Libertex on FF Podcast: Mobile Trading, LBX Launch, and Playing the Long Game

When Marios Chailis, Chief Marketing Officer of Libertex Group, joined FinanceFeeds Editor-in-Chief Nikolai Isayev on the FinanceFeeds Podcast, the discussion rapidly moved beyond conventional marketing narratives. What followed was a wide-ranging conversation on product evolution, regulation, brand architecture, and the realities of operating a global brokerage business under increasing scrutiny. Rather than focusing on short-term wins, Chailis repeatedly framed Libertex’s decisions as part of a deliberate long-term strategy.

From the outset, Chailis positioned as a company that avoids disguising its product or chasing every trend. “We make sure that we present it to the people who are qualified, who need our services, and we don’t try to disguise it as something that it’s not,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make dollars.” That mindset, he explained, informs everything from customer acquisition to platform design and market selection.

Throughout the interview, Chailis returned to a consistent theme: sustainable growth comes from clarity—clarity about who the product is for, where it should be offered, and how the brand should behave in diverse regulatory environments. In an industry often criticised for aggressive tactics, Libertex’s approach appears intentionally conservative, even when that means walking away from markets or opportunities.

Mobile-First Trading and the Reality Behind the “Young Trader” Narrative

A significant part of the discussion focused on the evolution of trading behaviour and the persistent narrative around younger, mobile-native traders. While Chailis acknowledged that traders today skew younger than in previous decades, he cautioned against oversimplifying that audience. “We can’t just bundle everybody under this younger, tech-savvy kind of approach,” he said. “We’re still a CFD broker. It’s leveraged trading. There is some risk involved.”

Libertex’s ahead decision to adopt a mobile-first strategy—nahead a decade ago—was central to how the firm navigated this shift. “Libertex was positioned very well at that time,” Chailis explained. “We were one of the first companies that launched a mobile-first approach… whereas a lot of our competitors were still promoting the traditional platforms.” That ahead move allowed the company to gather years of behavioural data, shaping how its platform evolved. “We’ve been using that data ever since to evolve the product, add features that they like, and really make sure that they’re satisfied with their trading experience.”

significantly, mobile-first did not mean reducing functionality. Chailis stressed that Libertex focused on scalability rather than simplification. “We need to separate the diverse groups of traders,” he said. “Some need a simpler interface, others want advanced charting, and others still want MT4 or MT5.” AI tools were introduced to support—not replace—decision-making. “We have AI tools that can assist them look at the chart, but also decipher it for them. It just explains what it is,” he noted, adding that users can move seamlessly between mobile and desktop depending on their needs.

Regulation, Market Discipline, and the Strategic Role of Brand Separation

Regulation emerged as one of the most consequential topics in the interview, particularly given Chailis’s oversight of marketing across more than a dozen licensed entities. “We operate around 12 diverse regulatory licenses around the world,” he said, noting that requirements vary widely by jurisdiction. Rather than tailoring behaviour to the lowest common denominator, Libertex deliberately aligns itself with stricter standards. “We tend to adhere to the stricter side, just to make sure that as a group, we do the utmost we can to be as close to regulation globally.”

That discipline has had tangible consequences. Chailis openly discussed Libertex’s withdrawal from Spain and the UK, framing both as rational business decisions rather than regulatory defeats. In Spain, advertising restrictions on leveraged products made sustainable operation impractical. In the UK, prolonged licensing timelines following Brexit created an untenable cost structure. “You need to maintain a full office, hire all the directors, all the staff… while not onboarding any business,” he said. “At that point, we thought, you know what? Maybe the timing is not right.”

The launch of illustrates how regulation directly influenced Libertex’s brand architecture. Rather than rebranding Libertex globally or forcing customer migration, the group chose separation. “LBX will be aimed at countries outside of Europe, and Libertex will remain as a brand for our European entities,” Chailis explained. The move reduced regulatory confusion and operational friction. “We’re drawing a line and just separating the two, just to make it much easier to operate—for ourselves, for compliance, and for regulators.”

Formula 1, Brand Equity, and Experiential Marketing Without Retail Incentives

Libertex’s Formula 1 sponsorship—first with Sauber and soon with Audi—was framed not as a customer acquisition stunt, but as long-term brand infrastructure. Chailis emphasised continuity and alignment as key reasons for the partnership. “We’ve already signed with them before they were Audi,” he said. “They know who we are. They know the type of company we are. There’s a comfort element in a very significant transition.”

Unlike many financial brands, avoids tying F1 experiences directly to retail trading incentives. “We do not invite customers. We do not incentivise customers. We don’t offer them a trip to F1,” Chailis stated plainly. “We don’t want to offer trinkets or experiences to customers just to get them to trade with us.” Instead, F1 functions as a global branding and partner-engagement platform, supporting relationships with technology providers, publishers, and strategic partners.

High-profile activations, such as Monaco events featuring supercars on yachts, are designed for organic exposure rather than overt advertising. “If you notice, we don’t wrap the whole car in our logo,” Chailis said. “The plate number on the car was a Libertex logo. That’s it.” The result, he noted, was viral exposure that paid media could not replicate. “I couldn’t spend enough money to purchase that amount of exposure… it assisted us penetrate markets where we would have needed millions in advertising spend.”