AI-native runtime for IC Markets trading strategies
Author cTrader FIX 4.4 strategies in Cursor, Claude Code or any AI IDE. Deploy from GitHub into a managed cloud runtime with first-class MCP control, logs and region selection.
Section 01 · At a glance
At a glance
- Broker
- IC Markets
- Broker type
- Forex and CFD broker (Australia-origin, ECN model)
- Asset class
- Forex, indices, commodities, share CFDs, bond CFDs, cryptocurrency CFDs (entity-dependent)
- Supported products
- 60+ spot FX currency pairs, major and minor indices CFDs, metals, energies, soft commodities, 2,000+ share CFDs, bond CFDs and (per entity) crypto CFDs. ECN execution model is the broker positioning differentiator.
- Runtime model
- Containerised strategy runtime
- Deployment source
- GitHub
- Languages
- Any language that runs in a container
- Common integrations
- cTrader FIX 4.4 (free), cTrader Open API, cTrader Automate (cAlgo C#), MT4 and MT5 bridge, NautilusTrader, custom connectors
- AI workflow integration
- MCP control surface for Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI agents
- TradingHost role
- Runtime, deployment, logs, health checks, region selection, MCP control
- IC Markets role
- Broker account, market access, execution venue (ECN model). cTrader API and FIX are operated by Spotware against your IC Markets account.
- Regulators
- International Capital Markets Pty Ltd (ASIC AFSL 335692, Australia); IC Markets (EU) Ltd (CySEC licence 362/18, Cyprus); Raw Trading Ltd (FSA Seychelles SD018).
- Retail leverage caps
- Australia (ASIC) and EU (CySEC, ESMA-aligned): 30:1 on major FX, 20:1 on non-major FX and gold, 10:1 on non-gold commodities and non-major indices, 5:1 on stocks, 2:1 on crypto CFDs. Seychelles (FSA SD018, Raw Trading Ltd offshore entity): up to 500:1 on majors per FSA Seychelles rules. US retail clients are not accepted.
- Affiliation
- TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with International Capital Markets, IC Markets (EU), Raw Trading or Spotware Systems
Section 02 · What IC Markets offers
What IC Markets offers
IC Markets offers spot FX on 60+ pairs, indices and commodities CFDs, 2,000+ share CFDs and (per entity) crypto CFDs against an ECN execution venue through cTrader FIX 4.4, cTrader Open API, cTrader Automate (cAlgo C#) and the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 bridges. Spotware operates the cTrader API and FIX against your IC Markets account. Specific endpoints and the full instrument list live in the cTrader documentation and IC Markets' own pages.
Markets and strategy patterns
- cTrader FIX 4.4 ECN execution on 60+ FX currency pairs
- 2,000+ share CFD systematic strategies
- XAU/USD and XAG/USD precious-metals strategies
- Major indices CFD breakout strategies
- cTrader Open API OAuth-authenticated REST and streaming
- cAlgo (C#) strategies promoted to cTrader Open API on TradingHost
- Demo cTrader-FIX validated deployments promoted to live
API surface
- Product surfaces
- 60+ spot FX currency pairs (majors, minors, exotics), major and minor indices CFDs, metals (XAU/USD, XAG/USD), energies, soft commodities, 2,000+ share CFDs, bond CFDs and (per entity) crypto CFDs. ECN execution model with raw-spread pricing on the broker tier.
- Connection methods
- cTrader FIX 4.4 (Quote and Trade sessions, free for any cTrader account holder). cTrader Open API (OAuth-based REST and streaming). cTrader Automate (cAlgo C#) for strategies running inside the cTrader desktop terminal. MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are also supported for EA-style strategies, with the EA running inside the terminal rather than on TradingHost.
- Authentication
- cTrader FIX credentials are generated from inside the cTrader desktop client (Open Trader, Settings, FIX API), producing SenderCompID, Password and host details for the Quote and Trade sessions. cTrader Open API uses OAuth 2.0 authorisation-code flow. Demo cTrader accounts have separate FIX and Open API credentials. No retail-prohibitive minimums apply: cTrader FIX is free for every cTrader account.
For specifics, refer to IC Markets and cTrader
cTrader FIX 4.4 and cTrader Open API specifications live at Spotware's cTrader help site. IC Markets entity selection, instrument lists and account onboarding live on IC Markets' own pages.
- help.ctrader.com/fixcTrader FIX 4.4 specification (Spotware)
- openapi.ctrader.comcTrader Open API reference (Spotware)
- help.ctrader.com/open-api/account-authenticationcTrader Open API OAuth flow
- icmarkets.com/global/en/forex-trading-platform-ctrader/calgoIC Markets cAlgo (cTrader Automate) integration
- financemagnates.com (Spotware FIX announcement, 2016)Authoritative reference for retail-accessible cTrader FIX
Section 03 · Build with AI
Build your IC Markets strategy with AI
Pick an integration method, fork a TradingHost framework starter, and author your strategy in an AI IDE. cTrader FIX 4.4 is free for every cTrader account holder and is the canonical low-latency path; cTrader Open API is the OAuth-based REST/streaming alternative.
cTrader FIX 4.4 (free)
Low-latency FIX session against your IC Markets cTrader account. Free for every cTrader account holder per Spotware policy, no minimum.
cTrader Open API
OAuth-based REST and streaming over the Spotware-operated cTrader Open API surface.
cTrader Automate (cAlgo)
C# strategies that run inside the cTrader desktop terminal. Useful for development and backtesting against IC Markets feeds.
MetaTrader 4 / 5 or custom connector
EA model in the MT4 or MT5 terminal, or your own integration on top of cTrader FIX or Open API.
Framework support for IC Markets products
cTrader FIX 4.4 and cTrader Open API cover IC Markets' full cTrader instrument set. Crypto CFD availability depends on the IC Markets entity (offered by Raw Trading Ltd under FSA Seychelles, not by the ASIC or CySEC entities).
✓ confirmed support per Spotware cTrader and IC Markets documentation. "in terminal" means the strategy runs in the cTrader or MetaTrader desktop, not on a TradingHost container. "limited" indicates partial framework coverage. Workflow links target /workflows/ pages currently in authoring.
TradingHost does not force a framework. It runs your project.
Author with AI
The framework starters above pair naturally with AI IDEs. The TradingHost MCP control surface closes the loop: AI tools can inspect deployments, review logs and manage the runtime alongside you, never the trade execution path.
Section 04 · Run on TradingHost
Run your code on TradingHost
IC Markets provides the broker account and ECN execution; Spotware operates the cTrader API and FIX against that account. TradingHost provides the production environment where your IC Markets strategy runs.
Instead of running strategy code on a laptop, desktop machine, generic VPS or manually configured server, you deploy from GitHub into a TradingHost-managed container runtime.
You
- Your repo contains your code.
- Your deployment defines how it runs.
- Your strategy connects to IC Markets via cTrader FIX or Open API.
TradingHost
- Keeps the runtime online.
- Surfaces logs and health checks.
- Region selection.
- Controlled deployment surface.
Deployment flow
- STEP 01
Connect GitHub
Authorise TradingHost to access your GitHub account.
- STEP 02
Link a repo or start from a framework
Point TradingHost at your existing strategy repo, or fork a TradingHost cTrader FIX 4.4 or cTrader Open API starter for a working baseline.
- STEP 03
Deploy into a TradingHost container
Pick a region (EU for the European IC Markets EU entity and ECN venues, US-East when nearest to your chosen cTrader server), supply the environment values your strategy needs (cTrader FIX SenderCompID, Password, host and port; or cTrader Open API client ID, secret and refresh token), and deploy. TradingHost builds your container from the repo and runs your strategy on managed Kubernetes infrastructure.
- STEP 04
Monitor logs and health
Watch live logs, health and runtime state from the TradingHost dashboard. The same surface is reachable through MCP from any AI IDE, so Cursor, Claude Code or a CLI agent can read deployment state and manage the runtime alongside you.
- STEP 05
Update and redeploy
Push changes to your GitHub main branch and TradingHost redeploys automatically.
Section 05 · Operational notes
Operational notes for IC Markets
Things that bite you when you actually run an IC Markets strategy in a containerised cloud runtime. Every claim below is paraphrased from Spotware cTrader docs, IC Markets' own pages or the relevant regulator; the deployment-side guidance is from running these strategies on TradingHost.
01 · cTrader FIX (free)
cTrader FIX 4.4 is free for every cTrader account holder, no minimum
Spotware confirmed in 2016 that cTrader FIX is provided at no cost to any cTrader account holder, with no minimum deposit and no commitment. This is the defining differentiator of cTrader-based brokers including IC Markets: institutional-style FIX 4.4 is retail-accessible. Credentials are generated from inside the cTrader desktop client (Open Trader, Settings, FIX API), which produces separate SenderCompID, Password and host pairs for the Quote session and the Trade session.
02 · Quote and Trade
Quote session and Trade session are separate FIX sessions
cTrader FIX splits market data and order routing into two distinct FIX sessions with separate SenderCompID and Password pairs. A strategy that needs both prices and order placement must maintain two simultaneous FIX connections. Sequence numbers, heartbeats and reconnect logic are tracked per session; treat them as independent connections rather than sharing state across them.
03 · Multi-entity
Entity choice changes the leverage cap and the protections, not the API
A trader signs up under one IC Markets entity: International Capital Markets Pty Ltd (ASIC AFSL 335692, Australia), IC Markets (EU) Ltd (CySEC 362/18, Cyprus), or Raw Trading Ltd (FSA Seychelles SD018). The cTrader FIX and Open API surface is identical across entities, but ASIC and CySEC entities apply ESMA-aligned leverage caps (30:1 majors) while Raw Trading offers up to 500:1 on majors under FSA Seychelles rules. The complaint-handling jurisdiction and investor-protection regime also follow the entity, not the API.
04 · US clients
No IC Markets entity accepts US retail clients
IC Markets is not CFTC-registered and none of its current entities accept US retail clients. The IC Markets onboarding flow rejects US-resident applicants at the KYC stage. Strategies targeting US retail customers must use a CFTC-registered broker such as OANDA Corporation or FOREX.com.
05 · ECN model
IC Markets routes through ECN venues rather than internalising; expect partial fills on size
IC Markets' positioning is ECN (Electronic Communication Network) execution: incoming orders are matched against liquidity from external venues rather than internalised on the broker's book. Strategies must handle partial fills explicitly, especially on size and on minor pairs. A market order can split across multiple fills at slightly different prices; FIX ExecutionReport messages may arrive over multiple seconds for a single ClOrdID.
06 · cTrader vs MetaTrader
cTrader is the TradingHost-native path; MetaTrader EAs run in the terminal
IC Markets supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader. The cTrader path (Open API + FIX) is the TradingHost-compatible runtime because cTrader exposes a Spotware-hosted API surface that a container can call. MetaTrader's EA model runs inside the MT4 or MT5 desktop terminal and is not a TradingHost runtime workload. For EA-style strategies, run MT4 or MT5 separately or port the logic to cTrader FIX or Open API.
Section 06 · Built for
Built for
TradingHost IC Markets runtimes are best suited to:
- Developers building strategies in AI IDEs (Cursor, Claude Code)
- cTrader FIX 4.4 low-latency execution developers
- cAlgo (C#) systematic strategy developers
- ECN-execution-aware quant FX developers
- Teams moving from MetaTrader and VPS hosting to containerised deployment
Connecting GitHub and creating your first strategy is free.
Section 08 · FAQ
FAQ
No. TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with International Capital Markets, IC Markets (EU), Raw Trading or Spotware Systems.
No. TradingHost is not a broker and is not a registered investment firm. TradingHost is a cloud runtime that runs your strategy code. The broker relationship, the account, the leverage, the execution and the regulatory protections all live with the IC Markets entity that holds your account.
No. Your strategy code connects to cTrader FIX or cTrader Open API against your IC Markets account and sends instructions according to your own logic. TradingHost provides the runtime where that code runs.
No. cTrader FIX is provided by Spotware Systems (the cTrader vendor) at no cost to any cTrader account holder. You enable FIX from inside the cTrader desktop client.
No. No IC Markets entity accepts US retail clients. US-resident traders need a CFTC-registered broker. See the OANDA or FOREX.com pages for US-accessible alternatives.
Yes. cTrader Open API is exposed over gRPC and JSON; community Python clients are available. cTrader FIX 4.4 is standard FIX, so any Python FIX engine works.
Yes. TradingHost supports any language that can run inside a container. Spotware publishes proto definitions for cTrader Open API. cTrader FIX is standard FIX 4.4, so any FIX engine in any language works.
Yes. Spotware announced in 2016 that cTrader FIX is free for every cTrader account holder with no minimum deposit and no commitment. The TradingHost-compatible path for IC Markets is built on this fact: institutional-style FIX 4.4 is retail-accessible.
Open an IC Markets cTrader account, enable FIX from inside the cTrader desktop client (Open Trader, Settings, FIX API). Fork a TradingHost cTrader FIX 4.4 or cTrader Open API starter, or connect your own GitHub strategy repo. Linking a GitHub repo and creating a strategy is free; runtime plans are listed on the pricing page.
Yes. Leverage is set by the IC Markets entity. International Capital Markets Pty Ltd (ASIC) and IC Markets (EU) Ltd (CySEC) apply ESMA-aligned caps (30:1 majors). Raw Trading Ltd (FSA Seychelles SD018) permits up to 500:1 on majors. The API surface is the same across entities.
In your GitHub-controlled secrets workflow. TradingHost reads the SenderCompID, Password and host details at runtime through GitHub repository secrets, environment secrets or your own approved secret-management process.
Yes. TradingHost supports MCP-based control for AI IDEs including Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI-based AI agents. AI tools can inspect deployments, review logs, restart strategies and manage runtime workflows. MCP is a control and observability surface, not the trade execution path.
No. EMIR and MiFID II trade reporting is the broker's responsibility. IC Markets (EU) Ltd reports under CySEC / MiFID II / EMIR rules. International Capital Markets Pty Ltd reports under ASIC derivative trade-reporting rules. TradingHost runs your code; the IC Markets entity handles regulatory reporting.
No. TradingHost is focused on production runtime and deployment. Backtesting belongs in cTrader Automate (cAlgo), in a framework like NautilusTrader, or in AlgoBuilder.