LINE Securities
LINE Securities Corporation is a Japan-based, mobile-first online broker providing FX and CFD trading services to Japanese retail investors through the LINE FX and LINE CFD smartphone apps, generating revenue from spreads under a Type 1 Financial Instruments Business license.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersNishi-shinagawa, Japan
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What LINE Securities does
LINE Securities Corporation (LINE証券株式会社) is a Japan-based online broker that provides retail investors with smartphone-accessible foreign exchange (FX) and contracts-for-difference (CFD) trading. Founded in June 2018 and operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of LINE Yahoo Corporation (LINEヤフー株式会社), the company runs two core products: LINE FX, a forex brokerage offering major and minor currency pairs with leverage up to 25x, and LINE CFD, a multi-asset CFD platform covering global stock indices, commodities, and individual stocks. The technology stack is mobile-first, anchored on dedicated iOS and Android apps (LINE FX アプリ), a PC trading terminal (LINE FX Pro), TradingView-powered charts with 80+ technical indicators, and LINE messaging integration for real-time market and economic indicator notifications. Security architecture includes SMS two-factor and biometric authentication, with customer funds held in segregated trust accounts at Sumitomo Mitsui Bank and Nikkin Trust Bank.
The business model is spread-based: commissions are zero (¥0), and revenue is generated entirely from the bid-ask spread on FX currency pairs and CFD instruments. Distribution is exclusively digital and direct-to-consumer, with self-serve account opening via the LINE FX and LINE CFD apps and the corporate website. Marketing leverages the LINE messaging platform, official X (Twitter) accounts, and educational content marketing (FX/CFD basics, technical analysis, market commentary). LINE Securities holds a Type 1 Financial Instruments Business Operator license (Kanto Finance Bureau No. 3144) and memberships in JSDA, the Financial Futures Trading Association of Japan, and the Japan Commodity Futures Trading Association. The company is restricted to serving Japanese residents only and does not operate internationally.
Operationally, LINE Securities has navigated a period of strategic restructuring: following a US$21M joint investment by Nomura Holdings and LINE Corp in July 2023, the company concentrated around FX trading, suspended and subsequently relaunched LINE CFD, and in August 2024 decoupled account authentication from the LINE app to enable broader customer onboarding. Recent product launches through 2025–2026 — new currency pairs, large-size contracts, a free demo trading service, and an AI-powered economic indicator summarization feature — indicate renewed product investment under the parent company's continued strategic ownership.
LINE Securities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LINE Securities
- Legal name
- LINE証券株式会社
- Website
- https://line-sec.co.jp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- LINE Securities Corporation is a Japan-based, mobile-first online broker providing FX and CFD trading services to Japanese retail investors through the LINE FX and LINE CFD smartphone apps, generating revenue from spreads under a Type 1 Financial Instruments Business license.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
LINE Securities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Retail Brokerage
- NAICS
- Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Commodity Contracts Intermediation (523160)
- SIC
- Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Retail FX/CFD Broker Trading Venues (FSAFADAD)
Keywords
Where LINE Securities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nishi-shinagawa
- HQ country
- Japan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
LINE Securities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- FX and CFD Spread Revenue: Revenue is generated from the bid-ask spread on FX currency pairs and CFD instruments. The spread represents the difference between buy (ask) and sell (bid) prices. Trading commissions are explicitly stated as free (0 yen), making spreads the primary revenue source. The company offers various currency pairs and CFD products including stock indices, commodities, and individual stocks.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | FX Trading - 4% margin requirement (25x leverage) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Index CFD - 10%+ margin requirement |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Stock CFD - 20%+ margin requirement |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Commodity CFD - 5%+ margin requirement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
LINE Securities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
LINE Securities Corporation (LINE証券株式会社) provides smartphone-based foreign exchange (FX) and Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading services to Japanese retail investors. The company operates two core products—LINE FX for currency pair trading with up to 25x leverage and LINE CFD for trading global stock indices, commodities, and other assets—delivered through dedicated iOS/Android apps, a PC trading tool (LINE FX Pro), and integration with the LINE messaging platform for real-time market alerts.
Product overview
LINE Securities offers a unified mobile-first trading platform with two core products: LINE FX for foreign exchange trading and LINE CFD for contracts for difference trading. The platform is accessible via dedicated smartphone apps (LINE FX アプリ), PC trading tools (LINE FX Pro), and integrates TradingView for advanced charting. Services are targeted at Japanese retail investors, offering leverage up to 25x for FX and various margin requirements for CFD trading, with LINE notification alerts for market updates.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- LINE FX: A smartphone-based FX (foreign exchange) trading service offering forex trading with leverage up to 25x, LINE notification alerts, and demo trading capabilities. Targets beginners to experienced investors in the Japanese market.
- LINE CFD
Products and services
- LINE FX Smartphone-based foreign exchange (FX) trading platform offering currency pair trading with leverage up to 25x. Provides LINE notification integration for economic indicators and market alerts, with a dedicated mobile app and PC trading tool. Targeted at Japanese retail investors from beginners to experienced traders.
- LINE CFD Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading service enabling trading on global stock indices, commodities (including WTI crude oil and natural gas), and individual stocks. Integrates TradingView charts for technical analysis with 80+ indicators and 50+ drawing tools. Targeted at Japanese retail investors seeking leveraged trading products.
Quantifiable outcome
- Services available 24 hours for FX trading
Companies that use LINE Securities
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
LINE Securities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
LINE Securities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
LINE Securities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GMO Click Securities: GMO Click is Japan's largest retail FX broker by trading volume and a direct competitor offering smartphone FX/CFD trading to Japanese retail investors. Comparable on product (retail FX/CFD), target customer (Japanese retail), and revenue model (spread-based), though GMO operates at significantly larger scale and offers broader product depth.
- Rakuten Securities: Rakuten Securities is a major Japanese online broker with FX (Rakuten FX) and CFD offerings integrated into the Rakuten ecosystem. Highly comparable to LINE Securities in business model (spread-based retail FX, mobile-first) and ecosystem distribution strategy, though Rakuten has a much broader product set including domestic equities and investment trusts.
- SBI FX Trade: SBI FX Trade is the dedicated FX brokerage subsidiary of the SBI Group and one of Japan's largest retail FX brokers. Directly comparable on product (retail FX focused, mobile trading), customer (Japanese retail), and revenue model (spread-based, zero-commission). Competes head-to-head for active Japanese FX traders.
- DMM FX: DMM FX is a leading Japanese retail FX broker known for tight spreads and mobile app trading. Directly comparable in customer segment (Japanese retail), product focus (FX), revenue model (spread-based with zero commissions), and distribution (digital-only). A primary head-to-head competitor in the zero-commission FX segment.
- Monex, Inc. Monex is a major Japanese online broker offering FX, CFD, equities, and crypto. Comparable in mobile-first retail brokerage model and Japanese customer base, though Monex has diversified into crypto and US equities beyond LINE Securities' narrower FX/CFD focus.
- Matsui Securities: Matsui Securities is a leading Japanese online brokerage offering FX (Matsui FX) and equities trading. Comparable on retail brokerage model targeting Japanese consumers through digital channels, with similar zero-commission positioning on FX trades.
- au Kabucom Securities: au Kabucom is a Japanese online broker backed by KDDI, offering FX, equities, and derivatives through mobile apps. Highly comparable to LINE Securities on ecosystem-driven distribution (au mobile users), mobile-first platform, and Japanese retail targeting. A direct strategic analog as a telco-backed retail broker.
- YJFX (Yahoo Japan FX): YJFX is Yahoo Japan's dedicated retail FX broker, now part of the same LINE Yahoo group as LINE Securities. Directly comparable as a sister entity in mobile-first Japanese retail FX, with very similar parent-company-distribution dynamics and product focus.
- Money Partners: Money Partners is a Japanese FX/CFD broker offering leveraged trading to retail investors. Comparable on product (FX/CFD), customer (Japanese retail), and regulatory framework (Type 1 Financial Instruments Business), though at smaller scale than LINE Securities.
Broad incumbents
- Nomura Securities: Nomura Securities is Japan's largest investment bank and brokerage firm and a co-owner of LINE Securities via Nomura Holdings. While Nomura operates across institutional, retail, and trading businesses rather than specializing in retail FX, it represents the incumbent scale benchmark for the Japanese securities industry and a strategic capital partner of LINE Securities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LINE Securities social profiles
Digital presenceLINE Securities compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
LINE Securities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LINE Securities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
LINE Securities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LINE Securities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LINE Securities
What does LINE Securities do?
LINE Securities Corporation (LINE証券株式会社) provides smartphone-based foreign exchange (FX) and Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading services to Japanese retail investors. The company operates two core products—LINE FX for currency pair trading with up to 25x leverage and LINE CFD for trading global stock indices, commodities, and other assets—delivered through dedicated iOS/Android apps, a PC trading tool (LINE FX Pro), and integration with the LINE messaging platform for real-time market alerts.
Is LINE Securities a public or private company?
LINE Securities is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was LINE Securities founded?
LINE Securities was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is LINE Securities based?
LINE Securities is headquartered in Nishi-shinagawa, Japan, in the Asia region.
How does LINE Securities make money?
One revenue line is on record: FX and CFD Spread Revenue.
Who are LINE Securities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GMO Click Securities, Rakuten Securities, SBI FX Trade, DMM FX, Monex, Inc., Matsui Securities, au Kabucom Securities, YJFX (Yahoo Japan FX) and Money Partners. Nomura Securities is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does LINE Securities have an API?
No public API is recorded for LINE Securities.
What industry is LINE Securities in?
LINE Securities's product category is Retail Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAFADAD, Retail FX/CFD Broker Trading Venues. Its NAICS code is 5231 and its SIC code is 6211.