TradeInformer was in Cyprus last month for the iFX Expo.
During our time at the event, we headed to the cTrader booth to catch up with Yiota Hadjilouka, who was recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Spotware, the trading platform’s parent company.
We talked affiliates, cBots, trust, and what it means to hold the COO role at a company with almost 10m end users.
You were recently promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Spotware. What does that mean you are doing day to day now?
My day-to-day focus is on driving operational efficiency across the business while making sure everything we do stays centered around one core principle: the trader.
At Spotware, we’re constantly listening to feedback from traders, brokers, and prop firms to evolve cTrader but my role extends beyond shaping the product. It’s about ensuring all teams collaborate seamlessly so that our clients not only stay with us but thrive.
I’ve always believed that operations should serve both efficiency and empathy. I see technology as a relationship, not just a feature list. Everything we do is about delivering real value to clients and the traders they serve.
A feature release isn’t just a developer’s job; it’s a client touchpoint. A support ticket isn’t just a solution; it’s a trust-building moment. I work to connect these dots across teams to ensure that everything we do lives up to our Traders First™ principles.
One of the things I found working at a large company with a trading platform was that you could get a lot of client requests that were not really viable or that even conflicted with one another. For example, one person might want to keep things very simple but another wants more complicated analytical tools. You have almost 10m end traders using your product so you are probably experiencing that to an even more extreme level. How do you go about making sure you are making cTrader as good as possible?
Traders First™ principles are our operational compass and guide every product decision we make. It’s why we don’t allow server plugins to manipulate trades, why our execution is fully transparent and why we equip traders with powerful risk management tools. This isn’t about optics; it’s about building long-term trust and delivering real value through integrity.
When we receive feature requests, whether from brokers, prop firms, or individual traders, we first assess them to ensure they’re aligned with our Traders First™principles. If a request compromises transparency, fairness or the trader experience, we won’t implement it, no matter who’s asking. That clarity helps us avoid feature creep and keeps the platform focused on doing what’s right for the end user.
At the same time, we’re mindful of the diversity in our user base. Some traders want simplicity and speed; others demand complex analytical capabilities. That’s where thoughtful design and customisation come in. We aim to build tools that can scale from beginner to expert, while maintaining clarity and consistency.
Internally, we distinguish between requests that represent broader product improvements, i.e. the kind that would benefit the majority of users, versus those that are niche or client-specific. Once that’s clear, we prioritise accordingly, looking at impact, alignment with our vision and technical feasibility. Then we move quickly to roll out what truly matters.
One of the features you’ve worked on recently is cBots – so automated trading strategies that traders can access easily. How much uptake of this has there been and do you see that growing?
cBots are ideal for experienced traders and programmers looking to automate and optimise their strategies. They offer precise, emotion-free execution and operate around the clock. While used by advanced users, beginners can also benefit by accessing pre-built cBots, allowing them to explore algorithmic trading without coding knowledge. For brokers, cBots add value by attracting a wider range of traders and enhancing platform differentiation.
We’ve seen consistent growth in uptake, especially among newer traders who are exploring automation for the first time. To support this trend, we expanded our cBot offering with the launch of the cTrader Store, a central, secure and dynamic marketplace for trading products, including cBots, indicators and plugins.
cBots are trading robots designed to automate any strategy, from simple rule-based setups to complex algorithmic systems, allowing traders to execute with precision and consistency. Indicators support more informed decision-making through advanced technical analysis, while plugins extend the functionality of cTrader by integrating additional services or enhancing the user interface. Together, these tools give traders greater control and customisation over their experience. cTrader Store brings all of this into one accessible, cloud-based marketplace, acting as a fast-track to algo trading for both beginners and advanced users alike.
Almost 50% of new traders download free cTrader Store products shortly after registering, which shows that many are eager to experiment, learn and level up through ready-made tools. This level of engagement has continued to rise alongside the overall growth of algo trading across retail segments.
One of the most powerful aspects is that cBots can be launched directly from mobile devices and run 24/7 in the cloud, completely free, eliminating the need for a VPS or complex setup. This makes algo trading more accessible and frictionless than ever before, and we definitely expect this area to continue growing rapidly as traders become more tech-savvy and interested in automation.
Another of your recent tech updates was the integration of WebView plugins. Can you explain what that means in practice?
The simplest way of describing WebView plugins is that they let traders make the cTrader platform their own. They allow the integration of custom web services, such as AI assistants, trade calculators, trade dashboards, pattern trainers and more, directly within the cTrader interface across all apps; mobile, desktop and web allowing expansion of its capabilities and full customisation.
In practice, this significantly enhances flexibility and user control. For example, if a trader wants quick access to AI-powered insights, interactive chat support, real-time financial news or external charting tools, they can now integrate all of these into their cTrader app using WebView Plugins. The platform essentially becomes a personalised workspace, tailored to each trader’s unique style and needs, without compromising performance or requiring external switching between apps.
You were speaking today on a panel about affiliates. What is cTrader doing to help brokers get more clients in that regard?
One of the most important products we’ve built for brokers, their marketing teams and their partners, is cTrader Invite, which we further enhanced this year. IBs today are more than just traffic generators; they’re trust brokers. That’s exactly why we created cTrader Invite. cTrader Invite is a powerful and innovative toolkit that empowers IBs to attract traders using real cTrader products, track engagement in real time and deliver genuine value from the first interaction. When IBs succeed, brokers grow stronger and traders stay longer.
With cTrader Invite, IBs and brokers can share personalised, product-specific invite links that lead directly to indicators, cBots, plugins, copy strategies and more. These tailored links guide potential clients straight to relevant trading experiences, significantly boosting conversion rates and reducing drop-offs. All referral activity is visible through detailed, in-platform analytics, so both brokers and partners can track performance with full transparency.
The system integrates smoothly with a broker’s CRM via webhooks, automating user registration and referral tracking. IBs don’t even need to register in advance. As soon as someone uses their link, the system automatically recognises and registers the partner. This makes the referral process effortless and scalable.
For broker marketing teams, the value is just as strong. Attribution is often one of the most challenging aspects of affiliate marketing. With cTrader Invite, that problem is solved. Every click and registration is tracked instantly and attribution is visible on the broker’s backend from the moment of engagement.
We’re really proud of this update because it solves several core challenges for brokers at once. It streamlines onboarding for both clients and partners, eliminates attribution headaches and arms affiliates with real, branded products that help them attract and retain traders more effectively.
And has that seen good traction so far?
Absolutely. The most consistent positive feedback has been around attribution and the product itself. Brokers appreciate having fast, clear visibility into where new customers are coming from, which helps streamline their marketing efforts and partner relationships.
They also value the flexibility of the product links. Affiliates and partners can fully customise not just how they share their invites, but also the purpose behind each link, i.e. whether it guides users to trade signals, copy strategies or other targeted actions. For example, they can generate a mobile-friendly QR code or embed the invite link in a YouTube video. This gives them a creative edge and plenty of ways to tailor their outreach.
Brokers consistently highlight cTrader Invite as a game-changer for traders’ acquisition. They appreciate how easy it is for IBs to generate and share personalised, product-specific links, and many have reported noticeably higher conversion rates as a result.
The seamless CRM integration and automated referral tracking are often praised for reducing manual work and minimising errors. Brokers also value the transparency of shared attribution statistics, which improves alignment and trust with their partners. Overall, cTrader Invite is widely seen as a reliable and effective solution that enhances both partner engagement and trader onboarding.
cTrader has this huge client base so are there any new or interesting trends you see in the market at the moment as a result of feedback from those customers?
One of the main trends we’re seeing right now is just how important trust has become for traders. There are a lot of bad actors out there and traders want to know they are trading with a credible partner. We’re proud of the fact that cTrader has been recognised as a high trust platform for traders.
This trust is the result of 15 years of dedication to our ‘Traders First’ principles. More and more traders are recognising that when they trade with cTrader, they don’t have to worry about issues like price manipulation or unfair trading practices. Trust is increasingly becoming a defining element of a broker’s brand, and we’re proud that cTrader plays such a central role in helping brokers build and maintain that trust.
We don’t think brokers and traders need just another trading tool. They need a partner. That’s why we’ve positioned cTrader as an open, flexible platform – we don’t lock you in, we lift you up. You can fully brand it, integrate third-party services and scale endlessly with no hidden costs.
Looking ahead, we’re excited about our AI-powered trading assistant features, expanded mobile leadership, and the integration of WebView plugins. These are serious capabilities that will help brokers stay ahead, empower traders with smarter tools and allow full customisation across the board.