Open Account
mob menu

Ironbeam News and Updates

Trading news, market updates, education, and insights for futures traders.

  • All
  • Institutional
  • News
  • Press Releases
  • Trader Education
All
  • All
  • Institutional
  • News
  • Press Releases
  • Trader Education
Memorial Day 2026 CME Futures Trading Schedule

Memorial Day 2026 Futures Trading Schedule

In observance of Memorial Day on 5/25/26, U.S. futures markets will operate on a modified trading schedule. Most CME futures products will remain open for ...
Read More
Cloud vs Co-Location

Cloud vs. Co-location Execution for Futures Strategies

Execution infrastructure is one of the most consequential decisions an institutional futures operation makes. The co-location vs. cloud debate gets framed as a technical question ...
Read More
Top Futures Platforms for Scalping

Top Futures Platforms for Scalping in 2026

The best futures trading platform for scalping in 2026 combines free Level 2 market data, market-by-order (MBO) depth, direct exchange routing, and zero platform fees. ...
Read More
How to Compare Futures Brokers for Day Trading in 2026

How to Compare Futures Brokers for Day Trading in 2026

If you are actively day trading futures in 2026, the broker and platform you choose will directly influence your fills, your risk, and how confidently ...
Read More
Futures Trading vs. Stock Trading: 7 Differences Every Trader Should Know

Futures Trading vs. Stock Trading: 7 Differences Every Trader Should Know

Many traders who move from stocks to futures say the same thing after a few months: they wish they had made the switch earlier. That ...
Read More
How Ironbeam Builds a Complete Trading Ecosystem for Introducing Brokers

How Ironbeam Builds a Complete Trading Ecosystem for Introducing Brokers

What Does a Branded Trading Ecosystem Mean for an Introducing Broker? As an Introducing Broker, your brand is your business. Your clients chose you because ...
Read More
What Proprietary Trading Firms Should Look for When Choosing an FCM

What Proprietary Trading Firms Should Look for When Choosing an FCM

Choosing a futures commission merchant isn’t a back-office decision. For a prop firm, it’s one of the most operationally significant choices you’ll make, and it’s ...
Read More
Who Shouldn’t Trade Futures?

Who Shouldn’t Trade Futures? A Broker’s Perspective

Ironbeam and regulatory agencies have long emphasized that futures trading carries significant risk and is not suitable for everyone. That message isn’t just regulatory language.  ...
Read More
Intraday Margin Management for Mult-Strategy Prop Firms

Intraday Management for Multi-Strategy Prop Firms

Prop firms running multiple simultaneous strategies face a margin management challenge that single-strategy shops rarely encounter: the same capital base is being drawn on by ...
Read More
How Institutional Capital is Reshaping Retail-Focused Futures Products

How Institutional Capital is Reshaping Retail-Focused Futures Products

Institutional traders are now actively trading futures products originally built for retail participants. Micro contracts, event contracts, and algorithmic strategies once associated with individual traders ...
Read More
How Much Money Do You Need to Start Trading Futures?

How Much Money Do You Need to Start Trading Futures?

This is one of the most common questions new traders ask, and it deserves a straight answer rather than the usual hedge-everything non-answer. So here ...
Read More
Ironbeam Welcomes New CME Single Stock Futures

Ironbeam Welcomes New CME Single Stock Futures

We’re excited to share some major news for traders: CME Group has announced plans to launch a brand-new suite of Single Stock Futures this summer, ...
Read More
How Introducing Brokers Benefit from Clearing with Ironbeam

How Introducing Brokers Benefit from Clearing with Ironbeam

Introducing Brokers (IBs) are the front line of client relationships in the futures markets. You educate traders, provide personalized service, and help clients navigate everything ...
Read More
Swap-Based Event Markets

The Institutional Opportunity in Swap-Based Event Markets

How Ironbeam Supports the Next Generation of Prediction Platforms Event-based derivatives, often referred to as prediction markets, are rapidly evolving from niche trading products into ...
Read More
How to Open a Futures Trading Account

How to Open a Futures Trading Account: Step-by-Step

Opening a futures trading account is faster than most people expect. If your identity is verified automatically, your account can be approved in seconds. The ...
Read More
The Futures Trading Glossary

The Futures Trading Glossary: 50 Terms Every Trader Should Know

Futures markets have their own language. Traders who come from stocks, crypto, or forex will recognize some of it, but enough of the terminology is ...
Read More
What Are Futures Contracts? The Complete Guide for Traders

What Are Futures Contracts? The Complete Guide for Traders

Every market has a way to speculate on the future. Futures contracts are the oldest and most direct version of that idea – and today ...
Read More
futures algo trading rest api

Futures Broker for Algo Traders: Why Ironbeam’s REST API and WebSocket Feed are Built for Automated Trading

If you are building an automated trading strategy, the broker you clear through is not a commodity. The technology underneath your execution layer matters. Latency, ...
Read More
The image is of the blog title "Good Friday Futures Trading Hours"

Good Friday Futures Trading Schedule

In observance of Good Friday on 4/3/26, U.S. futures markets will operate on a modified trading schedule. Most CME futures products will remain open for ...
Read More
Image of the blog post title.

Leasing a CME Membership: Benefits for High-Volume Futures Traders

For active futures traders, exchange fees play a meaningful role in overall performance. Traders looking to lower CME Group exchange costs often explore leasing a ...
Read More