September 2026 Summaries

Alpaca Securities Pte. Ltd., Alpaca’s Southeast Asian headquarters in Singapore, has received in-principle approval from the Monetary Authority of Singapore for a Capital Markets Services license, supporting its plan to expand regional operations. If fully licensed, Alpaca Singapore intends to offer brokerage and custodial services and act as a locally regulated counterparty for financial institutions seeking to provide international investing access to customers. Led by CEO David Grant and Southeast Asia President Rohit Mulani, the Singapore operation builds on Alpaca’s regulated presence across the United States, United Kingdom, European Economic Area, Japan, India, and The Bahamas, while supporting partners in more than 50 countries. The approval is conditional and does not yet authorize Alpaca Singapore to provide the proposed services, as MAS may require further conditions or withdraw the approval.

Upstox has launched US stock and ETF trading for its more than 20 million Indian customers through a partnership with Alpaca, aiming to simplify access to global markets that has traditionally involved cross-border remittances, account-opening requirements, and added costs. The service allows eligible investors to buy fractional shares and trade by notional amount starting at $1, while USD funding operates under India’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme, which permits annual overseas-security remittances of up to $250,000. The launch follows substantial growth in Indian residents’ reported holdings of US equities, from about $6 billion in 2020 to $28.7 billion in 2025. Alpaca has also expanded its Indian presence through its April 2026 acquisition of GIFT City-based, IFSCA-regulated broker-dealer Zincmoney, adding local licenses, payment infrastructure, and operational capabilities. The announcement notes that international investing carries risks including currency movements, taxes, liquidity constraints, regulatory changes, and possible loss of principal.

trii has launched U.S. stock trading for Colombian users through a partnership with brokerage infrastructure provider Alpaca, offering fractional shares and ETFs via its regulated mobile platform. The initiative aims to reduce barriers such as high costs, limited financial education, and restricted technology access in a country where fewer than 2% of people participate in the stock market, even as Colombian holdings of U.S. equities rose from $14 billion in 2020 to $38 billion by June 2025. trii says the service combines low fees, educational resources, deeper liquidity, and access to both local and international securities, allowing investors to diversify beyond Colombia’s domestic economy. The launch follows trii’s expansion into Chile and supports its broader strategy to grow as a Latin American retail brokerage, while disclosures note that investing, including fractional-share trading, carries risks and does not guarantee returns.

Gate, founded in 2013 as a digital-asset trading platform, is expanding into a multi-asset financial ecosystem that combines cryptocurrency services with access to traditional markets. Through a partnership with brokerage infrastructure provider Alpaca, Gate now offers more than 10,000 US stocks and ETFs, eligible IPO allocations, and tokenized US equities called gStocks, whose underlying shares are held in custody through Alpaca’s infrastructure. The companies say the integration is intended to reduce the operational separation between crypto and equity investing by allowing customers to manage multiple asset classes through one platform. Gate and Alpaca also plan to explore AI-powered and agentic trading tools that connect market analysis with brokerage execution through APIs. The announcement notes that IPOs, securities, cryptocurrencies, and tokenized assets involve substantial risks, and tokenized equities may provide economic exposure rather than direct share ownership or voting rights.

Rest Capital, a UK business treasury platform founded in 2025, has launched access to government money market funds for companies seeking to invest eligible surplus cash while retaining connected bank accounts for everyday operations. Powered by Alpaca’s API-first brokerage infrastructure and its WealthKernel platform, Rest enables customers to establish cash-balance rules and automatically sweep excess funds into MMFs that primarily hold government or government-backed debt. The company says the service targets smaller businesses without dedicated treasury teams and reflects advances in open banking, consumer acceptance of digital financial providers, and software capabilities for automated treasury management. Rest plans to expand beyond MMFs toward a broader automated treasury platform, while noting that MMFs are investments rather than deposits, carry capital and liquidity risks, and do not guarantee returns or government protection.

Alpaca has launched live trading for index options through its Trading API and dashboard, expanding on its earlier paper-trading availability for products including SPX, SPXW, VIX, VIXW, DJX, and XSP. Index options use cash settlement and European-style exercise, meaning contracts do not result in share delivery and cannot be exercised or assigned before expiration; certain broad-based products may also qualify for Section 1256 tax treatment. The company advises traders to account for differences between simulated and live execution, AM-settlement timing, expiration-day order cutoffs, unavailable index market data, and product-specific exchange, regulatory, and $0.50-per-contract commission fees. Alpaca emphasizes that options trading carries substantial risk, paper trading does not reflect actual market conditions, tax treatment depends on individual circumstances, and users should consult its trading guide, documentation, fee schedule, and relevant disclosures before trading.

Alpaca and the Indonesia Stock Exchange signed an agreement on September 1, 2026, to explore reciprocal cross-border capital-market access between Indonesia and global markets. Under Indonesia’s PALN mechanism, the parties will examine ways for IDX broker members to offer Indonesian customers access to U.S. and other foreign securities through Alpaca’s execution, clearing, custody, and API-based brokerage infrastructure, while also considering access to Indonesian market products for international brokers and participants. The initiative targets Indonesia’s growing retail investor population, which exceeded 30 million by August 2026, and builds on Alpaca’s existing partnerships in the country with firms including Ajaib, Gotrade, Nanovest, PT Valbury Asia Futures, and Reku. The agreement also supports Alpaca’s broader Asia-Pacific expansion strategy, which includes regional leadership and operations in Southeast Asia and Singapore.

Binance has launched US options trading for eligible users through brokerage infrastructure provided by Alpaca, expanding its offerings beyond US stocks, ETFs, fractional shares, extended-hours trading, and tokenized bStocks. The new service allows users to trade options on supported US-listed stocks and ETFs, hedge existing holdings, or take market positions, subject to eligibility, disclosures, risk controls, and jurisdictional availability. Binance describes the launch as part of its goal to create an integrated multi-asset platform spanning crypto, traditional investments, and derivatives, while Alpaca handles functions including account approvals, margin, clearing, exercise, and assignment. The companies cited strong early adoption of Binance’s prior products, including more than $400 million in US-stock assets under management in the first week and over $500 million in bStocks assets under management within seven weeks. Binance plans to assess adoption through user education, engagement, repeat usage, and risk-management applications, while potentially expanding options listings and functionality; the announcement also emphasizes that options and other investments involve substantial risk and may not suit all investors.