At iFX EXPO Asia 2026, IC General Manager Jason Hughes says round-the-clock trading in gold and crypto will only build client trust if brokers are upfront about the liquidity behind the price.
The race to offer round-the-clock trading in gold and digital assets is running ahead of the liquidity needed to support it, and brokers that do not explain the difference to clients risk eroding trust, according to Jason Hughes, General Manager at IC.
Speaking on the panel “From Bitcoin to Bullion: Where Is the Real Revenue?” at iFX EXPO Asia 2026, Hughes said the industry’s debate over which asset class will win misses a more immediate question: whether brokers can price and execute those markets consistently once traditional liquidity goes offline at the weekend.
“A client who sees tight spreads on gold or Bitcoin on a Tuesday expects the same on a Sunday night. The liquidity isn’t there yet, and selling 24/7 access as if it were the same product is how brokers lose their clients’ trust,” Hughes said.
The gap is most visible in Asia, where market-moving news often breaks outside US and European trading hours and clients want to act on it immediately. Panellists agreed that market depth outside core hours remains thin and spreads widen accordingly, and that many retail clients only discover this when they place a trade.
For Hughes, the answer lies in infrastructure and disclosure rather than in launching more products. “We run every asset class on the same infrastructure and hold it to the same execution standard. What changes at the weekend is the liquidity behind the price. Clients deserve to know that before they trade, not after.”
He added that the gap between weekday and weekend conditions will narrow as more liquidity providers enter out-of-hours markets, but that brokers should not market that end state before it arrives.
Crypto opens the door. It is not where clients stay.
On the panel’s central question of where brokers should invest, Hughes highlighted how trading activity shifts between asset classes as market conditions change. Rather than focusing on a single market, brokers need the flexibility to respond to client demand, whether for gold, foreign exchange, digital assets or other instruments.
“Clients aren’t loyal to an asset class. They go wherever the volatility is, from Bitcoin to gold to oil. The broker that wins is the one whose execution holds up wherever they go,” he said.
Hughes also spoke on “Inside the Deal: The Future of Financial Brands in Sport”, discussing how IC’s partnerships in motorsport and esports build long-term relationships with partners and clients beyond brand visibility.
About IC
IC is one of the world’s largest online trading providers, offering access to a wide range of trading instruments across Forex, indices, commodities, stocks, bonds, and cryptocurrencies. Founded in 2007 in Australia, IC is known for its deep liquidity, ultra-low spreads, and advanced trading technology, trusted by traders in over 200 countries. Ranked No. 1 globally for retail FX/other volumes (Finance Magnates Q4 Report), IC continues to invest in innovation, infrastructure, and strategic partnerships as it expands across the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
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