Updated 9 October 2026Is Exnova regulated?
Regulation decides who protects you if a broker refuses a withdrawal or goes bust. Here is who operates Exnova, what its licence claims really cover, and which regulators have warned about it.
By BinarySelector editorial teamPlatform research for African markets · 9 October 2026
Short answer
No. Exnova is not authorised by any top-tier financial regulator such as the UK's FCA, Cyprus's CySEC or Australia's ASIC. No. Its operator, Digital Smart LLC, is registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines; the Cyprus company only handles payments.
Who operates Exnova
Exnova is operated by Digital Smart LLC, registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines, whose financial authority does not supervise forex or options trading. Payments are handled by Digital Smart CY Ltd in Cyprus, a payment agent rather than a CySEC-licensed investment firm. Exnova has no government licence and no dispute-body membership.
Official warnings and alert lists
We found no official regulator warning about Exnova in our sources. That does not mean any regulator has approved it.
What the different licences mean
Top-tier regulators
The FCA, CySEC, ASIC, BaFin and similar authorities supervise a broker's capital, require client money to be held separately and handle complaints, usually with a compensation scheme behind them. In the EU, the UK and Australia they ban or restrict binary options for retail clients, which is why brokers like Exnova do not accept clients there.
Offshore registrations
St Vincent and the Grenadines, Vanuatu, the Comoros and the Marshall Islands offer company registration or light-touch licences. They give little or no supervision of how trades are priced or how client money is held.
Private dispute bodies
The Financial Commission and similar organisations are membership bodies, not regulators. They can handle complaints against their members and some run a compensation fund, but they cannot license or shut down a broker.
What this means for you
- No government compensation scheme if the company fails.
- No regulator in your country to complain to: disputes go to the broker itself, or to its dispute body if it has one.
- How trades are priced, including weekend OTC quotes, is not independently supervised.
- Trading with it may break local rules in your country even if the site accepts you.
Where Exnova does not accept clients
According to its own terms, Exnova does not accept residents of: United States, Canada, Japan, Iran, Israel, Russia, and the EEA (EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway). Using a VPN to get around this breaks the terms and can lead to a frozen account.
Frequently asked questions
Who regulates Exnova?
No. Its operator, Digital Smart LLC, is registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines; the Cyprus company only handles payments.
Is Exnova regulated by CySEC or the FCA?
No. Exnova has no FCA licence, and its binary options are not offered under a CySEC licence.
Is Exnova legal in my country?
It depends on your country. Many regulators ban binary options for retail clients or require a local licence that Exnova does not have. Check the page for your country before you sign up.
Would regulation stop me from losing money?
No. Even at regulated brokers most retail traders lose money. Regulation protects you against misconduct and insolvency, not against losing trades.
Sources: TradingFinder – Exnova review (updated July 2025)TopBrokers – Exnova reviewFinanceFeeds – Exnova broker reviewRankia Colombia – ¿Es Exnova confiable? (Sept 2026)TradingFinder – min. deposit USD 10, min. trade USD 1, payout up to 90%, withdrawals 1–3 business daysTradingFinder – min. withdrawal USD 10 (crypto)FinanceFeeds – first withdrawal each month free, then 2% (max USD 30); inactivity fee