tastytrade

US-regulated multi-asset brokerage offering capped-fee options, futures, and partner-based crypto trading

Exchange KYC required Founded 2011 United States
Visit tastytrade.com
Our score
Good
KYC required Yes
Accepts US customers Yes
Proof of reserves No

What is tastytrade?

tastytrade is an online retail brokerage tailored for active derivatives traders, combining stock, ETF, futures, options, prediction markets, and cryptocurrency trading in a single environment. Equity options trading uses a capped fee structure of $1.00 per contract to open with a maximum cap of $10 per leg and $0 to close.

Founders and corporate structure

The platform was established in 2017 as tastyworks by Scott Sheridan and Tom Sosnoff, both previously known for co-founding thinkorswim. In June 2021, London-based IG Group acquired the brokerage alongside financial media affiliate tastylive in a $1 billion transaction. In February 2023, the brokerage officially rebranded from tastyworks to tastytrade. The business is based in Chicago, Illinois, with an operating team of roughly 265 employees.

Asset access and trading mechanics

tastytrade delivers direct execution for equities, standard futures, micro futures, and multi-leg option combinations. The brokerage interface provides built-in options strategy presets, real-time risk analysis tools, backtesting capabilities, and order chains to monitor rolled positions. Cryptocurrency trading and custody are not handled directly by tastytrade; instead, trades and storage run through third-party partners Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC and Zero Hash LLC.

Pricing and account requirements

Stock and ETF transactions incur $0 in commissions. Options on stocks and ETFs cost $1.00 per contract to open, capped at $10 per leg, and $0 to close. Index options also cost $1.00 per contract to open and $0 to close. Standard futures incur $1.00 per contract both to open and close, while micro futures cost $0.75 per contract per side. Options on futures cost $1.25 per contract to enter and exit. Account funding is supported via ACH, wire transfers, and ACAT transfers.

Regulatory oversight and compliance record

tastytrade is a registered broker-dealer regulated by the SEC and FINRA, and holds membership in SIPC. Regulatory actions include a $30,000 FINRA fine in January 2024 for supervision deficiencies regarding employee outside accounts, followed by a censure and $200,000 fine in January 2026 over customer complaint reporting from 2020 to 2023.

Platform limitations and counterparty risks

Because tastytrade routes digital assets through Zero Hash, cryptocurrency holdings fall outside FINRA and SIPC insolvency protections. Users face centralized counterparty custody exposure on crypto balances rather than self-custody or native on-chain settlement.

Founders

Scott SheridanCo-Founder and CEO

Co-founder of thinkorswim.

Tom SosnoffCo-Founder

Co-founder of thinkorswim.

Best for:Active multi-leg options tradersFutures and micro futures tradersUS retail investors seeking regulated brokerage

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Options commissions are capped at $10 per leg with zero closing fees
  • Zero-commission trading on all US-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds
  • Regulated by the SEC and FINRA with SIPC equity protection
  • Advanced tools for multi-leg option analysis, backtesting, and order chains

Cons

  • Crypto trading and custody are routed through a third party, Zero Hash
  • Cryptocurrency balances are not protected by SIPC insurance or NFA oversight
  • Fined $200,000 by FINRA in January 2026 for customer complaint reporting issues
  • Does not support decentralized wallet connections or native on-chain crypto withdrawals

Our review

3.8/5
Good

tastytrade offers advanced derivatives execution with capped options fees, but crypto trading relies on third-party custody and excludes SIPC protection.

Fees4.0
Security & trust4.0
Asset selection3.0
Ease of use4.5
Support3.5

Founded in 2017 as tastyworks by thinkorswim creators Scott Sheridan and Tom Sosnoff, tastytrade is an established US retail brokerage subsidiary of IG Group. It provides execution for options, futures, stocks, prediction markets, and spot cryptocurrencies. Pricing on options is straightforward: opening contracts cost $1.00 each, capped at $10.00 per leg, while closing contracts carry no commission.

For crypto clients, tastytrade routes trades and custody to Zero Hash rather than handling them directly on-chain. This setup comes with distinct trade-offs:

  • Securities accounts receive standard SIPC protection up to $500,000, but crypto assets held via Zero Hash are expressly excluded from SIPC coverage.
  • Oversight of traditional operations is conducted through FINRA and the SEC. Regulatory penalties include a $30,000 FINRA fine in January 2024 and a $200,000 fine in January 2026 over customer complaint reporting.
  • Platform features focus heavily on derivatives workflows, providing tools such as order chains and backtesting.

Account funding supports ACH and wire transfers, with complete KYC required before transacting. tastytrade suits active derivatives traders who want combined access to options and crypto exposure from a single interface. Dedicated crypto market participants requiring on-chain withdrawals or native self-custody should choose a dedicated exchange instead.

Listings are researched and drafted with AI assistance from public sources, then checked for accuracy and readability. Spot an error? Tell us. Editorial policy.
Sources (4)

Specs

Markets Spot, Futures, Options, Margin · unverified
Fiat deposit methods Bank transfer, ACH · unverified
KYC required ⓘ Yes · unverified
Accepts US customers Yes · unverified
Proof of reserves No · unverified
Staking / earn No · unverified
Mobile app Yes · unverified
Licenses & registrations FINRA, SEC, NFA, SIPC, ASIC · unverified
Security features Two-factor authentication, Real-time monitoring, SIPC coverage · unverified
Futures & perpetuals Yes · unverified
Copy trading No · unverified
P2P market No · unverified
Earn / savings products No · unverified
User protection fund No · unverified
Referral program Yes · unverified

Not disclosed by the provider: Maker fee, Taker fee, Coins listed, Max leverage (x).

Data from the provider's website and public sources. Fees and availability change; confirm on the official site before you sign up.

Key features

Capped equity options pricing

Opening options contracts cost $1.00 each with a cap of $10 per leg, while closing contracts carry $0 commission.

Futures and micro futures execution

Traders can access standard futures contracts at $1.00 per side and micro contracts at $0.75 per side.

Third-party crypto integration

Cryptocurrency trading and asset custody are facilitated through external partner Zero Hash.

Multi-leg order chains

The platform tracks complex multi-leg options structures from entry to exit, including rolled positions.

Strategy backtesting and risk analysis

Simulates historical trade outcomes using more than 10 years of data alongside portfolio volatility stress testing.

Prediction markets trading

Offers retail access to CFTC-regulated event contracts tied to economic events, interest rates, and macro data.

Inside tastytrade

Options Trading

Executes single and multi-leg equity and index options with preset strategies, backtesting tools, and order chain monitoring.

Futures & Micro Futures Trading

Provides direct market access to standard futures contracts, micro futures, and options on futures.

Stock & ETF Trading

Offers zero-commission equity trading for US-listed stocks and exchange-traded funds.

Cryptocurrency Trading

Enables retail digital asset trading and custody powered through partner provider Zero Hash.

Prediction Markets

Allows trading of event-based contracts tied to macroeconomic indicators, economic data releases, and benchmark indices.

tastytrade screenshots

The tastytrade homepage shows a trading platform promotion, navigation links, award badges, and a cookie consent dialog
The tastytrade homepage shows a trading platform promotion, navigation links, award badges, and a cookie consent dialog · Oct 23, 2026
Docs: The tastytrade Open API page displays its hero section and Read Access and Write Access sections
Docs: The tastytrade Open API page displays its hero section and Read Access and Write Access sections · Oct 23, 2026
Options Trading: The tastytrade options trading page shows a platform headline, descriptive text, account buttons, and award listings
Options Trading: The tastytrade options trading page shows a platform headline, descriptive text, account buttons, and award listings · Oct 23, 2026

What users say about tastytrade

Tastytrade is highly regarded as an effective platform for trading options and futures, though users frequently criticize recent mobile app updates that disrupted navigation and caused performance bugs. Additional complaints focus on poor order fills, platform lag during active trading, and unhelpful or slow customer support.

Top goods

  1. Strong platform for options trading 9 people 123
  2. Helpful customer service 2 people 12

Top bads

  1. App updates break navigation and usability 14 people 123
  2. Platform lagging and technical freezes 12 people 123
  3. Slow or unhelpful customer support 7 people 123
  4. Restricted trading and closing-only positions 5 people 123
  5. Slow or poor order fills 4 people 123

In their own words

“5 stars! Best trading app for option sellers hands down.”
App Store · Sep 8, 2026 · View post
“Futures trading TastyTrade is the best platform for futures traders, and Options on futures trading. Their customer service is always helpful, and their fees are reasonable.”
App Store · Aug 26, 2026 · View post
“I will never again use Robinhood for anything but a quick look at stock price action "their UI lets me see what is going way more easily than my broker". Honestly I don't know why anyone still trades with them. I use Tastytrade.com and their customer service is top notch.”
Reddit · r/wallstreetbets · Jun 29, 2026 · View post
“This latest update sucks big time This latest update sucks big time and it’s missing navigation bar from trading tab… you have to click 3-4 steps to navigate between accounts, positions, trade… this is really terrible and I wish I can go back to previous version. I hate to use to this app.”
App Store · Oct 1, 2026 · View post
“Trading restrictions on many stocks I actually like the app and everything works well for me, except for the restrictions they place on trading many stocks that are otherwise perfectly tradable. It’s frustrating because no other broker does this—examples include WEX, LKQ, and many others.”
App Store · Jun 28, 2026 · View post
“Tastytrade lags and my stupid fear because of it So I day trade options and recently started becoming profitable. I use Tastytrade and lately the platform has been lagging/crashing sometimes.”
Reddit · r/tastytrade · May 18, 2026 · View post

Based on 100 Reddit posts and comments, 50 App Store reviews from the last 12 months, checked Oct 23, 2026. These are posts by users on other sites, not reviews submitted on CryptoReview.

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Funding and investors

$1BTotal raised
1Round
1Investor
  1. Acquisition Jun 2021 $1B
    Source

FAQ

Who founded tastytrade?

Scott Sheridan and Tom Sosnoff founded the brokerage in 2017 as tastyworks. Both founders previously established thinkorswim before selling it to TD Ameritrade.

How does tastytrade handle cryptocurrency custody?

Cryptocurrency trading and custody services are provided through a partnership with Zero Hash. tastytrade does not provide direct crypto custody, and digital assets are not protected by SIPC insurance.

What are tastytrade's trading fees?

Stocks and ETFs carry zero commission. Options on stocks and ETFs cost $1.00 per contract to open, capped at $10.00 per leg, with no fee to close.

Has tastytrade faced regulatory fines?

FINRA fined tastytrade $30,000 in January 2024 for supervision lapses regarding employee accounts, followed by a $200,000 fine in January 2026 regarding the handling of customer complaints.

Does tastytrade require KYC verification?

Yes. As a registered US broker-dealer regulated by FINRA and the SEC, tastytrade requires full identity verification to open individual or joint accounts.

Latest from tastytrade on X

tastytrade
@tastytrade · 48.5K followers
Follow
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https://t.co/CP8tUbhKK8

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Big tech. Big ETFs. Extended hours. 🍒

Trade options on 20+ stocks and 5 ETFs pre-market (7:30-9:25am ET) and after close (4-4:15pm ET): https://t.co/PHolCeubZJ

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Trade on data you can trust. tastytrade + @Nasdaq Basic = real-time Best Bid and Offer and last sale data for every U.S.-listed stock and ETF. #tastytrade #NasdaqBasic https://t.co/9b3cMhfInh
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Make the switch from Webull to tastytrade and earn up to $2K*:

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Image attached to the post
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tastytrade just launched the official MCP server for trading.

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Your AI does the homework. You turn it in.

Learn more at: https://t.co/20SIi4L1dD https://t.co/rMrPyyFJKk
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Recent public posts from @tastytrade, shown as published. Not reviewed or endorsed by CryptoReview.

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