MetroTrade's New Options Signal a Power Shift in Retail Futures

CHICAGO, IL – July 22, 2026 – In a move signaling both its own aggressive growth trajectory and the increasing sophistication of retail investors, U.S. futures broker MetroTrade today announced the launch of options on futures trading. The new capability, integrated directly into its MetroTrader platform, was developed in a close partnership with capital markets software giant Devexperts. This launch is more than a product line extension; it's a significant growth signal indicating that the barrier between institutional-grade tools and the individual trader continues to crumble, setting a new competitive benchmark in the retail brokerage space.

Since its founding in 2023, MetroTrade has aimed to disrupt the U.S. futures market with a low-cost, technology-first approach. By adding complex derivatives like options on futures, the firm is making a direct play for a more experienced segment of the retail market, a demographic that is increasingly demanding greater flexibility and more powerful tools to navigate volatile markets.

A Strategic Bid for the Modern Trader

At its core, MetroTrade's strategy is one of accessible sophistication. The company, which secured its regulatory approvals from the NFA and CFTC in 2024, has built its brand on offering some of the industry's lowest commissions—with rates for micro futures contracts starting at just $0.29 per side—and competitive intraday margins. The addition of options on futures is a calculated expansion of this philosophy.

Traders using the MetroTrader platform can now access CME-listed options on a wide array of futures contracts, including those tied to equity indexes, energy, and metals. This allows them to execute more advanced strategies, such as hedging existing futures positions to mitigate risk, generating income by selling premium, or making speculative bets with a defined maximum loss. Critically, these new instruments are available within the same single-account interface as standard futures, eliminating the friction of managing separate platforms or accounts.

David Klotz, President of MetroTrade, emphasized the bespoke nature of the project. "Devexperts has been a strong technology partner since the beginning, and that relationship made this possible," he stated. "As their first client to bring options on futures to the platform, we worked closely with their team to build the infrastructure from the ground up. What we built together is the first options on futures trading experience of its kind on the platform."

This statement underscores a key growth signal: MetroTrade is not merely licensing an off-the-shelf solution. By investing in a ground-up build with a top-tier technology partner, the firm is creating a proprietary advantage that will be difficult for slower-moving incumbents to replicate. This deep integration is what enables a seamless user experience, a crucial differentiator in a crowded market.

The Engine Room: Devexperts’ Foundational Role

The technological heavy lifting for this initiative was handled by Devexperts, a firm with a formidable reputation in the financial technology sector since its establishment in 2002. While MetroTrade is the young disruptor, Devexperts provides the seasoned expertise and robust infrastructure necessary to handle the complexities of derivatives trading.

Their contribution went far beyond simple integration. Devexperts developed a specialized suite of features tailored for options traders, including a dynamic options chain for viewing strikes and expirations, a multi-leg order panel for constructing complex strategies, and an earnings analyzer. This suite of tools is designed to empower traders to make more informed decisions.

"The addition of options on futures will provide MetroTrade's traders with the opportunity to execute more advanced trading strategies with greater flexibility," said Jon Light, Senior Director of Product Management at Devexperts. "We are pleased to have been able to work with MetroTrade to further enhance its already advanced offering to futures traders."

For Devexperts, this partnership showcases their ability to serve as a technology enabler for innovative brokers. The company had previously launched a turnkey futures trading platform in early 2025, signaling its strategic focus on the growing U.S. retail derivatives market. By partnering with MetroTrade, Devexperts validates its technology in a live, demanding retail environment and reinforces its position as the go-to provider for complex trading solutions.

Navigating a High-Stakes Competitive Arena

MetroTrade is entering a field dominated by established giants. Players like Interactive Brokers, known for its rock-bottom fees and institutional-grade platform, and E*TRADE, with its powerful tools and backing from Morgan Stanley, have long served the active trader community. Others, like tastytrade and NinjaTrader, have carved out loyal followings by focusing intensely on options education and futures-specific functionality, respectively.

MetroTrade’s strategy appears to be a hybrid approach. It aims to compete with Interactive Brokers on price while offering a more modern, integrated user experience than some of the legacy platforms. By providing a single, intuitive web and mobile platform for both futures and options on futures, it hopes to attract traders who feel underserved by existing solutions that can feel clunky or fragmented.

However, with greater power comes greater responsibility—and risk. Options on futures are highly leveraged and complex instruments. Regulators like the CFTC and NFA maintain strict oversight, and brokers are required to educate clients about the substantial risk of loss. The use of SPAN margining, which calculates risk across an entire portfolio, is more complex than the straightforward margin rules for equities. This launch is a signal that MetroTrade is confident not only in its technology but also in its risk management and compliance frameworks to support a more sophisticated client base.

A Signal of Broader Market Maturation

Ultimately, MetroTrade's expansion is a powerful signal about the evolution of the retail trading landscape. The demand for derivatives, once the exclusive domain of professional traders, is growing. A new generation of investors, armed with more information and better technology, is seeking direct access to a wider range of markets and strategies. One industry expert recently noted that this trend is driven by a desire for the transparency, affordability, and near-24-hour access that futures markets provide.

MetroTrade's move is a direct response to this demand. The company's trajectory—from its founding in 2023, to securing €3.5 million in backing in late 2024, to this major product launch—demonstrates a clear and rapid execution of its growth strategy. By successfully integrating advanced derivatives into a low-cost, user-friendly platform, MetroTrade is not just enhancing its own offering; it is challenging the entire industry to raise its standards and better serve the modern retail trader.