Retail brokers are restructuring their leadership teams as the industry accelerates toward a multi-asset future where traditional boundaries between crypto, CFDs, equities, and banking services are rapidly dissolving. Australian broker Pepperstone recently posted a job opening for Head of Cross-Asset Strategy, a role historically reserved for major investment banks, signaling a dramatic shift in how retail firms approach product development and client offerings.
The move reflects growing competitive pressure from crypto exchanges acquiring MiFID licenses to sell derivatives in Europe. Bitget CEO Gracy Chen recently told Bloomberg the exchange considers Robinhood a direct competitor. Pepperstone launched its own crypto exchange in Australia in 2026, while Capital.com is seeking an EMI CEO as brokers pursue electronic money institution licenses to bypass traditional banking infrastructure. Chief Operating Officer Tom Williams explained the most valuable opportunities now exist between asset classes rather than within them, particularly for hybrid products like perpetual CFDs covering pre-IPO names typically inaccessible to retail clients.
FXnCO Insight
Traders should expect continued product diversification and 24/7 market access from retail brokers as competitive pressure from crypto firms forces traditional platforms to adopt cross-asset ecosystems or risk losing market share.
Source: Finance Magnates