The Central Bank of Bahrain names "unauthorized foreign exchange (Forex) trading platforms" outright among unlicensed financial services. This page promotes no broker and offers no legal conclusion: it shows what the Central Bank of Bahrain publishes — with the links — and how to check for yourself.
Not legal advice. We are a measurement tool — not a broker, not a financial adviser, not a legal authority. What follows is general information about the regulators and what they publish, with links to their own sites. Rules change, and this page is not enough to judge the legality of a specific case or product. For your own situation, ask the regulator directly or a qualified lawyer in Bahrain.
Scope of this page: trading currencies through a broker (spot forex or CFDs on currencies). Article (40) of the CBB Law prohibits carrying out regulated financial services in the Kingdom without a licence issued by the CBB.
The Central Bank of Bahrain's page on unlicensed financial services (last updated 5 July 2026) lists among common patterns "Unauthorized foreign exchange (Forex) trading platforms", alongside unlicensed advice, portfolio management and crypto schemes.
It rests on Article (40) of the CBB Law, which prohibits carrying out regulated financial services in Bahrain without a CBB licence, Article (41) on representations of being licensed, Article (42), and Resolution No. (16) of 2012 on the prohibition on marketing regulated financial services.
So the practical question is whether the platform offering you trading is in the CBB licensing directory — which is public and searchable.
Article (40) of its law prohibits carrying out regulated financial services in the Kingdom without a licence issued by the CBB. Publishes the licensing directory, a page on unlicensed financial services, and named warnings.
Named verbatim among the common patterns of unlicensed financial services on the CBB's page, alongside unlicensed investment advice, wealth management, crypto schemes and unlicensed brokerage or online trading apps.
Article (40) prohibits carrying out regulated financial services in Bahrain without a CBB licence; Article (41) prohibits any term or representation creating the impression of being licensed; Article (42) empowers the CBB to restrict or prohibit marketing of regulated financial services by unlicensed persons; Resolution No. (16) of 2012 concerns the prohibition on marketing financial services in the Kingdom.
Source: cbb.gov.bh — legal framework
The CBB notes that consumers may not be protected by any compensation scheme or dispute resolution mechanisms available through licensed institutions it supervises.
Warning against an unlicensed intermediary, the CBB stressed caution when investing, dealing or trading in securities or foreign exchange with any person or website, including social media, and checking they hold the necessary CBB licence.
Source: cbb.gov.bh — media centre
Via the CBB online complaint form, or the General Directorate of Anti-Corruption and Economic and Electronic Security (ACEES) hotline at 992.
By the licensee name in the agreement; check the category and permitted activities. The directory exists in Arabic and English. The CBB states its data is provided by licensees and it is not responsible for errors — so ask the CBB if in doubt.
A listing under a category that does not cover what you are offered does not answer your question.
The CBB asks you to verify both. A commercial registration proves a company exists, not that it holds a financial licence.
Named warnings appear in the CBB media centre.
CBB complaint form, or 992.
Article (41) prohibits representations of being licensed by those who are not, and the CBB warns of "false claims of being regulated or licensed by the CBB or foreign regulators". Don't stop at a matching name in the directory: match the website and contact details too, and ask the CBB if in doubt.
According to the CBB, Resolution No. (16) of 2012 "defines marketing broadly to include any offer, promotion, or communication intended to motivate consumers to access regulated financial services."
Dispute resolution and compensation available to clients of licensed institutions may not cover you — as the CBB itself warns.
A licence is not a guarantee of profit. A licence says who may offer a particular activity and under what supervision. It has nothing to do with whether you make or lose money. Trading currencies with leverage risks your capital, at a licensed broker and an unlicensed one alike.
BasketGo is not a broker. It opens no accounts, holds no money, recommends no broker and takes no commission from any. It is a measurement tool: we compute the strength of the eight majors from 28 pairs and publish the numbers as they are — measurement, not advice. Choosing a broker and checking its licence is your decision; this page exists to make that easier, not to steer it.
The Central Bank of Bahrain lists "unauthorized foreign exchange (Forex) trading platforms" among unlicensed financial services, and Article (40) of its law prohibits carrying out regulated financial services without a CBB licence. The question the CBB answers is about the provider: is it licensed by the CBB? Search the licensing directory. This is general information, not legal advice, and is not enough to judge a specific case or product.
In the licensing directory at cbb.gov.bh: search by licensee or category and match the permitted activities. Check the commercial registration too, as the CBB advises.
In its warning of 18 June 2019 the CBB stated that promoting financial services to residents in the Kingdom falls within the scope of regulated financial services, and Article (40) refers to a licence issued by the Central Bank of Bahrain. The CBB also warns of false claims of being licensed by foreign regulators. If the firm is not in the CBB directory, ask the CBB before depositing.
Through the CBB online complaint form, or the ACEES hotline at 992.
No. A licence says who may offer a particular activity and under what supervision. It has nothing to do with whether you make or lose money. Trading currencies with leverage risks your capital, at a licensed broker and an unlicensed one alike.
We are not a broker. We open no accounts, hold no money, recommend no broker and take no commission from any. We publish measurements of currency movement, which is why this page points at official registers rather than at a list of firms.