MetroTrade, the Chicago-based futures brokerage, announced yesterday (Wednesday) that it has launched options on futures trading on its MetroTrader platform, giving clients access to CME-listed contracts alongside its existing futures offering. The move lets traders manage both product types from a single account interface, a structure the company says reflects demand from experienced derivatives traders looking to hedge and build multi-leg strategies.A CFD Veteran's Pivot to FuturesThe launch is a modest but telling step for a company whose real story lies with the man behind it. MetroTrade was co-founded by Ingmar Mattus, the Tickmill co-founder and Executive Director, whose career runs through the retail CFD industry.Mattus built his reputation in over-the-counter trading. He has described his ambition for MetroTrade as to "transform the US retail futures market" by utilising new technology and adapting to customer needs. He has paired with co-founder David Klotz's background in the futures industry.Finance Magnates reported on MetroTrade's launch in April 2024, when the firm secured its registration with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and NFA membership as an introducing broker. At that time, data from Acuiti showed that more than half of European retail brokers wanted to offer futures and options as an alternative to CFDs, largely due to regulatory pressure on the OTC space. That backdrop makes Mattus's US futures push look less like diversification and more like a hedge against the direction of travel in his home market.MetroTrade sits inside the portfolio of Andromeda Capital Partners Suisse, the private equity firm Mattus runs alongside Tickmill. Andromeda is described as a Swiss private equity firm known for investing in fintech companies, including AgenaTrader, TradersYard and Change Securities. Last week, the Austrian prop firm TradersYard closed a fresh funding round with an undisclosed sum. Andromeda has backed the firm since 2023 and put 3.5 million euros into it in late 2024.What MetroTrade's New Product Actually AddsOptions on futures give traders the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell an underlying futures contract before expiration. MetroTrade says the new offering spans CME-listed contracts across equity index, energy and metals markets, letting clients build the kind of multi-leg strategies more commonly associated with institutional derivatives desks.David Klotz, President of MetroTrade, said the launch responds to demand from active traders who already use both instruments as part of their strategy, allowing them to move between markets from one account rather than juggling separate platforms.“Options on futures are an important addition for traders who want more control over how they manage risk and structure trades,” said Mattus. “By bringing futures and futures options together in the same platform, we are making it easier for traders to access the full range of tools used in modern derivatives markets.” This article was written by Arnab Shome at www.financemagnates.com.

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