The global online trading platform market is projected to reach $18.18 billion by 2031 as smartphones, artificial intelligence and embedded brokerage services reshape how individual investors access financial markets, according to estimates from Mordor Intelligence.
The research firm values the market at $11.65 billion in 2025 and projects a compound annual growth rate of 7.66% between 2026 and 2031.
A separate estimate from Fortune Business Insights points to a similar long-term trajectory, although using a different forecast period and methodology. It estimates the market at $10.82 billion in 2025 and $11.57 billion in 2026, before reaching $18.50 billion by 2034, representing a 6% compound annual growth rate from 2026 through 2034.
The projections measure the broader market and should not be interpreted as revenue forecasts for individual companies.
Mobile Becomes a Primary Gateway for Retail Investors
Mobile adoption is playing an increasingly important role in the expansion of online investing.
According to Mordor Intelligence, smartphones have become a primary entry point for retail investors, while retail users accounted for 69.59% of platform volume in 2025. Cloud-based deployments represented 63.42% of the market.
Another structural change is the growth of brokerage-as-a-service technology. Through APIs, financial technology companies can integrate trading capabilities into their products without independently building the entire brokerage infrastructure.
At the same time, competition is extending beyond trade execution toward the information investors use before making decisions, including market prices, regulatory filings, company fundamentals and institutional holdings.
Quote Daddy Targets the Investment-Information Layer
Quote Daddy is one of the platforms targeting this information segment, offering a dashboard that combines market data, company filings and portfolio-tracking tools.
The platform provides real-time market data for U.S.-listed stocks and ETFs on the NYSE and Nasdaq during market hours, while Canadian securities listed on the TSX, TSX Venture Exchange and CSE are subject to delays of 15 minutes or more.
Its tools also include SEC filings such as 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports, Form 4 insider transactions and 13F institutional holdings. The platform additionally displays disclosed congressional transactions.
Quote Daddy says the service is free to use and does not require a credit card. The company describes itself as a stock-tracking application rather than a broker-dealer and does not execute securities transactions.
The platform is owned and operated by Market Equities Limited, which also owns USA News Group, the publisher of the source material announcing the service. That relationship represents a financial interest in promoting Quote Daddy and should be considered when evaluating claims about the platform.
Interactive Brokers Reports Growth in Client Accounts
The broader shift toward digital investing is also visible in operating data from established brokerage businesses.
Interactive Brokers reported 5.576 million client accounts in September 2026, up 35% from a year earlier. Daily average revenue trades reached 4.111 million, an increase of 6% year over year but a decline of 4% from August.
Ending client equity stood at $964.7 billion, up 27% from a year earlier, while client margin loan balances reached $105.2 billion, an increase of 36%.
The company has also expanded the connection between social media and investing. In September, Interactive Brokers announced an integration with X Cashtags designed to provide U.S. users with a route from stock and cryptocurrency discussions on X to its brokerage platform.
Cboe Reports Higher Revenue and Options Activity
Exchange operator Cboe Global Markets reported $1.44 billion in total revenue for the second quarter of 2026, while net revenue increased 25% to $731.6 million.
Options net revenue reached a record $473.9 million, and the company raised its 2026 organic net revenue growth target to the mid-to-high teens.
Cboe also reported strong trading activity during August, including a monthly record for average daily volume in its Mini-SPX options.
Cash App and Apple Expand the Digital Financial Ecosystem
Block reported second-quarter gross profit of $3.17 billion, an increase of 25% from a year earlier. Cash App generated $1.97 billion in gross profit, up 31%, while the number of Cash App primary banking active users increased 17% to 9.4 million.
The company also expanded Cash App’s stablecoin capabilities through USDC integration. Block, however, did not disclose investment-specific operating figures in the results cited in the source material.
Apple represents another part of the ecosystem through the distribution of financial applications rather than through a dedicated online trading platform.
The company reported fiscal third-quarter 2026 revenue of $109.4 billion, up 16% year over year, while Services revenue reached $30.74 billion.
Apple has separately said its App Store ecosystem facilitated more than $1.4 trillion in developer billings and sales during 2025 and averaged more than 850 million weekly users across 175 countries and regions. Apple did not provide figures specifically for investment or financial applications.
Competition Moves Beyond Trade Execution
The market forecasts point to continued expansion in online investing infrastructure, but they also illustrate how broadly the sector now extends.
Traditional brokers compete alongside exchanges, fintech applications, market-data services and technology platforms that distribute financial products. Artificial intelligence is adding another layer as companies introduce automated market summaries, analytics and tools designed to organize increasingly large volumes of financial information.
The projections from Mordor Intelligence and Fortune Business Insights remain estimates rather than guarantees of future market size, and differences between them reflect separate methodologies and forecast periods.
Sources: Mordor Intelligence; Fortune Business Insights; Interactive Brokers; Cboe Global Markets; Block; Apple; Quote Daddy; USA News Group
Disclosure: Money In Focus is an independent informational and educational media platform and does not provide investment advice. Companies and financial platforms mentioned in this article are discussed for informational purposes only and should not be considered recommendations or endorsements. Market data and forecasts may change, and investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Readers should conduct their own research and consult a qualified financial professional before making investment decisions.
