Alpaca has launched 24/5 trading for Broker API, helping deliver global access to US markets.
Bridging the existing gap for international partners and retail investors
capital markets are said to be “evolving—and fast.”
Global retail investors have more “access to US markets than ever before.”
From June 2020 to June 2024, foreign investment in US equities “grew 84%, and 23% from June of 2023 to June of 2024.”
And according to US Federal Reserve data as of Q4 2024, “overseas investors owned $16.5 trillion, or 18%, of US equities—the highest share on record.”
As foreign investment grows, international traders “may no longer be satisfied with the constraints of the Monday-to-Friday, 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST trading window.”
Today’s investors are trading from “primetime overnight and extended hour regions across APAC, EMEA, and Oceania and prefer not to be limited on when they can engage with US markets.”
They prefer access during hours “that work for them.”
For brokerages and fintech platforms looking “to stay competitive, enabling 24/5 trading—24 hours a day, five days a week—isn’t just a forward-looking feature, it can be a strategic feature.”
With the lines between traditional finance and digital-first investing somewhat blurred, 24/5 trading “represents an inflection point in brokerage infrastructure.”
Markets are being influenced “by decentralized finance, and investors seem to be growing accustomed to having constant access.”
Crypto trades 24/7.
News breaks around the clock.
Yet many equity trading platforms only have “access to traditional market hours with just a few brokers providing extended hours.”
However, with the SEC‘s approval of 24/5 trading “in November, 2024, the landscape is shifting.”
Several exchanges, including “the NYSE, Cboe Global Markets, Nasdaq, and OTC Markets, are actively working to provide continuous access to US markets.”
Additionally, the Securities Information Processors (SIPs) recently announced their intent to “submit a proposal to the SEC for extending official operating hours.”
This can be impactful for brokers building or “expanding into markets where local trading hours are misaligned with US equities sessions.”
Rather than having some traders operate during the middle of their night, clients can now “meet them where they are, better positioning yourself to help grow your platform.”
Integrating a 24/5 trading solution isn’t just about access—it’s about adding value across your platform.
There are several potential benefits to “building a robust 24/5 trading infrastructure.”
Extending market hours can help increase engagement and give users more opportunities to trade.
That means “more flow, more data, and more monetization potential.”
Investors who can access markets on their terms may be more likely to fund accounts and maintain balances, potentially “improving your AUC profile and downstream revenue opportunities.”
With many brokers offering commoditized experiences, “24/5 trading can serve as a differentiator for high-value users and regions with limited market access.”
As demand surges across LATAM, MENA, and APAC regions, “providing local-time access to US markets may help to position you as the preferred platform in these growth markets.”
Rather than traders having to operate “during the middle of their night, you can design a user experience that is customized to their needs.”
Alpaca’s 24/5 trading infrastructure was built “from the ground up, serving broker-dealers, neobanks, and global fintechs that demand reliable performance.”
Whether service providers are offering equities and looking to extend trading hours, or building a multi-asset experience from scratch, their infrastructure gives flexibility to launch and scale confidently.
- Enterprise-Grade Uptime: Built for reliability in always-on environments, our systems are built for low-latency and fast trade execution.
- Modern API Architecture: REST and FIX support for seamless integration with your OMS or backend.
- Order Routing: Alpaca handles all of the order routing for different sessions, requiring no extra lift for you.
- Market Data: Power your platform with trusted, real-time overnight data. Expand global access, help boost engagement during non-traditional hours, and give traders the flexibility they expect.
- Documentation and SDKs: Get to market faster with battle-tested tools, developer resources, and clear documentation.
- Global Support: Work directly with our success managers and engineers to customize implementation and go-to-market planning.
Hakan Bayraksan, Senior Director of Product at Alpaca
“We recognized that today’s investors expect market access that fits their lives, not the other way around. Our 24/5 trading solution is engineered to provide that flexibility, offering enterprise-grade performance and simplifying the complexities of round-the-clock trading so our partners can focus on delivering value to their customers.”
Hakan Bayraksan, Senior Director of Product at Alpaca said:
“We recognized that today’s investors expect market access that fits their lives, not the other way around. Our 24/5 trading solution is engineered to provide that flexibility, offering enterprise-grade performance and simplifying the complexities of round-the-clock trading so our partners can focus on delivering value to their customers.”
The move to 24/5 trading is said to be “already underway.”
Brokerages who adopt early “may help shape user behavior, capture untapped demand, and expand their global footprint.”
The question is “no longer if 24/5 becomes the norm—it’s when.”