LONDON, 10 December 2025 – Retail adoption of futures and options is set to accelerate in Europe as retail brokers are increasingly offering the products to clients, a new study published today by Acuiti has found.
Retail trading has become an important source of liquidity across global listed derivatives markets, most notably in the US. Europe, which has historically lagged behind in retail trading of futures and options, is currently experiencing rapid growth as more retail brokers offer the products to clients.
This trend towards retail brokers offering futures and options is being driven by three core factors: a desire to retain clients as they increase the sophistication of their trading strategies, a diversification of products and the need to offer a true multi-asset platform to clients and the increased competition from US retail brokers entering the European market.
The Transition From CFDs to Listed Derivatives: How regulation, competition and innovation are reshaping retail trading in Europe, sponsored by CME Group, is based on surveys and interviews with senior executives at top retail brokerages and neobanks across Europe.
The report found that almost half of retail brokers in Europe that are not currently offering futures and options are either planning to launch them soon or considering doing so. Just 21% of firms that weren’t currently offering the products to clients said that they would not consider doing so.
The report’s key findings include:
• Retail trading has become a significant liquidity source across global markets, particularly in the US. Europe has lagged historically behind the US, but that is beginning to change.
• Regulation is the top concern with 76% for retail brokers operating in Europe and 62% of firms offering CFDs are very concerned about future regulatory constraints in the products.
• Futures and options are gaining momentum as 67% of retail brokers view listed derivatives as very important to their retail strategy over the next two years driven by client demand, higher customer retention, additional revenue streams and product diversification.
• Adoption of futures and options by retail brokers in Europe is likely to accelerate as 79% of firms not currently offering them are either planning to offer them or considering doing so.
• US brokers entering Europe are intensifying competition – 39% see this as a significant challenge.
“Based on this study, the adoption of futures and options by retail traders in Europe looks set to further accelerate. Restrictions on offering OTC instruments to retail clients are growing, the sophistication of retail investors across the continent is increasing and new competition is coming from US retail brokers, who specialise in futures and options,” says Will Mitting, founder of Acuiti.
“In response, retail brokers are increasingly looking to listed derivatives markets to retain clients, diversify their product offering and build additional revenue streams.”
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For more information, contact Hena Hadi at Acuiti.
Tel.: +44 (0) 203 998 9190
Email: henahadi@acuiti.io
About Acuiti
Acuiti is a management intelligence platform designed to provide Senior Industry Professionals in the Derivatives Industry with high-value insight into industry-wide performance and business operations. Acuiti provides a platform through which our exclusive network of Senior Industry Executives can share and source information on day-to-day operational challenges, providing them and their management teams with increased transparency and in-depth analysis to make more informed decisions and benchmark company performance. Financial Institutions benefiting from our services include Banks, Non-bank FCMs, Brokers, Proprietary Trading Firms, Hedge Funds and Asset Managers.