annually (2018-19) and 80,000+ active clients appear on liquidityfinder.com directory copy of CMC profile — directory source, not verified on CMC's own pages

Perimeter and coverage

CMC Markets Institutional (CMC Connect / API Direct): Perimeter and coverage
Asset classes	Venues	Connectivity	Clients accepted	Explicitly refused
CFDs, FX spot, Spread betting (UK), Multi-asset derivatives (400+ instruments)	API Direct feed, Prime FX, Prime Derivatives, Grey label / white label platforms	FIX API, REST API, Native API (API Direct), MT4/MT5 white label	Banks, Brokers, Funds, Trading desks, Partnerships in more than 25 countries	Retail clients (institutional arm)