Sky LinksCapital said it expects client trading volume in gold spot to climb 30% andgold futures to rise 27.5% in the first half of 2026 versus the second half of2025, the broker disclosed in a platform update today (Monday). TheDubai-based firm did not provide the underlying dollar figures behind thosepercentages, leaving the scale of the activity unclear.Singapore Summit: Meet the largestAPAC brokers you know (and those you still don't!)Sky Links CapitalForecasts 30% Gold Volume Jump for H1 2026The broker,foundedin mid-2024 by former BDSwiss MENA chief executive Daniel Takieddine, alsoprojects gold spot growth of 25% in the second quarter of 2026 versus the firstquarter, and gold futures growth of 30% over the same period. The figures comefrom internal platform data and current run-rate assumptions, the company said,with the second quarter only one month old."Goldvolume is a useful proxy for how clients behave when risk is front ofmind," said Daniel Takieddine, co-founder and chief executive of Sky LinksCapital Group."Inperiods of heightened volatility, trading activity often concentrates in asmall number of highly liquid markets."Sky LinksCapital described gold spot as the largest share of activity on its platform,followed by gold futures and EUR/USD. Forhistorical context, the firm said gold spot volume rose 18.8% between the firstand second halves of 2025. None of those figures arrived with the absolutevolume base they refer to.Competitors DiscloseTrillions in Q1 VolumesThe lack ofabsolute numbers stands out against a wave of broker disclosures over the pasttwo weeks, most measured in trillions of dollars. CFI Financial Group reported $2.3 trillion in trading volume for the firstquarter of 2026, up 11% quarter on quarter and 81% year on year, with 2025full-year volume reaching $6.4 trillion. ECMarkets posted $5.13 trillion for the same period, while Capital.com reported $1.27 trillion.CFD brokerACCM also leaned on gold to drive its Q1 numbers, posting $2.14 trillion in total volume with goldaccounting for 91% of CFD activity. Within ACCM's data, gold trading reached$1.09 trillion in March alone, with the broker disclosing both the share andthe dollar figure. Capital.comoffered similar granularity, noting January was its busiest month with around$502 billion in volume and that gold accounted for 59% of the month's activity.Otherbrokers have also put numbers on the table. HantecMarkets reported Q1 volume of $1.2 trillion, while Startrader said it processed$3.1 trillion in the first three months of the year. Gold Backdrop Has CooledSince the January PeakThe metaldriving these volume disclosures has been one of the most volatile assets of2026 so far. Spot gold pushed to a record intraday level above$5,500 per ounce in late January, with the World Gold Council placing thehistorical high at $5,405 and an intraday peak near $5,589 on January 28. Prices havesince pulled back toward the $4,600 area amid hawkish Federal Reserve signalingand dollar strength, as reported by FinanceMagnates.com last week.Despite thecorrection, gold remains the dominant retail trading instrument across CFDbrokers. Industry data has shown gold contracts accounting for as much as 80%to 90% of metals CFD volumes at some firms during the rally, a concentrationthat has reshaped how brokers manage liquidity and risk on a single instrument.Equity Desk ActivationAlongsidethe volume update, Sky Links Capital said it has activated a Dedicated EquityDesk for professional and sophisticated investors, offering execution in cashequities and equity CFDs subject to instrument availability and applicablerules. The firmholds a Category5 license from the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority, secured in early 2025, alongside entities registeredin Mauritius and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Takieddine launched the broker in mid-2024after leading BDSwiss in the MENA region, and incorporated a DubaiInternational Financial Centre holding company last year."Sustainedengagement comes from clarity and reliability, especially when markets arenoisy," said Apollo Irungbam, head of marketing at Sky Links Capital. "Clientswant a stable operating model, plain-language support, and execution workflowsthat match how they trade across markets."The broaderretail FX and CFD industry now has 7.42 million active accounts, according to FM Intelligence data,with named-broker volume comparisons available across the group. This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.