Broker to Trading

The MetaTrader platform is associated with Forex, a market that is open during the week. Thus, it might not be seen as a platform for weekend trading. However, some CFD providers offer MetaTrader and provide CFD markets (including Crypto CFDs) which can be traded on the weekend.

MetaTrader is currently MetaTrader 4 (MT4) and MetaTrader 5 (MT5). MetaTrader allows automated trading with Expert Advisor (EA) online trading robots. While MetaTrader is a platform of choice for automated trading, it also caters to those who plan and execute their own trades. MetaTrader has a number of built-in tools, indicators, and graphical objects.

However, behind MetaTrader is a marketplace where traders can buy and download more robots and indicators. These indicators and robots are written in a programming language. This means that the trader can build their own robots for free if they learn the language, though there are tools to assist this process.

MetaTrader, therefore, is a customisable platform; however, those who simply want to use it as is may do so as well. What "as is" encompasses to some extent depends on the provider, as each provider may offer different numbers of technical indicators, for example.

MetaTrader 4 is the predecessor of MetaTrader 5, as the numbers suggest. MT5 has a number of improvements on MT4, including a new language (MQL5), which is not backwards compatible with MQL4. Therefore, while MT4 remains popular, the trader may wish to consider trying MT5 if they want to start with the most recent platform.

CFDs are contracts between the provider and the client. As such, the trader does not own the underlying market when trading it. Cryptocurrencies have become more and more prevalent at CFD providers, with each bull market widening their reach and popularity. From initially offering a core handful of the biggest market caps, providers may now offer a wide range of popular Crypto CFDs.

Cryptocurrencies are traded round the clock, 7 days a week across exchanges, both centralised and distributed. Because a CFD is based on the underlying market but is not the market, providers may or may not offer weekend Crypto trading. Crypto CFDs, for example, might be offered during Forex hours (which tend to be the trading hours for Forex providers, as might be expected), with the provider stopping trading on weekends.

However, some now provide Crypto CFDs on weekends (as well as weekdays). While the Crypto market does not stop, CFD providers typically take a short break during the weekend for maintenance. CFD providers may base their CFDs on some kind of weighted average across major exchanges (as the value of the CFD closely tracks the underlying asset values).

Weekend trading is also normally available on the mobile app. The mobile app may be the purpose-built MT4 or MT5 trading apps, but it might also be offered on the provider's own mobile app, which connects with the trader's MetaTrader account.

A wide selection of CFD providers is on this page, with different variations on 'MetaTrader Weekend Trading', letting the trader sign up and trade at the weekend on MT4, MT5, or both. As can be seen, weekend trading may be offered on platforms other than MetaTrader.