Options Trading Yet?

Hello, I run a fairly sized algotrading fund based mainly off of options trading and was wondering if anyone knows when Alpaca will support options trading as I am trying to move away from thinkorswim as their API executions are way too slow and their recent decisions to suspend trading on huge volatility stocks is unacceptable for my algotrading methods. The only forum about options trading I’ve seen were back from 2019 so I’m just posting to get an update regarding as I’d like to switch very soon. Thank you!

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Hey @RunConnor

We are aware of the interest in offering options and it is on the roadmap, however, we cannot give an exact timeline currently.

Jason

Has there been any resolution on this @Jason_Bohne_Alpaca ? Without boasting to much I can assure you I have an options comprehension that exceeds anyone else you could find. If you guys are having trouble working out the techincalities with options in order to get it working properly or in order to explain it well enough for others to understand what you are offering. I can be vital to both exercises and would be happy to do a zoom meeting with someone that can hold a conversation as some type of informal introduction. Not looking for a job but a 1 time partnership could be fun! I am currently messaging algo platforms trying to find out which one can do options in the meantime! If you know of a place I can go , THX!f

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Hey @Marcus_Ray

Happy to hear your enthusiasm about options and Alpaca, and for now we can say they are planned. I can’t say much more than that at the minute but feel free to visit our Alpaca Blog and Slack for product updates and announcements! :slight_smile:

Jason from Alpaca

Any update about options trading? I see on the blog that you now have fractional shares, so it seems like maybe you have your finger on the pulse of retail trading… and am hoping that options are next.

Marcus,
I am new but defenitevly hoping to one day make a comment like yours, something like “I know all that it needs to be known about options.”

Did you find a place to deploy your scripts?

Thanks,
JL

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Just wanted to also voice my interest for this feature.

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Created an account to say I’m also interested in options trading.

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Any update on options trading? I wrote a trading bot for stocks, really excited about options as well.

Thanks,

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Same here! Love the platform, I’d love to expand my algo

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+1 for options, and also futures. This would enable migrating fully away from IBKR.

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@Marcus_Ray @Jason_Bohne_Alpaca I would be inclined to ostensibly agree with Marcus on the notion that he and other confirmed algo traders may tend to understand options a whole lot more than regular brokers as the level of complexity of options have similar complexity to algo trading and programming or our quantitative qualifications. Since 2004, when I first began to learn about options, as an accomplished programmer since 1983, I posed all kinds of questions to A LOT of Series 7’s, Series 66 folk who said, they “learned what they needed to pass the licensing tests” and didn’t go any further with options after that. And that all they knew is that it was riskier. Mostly that you could lose all the premium paid for an option. That spoke volumes of their understanding. Options prices are costs for the right to purchase or sell a security at the strike price up to market close the day before expiration, but not the obligation! A concept easier for Algo Traders who deal with similar and more complex concepts. It is for the following reasons that I take umbrage with the apparent notion that providing crypto trading was more important to Alpaca than to provide options trading: (1) options are much much more mature than crypto; and, (2) Algo traders will take to an Alpaca options platform in droves. I think that you left out a sleeping giant of an opportunity by not providing that to algo traders before crypto. Simply put quants will pick it up faster! That said, I will patiently wait for that day when Alpaca decides to provide options. I don’t have to be your enemy to disagree with you!

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Created an account to say options trading is a must!

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I’ve been trading options for years now. I’m building a fund because I’ve very unofficially helped too many friends, family, expats and even wealthier people understand more and they just want someone to actively manage the strategy.

I wish I could start building on Alpaca right now. What exactly is planned? Straight up, what are the blockers? What can be done about them, or not? How can we help…?

Thank you!!

Any updates for options support?

I was checking this website: Alpaca Support - Does Alpaca support Options? What asset classes does Alpaca offer?

It says “Alpaca supports by clicking this link”: Alpaca: Help & Support🦙 - Private Site Access

When I click this link it says: “This site is private” :smiling_face_with_tear:

@bennycode Thank you for pointing out the broken link in the docs. The link to supported crypto currencies should be Alpaca Support. I’ll get that fixed.

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Thank you very much! I just checked and it is fixed now. :star_struck: