Alpaca Secures EEA Passporting Rights Across 29 Countries to Scale European Brokerage Infrastructure

Quick Summary

Alpaca has successfully completed EEA passporting across 29 countries, allowing fintechs to deploy brokerage infrastructure APIs throughout Europe via a single Spanish entity. This regulatory milestone eliminates the need for market-by-market authorizations, providing seamless access to trading and custody for a market of 500 million people.

How Does Alpaca Simplify European Market Entry?

Alpaca solves the fragmentation of the European financial landscape by providing a unified regulatory gateway. By leveraging its authorization from Spain’s CNMV under the MiFID II framework, Alpaca allows partners to bypass the bureaucratic hurdle of seeking individual licenses in every member state. This brokerage infrastructure APIs solution provides a streamlined path for cross-border investment products.

• Single Entity Access: Manage operations across 29 countries through one hub.
• Full Stack Services: Includes account infrastructure, custody, and trading.
• Regulatory Compliance: Fully aligned with MiFID II and local Spanish regulations.

What Markets Are Now Accessible via Alpaca?

The expansion covers the vast majority of the European Economic Area, reaching nearly 500 million consumers. This move follows Alpaca's strategic acquisition of WealthKernel, signaling a shift toward becoming a dominant regional player. By integrating localized investment services, Alpaca ensures that fintechs can offer products that feel native to users in Germany, France, and beyond.

“Completing EEA passporting is a major step in making Alpaca a truly regional infrastructure partner in Europe,” said Karan Shanmugarajah, CEO of Alpaca Europe. “Fintechs and financial institutions can access regulated, localized investment services through a single European entity. By combining local regulatory expertise with Alpaca’s API-first technology, we are making it easier for partners to build, launch, and scale investment products across Europe."

What Results Has Alpaca's Infrastructure Delivered?

Alpaca currently supports over 10 million brokerage accounts globally, backed by $320 million in funding. The completion of EEA passporting bridges the gap between their U.S. self-clearing capabilities and their UK operations. This creates a global brokerage network that allows enterprise partners to scale from North America to Europe with minimal technical friction.

• 29 Countries: Total EEA nations now covered by passporting rights.
• 500 Million: Total addressable population in the newly accessible markets.
• 40+ Countries: Total global footprint of Alpaca's institutional partners.

FF NEWS TAKE:

Alpaca’s move to secure EEA passporting is a massive win for the brokerage infrastructure APIs sector. By centralizing regulatory oversight in Spain, they have effectively removed the "border friction" that plagues European fintech expansion. This isn't just a technical update; it’s a strategic play that positions Alpaca as the primary plumbing for the next generation of European neo-brokers and wealth management apps.