Which markets should a new broker offer? Forex, metals, indices, crypto and stocks
Forex, gold, indices, crypto, commodities or stocks? How a new brokerage can choose its first markets, set each one up properly and grow into a multi-asset broker.
EVO PlatformsStarting a brokerage7 min read
One of the first product decisions a new brokerage makes is also one of the most underestimated: which markets will clients actually be able to trade? Offer too little and traders go elsewhere for the gold or crypto they wanted. Offer too much and your team ends up managing hundreds of symbols nobody trades, each with its own spreads, limits and trading hours.
This guide walks through the main asset classes a new broker can offer, forex, metals, indices, crypto, commodities and stocks: what each brings to your product, what it asks of your risk settings, and a sensible order to roll them out. At the end we show how the EVO price feed and EVO WebTrader handle a multi-asset setup.
Key takeaways
- Choose markets based on your clients, your marketing and what your team can manage, not on symbol count.
- Forex and gold are the core of most launches; indices, oil and crypto are natural next steps, with stocks adding depth and retention.
- Each market has its own hours and behaviour, so set spreads and limits per symbol and leverage per client.
- EVO's price feed streams 250+ symbols in real time across forex, metals, indices, crypto, commodities and stocks, with any symbol added on request.
Start with your clients, not with the symbol count
It is tempting to judge a platform by how many symbols it lists. Clients do not trade a list, though. Most retail traders focus on a handful of instruments they know well, and they choose a broker that offers those instruments with stable, live prices and clear trading conditions.
Before you pick markets, answer three questions:
- 1Who are your clients? Traders in the Gulf, Europe or Asia often have different favourites, from gold and oil to local stocks or crypto.
- 2How will you reach them? A campaign about gold trading needs gold on the platform on day one; a crypto community needs coins and weekend prices.
- 3What can your team manage? Every market you switch on needs spreads, symbol limits and someone who keeps an eye on it.
Forex: the core of almost every brokerage
Currency pairs are the foundation of most brokerages. Majors are the most traded and the most familiar to clients, minors add variety, and exotics attract traders who follow specific regions.
For a new broker, a sensible start is the majors and the most popular minors, plus the few exotics that matter to your target region. The EVO price feed covers 60+ forex pairs, including majors, minors and exotics, so you can start narrow and widen the list later without changing anything on the platform.
Metals: gold is often the most traded symbol
In many regions, and especially in the Middle East, gold is one of the most traded instruments on any platform. Metals react strongly to economic news.
If your marketing targets Arabic-speaking clients, treat gold as a launch requirement rather than an extra. EVO's feed includes gold, silver, platinum and palladium, and spreads are set per symbol in the back office, so gold can be priced differently from your forex pairs.
Indices: one position on a whole market
Index CFDs let clients take a view on an entire stock market with a single position. The US indices are the best known, and the German, UK and Japanese indices are widely followed too. EVO's feed includes US30, SPX500, NAS100, GER40, UK100, JP225 and more.
Indices follow the trading hours of their underlying markets, so they move fastest around the open and around major economic data.
Crypto: 24/7 demand and higher volatility
Crypto CFDs bring a different audience, often younger and very active, and a different rhythm: prices move every day of the week, weekends included.
Crypto asks more of your setup. You need prices that stream around the clock, spreads and leverage that reflect higher volatility, and a team or support partner you can reach on a Saturday. EVO's feed has 24/7 digital currency feeds covering BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL and 20+ more coins. We cover the details in our guide to launching a crypto CFD brokerage.
Commodities and stocks: rounding out the product
Commodities such as WTI and Brent oil and natural gas attract clients who follow energy news and global events.
Stocks let clients trade companies they already know. They add depth to your product and help retention, because clients who trade one market often want to try another. EVO covers equities from 20 countries today, from the United States and Europe to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Turkey, India, Japan and more, with the full symbol list coming soon.
How the main markets compare
| Market | Trading hours | Why clients trade it | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forex | 24 hours, Monday to Friday | Familiar and active all week | Wider spreads on exotics, news spikes |
| Metals | Nearly 24 hours on weekdays | Gold is a favourite in many regions | Strong moves on economic news |
| Indices | Follow the underlying market | One position on a whole market | Fast moves at the open and on data |
| Crypto | 24/7, weekends included | High activity, a new audience | Higher volatility, weekend coverage |
| Commodities | Follow the underlying market | Oil and gas follow global news | Sharp moves on supply news |
| Stocks | Exchange hours | Well-known companies, retention | Earnings and gaps between sessions |
A sensible rollout order for a new broker
There is no single right answer, but a practical path for many new brokerages looks like this:
- 1Launch: forex majors and popular minors, gold and silver, the main US and European indices, and the leading crypto coins if your audience asks for them.
- 2First months: add oil and natural gas, more crypto coins and the exotic pairs your clients request.
- 3Growth: add stocks from the exchanges that matter to your clients, plus any niche symbols your sales and retention desks keep hearing about.
Review trading activity regularly: hide symbols nobody trades, and add the ones clients keep asking for quickly.
Every market needs its own settings
A multi-asset broker is not just a longer list of symbols. Each market behaves differently, so your risk settings should differ too. In EVO, execution is handled in-house with risk management built in, and these controls live in the back office, inside EVO CRM:
- Spreads per symbol, so gold, BTC and a major forex pair can each have their own spread.
- Limits per symbol, with volume and trading limits for each instrument.
- Leverage per client, so each client gets the leverage that fits them.
- Margin call and stop-out at your levels, handled automatically.
Risk groups, to group clients and manage risk per group, are coming soon.
How EVO supports a multi-asset brokerage
EVO WebTrader shows markets in a watchlist by category, with tabs for Forex, Metals, Indices, Crypto, Commodities and Stocks, so clients find what they want quickly in the browser on desktop and mobile. Behind it, the built-in price feed streams 250+ symbols over WebSocket in real time, with no delays.
- All markets as add-ons: switch on any market your clients ask for.
- Any symbol on request: tell us the instrument and we add it to your feed.
- Your own feed: already have a price provider? You can plug it in instead.
- 24/7 support on Telegram at @evoplatforms, so a symbol request never waits for Monday.
Each broker runs on a dedicated, isolated VPS, the platform works in English, Arabic (full RTL) and German, and you can be live in less than 24 hours. EVO plans start from $2,500 per month. See pricing or contact us to plan your symbol list.
Frequently asked questions
How many symbols should a new broker offer?
There is no fixed number. Many new brokers launch with a focused list of the forex pairs, metals, indices and crypto their clients trade most, then add more based on demand.
What is a multi-asset broker?
A multi-asset broker lets clients trade several asset classes, such as forex, metals, indices, crypto, commodities and stocks, from one account on one platform. EVO WebTrader is a multi-asset trading platform with a watchlist tab for each of these markets.
Should a new broker offer crypto?
If your audience asks for it, yes, but plan for it. Crypto trades 24/7 and usually moves more than major forex pairs, so you need round-the-clock prices, careful spread and leverage settings, and support at weekends.
Can EVO add a symbol that is not in the feed?
Yes. EVO's feed covers 250+ symbols today, every market is available as an add-on, and we add any symbol you ask for. You can also plug in your own price feed.
Can I set different spreads for different markets?
Yes. In the EVO back office you set and adjust the spread on every symbol, set volume and trading limits per symbol, and give each client their own leverage.
This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice.
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