Overview
Dukascopy Bank SA is a Swiss online bank and forex broker founded in 2004 in Geneva, Switzerland. As a fully licensed Swiss bank regulated by FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority), Dukascopy provides one of the highest levels of client fund protection in the industry. Client deposits are protected up to CHF 100,000 under Swiss banking regulations.
Dukascopy operates the SWFX (Swiss Forex Marketplace), an ECN marketplace that aggregates liquidity from major banks and other liquidity providers. The bank is known for its institutional-grade trading infrastructure, JForex platform for algorithmic trading, and strict regulatory compliance.
Dukascopy stands out as one of the few regulated Swiss banks offering retail forex trading. The JForex platform provides professional tools for strategy development, backtesting, and automated trading in Java, making it attractive to quantitative and algorithmic traders.
Key Features
- Swiss bank security: FINMA-regulated, deposits protected up to CHF 100,000
- ECN marketplace (SWFX): Deep liquidity from tier-1 banks
- JForex platform: Java-based platform for algo trading and backtesting
- Visual JForex: Visual strategy builder (no coding required)
- Binary options: Dukascopy also offers regulated binary options
- Contests: Monthly demo trading competitions with cash prizes
- TV & Research: Dukascopy TV with market analysis and interviews
- Multi-currency accounts: Trade and hold in multiple currencies
Supported Markets
| Market Type | Details | |-------------|---------| | Forex | 60+ currency pairs | | Metals | Gold, silver, palladium, platinum | | Indices | 12 global index CFDs | | Commodities | Oil, natural gas | | Bonds | US and European bond CFDs | | Stocks | 500+ US and European stock CFDs | | Crypto | BTC, ETH and select crypto CFDs |
Fee Structure
| Type | Fee | |------|-----| | Forex commission | $3.50 per 100K per side (volume discounts available) | | Forex spreads | From 0.1 pip (EUR/USD typical 0.2 pip) | | Index CFDs | From 0.5 points | | Account minimum | $100 | | Deposit | Free (bank wire) | | Withdrawal | CHF 10 per bank wire | | Inactivity fee | CHF 10/month after 6 months |
Platforms & Interfaces
- JForex 3: Desktop platform with Java-based algo trading and backtesting
- JForex Web: Browser-based version of JForex
- JForex Mobile: iOS and Android apps
- MetaTrader 4: Available via bridge connection
- Visual JForex: Drag-and-drop strategy builder
- FIX API: Institutional connectivity
Regulation
- FINMA (Switzerland — Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority)
- Deposits protected up to CHF 100,000 (Swiss banking law)
Getting Started
- Open an account at dukascopy.com — live or demo
- Complete identity verification (Swiss KYC standards)
- Fund via bank wire transfer (min $100)
- Download JForex or connect via MT4