Alpaca

What Alpaca is

Alpaca is trading infrastructure for developers. Its Trading API lets code place and manage orders across stocks, options and crypto, while the Broker API covers account opening, deposits, trading and account management, with a sandbox for testing.

What you can do with it

• Execute algorithmic strategies from code
• Open and fund accounts through the API
• Test strategies in a sandbox first
• Embed trading into a product

Who it is for

• Quantitative developers
• Fintech and trading product teams
• Startups embedding brokerage features

What to watch out for

• It is infrastructure, not investment advice; strategy losses are yours
• Brokerage activity is regulated: know which entity and jurisdiction you are operating in and what licensing you need
• Live trading needs risk limits, kill switches and monitoring before real money moves
• Market data, order routing and settlement terms should be read before building on it