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HotForex did not become a new European company in January 2019. The change was a rebrand of the customer-facing trading brand used by HF Markets (Europe) Ltd, the Cyprus company regulated by CySEC.
From January 28, 2019, European clients were expected to see HF Markets instead of HotForex across the website, mobile app and client portal. The existing company, accounts and trading-platform access were not supposed to change.
What changed in January 2019?
On January 3, 2019, HotForex announced that its European business would adopt the HF Markets trading brand. The refreshed website was scheduled to launch on Monday, January 28, 2019.
The announcement identified three visible changes for customers:
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- The HotForex logo on the website would be replaced with the HF Markets logo.
- The mobile application would receive the new branding.
- The client area called myHotForex would be renamed myHF.
These were branding and presentation changes. The company said clients would retain access to their accounts, website and trading platforms, and that there would be “no corporate changes” within HF Markets (Europe) Ltd. The original announcement is available in the company’s company-news archive.
Was HotForex renamed HF Markets?
That description is too broad. HotForex was the trading brand; HF Markets (Europe) Ltd was the legal company. The 2019 announcement changed the brand used to communicate with customers, but it did not say that a new European company had been formed or that the Cyprus company had been replaced.
Current CySEC information continues to identify the company as:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Legal name | HF Markets (Europe) Ltd |
| Company number | HE 277582 |
| Regulator | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) |
| Licence | 183/12 |
| Licence date | November 20, 2012 |
CySEC’s current entity listing and the company’s regulatory documents therefore do not support the claim that the legal entity became “HF Markets” in 2019. The legal name remained HF Markets (Europe) Ltd. You can verify the company in the CySEC register.
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Why did the group introduce HF Markets?
The company said the HF Markets name was intended to support a stronger European presence and a wider range of financial-market services. Its explanation referred to expansion into the United Kingdom and Dubai and to the acquisition of additional financial licences.
Those expansions involved separate group companies. For example, HF Markets (UK) Ltd is distinct from the Cyprus company and is listed by the UK Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 801701. A UK licence does not automatically apply to a client contracted through the Cyprus entity, just as CySEC regulation does not describe every company using an HFM-related brand.
What happened to the HF Markets name?
HF Markets was an intermediate brand rather than the group’s final public identity. On May 2, 2022, the group announced that HotForex was evolving into HFM.
The group said “Forex” no longer adequately described its broader, multi-asset offering. It also said the later transition would not change the company, client website access or access to trading platforms.
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HFM is now the group’s customer-facing brand. Its current materials describe HFM as a unified brand used by the HF Markets Group, while still listing HF Markets (Europe) Ltd as the Cyprus legal entity. The naming can therefore be summarised as follows:
| Name | What it represented |
|---|---|
| HotForex | Former customer-facing trading brand |
| HF Markets | Brand introduced for the European-facing rebrand in 2019 |
| HFM | Current public-facing group brand |
| HF Markets (Europe) Ltd | Cyprus legal entity regulated by CySEC |
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 3, 2019 | HF Markets announced the European HotForex-to-HF Markets brand change. |
| January 28, 2019 | The refreshed website and related branding were scheduled to launch; myHotForex was to become myHF. |
| May 2, 2022 | The group announced the broader evolution from HotForex to HFM. |
| Current | HFM is the public-facing brand, while HF Markets (Europe) Ltd remains the Cyprus company regulated under CySEC licence 183/12. |
What clients should check before opening an account
A brand name is not enough to establish which rules and protections apply to an account. HFM operates through multiple legally separate companies, including entities associated with Cyprus, the United Kingdom, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, South Africa and Kenya.
Before depositing money, use this checklist:
- Open the broker’s legal or regulatory disclosure page.
- Record the exact company name shown in the account agreement.
- Check that company in the relevant regulator’s register, not just in a search-engine result.
- Confirm the website domain, contact details and licence number.
- Make sure the regulator and legal entity match the protections described in the account terms.
The FCA has specifically warned about a clone firm called HotForexMarket, which impersonated the authorised HF Markets (UK) Ltd. The FCA says the genuine UK firm’s website is www.hfmarkets.co.uk and that the clone had no connection with the authorised company. A site using HotForex, HF Markets or HFM branding is not automatically genuine.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the 2019 rebrand did not mean
- It did not establish a new Cyprus broker.
- It did not replace HF Markets (Europe) Ltd with a company legally named HF Markets.
- It did not, according to the announcement, move clients to a new broker.
- It did not mean that every HotForex or HFM website was operated by the same regulated entity.
The practical lesson is simple: distinguish the marketing name from the company named in the client agreement. The company and regulator determine the legal relationship, while the brand is primarily how the service is presented to customers.
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FAQ
Did HotForex change its legal company name to HF Markets?
No. The January 2019 announcement concerned the HotForex brand, website, mobile app and client-area name. HF Markets (Europe) Ltd remained the Cyprus legal entity, with company number HE 277582 and CySEC licence 183/12.
What was myHotForex renamed?
The client area was renamed myHF as part of the January 2019 European brand update.
Is HF Markets still the current brand?
Not as the group’s main public-facing brand. In 2022, the group announced that HotForex was evolving into HFM. HF Markets remains part of the legal and corporate naming structure, including the Cyprus company HF Markets (Europe) Ltd.
Are HF Markets (Europe) Ltd and HF Markets (UK) Ltd the same company?
No. They are separate legal entities in different jurisdictions. The UK company is listed by the FCA under firm reference number 801701, while the Cyprus company is regulated by CySEC under licence 183/12.
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Review the legal disclosure and account agreement for the exact company name, then verify that company and licence in the applicable regulator’s register. Do not rely on the HFM or former HotForex brand alone.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: the January 2019 event was a European rebrand from HotForex to HF Markets, not a replacement of the Cyprus legal entity or a move to a new broker. The entity remained HF Markets (Europe) Ltd, regulated by CySEC under licence 183/12. The group later adopted HFM as its broader public-facing brand in 2022. Anyone checking the broker should identify the exact legal entity and regulator behind the account, rather than treating HotForex, HF Markets and HFM as interchangeable company names.
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