The industry’s elite were on full display on Thursday evening with the highly anticipated UF AWARDS Global 2023 ceremony making a noteworthy splash. All the top brands across multiple industry verticals within fintech and financial services were vying for the distinguished honours. Following over a month of tight voting and nominations from their industry peers, only the finest emerged victorious.

Each recipient of the UF AWARDS Global 2023 represents the pinnacle of their respective craft, having solidified their status as an industry leader. The ceremony was organised and announced by Ultimate Fintech, who not only wishes to extend their congratulations to all winners, but their gratitude to all participants and nominees as well.

UF AWARDS Global 2023 – The Industry’s Most Prestigious Honours

The UF AWARDS Global 2023 stand as some of the most highly coveted honours in the online trading industry. For several years, these awards have sought to recognise outstanding brand performance, showcasing talent and excellence across the B2C and B2B space. This year’s awards ceremony celebrated the accomplishments of leading fintech players, brokers, and other top brands who were instrumental in fostering innovation and making significant contributions throughout 2023.

These esteemed awards also help establish a global standard in the B2C and B2B space, whose fundamental purpose is to guide traders and businesses to the industry’s best and most renowned brands.

The UF AWARDS Global 2023 ceremony took place at the Columbia Beach venue in Limassol, Cyprus on September 21, following the closing of iFX EXPO International 2023. The exhibition was heralded as a tremendous success, drawing thousands of attendees in the freshly unveiled City of Dreams Mediterranean Integrated Resort.

The full list of the UF AWARDS Global 2023 winners includes the following:

Broker Awards Winners

BROKER OF THE YEAR - GLOBAL: AAAFX

BEST GLOBAL BROKER - GLOBAL: FXVIEW

MOST TRUSTED BROKER - GLOBAL: FP MARKETS

BEST GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMME - GLOBAL: BDSWISS

BEST TRADING CONDITIONS - GLOBAL: FP MARKETS

BEST MOBILE TRADING APP - GLOBAL: FXPRO

BEST TRADING EXPERIENCE - GLOBAL: LIBERTEX

MOST INNOVATIVE BROKER - GLOBAL: DERIV

BEST CFD BROKER - GLOBAL: SKILLING

BEST TRADE EXECUTION - GLOBAL: CXM DIRECT

BEST FOREX SPREADS - GLOBAL:  TRADING PRO

MOST TRANSPARENT BROKER - GLOBAL: ERRANTE

BEST FOREX RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PROVIDER - GLOBAL: BDSWISS

BEST CUSTOMER SUPPORT - GLOBAL: TITAN FX

BEST EMERGING PROPRIETARY TRADING FIRM - GLOBAL: CONSUMMATE TRADERS

FASTEST GROWING BROKER - GLOBAL: DB INVESTING

BEST EMERGING BROKER - GLOBAL: KWAKOL MARKETS

B2B Awards Winners

BEST PAYMENT SERVICE PROVIDER - GLOBAL: WORLDPAY FROM FIS

MOST OUTSTANDING INNOVATOR IN PAYMENTS - GLOBAL: JETONBANK

BEST PAYMENT GATEWAY - GLOBAL: WORLDPAY FROM FIS

BEST CRYPTO SOLUTION FOR PAYMENTS - GLOBAL: CAPITAL WALLET

BEST CUSTOMER SUPPORT IN CRYPTO PAYMENTS - GLOBAL: FINRAX

BEST B2B LIQUIDITY PROVIDER - GLOBAL: X OPEN HUB

BEST CFD LIQUIDITY PROVIDER - GLOBAL: FINALTO

BEST ALL-IN-ONE BROKERAGE SOLUTION - GLOBAL: PLUGIT

BEST CONNECTIVITY PROVIDER - GLOBAL: ONEZERO

BEST TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER - GLOBAL: YOUR BOURSE

BEST CRM SOFTWARE PROVIDER - GLOBAL: FYNXT

BEST AUTOMATED PERFORMANCE TOOL - GLOBAL: SOLITICS

BEST BRIDGE PROVIDER - GLOBAL: CENTROID SOLUTIONS

BEST TRADING PLATFORM - GLOBAL: CTRADER BY SPOTWARE

BEST COPY TRADING PLATFORM - GLOBAL: CTRADER BY SPOTWARE

BEST SOCIAL TRADING SOLUTION - GLOBAL: ZULUTRADE

BEST WHITE LABEL SOLUTION - GLOBAL: QUADCODE

BEST TRADER RETENTION TOOL - GLOBAL: SOLITICS

BEST CONTACT CENTRE SOLUTION - GLOBAL: VOISO

MOST INNOVATIVE COMMUNICATION PLATFORM - GLOBAL: ATOMIX

BEST OUTSOURCING SERVICE PROVIDER - GLOBAL: SILVER BELL GROUP

What Does it Mean to Win at the UF AWARDS Global 2023? 

Being a recipient of the UF AWARDS Global 2023 is a tremendous achievement by any standard, especially considering the recognition garnered by industry peers. Months of nominations and subsequently voting helped bring brokers, fintech leaders, and the B2B community together to make their voices heard.

Simply being nominated and recognised for the UF AWARDS Global 2023 takes a combination of determination, creativity, and dedication. Each of the winning brands have distinguished themselves as elite, as well as visionaries in their respective categories.

Competition was fierce and voting for many awards was extremely tight. However, in the end, the votes were tallied, and leaders were crowned, providing a motivating example of how to achieve remarkable success in a rapidly evolving landscape. 

Ultimately, the awards winners inspire every brand and industry participant to reach for greatness, challenge the status quo and embrace the opportunities that change brings. 

The UF AWARDS will continue to recognise and celebrate those who dare to lead the way into the future in 2024 and beyond. 

Nium, the leader in real-time global payments, has opened a new European headquarters in London to accelerate business expansion across Europe and affirm its commitment to the UK as a leading fintech hub.

Founded in Singapore in 2014, Nium is disrupting the way businesses move money around the world and is powering some of the largest financial institutions, travel companies and digital platforms across the globe, including Rippling, Payoneer, Currencycloud and eDreams.

Over the last three years, the company has been sustainably investing in the growth of its business in Europe through M&A, talent acquisition, and product innovation. In 2021, it acquired travel payments company Ixaris and recently hired ex-Payoneer SVP Manuel Sandhofer as General Manager to run and expand regional operations.

Now, the global payments leader has opened its new European headquarters in London to reflect its strong market position and increasing demand for its real-time payment services. The office will also provide a strategic base for Nium to continue to serve its customers and coordinate its presence across Europe. Today, Nium has European offices in London, Amsterdam, and Malta with local operations in Germany, France, and Israel. In 2022, its European business contributed to more than 40% of the firm’s global revenue.

“London is our home away from home,” said Prajit Nanu, Founder and CEO at Nium. “Establishing our European headquarters within the Square Mile gives Nium invaluable access to a thriving financial services ecosystem that we want to help support and scale. After experiencing growth across APAC and the US, Europe is now our fastest-growing market. This means we are well positioned to help businesses here unlock opportunities beyond borders, especially those with a focus on emerging markets.”

Manuel Sandhofer, SVP & General Manager at Europe, adds: “Nium has been present in the UK for several years now. With the support of local regulators, industry bodies, and our talented team members, we have built a strong foundation of products, customers, and licences. Our new regional headquarters represents our commitment to the UK as the cornerstone of Nium’s long-term growth plans in Europe.”

Nium hopes the move will encourage further international investment into the UK. It celebrated the milestone by bringing together banks, venture capital firms, payment schemes and fintechs at the new headquarters on the evening of Thursday 21st September. Charlotte Crosswell OBE, Chair of Centre for Finance, Innovation, and Technology, delivered a keynote speech and officiated the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Despite a challenging time for fintech firms, the UK continues to be an attractive location for global businesses looking to drive growth, draw talent, and foster collaboration,” said Crosswell. “Nium’s decision to establish its European headquarters in London will have a significant impact on the UK remaining a global leader for financial innovation, and we look forward to supporting the company in the next phase of its journey.”

The new offices are located at 18 St. Swithin’s Lane, London, EC4N 8AD.

Bahrain is gearing up to host the inaugural Fintech Forward 2023 (FF23) where the first day, October 11, 2023, will be programmed by Economist Impact. Set to be held at Exhibition World, Sakhir, under the patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and in strategic partnership with Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) with the support of Bahrain Fintech Bay (BFB), across the two key days of FF23, industry leaders in financial services and fintech will gather to share insights, discuss strategies, and debate the challenges - and opportunities - that industry disruptors could bring to their businesses. Against a backdrop of immersive digital experiences, the conversations will be driven around the three key themes of the inaugural conference - Regulation, Investment, and Innovation.

FF23 aims to further promote Bahrain as a destination for all things fintech, encouraging idea generation and foreign investment opportunities through impactful conversations and sessions, profiling benefits for international companies considering putting down roots in Bahrain, which is currently experiencing impressive economic growth and low inflation. Businesses operating in Bahrain gain insight from a workforce that combines highly skilled, bi-lingual, driven Bahraini nationals alongside a diverse talent pool offering a global perspective, leading to a better bottom line and sustainable growth.

With a 75-year track record of evidence-based policy spanning 205 countries, Economist Impact will be utilising its market-leading expertise in informed analysis to bring critical debates to life. Economist Impact will convene influential executives and world-class thought and business leaders on stage to discuss a range of global business issues to tackle the most pressing issues in today's financial landscape.

With over 250 attendees already confirmed for day one of FF23, which is preceded by a high-level 2-hour networking session, Economist Impact discussions will bring together 15 leading experts from around the world including Asia, Europe, and North America. The lineup includes a number of fintech and financial services consultancy players, including household names like Onyx by J.P.Morgan, Volt, MIT and Visa. The mid-day panel discussion titled 'Banking on talent: a future-ready financial services workforce'  will tackle how the global financial services industry must adapt to meet the increasing demand for skilled talent amidst advances in tech and workforce uncertainty.

Joshua Roberts, capital markets correspondent at The Economist, revealed: "Even as new technology rewires the financial services industry, at heart it is a people business and always will be. The race to attract and train bright, talented people with the skills needed to drive fintech innovation will define which firms prosper most from that innovation. I am greatly looking forward to hearing about how our panel is faring in this race."

Other sessions curated by Economist Impact address the future of finance and the evolving role of central banks, the potential of super-apps and instant payment platforms dominating Asia to overtake traditional systems, plus discussions examining the landscape across the Middle East, with a focus on the opportunities and challenges for foreign investment companies.

As for October 12th, with a diverse array of engaging panel discussions FF23 will continue its momentum in propelling fintech dialogue and innovation on day 2 of the event.

FF23 is set to host an exceptional lineup of industry pioneers for its second day. Paulo Goulao, a Partner at Bring, and Tariq Sanad, CFO of Tarabut Gateway, will explore the transformative potential of open banking and embedded finance, emphasising financial inclusivity. Dania Al Showaikh, Co-Founder of Daleel, will guide the discussion. Additionally, Yanal Jallad, Managing Director of Reboot Coding Institute, and Bruno Martins, Associate Partner at Technology Consulting KPMG, will share strategies for nurturing tech talent in the "Developing the Next Generation of Tech Talent" panel.

Ahmed Fouad Radhi, General Manager of SNIC Insurance, and Frederik Bisbjerg, representing Beyon Digital, will delve into leveraging technology and feedback-driven approaches to redefine and enhance the overall policyholder journey. Their insights will provide valuable perspectives for attendees keen on understanding the evolving paradigm of customer-centric insurance.

Eventus, a leading global provider of state-of-the-art, at-scale trade surveillance software across all lines of defence, today captured the honour of Market Surveillance Solution of the Year for its Validus platform at the 2023 FOW Asia Capital Markets Awards. The firm, which also won the market surveillance category the last time it was bestowed in 2021, has now earned eight awards specifically for its offering in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in the past three years.

Eventus CEO Travis Schwab said: “APAC remains a critical region for us, and we’re delighted that the judges recognize our ability to deliver industry-leading technology, expertise and service to clients throughout the region. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to surveillance in the many jurisdictions in which our clients operate in APAC. They need a nimble, customizable platform that can quickly adapt to new regulatory requirements and ever-increasing demands for efficiency.”

Judges cited the firm’s “splendid growth figures” and “consistent innovation in the field,” along with its “successful expansion” in the APAC region.

Hosted by Global Investor Group, the FOW Asia Capital Markets Awards recognize the best and brightest innovations in the Asian derivatives industry. The awards were presented at a dinner ceremony in Singapore, following the Trading Singapore conference earlier in the day.

Trading Technologies International, Inc. (TT), a global capital markets technology platform provider, has just won the FOW Asia Capital Markets Award for Derivatives Trading System of the Year for its TT platform. Global Investor Group presented the award at a dinner ceremony in Singapore.

The FOW Asia Capital Markets Awards recognize the best and brightest innovations in the Asian derivatives industry. Winners are selected by a panel of independent judges with extensive experience in the industry.

TT CEO Keith Todd said: “We’re thrilled that the judges recognized TT as Derivatives Trading System of the Year in Asia. The region has long been a vital part of our growth strategy, and we are grateful for the strong support we enjoy there. Clients in Asia and around the world who have chosen TT for derivatives trading are increasingly turning to us as a trusted partner to manage the full trade lifecycle across asset classes. As our derivatives offering continues to expand and we extend the platform into fixed income, FX and equities, our presence in Asia will only grow.”

Judges cited TT’s very strong business growth in recent years, with an award-winning platform they characterized as “innovation at its best.” One judge said: “Two billion transactions in 2022 shows that TT is still the key platform for derivatives traders.” Another citation shared by Global Investor Group was: “With the ability to accept order flow from any EMS, OMS or algo provider via FIX, and the recent AxeTrading purchase, this will further cement TT’s place in the markets.”

The TT platform connects to 60 global derivatives exchanges, including 17 in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, along with a growing number of venues covering additional asset classes. The platform delivers advanced tools for trade execution and order management, market data solutions, analytics, trade surveillance, risk management and infrastructure services to the world’s leading sell-side institutions, buy-side firms and exchanges. With two billion transactions in 2022 alone, TT’s volume is equivalent to many of the world’s largest derivatives exchanges.

TT’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region dates back to 2003, when the company opened an office in Sydney. Since that time, TT’s footprint has grown to also include offices in Singapore, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Pune and Ahmedabad. The firm this summer opened its newest data centre in Taipei, adding to Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Seoul and Sydney. The acquisition in March of AxeTrading further extended TT’s APAC team.

TransUnion, one of the UK’s leading credit reference agencies, has been voted Credit Information Partner of the Year in the Consumer Credit Awards, for the third time consecutively.

The awards are based on customer feedback, placing the information and insights company as the UK’s industry leader of choice, and highlighting TransUnion’s strengths in customer service, relationship building, product innovation and credit education.

Satrajit “Satty” Saha, CEO of TransUnion in the UK said: “We’re delighted to have been named as Credit Information Partner of the Year for the third time in a row. We’ve supported our clients – and the consumers they serve – through challenging times as the UK navigates ongoing financial uncertainty, so this means a lot to us. Retaining this recognition is also a reflection of the continued dedication of our teams, both in building relationships and creating innovative new products to address changing consumer needs. A huge thank you to all that voted for us.”

TransUnion supports businesses across a range of sectors, including financial services, retail, gaming and insurance, to deliver the best outcomes for their customers. TransUnion also works with a number of partners – from leading banks to credit score service providers – to give consumers free access to their TransUnion credit report and score via its CreditView solution.

“We aim to make trust possible between businesses and consumers, so we’re thrilled to be called out by our customers as a trusted partner in the feedback shared,” said James Robinson, TransUnion’s managing director of consumer interactive. “We’re committed to helping businesses and consumers benefit from the insights that credit information can provide and have seen great success working with our partners to help even more people across the UK better understand their credit information, to support financial wellbeing as well as driving greater financial inclusion.”

Feedback shared from customers who voted in the awards also highlighted TransUnion’s work to drive financial education in wider communities, citing: “TransUnion makes a proactive effort each year to not only partner with clients on all things credit, but also to educate them and others in the community.”

In the past year, TransUnion has extended its credit education initiative to schools nationwide, as well as universities, teaching young people about credit information with its Credit Scores Explained programme.

The Consumer Credit Awards are run by Smart Money People to increase trust and transparency in financial services, by giving consumers and clients the chance to have their say.

iDenfy, a global RegTech startup offering AI-based identity verification and fraud prevention tools, announced a new partnership with CardDepot.com, a digital gift card platform offering special discounts for budget-conscious shoppers. iDenfy's identity verification solution will make the checkout process quick and secure, effectively stopping individuals with malicious intent from engaging in fraudulent activities on the gift card platform.

According to recent data from Riskified, in the US alone, the gift card industry reached a value of $313.4 billion last year, and experts predict that the global gift card market will grow to $1.4 trillion by the year 2026. Despite many advantages, such as fostering customer loyalty and boosting revenue, these cards also bring along potential dangers. iDenfy claims that malicious individuals take advantage of gift cards due to their susceptibility to manipulation. While this exploitation can occur in offline scenarios, such as scammers stealing gift card numbers from physical stores, it’s increasingly shifting to the digital realm.

CardDepot.com understands the increasing risks of eGift card fraud. According to the company, when comparing gift cards to credit cards or bank accounts, the general industry’s level of protection is lower, as frequently there are no authentication barriers in place. However, the company wanted to stand out in the marketplace and add an extra layer of security. Additionally, similar to other fraudulent schemes, CardDepot.com aimed to minimize the chances of gift card fraud and prevent several consequences, such as financial losses, inventory depletion, and harm to the brand’s reputation. 

With the new partnership, the company's goal was to prevent these risks by implementing effective precautions. It became evident that identity verification served as the foundational step in constructing a strong fraud prevention system. For this reason, CardDepot.com implemented iDenfy’s Know Your Customer (KYC) solution. From now on, this integration will help verify all customers purchasing gift cards on the platform with four simple steps.

iDenfy's AI-powered identity verification software swiftly identifies the document type and country, extracting the customer's personal information within seconds. According to the KYC company, this feature is particularly crucial during the onboarding of new customers who have not yet made any purchases on the platform, as this is when the risk of fraud is considered to be at its highest. iDenfy’s biometric and face recognition technologies verify users’ faces, effectively blocking the use of fake pictures, 3D masks, and other fraudulent representations during the verification process. 

By implementing iDenfy’s automated identity verification solution, CardDepot.com will reduce the risk of fraudulent activities, such as stolen credit cards or fake identities being used to purchase gift cards on their platform. The CardDepot.com team hopes this will result in lower chargeback rates and financial losses, ultimately protecting their revenue and reputation. Partnering with iDenfy will enhance the customer onboarding process for CardDepot.com. With quick and efficient identity verification, CardDepot.com will provide a seamless experience for legitimate customers, reducing friction during the registration and purchasing processes.

iDenfy asserts that it achieves comprehensive fraud prevention through its unique KYC approach in the market. In addition to the AI software, iDenfy's in-house team of KYC experts diligently reviews verification results in real-time, ensuring high accuracy. It's important to note that iDenfy's identity verification software and its related features fully comply with GDPR, CCPA, and all the latest data protection laws. This compliance is certified by the ISO-27001 information security management system certification.

“Our team's commitment is to deliver outstanding value to our customers by not only providing them with unbeatable discounts but also safeguarding their transactions and data with the highest level of security. With iDenfy's expertise, we're determined to set a new standard in the industry, ensuring our customers enjoy a worry-free and rewarding experience,” — said Fred Doctorovich, the CEO of CardDepot.com.

Domantas Ciulde, the CEO of iDenfy, added: “In the evolving digital landscape, the only way to actually safeguard your customers from fraud is to build a multi-layer security system. That’s exactly what CardDepot.com achieved by integrating our identity verification.”

Pooja Bhachu, Project Lead for Project Inclusion, The Payments Association, said: “Our work is vital in providing key insights into how payments innovation is currently aiding those most affected by the cost-of-living challenges, as well as highlighting areas where additional cooperation between the industry, policymakers and third sector is essential. Our purpose is to bring about collaboration and clarity on innovations, which could help reduce financial exclusion, I feel today we have facilitated vital discussions on these issues and catalysed much needed action to improve financial inclusion across the UK.”

Neil Harris, Chair, The Payments Association Advisory Board, commented: “It’s an honour to have this opportunity to present the report, its findings and recommendations to Parliament. It’s the first in a series of active steps to represent the voice of those people most affected by financial exclusion, and involve the industry and policy makers who can provide the solutions to support them. We’re working hard to drive this narrative forward, and advance the much-needed action to promote financial inclusion.” 

• Encouraging the DWP to create a Universal Credit sandbox that innovators can use to build new products and services without the need for government commissioning.
• Prioritising innovation funding for financial inclusion services under a model that promotes the involvement of innovators in partnership with the third sector.
• Empowering the third sector to identify the issues related to the cost-of-living crisis and proactively seek scalable solutions in partnership with startups.
• Setting policy and regulatory frameworks for customer-led data sharing between services, especially in the area of AI-powered debt and money advice, allowing more non-traditional providers to offer early intervention tools.
• Reviewing the regulation of data use in financial services, such as affordability checks, to drive innovation in products and services that match the flexibility of modern work and life for all consumers regardless of income.