eToro is a globally recognized brokerage with more than 7 million registered users across 140 countries. The website www.etoro.com supports 21 languages, helping the platform reach a wide international audience. Beyond providing access to trading financial instruments, eToro also offers a range of investment programs for both private and corporate clients.

A current CySEC license (No. 109/10) allows eToro to operate in Europe, the CIS, Asia, Australia, the United States, and several other regions. However, the company does not service residents of Russia due to the lack of a Central Bank of Russia license. Many users circumvent this restriction by registering with a different country of residence. eToro’s central office is located in the offshore jurisdiction of Cyprus. The company has no official offices in the CIS. If questions arise or you need assistance, you’ll have to contact customer support via online chat or email.

The broker strives to optimize operations each year and improve trading conditions by adding new analytical tools, investment programs, and bonuses.

Trading Information & Conditions

The key difference between eToro and other brokers is its focus on social trading technology. Users can invest in securities and place trades on a limited set of assets through an integrated platform, but the main emphasis is on investing and copy-trading.

To access trading instruments, you need to register an account. This is simple: enter your name, email address, and create a password. After quick signup via the official website, you can verify your identity in the account area; however, you can fund your account without verification. Deposits can be made via PayPal, MoneyGram, Neteller, WebMoney, and VISA/MasterCard bank cards.

eToro does not split clients across multiple account types—registered traders operate under the same conditions.

• Minimum deposit: $200
• Forex leverage: up to 1:200
• Withdrawal fee: up to $25 per request
• Minimum trade size: from 0.01

Immediately after opening a live account, a trader can start trading on financial markets. Available instruments include currency pairs, cryptocurrencies, indices, stocks, and commodity derivatives. The total number of tradable instruments exceeds 100.

Despite similarities with other brokers’ trading terms, eToro takes a distinct approach. A registered client does not receive access to a traditional trading terminal for full-fledged trading. Instead, eToro enables trading through a built-in platform available directly in the client area. On one hand, this feels simpler and more convenient; on the other, eToro presents itself as a professional market participant, and this simplified setup can be inconvenient for advanced investors performing technical analysis and in-depth chart work. When you click on an asset in the account interface, its chart opens, but the platform’s functionality is reduced compared to MetaTrader. Traders also cannot use automated advisors or connect third-party copy services like ZuluTrade or MQL5.

One advantage is the ability to buy the shares of well-known brands (e.g., McDonald’s, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Apple) literally with one click. After opening an order, all related information is shown in the account statistics. The interface provides easy access not only to financial instruments, but also to an analytics feed, news, and investment services (for example, eToro’s trader leaderboard for managers who handle investor capital).

Company History

eToro’s story began in 2007. Initially, services were provided under the RetailFX brand in Israel and several European countries. The financial group was founded by brothers Yoni and Ronen Assia, together with David Ring. They specialized in financial consulting and understood the nuances of brokerage operations.

From 2007 onward, eToro expanded geographically, opening offices in London and Cyprus.

A pivotal period came in 2010, when the company launched its affiliate program and the OpenBook social investment platform along with the “CopyTrading” feature. Around the same time, eToro released a mobile app for Android devices, allowing clients to monitor accounts and trade or invest via smartphone or tablet.

Since its founding, eToro has attracted external investment from well-known groups such as Spark Capital, SBI Holdings, CommerzVentures, Korea Investment Partners, and China Minsheng Financial Holdings. In total, more than $140 million was invested to grow eToro’s business in Russia, Europe, the U.S., Canada, Asia, and Australia. By 2018, the company’s valuation approached $800 million.

In 2017, the team focused on expanding retail access to margin trading in cryptocurrencies. Within 12 months, the platform added trading in Ethereum, Litecoin, XRP, and other coins.

Today, the company continues to participate in innovative projects in fintech, IT, and blockchain.

Social Trading & Earnings

Education is delivered through the eToro Trading Academy. It brings together three core categories of materials:

• Webinar recordings
• Video tutorials with instruction
• An introductory course for beginners with step-by-step explanations of trading principles and techniques

There is no in-person training. Instead, anyone can access educational materials on the site—even without registering. The lack of a fee for training is clearly an advantage.

Webinars require pre-registration to watch live rather than as recordings. Video instructions on using the platform and on Forex basics are available at any time from the education page. The beginner course section currently does not load content; previously it explained what eToro is and what the company does, but it hasn’t been updated recently.

Earning with eToro

To offset gaps in the education section, the team developed a robust investment service. The main passive-income tool is social trading, available in the client area. After funding a live account, you can start earning without manual trading.

Social trading is similar to copy-trading: a new client funds their account and selects an eToro trader from a public ranking. Funds do not transfer directly to the manager; they remain in your account. The trader’s signals open proportional positions across all investors simultaneously.

Manager compensation depends on performance. In the social trading section, you can filter for managers by different criteria and analyze recent statistics. Users can also qualify for “Popular Investor” status and sell their signals if they meet experience requirements.

Reported returns for ranked traders appear realistic (around 6%–50% annually) and not artificially inflated.

Education & Academy

You can apply for jobs at eToro by submitting a resume to vacancies posted on the official website. In the “About” section under “Careers,” you’ll find openings for specialists in development, financial analysis, security, crypto, and marketing. By selecting a region (e.g., Cyprus, the UK, Asia, Eastern Europe) and a city, candidates can view available roles. This page also includes an overview of eToro with information on the benefits of working in an international team.

Additionally, in each country where eToro operates, job listings may appear on local employment portals (e.g., HeadHunter).

eToro demo account

The demo account allows clients to test the social trading platform. To use virtual funds, register on the site and, in the left menu of the account area, click “Real,” then select “Virtual” to switch the account status. You can then trade or use the copy-trading service with virtual funds.

Bonuses at eToro

Most eToro reviews do not include a detailed bonus program. Essentially, extra credits are issued only for inviting a friend to join social trading, provided they register and fund their account. Unlike standard forex affiliate programs, a $20 bonus is paid for each deposit made by a referred friend from your Gmail contact list.

You’ll first need to complete verification by uploading scanned documents to confirm your identity. This is convenient for those who have potential trader friends but don’t want to participate in a full affiliate program.

eToro education (overview)

eToro lets clients trade CFDs on stocks, forex pairs, and cryptocurrencies and offers a strong copy-trading service. However, educational resources for Russian-speaking clients are fairly limited. While the company doesn’t serve Russian residents, eToro is available in Belarus and offers services for Russian speakers living in Europe.

What education is available at eToro?

On the company’s website, the dedicated eToro Education section contains freely accessible information. Both beginners and experienced traders can find useful topics on market analysis methods, trading systems, and specific instruments. You can access the broker’s educational materials even without registration, though the section is easier to find in the English version of the site.

There is also a separate analytics section with regular market overviews across different asset groups, news updates, and information on copy-trading services.

Guide for traders and investors

As part of its education program, eToro developed a comprehensive multi-page “Complete Fintech Guide.” This in-depth document covers market analysis, trading, investing, strategies and tactics, trading psychology, and emotional control. It also details the company’s services, platform tools, and account features. Among the eighteen sections, there’s even a step-by-step guide to the copy-trading service.

To gauge how effective copy-trading can be, you can read online reviews about eToro.

Copy-trading is a convenient solution for those who want passive income without hands-on trading. But it still requires involvement: you should choose managers based on performance, risk management, drawdowns, and the statistical edge of their strategy.

Investors should consider building a diversified copy-trading portfolio. Split your capital into parts and connect to several managers. By configuring connection settings and setting your maximum risk tolerance, you can reduce the chance of losses.

Training in the eToro Academy

eToro also runs the Academy, a dedicated learning hub with video materials. No special registration is required for access. However, the full library is only available on the English and French versions of the site.

All videos are grouped into three tracks:

• How to trade and invest with eToro: videos on getting started in the client area, opening an account, using broker tools, investment opportunities, platform functionality, and technical features.
• Training videos for beginners: currently being expanded.
• Materials for professional traders: also being developed and not yet complete.

eToro affiliate program

eToro uses a dedicated website, www.etoropartners.com, to onboard partners. It explains what the company does and the benefits of cooperation. Passive income is available to anyone who can attract referrals via a partner link and who then fund their accounts and trade. There is no complex multi-level structure or payout tiers—just create an account, get the contact details of a personal manager, and start working through the partner dashboard.

This model is profitable if you can manage traffic or have an engaged audience on social media, a blog, or your own website. Rewards are uncapped and primarily depend on the trading volume of referred clients.

Conclusion

eToro is one of the best-known social trading platforms with extensive investment features. However, its services may not suit traders who want to conduct detailed, independent technical trading. The simplified platform can make in-depth analysis and forecasting more difficult. The development team’s efforts are focused on optimizing access to copy-trading services.

Even with $200, you can set up a source of passive income without constantly monitoring charts. You just need to complete verification and choose a signal provider with solid statistics.

Over the years, eToro has built a positive reputation as a reliable financial partner.

Advantages of eToro

• One of the most advanced social trading platforms
• Positive reputation since its founding in 2007
• Automatic copy-trading available from as little as $200
• Simplified registration with the option to sign in via Facebook or Google
• Russian-language interface and Russian-speaking support managers

Disadvantages of eToro

• Floating spreads that are difficult to predict in advance
• A less informative trading terminal compared to professional platforms