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Banking Roadblocks for CFD brokers and Digital Asset Firms
Looking after client funds and separating it from operational capital are core to running a brokerage or digital asset platform / exchange. Both types of business have found an Unwelcome sign at the door of traditional banks who have conservative risk appetites or even if they manage to get through, no account customisation or real understanding of their business. Traditional banks just do not have the appetite for brokers or digital asset firms, and I have heard many stories of businesses either having their accounts closed or them having enough concern that this may happen that they have to find an alternative home for their business.
Equals Money are filling the gap here with a very receptive environment to these types of businesses that spurned by the traditional banking sector. I know an increasing number of CFD brokers and Digital Asset / crypto firms are having a lot of success with Equals, so much so that they are almost being used by default. So I wanted to speak to Harris to learn more about what their solutions are and why so many brokers and crypto firms are turning to them for payment and banking solutions.
Equals are so focused on these sectors that they have a dedicated page on their own site for CFD Brokers here and Crypto/Digital Asset firms here. You won't find this sort of encouragement on the websites of the traditional banks!
Harris Shabbir is the Head of MENA at Equals and is the point person for CFD brokers and Crypto / Digital Asset firms that require banking and payment services. I managed to catch Harris in the London office of Equals between returning from his visit to the Consensus crypto conference in Toronto, and his preparing to go to iFX in Cyprus. In this interview, Harris shares how Equals addresses the roadblocks that brokers are finding with traditional banks, offering bespoke banking, dynamic risk management, sub-IBAN architecture, and fully segregated accounts—creating a unified solution that serves both CFD Brokers and Digital Asset firms equally.
In this interview you will hear how Equals cater to both CFD Brokers and Digital Asset firms with a suite of services.
Bespoke Banking Solutions for CFD Brokers
Tailored Onboarding & Operational Accounts
Pain Point: Many CFD brokers are declined or stalled by banks enforcing generic KYC/AML checks.
Equals’ Approach: Every CFD broker receives a bespoke onboarding journey.
Harris explains:
“Banks’ appetite is not as varied or as wide as ours… we tailor the onboarding process to each individual client.”
— Harris Shabbir (05:50–06:07)
Segregated Account Types:
Operational Accounts for daily trades
Client Segregated Accounts for safeguarding customer funds
B2B Settlement Accounts under the broker’s legal entity
Advanced Risk Management
Equals applies continuous monitoring and a dynamic scoring model, enabling higher acceptance rates without sacrificing compliance:
Real-time alerts on anomalous transactions
Dedicated sector specialists managing CFD exposure
Automated threshold checks tied to each broker’s profile
Bespoke Banking Solutions for Digital Asset Firms
Sub-IBAN Architecture & Safeguarding
Pain Point: Crypto firms face almost blanket refusals or onerous conditions from banks.
Equals’ Solution: Over the past 18 months, Equals has onboarded digital asset companies by issuing sub-IBAN accounts for each end-client, ensuring:
Fund Segregation: Each client’s deposit goes into a dedicated IBAN.
Transparency: Easier reconciliation for both firms and regulators.
“We give them access to sub-IBANs for each individual client… it makes the banking process a lot easier to manage.”
— Harris Shabbir (07:51–08:08)
Global Crypto Coverage: Multi-currency support across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, all under a compliance-first framework.
Compliance-First Monitoring
CFD and Digital Asset firms benefit from:
Built-in transaction monitoring aligned with FATF standards
Rapid policy updates to reflect new licensing or regulatory regimes
Client-level dashboards for real-time visibility into fund flows
Unified Risk Management & Account Segregation
Whether you’re a CFD broker or a digital asset platform, Equals Money delivers:
Dynamic Risk Scoring for payments: Custom thresholds per industry and supplier.
Continuous Monitoring: 24/7 surveillance and alerting on suspicious behaviour.
Fully Segregated Accounts: Every client and operation sits in discrete accounts under your entity—no co-mingling.
If you are a CFD broker or Digital Asset firm and would like to learn more about Equals' bespoke services to support your business, you can:
Contact Harris Shabbir directly here.
Visit the Equals Money page on LiquidityFinder and press CONTACT COMPANY to arrange a call.
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