Last updated: 5 October 2026. Company and licence details come from IQ Option’s own pages, and the regulator notices from the regulators’ own websites, all read on 5 October 2026. The screenshots were recorded that day over a Brazilian connection. We did not deposit money for this update; our documented withdrawals date from July 2022. IQ Option Wiki is an independent website and an IQ Option affiliate partner: we may earn a commission when you open an account through our links. We do not work for IQ Option and have no access to trading accounts (contact page, editorial policy).
This material is not intended for viewers from EEA countries. Binary options are not promoted or sold to retail EEA traders.
Short answer. “Legit” has three parts, and the answer differs for each. Does IQ Option exist and run a platform? Yes: it has operated since 2013. Is it licensed where you live? Its EU company, IQBroker Europe Ltd, holds CySEC licence 247/14 and may serve EEA residents only. Outside the EEA your contract is with SKY LADDER LLC, registered in Antigua and Barbuda, and IQ Option’s licences page names no financial licence for it; regulators in Brazil, Malaysia and Singapore have published warnings. Does it pay out? We documented withdrawals to Skrill in July 2022, and IQ Option’s rules on verification, deposit bonuses and fair usage can delay or block a withdrawal. Trading is high risk either way.
Quick answer
- Real company: operating since 2013; its own timeline says the platform launched in 2013 and claims 100 million users by 2024.
- Licence: CySEC 247/14 for IQBroker Europe Ltd (EEA residents only). None named for SKY LADDER LLC, which serves clients outside the EEA.
- Warnings: Brazil’s CVM, the Securities Commission Malaysia and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (details below).
- Client funds: IQ Option says they are held in segregated bank accounts, separate from its own money.
- Withdrawals: one free per calendar month, then 2% (at most $30); verification first; a deposit bonus can lock withdrawals; card refunds only up to what you deposited by card in the last 180 days.
- Our evidence: Skrill notices of withdrawals from IQ Option from July 2022 (largest USD 7,500). One trader’s record, not a guarantee.
- Risk: IQ Option’s EU site says 80% of its retail CFD accounts lose money; our 70 Practice trades lost $15.33.
Overview of the IQ Option Platform
What is IQ Option?
IQ Option is an online broker that launched in 2013. In October 2026 its Practice menu showed Blitz, Binary and Digital options (520 assets on a Brazilian account) and margin instruments on forex, stocks, crypto, commodities, indices and ETFs (697). It is a brand with more than one company behind it: its Licenses and Safeguards page names SKY LADDER LLC for services outside the EEA and IQBroker Europe Ltd inside it. A real broker names its operating company and says where it does not serve clients, and IQ Option does both (see “Where it does not serve clients” below). Our IQ Option review tests the platform step by step.
Can You Make Money on IQ Option?
Joining IQ Option does not guarantee profits. IQ Option’s EU site states that 80% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with that provider (eu.iqoption.com, 5 October 2026). The global site publishes no such figure. In our own test, 70 one-dollar binary options on a Practice account on 2 October 2026 produced 29 wins, 40 losses and 1 tie, a net −$15.33; at an 85% payout you need to win more than 54% of trades to break even. Those who last longer usually know the market they trade, test a rule on the Practice account first, follow a written plan and risk a small share of the balance. See our Practice test.
5 Signs an Options Broker May Be Fraudulent, and How to Check Each
These are common ways dishonest brokers work. None can be proven or disproven from the outside, so for each sign we list a check you can run yourself. We make no claim here that IQ Option does or does not do any of them.
1. Price manipulation
A dishonest broker could use artificial prices, for example moving a price by one tick just before expiry. How to check: compare the platform’s prices with a separate platform or feed in real time. A small gap between the chart and your entry is normal on CFD-type (margin) deals: IQ Option’s blog explains that the white line on the chart is the average price, (Ask + Bid) / 2, and that CFD-type deals open at the Ask when you buy and at the Bid when you sell. The difference is the spread. Ask and Bid can be shown from the settings menu (IQ Option blog, updated 14 September 2026). IQ Option’s help centre also says OTC quotes, used when markets are closed, are generated on its own server.
2. Timer manipulation
Options expire at a set time. How to check: note whether the order executes when you place it, whether the countdown runs normally and whether the trade closes at the expiry shown. On IQ Option’s chart the white dotted line marks the purchase deadline and the red line the expiry (help centre). Record a short screen video of any trade you doubt.
3. Targeting large investments
Some brokers let small trades win and then lose large ones to keep you depositing. How to check: keep each stake to a fixed small share of your balance and track every trade in a journal; a pattern of losses that appears only when you raise the stake is worth a written complaint.
4. Server disconnections
A classic complaint is a disconnection just before a trade closes. How to check: take screenshots with the time visible, and keep them. IQ Option’s disclaimer says “system response and account access times can vary due to a variety of factors, including trading volumes, market conditions, system performance and other factors”, so an outage is a documented possibility on its side.
5. Disappearing withdrawals
Dishonest brokers frustrate clients with endless support tickets until they give up. How to check: read the withdrawal rules before you deposit, verify your account early, test one small withdrawal, and keep receipts. IQ Option’s terms give a formal complaints route: complaintsglobal@iqoption.com, with an answer promised within three months.
Before you deposit: who is recommending the broker?
Someone who is paid when you register is not a neutral source. Be careful when a promoter promises “millions to be made”, offers free signals, training or trading cash that arrives only after you register, or shows account screenshots with no market, date or strategy. This site is a partner of IQ Option too: we may earn a commission if you register through our links (editorial policy). Read the questions to ask a promoter in our affiliate programme guide.
Is IQ Option Legit?
Evidence of Legitimacy: the company and its licences
IQ Option’s Licenses and Safeguards page (checked 5 October 2026) says:
- services outside the EEA are rendered by SKY LADDER LLC, registered in Antigua and Barbuda (registration no. ILLC 004);
- within the EEA, services are provided exclusively by IQBroker Europe Ltd (formerly IQOption Europe Ltd), registered in Cyprus (HE327751), which “is authorized and operates under the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) with license number 247/14 and is permitted to offer services only to residents of the EEA”;
- “all client funds are held in segregated bank accounts, fully separated from the company’s own operational funds”.
The page names a financial licence only for the EU company. It names none for SKY LADDER LLC, and we found none on any IQ Option page we read. The contact page adds that payments are managed by FIDELES LIMITED in Cyprus and gives the support email. The global terms (updated 21 July 2025) are governed by the law of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The EU site (eu.iqoption.com/en/regulation) lists the CySEC licence and the registers of Consob, CNMV, Regafi and others for the EU company.
Where it does not serve clients
The global terms say you may not use the service if you are a citizen of the USA, North Korea, Palestine or the Vatican, or a resident of the USA, Canada, Afghanistan, Australia, Belarus, Belgium, Bouvet Island, Comoros, Cuba, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gibraltar, Guam, Haiti, Iran, Israel, Japan, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, North Korea, Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Russia, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, any EEA country “and/or other non-serviced countries”. Check that list before you register.
Regulator warnings
These are the notices we could read on the regulators’ own websites on 5 October 2026. A warning is not a court finding.
| Regulator | What it says |
|---|---|
| CVM, Brazil26 April 2021, updated 1 February 2024 | IQ Option Ltd. “is not authorized by CVM to solicit clients residing in Brazil” (our translation of the Portuguese) and any public offer must stop (Ato Declaratório CVM 17.790).Source: CVM alert |
| CVM, Brazil24 March 2026 | In the related enforcement case against IQ OPTION LLC (PAS 19957.006709/2021-81) the CVM board unanimously rejected a second settlement proposal and said the case should be decided at a judgment. The charges are alleged; we know of no final decision.Source: Board minutes no. 6 |
| Securities Commission, MalaysiaEntry from 2020 | Lists “IQ Option Ltd” (iqoption.com/en and iqoption.my) on its Investor Alert List for “carrying out capital market activities of dealing in securities without the authorisation of the SC”.Source: Investor Alert List |
| Monetary Authority, SingaporeListed 7 April 2017 | Lists “IQ Option Europe Ltd; IQ Option Ltd” on its Investor Alert List, which names firms MAS has not licensed.Source: Investor Alert List |
IQ Option’s own pages seen from a Brazilian connection on 5 October 2026 also carry this notice: IQ Option “is not authorized by the Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) to directly offer securities distribution services to investors resident, domiciled, or incorporated in the Federative Republic of Brazil”. In the CVM file IQ Option argues that it does not operate in Brazil and that Brazilian law does not apply to it. Other regulators may have published notices too; search your own regulator’s warning list for “IQ Option” before you deposit.
Personal Experience: Is IQ Option Safe?
The site’s author, Bart Bregman, has withdrawn money from IQ Option to Skrill. The first screenshot lists Skrill “Funds Received” notices from IQOPTION, from USD 10 up to USD 7,500, and the others show single notices. They were captured in July 2022. That is one trader’s record from four years ago: it shows that withdrawals were paid then, not that every withdrawal is paid now or to every client.
Withdrawal rules that can delay or block a payout
IQ Option’s payment-methods page for a Brazilian account showed one free withdrawal per calendar month (1), minimum amounts per method (2), a 2% commission with a maximum (3) and the processing time (4). The documents add rules that matter before you deposit:
| Rule | What IQ Option’s documents say |
|---|---|
| Verification first | Withdrawals are made from a verified account. Documents are verified within 3 business days after upload, with extra checks that can take at least 48 hours; identification may take 10 business days, up to 30.Source: Help centre, Payment Policy |
| Standard processing | 3 business days; IQ Option may extend the time or cancel requests during an internal risk assessment (for example for fraud, money laundering or unfair usage of its fees policy) and may block the account to ask for more documents.Source: Withdrawal Policy |
| Same method only | Money goes back to the payment system you deposited with. Card withdrawals cannot exceed what you deposited with that card within 180 days of the last deposit; after a Boleto deposit you wait 72 hours.Source: Withdrawal Policy |
| Deposit bonus | After a deposit bonus is active you cannot withdraw until you reach the trading volume in the offer, or you close all trades and cancel the bonus.Source: Promotional Codes Policy |
| Fair usage | If you deposit and withdraw over 50% without genuine trades, IQ Option may withhold its transaction fees, charge up to 5% and restrict or end the account.Source: General Fees Policy |
| Fees | After the first free withdrawal each month: 2%, at least $1 and at most $30; optional 5% expedited; up to 4% currency conversion; €10 a month on dormant accounts.Source: General Fees Policy |
Details and steps: our withdrawal guide, the fees guide and the verification guide.
IQ Option Key Features
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Years of operation | Since 2013Source: iqoption.com, 5 October 2026 |
| Minimum deposit | $10, €10 or £10; 55 BRL in Brazil; 175 MXN in MexicoSource: Payment-methods pages, 4 and 5 October 2026 |
| Trade size | Minimum $1 or the equivalent in your account currency (the help centre’s copy-trading answer), subject to current trading conditions; maximum $20,000 per trade, lower for some assetsSource: Help centre, 5 October 2026 |
| Tradable assets | 520 option assets and 697 margin instruments on a Brazilian Practice accountSource: Our recording, 4 October 2026 |
| Technical indicators | IQ Option says “100+ ready-to-use” tools; the menu shows categories but no countSource: iqoption.com, 5 October 2026 |
| Practice account | $10,000 virtual, free refill when below $10,000Source: Help centre, 5 October 2026 |
| Withdrawal commission | One free per month, then 2% (at least $1, at most $30)Source: Fees policy; withdrawals page |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, AndroidSource: Download pages, 5 October 2026 |
| Support | Chat and email, every day around the clock; no phone number on the contact pageSource: Contact page; platform footer |
How Has IQ Option Developed Since 2013?
IQ Option’s home page gives its own timeline (not independently verified): 2013, the platform launches with binary options, some CFD assets and 10 indicators; 2014, a web platform and an Android app; 2018, crypto CFDs; 2019, forex options and tutorials; 2020, forex on margin; 2022, the Affstore affiliate programme; 2023, a loyalty programme and script indicators; 2024, a claimed 100 million users, 550 assets, risk-free trades and deposit bonuses. The platform now has apps for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android (see our app guide), VIP accounts and an Islamic account.
IQ Option Complaints
Every online broker receives complaints. IQ Option’s terms point complaints to complaintsglobal@iqoption.com and promise an answer within three months. The CVM’s committee opinion (opinion CTC 729, finished 23 February 2026) lists complaints that Brazilian residents sent to the CVM after its 2020 stop order: nine complainants said that withdrawals they had requested were not fully met, nine alleged a total or partial loss of the funds they had invested, and two said that the money they deposited was not shown in their account. These are allegations summarised by the regulator, not findings. We removed our earlier statement that “no verified reports exist” of IQ Option withholding client funds, because we cannot support it.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Operating since 2013, with a named company, address and registration for each region.
- An EU company licensed by CySEC (247/14), for EEA residents only.
- Client funds held in segregated bank accounts, according to IQ Option.
- Free $10,000 Practice account and a $10 minimum deposit.
- Published fee and withdrawal policies, and documented withdrawals in 2022.
Cons
- No financial licence named for the company serving clients outside the EEA.
- Regulator warnings in Brazil, Malaysia and Singapore; the CVM case continues.
- Not available in the EEA, UK, USA, Canada, Australia and the other countries in its terms.
- Withdrawals need verification, can be delayed during a risk assessment, and are locked by an active deposit bonus.
- Trading carries a high risk of loss: 80% of retail CFD accounts lose money at its EU company.
Final Verdict: Is IQ Option Legit?
IQ Option is a real, long-running broker, and its EU company is regulated by CySEC. That is the strongest evidence in its favour. Outside the EEA the picture is thinner: the company you would deal with names no financial licence on IQ Option’s own page, regulators in several countries have warned about it, and the rules for bonuses, verification and fair usage give IQ Option room to delay or refuse a withdrawal. A broker can be real and trading can still lose money.
If you decide to try it: practice first; check your own regulator’s warning list; deposit the minimum; leave the bonus off unless you accept its volume rules; verify your account early; test one small withdrawal before you add money; and never deposit money you cannot afford to lose. Start with the free Practice account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is IQ Option legit?
A: IQ Option is a real broker that has operated since 2013, and its EU company holds CySEC licence 247/14. Outside the EEA you deal with SKY LADDER LLC, and IQ Option’s licences page names no financial licence for it. Regulators in Brazil, Malaysia and Singapore have published warnings.
Q: Is IQ Option regulated?
A: Its EU company, IQBroker Europe Ltd, is regulated by CySEC and may serve EEA residents only. The licences page names no financial licence for SKY LADDER LLC, which serves clients outside the EEA.
Q: Is IQ Option a scam?
A: We cannot prove a negative. IQ Option is an operating company with documented withdrawals from 2022, and regulators have warned about it in some countries. Read the withdrawal, bonus and verification rules, start on the Practice account and test a small withdrawal.
Q: Are withdrawals really processed?
A: We documented withdrawals to Skrill in July 2022, up to USD 7,500. IQ Option says standard requests take up to 3 business days, one withdrawal per calendar month is free, and verification comes first. Rules on bonuses and fair usage can delay a payout.
Q: Can I trade cryptocurrencies on IQ Option?
A: Yes, as CFDs: the Practice margin list showed 80 crypto instruments on 4 October 2026. Crypto deposits are accepted in several coins; see our crypto guide.
Q: What is the minimum deposit?
A: $10, €10 or £10, 55 BRL in Brazil and 175 MXN in Mexico. The maximum trade is $20,000.
Q: Can I practice before trading real money?
A: Yes. The Practice account has $10,000 of virtual money, free to refill. Practice results cannot be withdrawn.
Q: Is IQ Option available in my country?
A: Not in the EEA, the UK, the USA, Canada, Australia, Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Japan and the other countries in its terms. Check your regulator’s warning list too.
Related guides
- IQ Option review
- The IQ Option affiliate programme, and how to judge a broker’s promoters
- How to withdraw and fees
- IQ Option vs Expert Option, vs Binomo and vs Olymp Trade
WARNING: Your capital is at risk when trading. This page is education, not financial advice.
This material is not intended for viewers from EEA countries. Binary options are not promoted or sold to retail EEA traders.
