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tastytrade, formerly tastyworks, operates as an online brokerage providing a comprehensive platform for self-directed trading across financial instruments. It offers access to stocks, options, futures, crypto, ETFs, and forex via mobile, desktop, web platforms, and an API. The company equips active traders with sophisticated tools and educational content.
Co-founded in 2017 by Tom Sosnoff and Scott Sheridan, the firm democratizes advanced trading capabilities. Sosnoff, leveraging his experience from Thinkorswim, joined Sheridan to empower individual traders. Their insight focused on bringing institutional-grade tools and market understanding directly to a broader retail audience.
tastytrade serves self-directed traders, from novices to veterans, who seek autonomy in their investment strategies. Its mission is to enable efficient capital management through robust technology and dedicated support. The company continually evolves its platform and offerings to meet the dynamic needs of its engaged trading community.
Key people at tastyworks.
tastyworks was founded in 2017 by Tom Sosnoff (Co-Founder & Co-CEO) and Kristi Ross (Co-Founder, Co-CEO & President).
Key people at tastyworks.
tastyworks was founded in 2017 by Tom Sosnoff (Co-Founder & Co-CEO) and Kristi Ross (Co-Founder, Co-CEO & President).
tastyworks is a brokerage firm designed for do-it-yourself (DIY) retail traders, emphasizing options, futures, and stock trading with low costs, intuitive tools, and integrated educational content from its parent company, tastytrade (now branded as tastylive).[1][2][3][4] It empowers active investors through a "trade small, trade often" philosophy, combining technology for efficient execution, custom metrics, and real-time access to live trading insights, solving the problem of high fees, complex platforms, and lack of education in traditional brokerages.[2][4][5] Originally launched in 2017 as part of tastytrade's ecosystem—which includes tastylive's free financial programming—tastyworks was backed early by TCV and acquired via tastytrade by IG Group Holdings in 2021, expanding its global reach while maintaining a focus on fintech innovation for individual traders.[1][3]
The platform serves retail traders at all levels, particularly those interested in options and futures, with recent 2025 awards highlighting its leadership in options trading platforms, day trading tools, and overall innovation.[5]
tastyworks emerged from the team behind tastytrade (launched as tasty*live in 2011), a pioneering live financial network focused on options trading education and entertainment, distributed freely across platforms like YouTube and Roku.[3] Key figures include co-CEOs Tom Sosnoff and Kristi Ross, CTO Linwood Ma, and tastyworks CEO Scott Sheridan—all veterans from thinkorswim, the options platform acquired by TD Ameritrade—bringing pit trading experience from Chicago's trading floors where they honed a premium-selling options strategy.[2][4]
The idea crystallized as tastytrade sought to extend its content into actionable trading: after building a massive audience with daily live shows debunking passive investing myths, they launched tastyworks in 2017 as a brokerage rebuilt from scratch to match their high-frequency, low-cost methodology, integrating content directly into the platform for seamless learning and execution.[1][2] Early traction came from this synergy, with hosts discussing live tools, culminating in IG Group's 2021 acquisition of tastytrade to scale globally.[1][3]
tastyworks rides the fintech democratization wave, fueling the rise of active retail trading amid zero-commission shifts (post-2019) and apps like Robinhood, but differentiates by prioritizing sophisticated options/futures tools and education for serious DIY traders over casual speculators.[2][5] Timing aligns with surging retail participation—boosted by social media, meme stocks, and accessible tech—where market forces like volatility and low barriers favor platforms teaching risk-managed, high-volume strategies.[3][4]
It influences the ecosystem by bridging content and execution: tastylive's free programming has grown one of the fastest financial networks, training a new generation of options traders, while IG integration expands U.S.-centric tools to global audiences, challenging incumbents like TD Ameritrade and Interactive Brokers.[1][3]
tastyworks is poised to dominate options and futures retail trading, building on 2025 accolades amid rising demand for AI-enhanced tools and mobile-first experiences.[5] Trends like regulatory pushes for transparency, crypto derivatives integration, and personalized AI coaching will shape its path, amplified by IG's global infrastructure for cross-border expansion. Its influence may evolve from U.S. options pioneer to full-spectrum fintech leader, continually revolutionizing DIY investing by merging education, tech, and low-cost access—proving that empowering individuals sparks the true financial revolution.[1][3][4]
