Nadex, the only U.S regulated binary options exchange for U.S traders

We rated the bonus section as 0/100 due to the fact that Nadex does not offer any kind of bonuses to its members. For the trading software, it rated a high score of 90/100 because of the sophistication of the platform. Customer support earned a reasonably high score due to its availability for 6 days a week. As for the option choice, it scored a modest 65/100 due to the limited choices offered by Nadex.

 

Intro

Based in the U.S, Nadex is a CFTC regulated binary options trading exchange. It is the only authorized binary options financial services provider that is authorized by the U.S financial regulatory agencies. The exchange accepts binary options traders as members and provides its “members” a platform where they can interact to buy and sell binary options. Unlike binary brokers in Europe and around the rest of the world which are classified as market makers, Nadex acts purely as an intermediary between the buyers and sellers of binary options. Because of this, Nadex’s members will be able to trade with the peace of mind that the broker will not be taking the opposite side of their trading transactions.

 

Company information

Initially established in 2004 as a platform for hedging trading risks, Nadex was taken over by the IG Group in 2007 to become what it is today, a premier exchange for binary options trading. Based in Chicago, the platform comes under the jurisdiction of the CFTC. The company’s head office is located at Suite 2675, 311 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois.

For U.S based binary options traders, Nadex offers the safest avenue for them to conduct their binary trading activities. Funds deposited with Nadex are kept separately in segregated accounts at leading Tier 1 banks in the U.S.

 

Trading Platforms

Nadex offer its members a proprietary trading platform called the “Nadex Trader” which can be accessed through a web browser. The platform provides direct market access hence ensuring all trades at Nadex are conducted with full transparency. In terms of its performance, the Nadex Trader is one of the most sophisticated binary options trading platforms in the industry. This is due to the fact that the platform contains numerous advanced trading features which are not found on any other trading platforms in the entire industry.

For example the platform comes with a comprehensive charting package that is as good as those found on spot forex trading platform. In addition, it has a feature called Depth of Market view, that enables its users to view actual market pricing with full transparency. There is also a risk management tool called the Market Order with Protection (MOP) which permits Nadex’s traders to execute their trades without it being executed at a price level that is below or beyond the trader’s intended price.

With an uptime of 99.9%, the Nadex Trader has proven itself to be a reliable broker. Traders on the Nadex exchange can rest assured that their trading activities will not be interrupted by any platform downtime.

 

Mobile

Apart from the web based trading platform, Nadex has also supplied their traders with a mobile trading app called the “Nadex Mobile Trader”. Available for download at Apple’s App Store or Google Play store, the mobile trader come with the same powerful features as its Web based version. The main difference between Nadex Trader and the Nadex Mobile Trader is the fact that the latter is designed for the smaller screens found on mobile devices.

 

Assets available

With the Nadex Trader and Nadex Mobile Trader, members on the Nadex exchange can trade in a wide selection of markets such as the forex market, the commodity market, the stock indices market and on upcoming economic events. The contracts’ expiry times ranges from hourly, daily and weekly. Trading is available 23 hours a day through a 6 days trading week.

However despite having a wide selection of markets to trade in, the actual number of underlying assets is rather modest. When compared to what offshore binary options brokers have to offer, Nadex is only able to offer trading on 2 economic events, 7 types of commodities, 8 types of stock indices and 10 currency pairs.

 

Fees and Payouts

Trading on the Nadex exchange is based on the concept of fair exchange. This means that the prices are determined by what the sellers are willing to sell at and by what the buyers are willing to pay. It is this concept of fair exchange helps to determine the payout of each trading transaction. Unlike European type binary options where the payouts are fixed and predetermined, Nadex’s binary options payouts are dynamic. In other words, we cannot make a straight forward comparison between the return that Nadex’s traders will earn to those returns offered by European type binary options.

To have a clearer understanding of how the payouts on Nadex’s binaries are determined, let’s take a look at a simple example below. Let’s say that an option with a strike price of $100 is being offered at $50. Theoretically, this means that the option can earn $50 when it expires, in other words a 100% return. But if the same option is offered at a price of $60, this means that the potential for this option will be $40, i.e a 66.6% return.

As for the trading fee imposed by Nadex on trades executed through its trading platform, they are extremely competitive. For every lot that is traded, Nadex only charges a 9 cents commission. Nevertheless, the maximum commission rate is capped at $9.

 

Bonuses & Account Types

Nadex offers 4 types of trading accounts, individual trading accounts for U.S residents, individual trading accounts for International traders, business accounts for corporate bodies and a permanent demo account.

Unlike binary options brokers around the rest of the world, Nadex being a binary options exchange does not rely on bonuses or promotional gimmicks to entice traders to sign up with it. Instead, it relies on its reputation as a premier binary exchange in promoting its business growth.

 

Deposits and withdrawals

For funding and withdrawals, the methods that are available will depend on whether the trader is based in the U.S or outside of the U.S. Traders located within the U.S can deposit or make a withdrawal through bank wire transfer, debit cards or through the ACH system. International traders however, have their choices limited to debit cards and bank wire transfers. As for the withdrawal processing time, normally it takes 3 to 5 business days for the entire withdrawal process to be completed. A $25 service fee is also imposed by Nadex each time a withdrawal request is processed.

 

Customer support

For customer support, Nadex’s members can contact the support team at the exchange through email or by the telephone. For U.S residents, a toll free number is provided whereas international traders are required to call a separate telephone number. In terms of availability, the support team are available from 11am to 5pm (ET) from Sunday to Friday.

 

Extra features and resources

To help their members get started on the right footing, Nadex has provided them with a well-equipped learning centre. Through the learning centre, Nadex’s members can access various educational resources such as video tutorials, webinars, trade examples, handbooks and a FAQ. There is also a glossary section for traders who want to familiarize themselves with all the terminology used in binary options trading. To help traders keep updated with the latest developments in the industry, there is also a section on Market News in the learning centre.

 

Verdict

In terms of the quality of Nadex’s services and product offering, the exchange has no comparison. Being the only binary options exchange that is recognized and regulated the U.S financial regulatory agencies, Nadex’s members can rest assured that their money deposited with the exchange will be safe. In addition, with the regulatory oversight provided by CFTC, Nadex’s members are aware that their legal interests will be well protected.

Nevertheless, it is only fair to note that Nadex’s is not as popular as some of the offshore leading binary options brokers as most binary traders outside of the U.S are unfamiliar with the type of binary options that Nadex are offering. This is largely due to the fact that most binary traders are used to binary options offering them a fixed predetermined return, as opposed to the dynamic returns that they will receive from trading binaries at Nadex. But once traders have gotten over the concept of trading binaries based on the principle of fair exchange value, they will notice that Nadex’s binaries offer better investment value than European style binaries. In addition with Nadex acting purely as an intermediary between buyers and sellers, Nadex’s traders will find that there is no issue of any conflict of interest between Nadex and its members arising from trades that are executed. The exchange merely collects a small commission of $0.90 for each lot that is traded through its trading platform. Most important of all, traders at Nadex have the peace of mind that their money will be safe with the regulatory oversight provided the CFTC.

 

FAQ

Is Nadex regulated?

Yes, Nadex is regulated by the U.S Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

What methods can I use to deposit funds at Nadex?

For international traders, deposits can be made through debit cards and bank wire transfer. For U.S residents, deposits can also be made through the ACH system.

Does Nadex accept international traders?

Yes, International traders from selected countries are accepted for membership at Nadex.

How long will it take for my withdrawal request to be processed?

Normally, it will require between 3 to 5 business days for a withdrawal request to be completed.

Is the fee for making a withdrawal?

Yes, Nadex charge a $25 service fee for processing a withdrawal request.

What is the minimum initial deposit requirement at Nadex?

The minimum deposit requirement at Nadex is $250.