Scaling a global CFD broker
Since 2016, Chili Labs have been the dedicated technical partner for a multi-asset CFD broker. We took ownership of everything from UI/UX design and native iOS/Android app development to backend architecture, QA and project management.
Through continuous iteration and strict quality control, Chili Labs team helped the platform scale massively: over 3 million newly opened accounts while maintaining over 99.5% crash-free user rate.
About the company/Project
Project Overview: Multi-Asset CFD Trading Platform
Client: Confidential
Industry: Fintech / Multi-Asset Brokerage
The Vision
The objective was to translate a complex, web based financial ecosystem into a high performance mobile experience for both Android and iOS. The client required a solution that provided a seamless, convenient transition from web to mobile for veteran traders while remaining approachable for newcomers.
Intuitive UX
We eliminated complexity to ensure a seamless experience for every user, from those exploring CFD trading for the first time to veterans with a decade of experience.
Transparency & Trust
To build user confidence, we provided clear explanations for complex financial terms, easily accessible legal documentation, and multiple direct support channels within the app.
Engineered Stability
We ensured rock solid reliability by rigorously testing every advanced feature on physical devices, simulating edge case scenarios and low connectivity environments to guarantee 24/7 uptime.
Project Tasks
Main Idea
Main idea was to make CFD trading as accessible as possible. Before 2016, they had only web platform that worked fine but was limiting the users. In a fast-paced world, users needed access to platform features on the go. Mobile application made it possible to combine features that were scattered across multiple sections on the web in a easy to use pocket solution.
Issues / Problems
No unified place with all of the features
Client had a web platform and a separate trading platform. Users were easily getting lost, so we needed to create a unified space where all key features are easily accessible and ready to use.
Jurisdiction differences
Millions of users come from different places. Considering that brokerage services are highly regulated, our goal was to enable features that could be legally used in each user’s region. This meant that different documentation, verification, or even blockers needed to be applied based on the jurisdiction the user was part of.
Extensive security
While dealing with vide variety of regions, devices and platforms, we were also handling users money. It meant that security measures needed to be covered as strictly as possible (PIN/biometry, SSL pinning, 2FA, etc.).
How we helped
From Vision to Reality: Crafting the Strategic Roadmap
We began by bridging the gap between the client’s vision and a technical execution plan. Our strategic phase focused on creating a unified path forward by:
• The Whole Story: Visualising the complete end to end journey for both investors and internal teams.
• Trim the Fat: Identifying and prioritising the "must have" features to ensure a lean, effective market entry.
• The Reality Check: Harmonising regulatory standards and UX best practices without over-engineering the foundational build. Resulting in a timeline that was both ambitious and actually doable.
• The Whole Story: Visualising the complete end to end journey for both investors and internal teams.
• Trim the Fat: Identifying and prioritising the "must have" features to ensure a lean, effective market entry.
• The Reality Check: Harmonising regulatory standards and UX best practices without over-engineering the foundational build. Resulting in a timeline that was both ambitious and actually doable.
Staying Ahead of the Game
We didn’t just sit around waiting for a to-do list; we acted like a true extension of the client’s team. Our goal was to spot hurdles before they turned into real problems and keep the tech stack feeling fresh.
• Honest Advice: Instead of just saying "yes" to everything, we looked at the requirements and suggested the most efficient ways to get the job done.
• New Tools: We kept our eyes peeled for new tools hitting the market. If something came out that could make the app faster or better, we brought it to the table immediately.
• Keeping the Hood Clean: We took care of the app regularly by updating libraries and SDKs so the app stayed secure and didn't get bogged down by old code.
• Honest Advice: Instead of just saying "yes" to everything, we looked at the requirements and suggested the most efficient ways to get the job done.
• New Tools: We kept our eyes peeled for new tools hitting the market. If something came out that could make the app faster or better, we brought it to the table immediately.
• Keeping the Hood Clean: We took care of the app regularly by updating libraries and SDKs so the app stayed secure and didn't get bogged down by old code.
Communication is key
Open Lines: We stayed in constant contact through daily pings on Slack, Google Chat, or even SMS for quick updates, making sure nothing ever stalled.
• The Weekly Pulse: We held regular syncs with the main Product Owner to keep the big picture on track and ensure everyone was moving in the same direction.
• Zero Friction: We cut out the middleman by setting up direct chats between key players on both sides and organised deep dive calls with the backend team and stakeholders whenever needed to clear the path.
• The Weekly Pulse: We held regular syncs with the main Product Owner to keep the big picture on track and ensure everyone was moving in the same direction.
• Zero Friction: We cut out the middleman by setting up direct chats between key players on both sides and organised deep dive calls with the backend team and stakeholders whenever needed to clear the path.
What Was Done
From MVP to Market Leader
We didn’t build everything at once; Chili Labs team focused on a long term, stable evolution:
• The 2016 Launch: Started with a lean MVP to establish a market presence and gather real world data.
• Iterative Expansion: Rolled out new features one by one, ensuring the core system remained fast and reliable.
• Stability First: Performed deep dive health checks after every release to prevent technical debt from piling up.
• Data driven decision making: As the user base grew, we moved from guessing to knowing.
• Integrated Analytics: Added tracking to see which features were actually being used and which were ignored.
• Direct Feedback Loops: Built in bug reporting and feedback options so users could reach us instantly.
• Social Proof: Encouraged honest reviews on Trustpilot and Google Play Store / Appstore to maintain transparency and build trust.
• The 2016 Launch: Started with a lean MVP to establish a market presence and gather real world data.
• Iterative Expansion: Rolled out new features one by one, ensuring the core system remained fast and reliable.
• Stability First: Performed deep dive health checks after every release to prevent technical debt from piling up.
• Data driven decision making: As the user base grew, we moved from guessing to knowing.
• Integrated Analytics: Added tracking to see which features were actually being used and which were ignored.
• Direct Feedback Loops: Built in bug reporting and feedback options so users could reach us instantly.
• Social Proof: Encouraged honest reviews on Trustpilot and Google Play Store / Appstore to maintain transparency and build trust.
Refining & Humanising the App
We made sure the app worked for everyone, regardless of how they interact with their screen:
• Screen Reader Optimization: Adjusted the UI to play nice with assistive technologies.
• Layout Adjustments: Fine tuned contrast, touch targets, and navigation for a more inclusive experience.
• Compliance Standards: Brought the app up to modern accessibility benchmarks to broaden the user base.
• User centric evolution: We let the users help steer the ship to make their lives easier.
• Pain Point Resolution: Identified the "biggest headaches" from support tickets and redesigned those workflows from scratch.
• Quality of Life Features: Added small but impactful tools based on direct community requests.
• Continuous Feedback: Used ongoing user insights to prioritise our roadmap, ensuring we only built what was truly needed.
• Screen Reader Optimization: Adjusted the UI to play nice with assistive technologies.
• Layout Adjustments: Fine tuned contrast, touch targets, and navigation for a more inclusive experience.
• Compliance Standards: Brought the app up to modern accessibility benchmarks to broaden the user base.
• User centric evolution: We let the users help steer the ship to make their lives easier.
• Pain Point Resolution: Identified the "biggest headaches" from support tickets and redesigned those workflows from scratch.
• Quality of Life Features: Added small but impactful tools based on direct community requests.
• Continuous Feedback: Used ongoing user insights to prioritise our roadmap, ensuring we only built what was truly needed.
Technical Synergy & Modern Infrastructure
We ensured the mobile app wasn’t just an afterthought to the web platform, but a fully integrated part of the business:
• Web to Mobile Parity: Close collaboration with backend teams and stakeholders ensured that every update made to the web platforms translated perfectly to the app experience.
• API Optimisation: Chili Labs team actively helped design and optimize new APIs. The goal was a lean, fast, and mobile-friendly operation.
• Complete Redesign: Our team redesigned the platforms from scratch, backing the new look with a more intuitive structure.
• Web to Mobile Parity: Close collaboration with backend teams and stakeholders ensured that every update made to the web platforms translated perfectly to the app experience.
• API Optimisation: Chili Labs team actively helped design and optimize new APIs. The goal was a lean, fast, and mobile-friendly operation.
• Complete Redesign: Our team redesigned the platforms from scratch, backing the new look with a more intuitive structure.
Real time Intelligence
We built the "instant" feel of the app from the ground up to keep users connected to the markets:
• Firebase Integration: Developed and implemented the entire push notification system using Firebase for reliable, instant alerts.
• Live Socket Updates: Integrated WebSockets to provide live, real-time data updates, so users see price shifts instantly, without needing to refresh.
• Technical Bridge Building: Acted as the link between different teams, ensuring that backend changes and stakeholder requirements stayed perfectly in sync with the app’s capabilities.
• Firebase Integration: Developed and implemented the entire push notification system using Firebase for reliable, instant alerts.
• Live Socket Updates: Integrated WebSockets to provide live, real-time data updates, so users see price shifts instantly, without needing to refresh.
• Technical Bridge Building: Acted as the link between different teams, ensuring that backend changes and stakeholder requirements stayed perfectly in sync with the app’s capabilities.
Attention to Security
Multi-Layered Authentication
To safeguard sensitive financial data and user assets, we implemented a robust authentication framework that balances high security with user convenience:
• Biometric & Tiered Access: Integration of native biometric authentication (FaceID/TouchID) alongside secure PIN and encrypted password protocols.
• Multi Factor Authentication (MFA): Implementation of 2FA to ensure that account access requires verified, secondary confirmation.
• Session Monitoring: Automated email alerts for "New Device" logins, allowing users to monitor account activity in real-time and mitigate unauthorised access attempts immediately.
• Biometric & Tiered Access: Integration of native biometric authentication (FaceID/TouchID) alongside secure PIN and encrypted password protocols.
• Multi Factor Authentication (MFA): Implementation of 2FA to ensure that account access requires verified, secondary confirmation.
• Session Monitoring: Automated email alerts for "New Device" logins, allowing users to monitor account activity in real-time and mitigate unauthorised access attempts immediately.
Advanced Network & Infrastructure Protection
Beyond user facing features, we hardened the application’s architecture to protect data in transit and at rest:
• SSL Pinning: We utilised SSL Pinning to prevent Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, ensuring the application only establishes connections with trusted, verified servers.
• End-to-End Encryption: All communication between the mobile client and the backend infrastructure is secured through industry standard encryption protocols.
• Proactive Vulnerability Management: Regular auditing of third party SDKs and libraries to ensure compliance with the latest security patches and data protection regulations.
• SSL Pinning: We utilised SSL Pinning to prevent Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, ensuring the application only establishes connections with trusted, verified servers.
• End-to-End Encryption: All communication between the mobile client and the backend infrastructure is secured through industry standard encryption protocols.
• Proactive Vulnerability Management: Regular auditing of third party SDKs and libraries to ensure compliance with the latest security patches and data protection regulations.
Light / Dark Theme
• Auto switch based on device settings.
• Comfortable, soft colour palettes.
• Fully optimised for both modes.
Results
Rock-Solid Reliability
Despite scaling to thousands of daily active users, we’ve maintained a 99.5%+ crash-free rate. By prioritising stability after every feature release and keeping a clean tech stack, we ensured that the app remains a dependable tool for traders who can’t afford downtime.
Zero Compromises
The final product isn't just a "mobile version" of a website, it’s a fully functional powerhouse. We successfully mirrored the complex features of the web platform while optimising them for mobile, creating a seamless experience across all devices.
Real-Time Edge
Thanks to the custom Firebase integration and live socket updates, users stay connected to the market in real-time. Whether it's a price shift or a critical notification, the app delivers information instantly, giving our users a genuine competitive advantage.
Successfully completed
The app has been successfully launched. It is live, scalable, and already gaining traction among active traders.