Quantopian launches trading platform pilot program

Just a quick post to pass along news from Quantopian, the open algorithmic trading development platform, trading platform and social hub for quants that I first wrote about back when it was launched in January. Last Tuesday, the firm introduced the notion of paper trading and announced the launch of the Quantopian Live Trading pilot program. It did so as part of FinovateSpring, a conference showcasing the latest innovations in finance and banking technology, held in California last Tuesday and Wednesday. (Some might recall that Mint.com got a boost after pitching itself at a Finovate conference in 2007.) Paper trading, according to a statement from the company, allows users to test trading algorithms against live market data, which is critical to optimizing the algorithms during development. The pilot initially will be open only to a select group of users, with availability to the mass public of clamoring quants later this year. “Anyone with a mind for finance and a knack for development should be able to put their ideas to work and reap the benefits of quantitative finance for themselves,” John “Fawce” Fawcett, founder and chief executive of Quantopian, said in a statement. “Through paper trading and the Live Trading pilot program, we're making it possible for quants to put their money where their minds are. It's something our community has asked for and we are excited to deliver,” Mr. Fawcett said. Sixty companies presented at FinovateSpring. Those interested in joining the pilot user group for Quantopian Live Trading should visit Quantopian online. You can visit the site for FinovateSpring online, as well.