IG crypto CFD product profile and regulation

IG crypto CFDs and spot crypto investing by region

Founded in 1974, IG is best known for multi-asset CFD trading rather than purely crypto. It operates across major financial centres under tier-1 regulators and is built around trading traditional markets such as forex, indices, shares, and commodities, with crypto added as a supplementary product rather than a core focus.

Crypto on IG is offered either as crypto CFDs or spot crypto investing, depending on region. In most jurisdictions, traders access crypto via CFDs with leverage and margin, while UK retail clients are limited to custodial, unleveraged spot crypto investing. The crypto range is deliberately conservative, and trading platforms are IG's web platform and mobile app, MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and ProRealTime.

Tradeable crypto markets vary widely by regulatory jurisdiction, and IG's crypto offering is designed to sit alongside its core multi-asset platform rather than operate as a standalone crypto trading service.

IG crypto CFD spreads and fees by region

IG's crypto pricing depends on region and product type. In most regions, crypto exposure is provided via crypto CFDs, while UK retail clients access crypto through spot crypto investing only. Each route has a different cost structure.

IG prices crypto CFDs using a spread-only model. Your direct trading cost is the bid-ask spread with no separate commission. The spread is quoted as a minimum and can widen materially during volatility, around major news, or when liquidity thins.

The lowest Bitcoin CFD minimum spread in the table, 36 points, applies to Europe and South Africa accounts. Australia lists 40 points, while International and Singapore list 45 points.

The UK and Japan do not fit into this spread comparison. UK retail clients cannot trade crypto CFDs, with crypto access limited to spot investing instead. In Japan, IG provides crypto exposure primarily through a crypto index rather than individual crypto CFD markets.

Spot crypto investing (UK) is priced through execution spreads rather than overnight financing. Positions are fully funded with no leverage, no margin requirements, and no overnight financing costs.

IG's crypto pricing structure is clear, but costs and competitiveness vary significantly by region. Minimum Bitcoin spreads range from 36 points in Europe and South Africa to 45 points on International and Singapore accounts. Add overnight financing on CFDs and spread widening during volatile periods, and pricing remains generally fair but with clear trade-offs.

IG crypto CFD markets by region

IG's crypto market coverage varies significantly by region, and in most jurisdictions crypto exposure is offered via CFDs, while some regions restrict access to spot investing or index-based products only.

BTC

ETH

LTC

ADA

SOL

AVAX

IG International provides more than 10 individual cryptocurrency CFDs focused on large-cap assets including Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Cardano, Polkadot, Chainlink, Uniswap, Solana, and Avalanche, plus the Crypto 10 Index.

Australia lists a wider range than the International offering, with 34 crypto CFD markets under ASIC regulation. Singapore offers one of IG's broader retail crypto CFD line-ups with 31 crypto CFDs. Europe lists 17 crypto CFD markets under ESMA retail margin rules.

The UK differs fundamentally: UK retail clients cannot trade crypto CFDs. Instead, IG offers spot crypto investing through a custodial cryptoasset account with no leverage. Japan provides crypto exposure primarily through a crypto-related index rather than direct Bitcoin or Ether trading.

Coverage is solid for major cryptocurrencies but limited beyond that, and highly dependent on regulatory jurisdiction. Australia and Singapore list the most crypto markets (34 and 31), International and Europe list 15 to 17, the UK is limited to spot only, and Japan offers index-based exposure.

IG trading platforms for crypto CFDs

IG's crypto trading platforms are built around its proprietary web-based platform and mobile app.

MetaTrader 4

IG's proprietary platform supports advanced charting with multiple timeframes, a broad set of technical indicators, and standard drawing tools. Crypto markets can be traded directly from charts. Order functionality includes market orders, limit orders, stop orders, and guaranteed stops where permitted.

MT4 support for crypto CFDs is region-dependent and limited. Where supported, availability is typically restricted to major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether. Smaller altcoins and the Crypto 10 Index must be traded through IG's proprietary platform instead.

In Australia, ProRealTime and MT4 are listed for crypto CFDs, while TradingView covers indices, forex and commodities only. IG's web platform and mobile app carry the full crypto range.

IG's well-built proprietary platform carries its crypto offering. Its drawbacks are limited third-party platform support for crypto, reduced MT4 market coverage, and no TradingView integration for crypto markets in Australia.

IG regulation, client protections and regional availability

IG Group has been operating since the 1970s and is listed on the London Stock Exchange (FTSE 100). It operates as a market maker, setting prices internally and acting as the counterparty to client CFD trades.

IG holds licences with multiple tier-1 financial regulators including FCA (UK), ASIC (Australia), CFTC and NFA (US via tastyfx), JFSA (Japan), MAS (Singapore), FMA (New Zealand), FINMA (Switzerland), and BaFin (IG Europe GmbH, Germany).

For CFD trading, IG applies client fund segregation with retail client funds held separately from operating capital. Negative balance protection is provided to retail clients in Australia, the UK and the EU. For spot crypto investing (UK only), assets are held custodially under IG's own FCA cryptoasset registration, and are not covered by investor compensation schemes.

IG has a long operating history, tier-1 regulation across multiple jurisdictions, and standard client protections. Protections and product access differ by region, and spot crypto investing operates under a custodial model without equivalent regulatory protections.

IG deposits and withdrawals

Regardless of region, IG supports fiat currency only deposits and withdrawals, most deposit methods are free, and there is no minimum deposit requirement to open an account. Crypto deposits and withdrawals are not available on CFD accounts.

IG's funding and withdrawal process is straightforward, and most deposit methods are free (PayPal deposits in Australia carry a 0.5% charge). Crypto deposits and withdrawals are not supported, and funding methods, limits, and minimums vary by jurisdiction, creating uneven accessibility.

IG crypto CFD leverage and margin requirements

In regions where retail crypto CFDs are permitted, crypto CFDs typically carry a 50% margin requirement equivalent to 2:1 leverage on major cryptocurrencies. This applies across EU and Australian retail accounts and reflects regulatory caps rather than broker discretion.

By comparison, major forex pairs require around 3.33% margin (30:1 leverage), major indices around 5% (20:1), and share CFDs around 20% (5:1). Crypto CFDs require significantly more capital for the same notional exposure.

In the UK, retail clients do not trade crypto CFDs at all. Spot crypto investing is fully funded and unleveraged with no margin, no leverage, and no liquidation risk.

IG's risk and trading rules are relatively restrictive for crypto traders. Retail crypto CFDs get 2:1 leverage, margin can increase during volatility, and UK retail clients cannot access crypto CFDs at all.

Where crypto fits in IG's multi-asset business

IG is a highly regulated broker where the crypto offering is secondary to its core multi-asset CFD business. Its strengths are its regulatory coverage and long operating history, while limited crypto market depth, regional restrictions, and conservative product design hold it back.

Taken as a whole, IG delivers a competent but constrained crypto service.

To compare other crypto CFD issuers, see our crypto CFD hub.