13 Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up [Free Money]

The old saying goes, “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” Perhaps—I haven’t checked every diner on the planet to verify that claim—but that doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally get something for nothing. Indeed, if you just turn on your smartphone and open up your app store, you’ll find a swarm of apps that give you money just for signing up.

In many cases, you’ll even get your money instantly.

Of course, you don’t want to download an app just for the instant sign-up bonus. Why go through the hassle? So ideally, you want to find great apps that fill some sort of need you already have that also pay out instant sign-up bonuses.

So today, I’m going to introduce you to several apps that give you money for signing up—and that you’ll want to keep after you’ve collected your bonus. Some of them help you save money. Others let you play games, watch videos, or complete other easy tasks for rewards. And still others invest your money and help it grow. For each app, I’ll explain the advantages of using it, and outline exactly how to get your sign-up bonus.

If you’re ready to get money instantly (or, at the worst, quickly) and enjoy other financial benefits, consider downloading one or more of the apps below—and then you can take yourself out for a free lunch.

Do Apps Give You a Sign-Up Bonus for Opening an Account?

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Yes. Some apps do provide free money or other sign-up bonuses—but how exactly you qualify for it might differ from app to app.

In some cases, you might only need to literally sign up for the account. But in other cases, there might be other requirements, such as funding an account, receiving your first direct deposit in an account, hitting a minimum cash-out amount, or making a first purchase.

Below, I’ll cover the best apps that give you money for signing up. First, I’ll highlight apps that give free money instantly, but then I’ll also provide some examples of apps that require more involved actions—typically for bigger sign-up bonuses.

Instant Sign-Up Bonuses—Our Top Picks

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Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up (Instant Sign-Up Bonus)

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First, I’ll start with apps that provide immediate gratification, in the form of immediate bonuses. (Note: Some of the below apps have both an immediate sign-up bonus, as well as additional bonuses that require more actions.)

1. Webull ($60-$60,000 in Free Stock)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Desktop app (Windows, Mac, Linux), web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Sign-up bonus: $60-$60,000 in free stock

Webull is a wallet-friendly brokerage account that offers commission-free stocks, ETFs, and options. Many options have $0 contract fees. And Webull has no deposit minimums. On top of that, it offers fractional shares, which allows investors to start buying for as little as $1. So beginners working with small dollar amounts can still easily diversify across numerous investments.

Newer investors can also learn trading skills through the courses in Webull’s education center, and even practice their skills via Webull’s paper trading service.

And Webull is available across just about every platform, allowing you to research, trade, and track your stocks on your smartphone, tablet, or desktop.

Why choose Webull to trade stocks?

Webull provides investors with several useful features and tools, including:

• Customizable screeners for both stocks and ETFs
• Preset lists—including Top Gainers, Top Losers, Most Active, and Best-Performing Industries—investors can use to identify opportunities
• Voice commands: Simply speak to buy, sell, or look up information about a ticker
• “Big Button Mode”: Populates giant buttons on your screen that allow you to quickly make trades with just a push
• Charting tools
• Free real-time stock quotes and stock alerts

Webull also offers extended trading hours (pre- and after-market trading) and 24/7 online help. And you can get more than just brokerage accounts—you can also sign up for tax-advantaged retirements such as traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs.

On top of all that, Webull frequently runs promotions that typically involve earning free stock.

→ How to get Webull’s free stock sign-up bonus

Currently, Webull is offering new users 20 free shares of stock worth between $3 and $3,000—so, the bonus is worth between $60 and $60,000.

To claim this potential bounty, you will first need to sign up through this link, open your account and make a deposit at least $500. If you do, you will receive 20 fractional shares of stock from Webull.

Read more in our Webull review, or sign up at Webull today.

Related: 7 Best Stock Portfolio Management Software Tools + Apps

2. Upromise ($5.29 Sign-Up Bonus, $25 Linking Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Sign-up bonus: $30.29 ($5.29 for signing up, and $25 for linking a 529 plan)

Upromise makes it easier to save for your child’s future higher education expenses, and has helped families save more than $1 billion for college to date.

After you create a Upromise account, you link it to either your 529 plan, or a checking or savings account. You can also apply for a no-monthly-fee Upromise Mastercard that earns you cash rewards when you shop, eat at restaurants, and more, and the service will automatically deposit both your cash rewards and any monthly contributions into your 529 plan or linked bank account. You’ll also earn more in cash-back rewards with the Upromise Mastercard than you will with any other linked debit or credit card.

Also, every month, Upromise gives five families a $529 college scholarship. Every dollar of earned rewards gets you an entry.

→ How to get your free money on Upromise

As soon as you sign up to Upromise and verify your email, you’re awarded $5.29. To receive an additional $25, you must:

1. Link a 529 plan account within 30 days.
2. Keep the account active through the first cash-back rewards redemption cycle.
3. Make sure your cash-back rewards account balance meets the minimum transfer amount to be able to transfer rewards into the linked account.

Related: 11 Best Free Investing Apps [Invest for Free]

3. InboxDollars ($5 Sign-Up Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Sign-up bonus: $5

InboxDollars helps users make extra money from doing simple tasks. Like with other money-making apps, brands pay InboxDollars for consumer opinions—which is where you come in. You can earn free cash by participating in several activities, including taking surveys and reading emails.

You can also earn cash-back rewards for online shopping, buying groceries, even spending on games. InboxDollars is partnered with GSN Casino, and users earn 18% cash back with InboxDollars for every dollar they spend on GSN games.

Better still: There’s no complex points system. Your earnings show up as real cash. Simple as that.

This passive income app isn’t a substitute for a full-time job, but it’s a great way to earn some extra money with only a little additional work on your part. And to entice new customers, InboxDollars is currently offering a $5 bonus to get started.

→ How to get the InboxDollars sign-up bonus

InboxDollars gives you $5 free cash just for activating your account. After you sign up, watch for your first PaidEmail in your inbox (which might take a couple of minutes). Confirm that you received the email, and that’s it!

Just note that the minimum cash-out amount is $15, so you’ll have to complete a few surveys or other small tasks to earn enough to cash out your bonus.

Related: 9 Best Stocks for Beginners With Little Money

4. MyPoints ($5 Sign-Up Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Sign-up bonus: $5

With MyPoints, you participate in activities such as playing games/puzzles/trivia, taking surveys, watching ads, even shopping for groceries, to earn points. In some cases, you’ll also earn points for trying out trial services from the likes of Disney+, HelloFresh, and AT&T.

Depending on the activity, you can earn points toward gift cards from the likes of Target, Starbucks, and Sephora; coupon codes; cash; or cash back on purchases.

And MyPoints features a very low minimum withdrawal of just $3.

→ How to get your MyPoints sign-up bonus

You can receive a free $5 Amazon or Visa gift card by signing up today. Simply sign up with MyPoints, then wait for the confirmation email, and follow the directions therein.

Related: The 13 Best Investment Apps for Beginners

5. Branded Surveys ($1 Sign-Up Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Sign-up bonus: $1

Branded Surveys has paid out more than $36 million to more than 3 million users.

The surveys made available to you will depend on your interests and profile information, as well as what research partners currently need. Each survey earns points; you can cash out once you’ve accumulated at least 500 points. Depending on survey length, users make anywhere from 50 cents to $5 per survey.

You can use your points toward gift cards from more than 100 brands, receive PayPal cash or have cash sent to your bank account, or even make a charitable donation. Once points are approved, earnings are processed in one to two business days.

→ How to get your free money on Branded Surveys

To receive your instant sign-up bonus, simply sign up and agree to the company’s Terms of Service. You’ll get a 50-point bonus (worth 50 cents) right away. After you spend about five minutes filling out your extended profile, you get another 50 points.

Related: 50+ Best Money-Making Apps That Pay You Real Money

“Additional Action” Bonuses—Our Top Picks

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Best Apps That Give You Money for Signing Up (With Additional Action Required)

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Now, I’ll move on to apps where you might be required to, say, fund an account, spend a little money, or execute some other small action before earning a bonus.

1. Robinhood ($5-$200 Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Sign-up bonus: $5-$200 toward fractional shares

Robinhood is a pioneer of commission-free trading, jumping into the investing public’s consciousness in 2013 when they rolled out commission-free trading. They remain a standout option for cost-minded investors thanks to their continued $0 commissions on stocks, ETFs, and options, as well as for its fractional trading, which allows people to invest with as little as $1.

If you want to keep your banking and investing close together, you can also add a Robinhood spending account. This FDIC-insured account includes a Robinhood Cash Card issued by Sutton Bank—however, if you don’t want this physical debit card, you do have the option of having a virtual debit card only. The Cash Card is compatible with Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, and also provides you with access to fee-free withdrawals from more than 90,000 ATMs. The card allows you to round up purchases and invest the money into your brokerage or crypto account.

→ How to earn free money to put toward stock on Robinhood

While several other media outlets refer to Robinhood’s offer as a “a free stock,” that’s a little oversimplified. The bonus is a randomly selected cash amount of between $5 and $200 that can be put toward fractional shares of one of 20 U.S. stocks. Here’s how to get your bonus:

1. Sign up here to start the account opening process.
2. Link your bank account.
3. Fund your account with at least $10.

Related: How to Get Free Stocks for Signing Up: 9 Apps w/Free Shares

2. Wealthfront ($50 Deposit Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Desktop web app, Apple iOS and Google Android.
• Sign-up bonus: $50 deposit bonus

Wealthfront is a popular robo-advisor that offers numerous account types, including individual, joint, and trust taxable brokerage accounts, Traditional, Roth, SEP, and Rollover IRAs and 529 plans.

While some of its robo-advisor competitors have a relatively high minimum balance requirement of a few thousand dollars or much more, Wealthfront requires a fairly small initial deposit of $500 to open an account. (Again, that’s high for an investment account, but low for a robo-advisory product.) So if you don’t have a huge sum invested already to move into the account or to rollover from an existing account like a 401(k) or other IRA, this account might be a good choice.

Wealthfront offers some valuable perks with its accounts, including automatic tax-loss harvesting, automatic rebalancing, automatic trading, and the option to customize your expert-built portfolio. This top robo-advisor also offers access to a 529 plan (or the ability to link an external one to your account) to help with saving for educational expenses. This is an uncommon feature for most standalone robo-advisors outside of a traditional brokerage, so it’s well worth noting.

If you’re considering putting this on your shortlist, just note that Wealthfront does charge a 0.25% annual management fee across the board. That’s more affordable than some robo-advisors, but it’s also not free. Learn more on Wealthfront’s website.

→ How to get your $50 deposit bonus on Wealthfront

You can receive a $50 deposit bonus from Wealthfront. If you open a new taxable brokerage account with Wealthfront and fund it with $500 or more within 30 days of account opening and leave the funds there for at least 7 days, you’ll receive a $50 deposit bonus in your account.

Enjoy this deposit bonus by opening an account with Wealthfront through our link and making a qualifying deposit.

 

3. SoFi Invest® ($5-$1,000 in Bonus Stock)

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• Available: Sign-up here
• Platforms: Desktop, web, mobile (iOS, Android)
• Sign Up Bonus Promotion: $5-$1,000 in stock

SoFi is a multi-faceted financial company that offers everything from credit cards and insurance to student loans and mortgages … and they also allow you to trade and invest through its SoFi Invest app.

With SoFi Invest, you can invest as actively or as passively as you’d like.

The Active SoFi Invest Brokerage Account has no required minimum balance, charges no commissions on stock, ETF, and options trades, and its options trading has no contract fees, either.

The interface is still very much geared toward younger, less experienced investors—everything is focused on simplicity and ease of use, rather than an expanse of sophisticated tools. SoFi also offers budget-friendly features such as fractional shares, which allow you to invest for as little as $1. And SoFi even provides a social element, such as bringing SoFi members together at exclusive events.

Want to put your portfolio on autopilot? SoFi’s robo-advisory services will create a portfolio for you for an annual 0.25% assets under management fee (that can be designed to address one or several goals) and auto-rebalance it for you as necessary over time.

And one thing that sets SoFi apart is your ability to handle many financial tasks within the very same app. SoFi’s app allows you to tackle anything from banking and investing to student loans, insurance, and mortgages.

→ How to earn bonus stock from SoFi Invest

SoFi Invest allows you to win a randomly selected dollar amount worth of bonus stock: $5, $10, $25, $100, or $1,000. To qualify:

1. Open a new brokerage account with SoFi.
2. Fund your account with $10 or more within 30 days of the account opening.

Your bonus should post to your account in 10 business days.

Related: 15 Best Investing Research & Stock Analysis Websites

4. Moomoo ($30-$30,000 in Free Stock)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Desktop app (Windows, Mac), web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Promotion: 15 free stocks, each valued between $2-$2,000

Moomoo is a commission-free trading platform for stocks, ETFs, and options. While Moomoo is best for advanced traders, offering powerful tools to empower your trading insights and strategies, it takes a different approach from other similarly targeted platforms, favoring simple interfaces and high ease of use. The desktop platform is highly customizable, while the mobile app is straightforward, allowing you to search for stocks and trade with minimal hassle.

Still, Moomoo has more than enough under the hood for advanced traders to get the job done. Its charting system, for instance, includes 62 technical analysis indicators and 22 drawing tools. You can set up alerts based on changes in price, bids, turnover ratio, and more. Free Level 2 market data helps you get a greater understanding of a stock’s value, determine how liquid a stock truly really is, and better time your trades. You can even enjoy 24/7 financial news handpicked by Moomoo’s editorial team.

→ How to get your free shares on Moomoo

You can receive up to 15 free shares (collectively worth anywhere between $30 and $30,000) from Moomoo. Here’s how:

1. If you open a new brokerage account with Moomoo and fund it with $100, you’ll earn five free stocks valued between $2 and $2,000 each.
2. If you make a net deposit of $1,000 or more in the promotion period, you’ll get a total of 15 free stocks valued between $2 and $2,000 each.

Enjoy these free bonus shares by opening an account with Moomoo through our link and making a qualifying deposit.

Related: 11 Best Stock Trading Apps [Free + Paid]

5. Acorns ($20 Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Bonus: $20

Acorns is an investing app geared toward minors, young adults and millennials by offering “Round-Ups”: The app rounds up purchases made on linked debit and credit cards to the nearest dollar, investing the difference on your behalf.

For example, if you purchase a coffee for $2.60 on a linked credit card, Acorns automatically rounds this charge up to $3.00 and puts the 40-cent difference aside. Once those Round-Ups reach at least $5, they can be transferred to your Acorns account to be invested.

Users have seen an average of $30 per month invested this way and makes the service one of the best investments for young adults who are looking to get started with saving and investing.

The investing app allows minors to have custodial accounts managed by their parent or legal guardian through their product Acorns Early available under the Acorns Premium plan ($12 per month).

Making regular contributions over long periods of time can go a long way toward building lifelong wealth. Using an investing app like Acorns could also be the best way to invest $1,000 for a child‘s future and save money.

Here’s more about what you can expect from Acorns’ varying subscription options:

• Acorns Personal ($3 per month): Includes an Acorns Invest investment account, as well as Acorns Later for tax-advantaged investment options such as Roth IRAs. Also includes Acorns Checking, a bank account that has no account fees, lets you withdraw fee-free from more than 55,000 ATMs nationwide, and Smart Deposit, which allows you to automatically invest a bit of each paycheck into your Acorns accounts.
• Acorns Personal Plus ($6 per month): Everything in Acorns Personal (Acorns Invest, Later, and Checking), plus Premium Education, which are live onboarding sessions covering account setup, Round-Ups, setting up recurring investments, and more; Emergency Fund; and a 25% bonus on Acorns Earn rewards (up to $200 per month).
• Acorns Premium ($12 per month): Everything in Personal Plus, plus Acorns Early, which allows you to open a custodial investment account for your child so you can begin investing for them while they’re a minor; custom portfolios that allow you to hold individual stocks; live Q&As with financial experts; a 50% match on Acorns Earn rewards (up to $200 per month); $10,000 in life insurance; even the ability to set up a will for free.

Personal Plus and Premium subscribers also get access to a powerful way to accelerate their savings: Later Match. While most people are aware that employers will sometimes match funds you contribute to your 401(k), “matches” are virtually unheard of in retirement accounts like IRAs, where there’s no employer to kick in extra cash. However, Acorns itself will match 1% or 3% on new contributions to IRAs for Personal Plus and Premium subscribers, respectively. 

Learn more in our Acorns review.

→ How to get Acorns’ free stock sign-up bonus

To receive your free money from Acorns, you’ll need to open an account and make a minimum $5 recurring investment. After your first successful recurring investment, you’ll receive $20 within 10 days of the following month.

Related: Best Custodial Accounts: How to Start Investing for Kids

6. Swagbucks ($10 Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Bonus: $10

Making money online through Swagbucks is simple. Swagbucks lets users earn Swagbucks points (SBs) by completing simple tasks—that includes taking surveys, yes, but also shopping online, playing video games, or even just doing web searches.

Users can redeem SBs for gift cards from popular retailers, such as Apple, Amazon, and Target; the website awards roughly 7,000 gift cards every day. However, if you just want cash, you can redeem points that way, too, and receive the money in a PayPal account. You’ll need your own bank account if you want to transfer this money for you to use.

Users also earn SB points for every dollar spent shopping online through the service and get access to exclusive coupons and deals, even for prescriptions. You can also get cash back for groceries and other essentials at popular stores like Costco, Target, Kroger, and more, when you take a picture of the receipt. Swagbucks even offers opportunities to get cash back for dining.

→ How to get your Swagbucks bonus cash

To get your $10 sign-up bonus from Swagbucks, do the following:

1. Activate the Bonus in the Swag Ups section of your account.
2. Spend a minimum of $25 on a single purchase at a store featured in Swagbucks.com/Shop within 30 days.

Usually, the purchase credits within 32 days, and the bonus is rewarded a couple of days after that. The bonus comes in the form of 1,000 SB, which is $10 in value.

Related: 11 Best Alternative Investments [Options to Consider]

7. Groundfloor ($50 Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Web, mobile app (Apple iOS, Android)
• Bonus: $50

Groundfloor accounts allow accredited and non-accredited investors alike to participate in real estate investment loans.

Groundfloor says more than 200,000 users have invested over $1 billion on its platform to date. It has seemingly returned the favor: Groundfloor says it has delivered more than 10% average annual returns since the service got off the ground.

On this platform, you invest in Groundfloor Notes—short-term investments backed by loans made out to real estate investors. Groundfloor Notes typically mature in 30 days, 90 days, or 12 months, and interest rates on Notes vary based on several factors, including bond rates, investor demand, and level of risk in the loan.

Groundfloor users can choose their own investments or let the experts choose for them. Investors must have a $1,000 minimum to start, and they can invest in $1,000 increments.

→ How to earn Groundfloor’s $50 bonus

1. Use this referral link to open a new Groundfloor account and answer a few questions.
2. Connect to a bank account.
3. Fund your account with at least $1,000.

Related: 19 Best Investment Apps and Platforms [Free + Paid]

8. Cash App ($5 Bonus)

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• Available: Sign up here
• Platforms: Desktop, web, mobile (iOS, Android)
• Bonus: $5

Cash App markets itself as a smarter way to manage your money. Whether you’re looking to send, spend, bank, or buy stocks or bitcoin, Cash App has several useful features that allow you to handle, save, and invest your money.

Sending and receiving payments is free with Cash App, so you can rest assured knowing that your money is always accounted for when you transfer funds to friends and family.

Similar to Venmo, Cash App lets you instantly send money to anyone for free. You can even send stocks or Bitcoin. Your balance updates immediately, so you always know your transaction was successful. If you don’t have any funds in your account, the money is drawn from a linked card or financial account.

The recipient doesn’t need to have a Cash App account. You can use an email or phone number to transfer money. However, they will need to create an account within 14 days or the money is returned to you.

Optionally, you can deposit your paychecks, tax returns, and more into the app. Direct deposits are available as soon as they are received, which may be up to two days faster than banks.

→ How to get your Cash App bonus

You and a friend can both get $5 bonuses when one of you uses the other’s Cash App referral code to sign up for Cash App. Here’s how to do it:

1. Download Cash App. You’ll need to register with your phone number.
2. Link a debit card.
3. Go to Settings, then Invite Code, and enter your referral code from a friend.
4. Within 14 days, send at least $5 (lump sum or multiple payments) to anyone.

 

Sign-Up Bonuses: FAQs

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Which apps offer sign-up bonuses that allow you to get money instantly?

There are several apps where you earn money instantly, including the following:

• Webull
• Upromise
• InboxDollars
• MyPoints
• Branded Surveys

While some of these apps pay money instantly, the instant sign-up bonus might be lower than the minimum withdrawal amount. Fortunately, many apps where you get money instantly provide enough to cash out right away, and usually, those that don’t only require slightly more effort to reach the minimum withdrawal amount.

What types of sign-up bonuses are available for the apps covered in this list?

The sign-up bonuses on this list let you earn cash, gift cards, crypto, or stocks. Some give you multiple options.

Are there apps that pay you to shop online?

Yes. Upromise, InboxDollars, MyPoints, and Swagbucks all pay you to shop online.

Do you need a bank account to get sign-up bonuses?

It depends on the app. Some apps let users take their sign-up bonus in the form of free gift cards or free money sent to a PayPal account. For these apps, you don’t need a bank account to get sign-up bonuses as you aren’t getting paid through direct deposit.

However, some apps require you to deposit money or make a minimum purchase. In this situation, you usually need an account to earn free cash.

Are there free sign-up bonus apps?

Yes. Several of the apps on this list provide a sign-up bonus where you get money instantly. Some of the other apps require a few more steps.

How do you convert points in some apps to cash?

When you sign up and get points from an app, always check the conversion rate between points and monetary rewards as this can vary. Frequently, a point equals 1 cent, but this isn’t always the case.

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Moomoo disclaimer

Moomoo’s parent company is Nasdaq-listed Futu Holdings Ltd (FUTU). Their subsidiaries are licensed and regulated in the United States, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong.