Investment app Gotrade today announced the launch of options trading for its users across Southeast Asia.

This product expansion is powered in partnership with Alpaca, a brokerage infrastructure API providing access to options, stocks, ETFs, and fixed income.

Investors in Southeast Asia have historically had limited access to global investing due to high order fees, steep balance minimums, and complex regulations. However, retail participation has been increasing in Malaysia and Indonesia, with 5 and 17 million investors, respectively, as of 2025.

To help remove these barriers, Gotrade built an investing platform that empowered users to invest in US stocks for as little as $1 USD.

With the introduction of options trading, Gotrade is now providing:

• Access to potential leverage and risk management opportunities;
• Visuals, tooltips, and in-app guides that help make options trading feel less intimidating;
• Intuitive mobile-first experiences where users can trade strategies like long calls or long puts in just a few clicks. They plan to add covered calls and cash-secured puts next.

Gotrade leverages Alpaca’s Broker API to power its newly launched derivatives offering, ensuring a scalable and robust infrastructure for streamlined order execution and trade processing.

“Options trading is a natural evolution for our users, and we’re changing the landscape by making a tool previously reserved for institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals available to everyone,” said Norman Wanto, CEO of Gotrade. “Partnering with Alpaca gives us the freedom to innovate and scale quickly, which is critical for building a better experience in emerging markets like Southeast Asia.”

“Gotrade’s product-first approach has been a key factor in building trust and driving growth in Southeast Asia. We’re thrilled to continue our partnership by providing the infrastructure they need to launch innovative products quickly,” said Yoshi Yokokawa, CEO and Co-Founder of Alpaca.

Gotrade and Alpaca are deepening their partnership with the launch of options trading, a collaboration that started in 2021 when Gotrade introduced fractional trading of US stocks.