$1B Deal: IG Group Absorbs tastytrade to Dominate Retail Options Market

A seismic shift just happened in the retail trading world. IG Group, the London-based trading giant, has officially closed its landmark $1 billion partnership with tastytrade, fundamentally reshaping the competitive landscape for self-directed investors. This isn’t just another acquisition—it’s a strategic power move that rewrites the rules of the game.

Who Owns tastytrade Now? The Leadership Structure

Here’s where it gets interesting. The deal structure reveals who really controls tastytrade post-merger. Rather than a traditional buyout, key tastytrade executives have become major stakeholders in IG Group’s expanded empire. Tom Sosnoff (Co-CEO), Kristi Ross (Co-CEO and President), Scott Sheridan (CEO of tastyworks), and Linwood Ma (CTO) collectively own approximately 5.7% of the enlarged IG Group share capital—making them not just employees, but significant owners in the combined entity.

The $1 billion consideration consists of $300 million in cash plus 61 million newly issued IG shares distributed to tastytrade shareholders, embedding the founders deeply into IG’s future success.

What This Means for the Retail Options Market

The implications are massive. tastytrade brings over 105,000 active accounts of self-directed investors to the table. But the real prize? Access to a market that dwarfs traditional forex and CFD trading. With an estimated 1.5 million retail traders operating in the US options and futures space—a market larger than global CFD/FX and European Turbo derivatives combined—IG Group just secured a dominant position in what might be the largest listed derivatives market on the planet.

The tastytrade Powerhouse: What IG Is Actually Acquiring

tastytrade isn’t just another brokerage. The platform has built something genuinely unique: an educational content empire disguised as a trading firm.

Founded in 2011 by the entrepreneurial team behind thinkorswim (which TD Ameritrade acquired in 2009), tastytrade operates one of the most-watched online financial networks globally. The numbers tell the story: 8 hours of daily, live, commercial-free programming reaching investors across 190 countries. The platform has accumulated over 100 million hours of viewed content, offering more than 100 original segments that blend technical analysis with trading education.

The company’s ethos centers on teaching a “logical, mechanical approach” to investing—using probability, volatility, and quantitative analysis rather than hype. This content-first strategy has differentiated tastytrade in a crowded market and created a loyal, engaged user base.

Beyond tastytrade: The Entire Ecosystem

tastytrade doesn’t exist in isolation. The acquisition brings an entire ecosystem into IG’s fold:

tastyworks - A retail brokerage platform engineered specifically for do-it-yourself investors seeking professional-grade tools

dough - A mobile-first brokerage disrupting traditional wealth creation for younger demographics

The Small Exchange - A futures platform launched in 2020 specifically targeting retail traders who previously had limited access

The Quiet Foundation - A data-science-driven investment advisory service

Additionally, IG gains strategic exposure through tastytrade’s investment in Zero Hash, a cryptocurrency infrastructure provider—a strategic position in an increasingly crypto-integrated financial landscape.

Why IG Group Needed This

IG Group, established in 1974 as a CFD pioneer, has long dominated the derivatives trading space—it’s currently the world’s No.1 CFD provider. But the US options market represented a blind spot in its otherwise global portfolio. While IG operates across 17,000+ financial markets through offices in Europe, Africa, Asia-Pacific, and North America, American retail options trading was territory controlled by others.

tastytrade changes that calculus overnight. The platform’s established brand, 105,000+ active traders, and proven ability to educate and retain retail clients provide IG with immediate scale and credibility in a market segment experiencing exceptional structural growth.

The Strategy Going Forward

Both management teams remain in place—a telling detail that reflects genuine respect for tastytrade’s unique culture and operational excellence. The synergy isn’t about forcing integration but about leveraging complementary strengths: IG’s global infrastructure and multi-asset trading technology plus tastytrade’s community-building expertise and options market dominance.

June Felix, IG’s Chief Executive, summed it up: the combination delivers “a powerful service designed to educate and empower ambitious investors” while giving the combined entity “immediate scale in the largest listed options and futures market in the world.”

The Bigger Picture

This deal signals a fundamental shift in how global trading platforms are competing. It’s no longer sufficient to just offer execution—content, education, and community have become primary differentiators. In an environment where retail investors increasingly demand sophisticated tools, transparent pricing, and genuine educational content rather than sales pitches, IG Group just acquired one of the few platforms that has genuinely cracked the code.

The combined business now has the financial firepower, technology platform, and intellectual capital to reshape retail options trading globally. That’s why who owns tastytrade matters—because ownership structure determines strategic direction, and this structure ensures that the entrepreneurial DNA that built tastytrade remains embedded in IG Group’s future.