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Deriv and synthetic indices: what it offers and what to verify
Deriv is the broker that created and popularised the synthetic indices that thousands of people trade today. Here you won't find a rating or a score: you will find what its own public documentation states (with the date we checked it and the link to the source) and the protocol for verifying it yourself. There are no affiliate links on this page.
The companies and their supervisors
Deriv is not a single entity: it is a group with several companies. The one that serves you depends on your country of residence, and that is what determines which supervisor is responsible for your account. This is what its regulatory information page states:
| Company | Country of registration | Declared supervisor |
|---|---|---|
| Deriv Investments (Europe) Limited (C 70156) | Malta | MFSA (Malta Financial Services Authority), with EU passporting for EEA residents |
| Deriv (FX) Ltd (LL13394) | Labuan, Malaysia | Labuan Financial Services Authority |
| Deriv (BVI) Ltd (1841206) | British Virgin Islands | BVI Financial Services Commission |
| Deriv (V) Ltd (014556) | Vanuatu | Vanuatu Financial Services Commission |
| Deriv (Mauritius) Ltd (209524) | Mauritius | Financial Services Commission of Mauritius |
| Deriv Investments (Cayman) Limited (406695) | Cayman Islands | Cayman Islands Monetary Authority |
| Deriv Capital Contracts & Currencies L.L.C (2279721) | United Arab Emirates | Capital Market Authority (categories 1 and 5) |
| Deriv (SVG) LLC (273 LLC 2020) | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Its website lists it among the group companies; check what protection applies in your case |
For each company, Deriv publishes its licence document on the documentation domain
(docs.deriv.com/regulatory/) and in the European case it also breaks down the passport country by country. That is the
material against which it can be checked: your check should not end on the broker's website, but in
the public register of the relevant supervisor.
What it offers for synthetic indices
| What | Published detail |
|---|---|
| Derived and synthetic indices | Deriv presents them as its own product, available 24/7 even at weekends, with volatility levels that can be selected according to the strategy. |
| Documented families | Its documentation includes key information documents (KID) for each family: volatility indices, Crash/Boom, Jump, DEX, Step and Drift Switch. It is a convenient way to see in writing which what is being traded. |
| Other markets | Forex, commodities (including gold), cryptocurrencies, shares and stock indices. Also crypto with continuous trading hours. |
| Platforms | Deriv MT5 (its MT5 with derived indices and, according to its website, no commissions) and its own trading and automation platforms. |
The risk warning published by the broker itself
On the pages we have checked, this message appears prominently: ‘74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with Deriv’, alongside the warning that its products are considered complex and may not be appropriate for retail clients. It is by far the most useful piece of information on the whole page: the broker publishes it about itself and puts the conversation where it should be.
How to open an account (according to its own website)
Its website describes it in three steps: register (with the option to practise first on a risk-free demo account), deposit with a local payment method and trade. Nothing different from the usual process at any broker. What does change the result is what you check beforehand:
- Which entity serves you depending on your country and under which supervisor (table above).
- That the name of that entity also appears in the terms and conditions you accept.
- What contract the symbol you want to trade has: size, tick and point value (this is the figure that sets your position size).
- How to withdraw: methods, minimums, timeframes and fees published in writing.
The full process, applicable to any broker, is in opening an account and what to check before depositing.
Reviews: why we do not publish ratings
Deriv links from its own website to a public profile on an independent review site, where you can see the volume of reviews and their distribution. That is the place to read them. We do not publish scores or 'stars' for three reasons:
- They become outdated: a 2024 score does not describe 2026 conditions.
- They are monetised: many comparison sites depend on affiliate income, and here there are no affiliate links.
- They are not verifiable: an opinion does not replace verifiable data (entity, contract, cost, withdrawal).
The method for deciding with data, in the four elimination filters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Deriv regulated?
It operates through several entities, each with its stated supervisor (Malta/MFSA, Labuan, BVI, Vanuatu, Mauritius, Cayman, UAE). What matters is which one you would contract with: check the entity in the supervisor's register.
What synthetic indices does it offer?
It presents them as its own derived and synthetic indices, with documentation by family (volatility, Crash/Boom, Jump, DEX, Step, Drift Switch) and 24/7 availability; it also offers forex, commodities, crypto, shares and indices.
What risk warning does it publish?
That 74% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with Deriv, and that its products are considered complex.
How do you open an account?
According to its website: register (with a risk-free demo), deposit using a local method and trade. Beforehand, check the entity, the symbol's contract and the withdrawal terms.
Do you publish reviews of Deriv?
We do not publish scores or ratings. We link to its public review profile (from its own website) and provide verifiable data with dates.
The broker is not the system
Whichever broker you choose, what determines the outcome is position size and the loss limit. At the academy, that is what is taught first.
Keep reading
- Weltrade and SyntX: what their documentation saysThe declared entity, the published account types and the risk warning on synthetic instruments.
- Deriv vs Weltrade for synthetic indicesComparison using verified data and a checked date, with no scores or rankings.
- How to check that a broker is safeRegistration, licence, what regulation protects and the withdrawal test.
- How synthetic indices work under the hoodWhat you are actually buying into when you trade a derived index.