2025 was the preparation phase—2026 is the implementation phase. In this article, we provide you with a comprehensive and transparent overview of all current developments: the performance of our live accounts, the status of our international expansion projects, and what’s next. If you’re wondering what has become of the announcements from our 2025 Year in Review, you’ll find all the answers here.
Performance: Live accounts validate the system
March marked an important milestone for 1000FTAD: Several new client accounts were launched and are already showing promising results in the first few days of trading. Initial analyses indicate that the strategies are performing steadily even in this early phase and are proving effective in live trading.
Here’s an example: An account opened on March 2, 2026, achieved a return of +0.61% on its very first trading day, while other accounts opened at the same time achieved returns of +1.06% and +3.84%, respectively. These early results underscore the strategy’s ability to efficiently capitalize on market movements, even in the short term.
Even accounts that were opened earlier are showing steady growth. An account opened at the end of February had already gained +3.27% after seven trading days, while an earlier example showed gains of +4.78% and +10.04% over 48 trading days.
These figures are particularly noteworthy because they come from real live accounts, not backtests. They provide a transparent look at how the system actually performs in the current market environment.
At the same time, the longer-term strategies confirm the overall trend: Since their launch in 2024, various strategy models—including Guardian, Sentinel, Vanguard, and Venture —have achieved total returns ranging from approximately +101% to +181%, each with controlled drawdown levels.
For our customers, investors, and partners, this development sends an important signal: The accounts launched this spring fit seamlessly into the long-term performance trend and demonstrate that the system operates stably even with new implementations.
You can request the latest Monthly Performance Report (MPR) with all key metrics for Guardian, Sentinel, Vanguard, and Venture here:
GCC Region: Strategy Remains Intact – Tactics Adjusted
We would like to inform you about recent developments affecting our expansion plans in the GCC region—and explain how we are responding to them.
The entire Gulf region is currently under significant strain due to the military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the region are directly or indirectly affected by the consequences—whether through missile attacks on infrastructure, travel warnings, restricted air travel, or economic uncertainty. The German Foreign Office has issued active travel warnings for the entire Gulf region.
Given the current situation, maintaining a physical presence in Dubai is not feasible at this time. We are postponing the planned office opening until the security situation has stabilized on a long-term basis.
At the same time, we are pleased to share some encouraging news with you: We are in the final stages of negotiating a master license agreement for operations in the GCC region. This milestone lays the operational foundation for all of our regional business activities and sends a strong signal regarding the seriousness and maturity of our market positioning. We expect to be able to report on our first connections shortly.
Our strategy for the GCC region remains unchanged—we are simply adjusting our tactics to reflect the reality on the ground: At this stage, we are relying on our trusted local partner. Together, we are continuing to drive our institutional market entry in the GCC without interruption—with the flexibility required by the current environment and the consistency our investors have come to expect.
The contacts we have established in Dubai over the past few months—reaching all the way to the highest social and economic echelons—form a valuable foundation that goes far beyond a mere physical presence. Building on this foundation, we will strategically launch product groups that are structured in accordance with Sharia law and meet the specific requirements of the regional market. In addition to institutional investors, our primary target audience includes, in particular, the numerous companies based in Dubai and Riyadh, high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs), and family offices—a segment with substantial capital and growing interest in precise, fully automated investment strategies. Our ongoing development of Sharia-compliant trading accounts and product structures gives us a clear competitive edge in this area.
A physical presence—whether in Dubai, Riyadh, or both—remains a firm strategic goal. We are postponing the timeline, not the intention.
Saudi Arabia: A Solid Foundation, an Independent Course
In connection with our Saudi Arabia strategy, we would also like to share some personal news: A key partner in our Saudi Arabia project has suffered a severe stroke and is not expected to be able to continue in her current role. We extend our sincere wishes for a speedy recovery to her and her family.
Despite this personal setback, Saudi Arabia remains an integral part of our GCC strategy: Through existing networks, we already have excellent contacts in the Kingdom, which enable us to enter the market on a solid and independent basis. Depending on how the situation develops, Riyadh could become another physical presence in the GCC alongside Dubai at a later date.
India: Regulatory Path Found
As part of our international expansion strategy, we have spent the past few months conducting an in-depth analysis of the regulatory framework for a potential market entry in India. The results of a comprehensive feasibility study clearly show that direct access via mainland India is currently not possible due to the regulatory structure there. At the same time, however, several viable and legally compliant solutions have emerged.
Of particular promise is access via GIFT City IFSC, India’s international financial center. This offshore financial center was established to facilitate international financial services under its own regulatory framework. Within this structure, key elements of our business model—including OTC foreign exchange trading, electronic trading platforms, and algorithmic trading strategies—are generally permitted, provided certain regulatory requirements are met.
Our strategy therefore calls for collaborating with local and international partners within this regulated ecosystem. These future partners—such as broker-dealers, banks, or institutional financial service providers—can serve as an operational interface to the Indian market and integrate our technology into their existing structures.
In doing so, we continue to consistently pursue our approach of entering new markets exclusively through structures that are compliant with regulations and sustainable in the long term. India remains a strategically highly attractive market due to its growing number of high-net-worth individual investors, family offices, and institutional market participants.
U.S. Market: Preparations Are Underway
A key component of our long-term growth strategy is our expansion into the U.S. market. The United States is one of the largest and most capital-rich investment markets in the world. At the same time, institutional and private investors there are highly willing to invest in innovative quantitative trading strategies.
However, the regulatory landscape differs significantly from that in Europe: While CFD-based trading strategies are accessible to retail investors in many regions of the world, the United States prohibits the sale of CFDs to retail investors. This requires a tailored structure to ensure that the market can be developed in a way that is compliant with regulations and sustainable in the long term.
To address the U.S. market, 1000FTAD is working on an alternative structure specifically tailored to regulatory requirements. The plan is to create a structure consisting of a futures-based version of our trading strategy, combined with an AIF (Alternative Investment Fund) in Luxembourg. This structure makes it possible to make the strategy available to U.S. investors in a manner that complies with regulations, while at the same time maintaining the institutional quality and stability of the trading strategy. Luxembourg offers an established and internationally recognized fund structure that is particularly well-suited for international investors.
Entry into the U.S. market is a strategic priority. Nevertheless, we are following a clear and structured sequence in implementing our current expansion projects. First, the focus is on fully launching the following initiatives and establishing them from a sales perspective:
- Dubai Structure
- AMC I
- AMC II
- TradeCopy Option
Once these projects have been successfully implemented and are on a stable track, the next major step will follow:opening up the U.S. market through the planned futures and fund structure.
Preparations for this setup are already underway behind the scenes. At the same time, we are analyzing regulatory requirements, fund structures, and potential distribution channels in the U.S. Our goal is to execute our market entry in a structured and sustainable manner, with the necessary regulatory stability.
