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AI-native runtime for CQG futures and options strategies

Author in Cursor, Claude Code or any AI IDE. Deploy from GitHub into a managed cloud runtime with first-class MCP control, logs and region selection.

By the TradingHost engineering team

Section 01 · At a glance

At a glance

Platform
CQG, Inc.
Platform type
Derivatives execution and market data technology, accessed via partnered Futures Commission Merchants (FCMs)
Asset class
US and global futures, options on futures, exchange-traded options
Asset coverage
CME Group (CME, CBOT, NYMEX, COMEX) futures and options on futures. ICE Futures US and ICE Europe. Eurex. CBOE Futures Exchange (CFE). Energy options (NYMEX). Eurodollar / SOFR options. Cross-exchange spread combinations.
Runtime model
Containerised strategy runtime
Deployment source
GitHub
Languages
Any language that runs in a container
Common integrations
CQG WebAPI (REST), CQG FIX 4.4, CQG Continuum (data), partner FCM accounts, custom connectors
AI workflow integration
MCP control surface for Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI agents
TradingHost role
Runtime, deployment, logs, health checks, region selection, MCP control
CQG role
Order routing technology, market data, API surface; brokerage account and clearing sit with your FCM
Access model
CQG access is typically arranged through a partnered FCM rather than direct retail onboarding. Some FCMs offer retail-friendly entry points; others require institutional minimums. Verify with the FCM that holds your account.
Affiliation
TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with CQG, Inc.

Section 02 · What CQG offers

What CQG offers

CQG is a derivatives execution and market data technology platform. End users access CQG’s programmatic surface through a partnered Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) relationship. The WebAPI (REST) and FIX 4.4 sessions cover CME Group, ICE Futures US, ICE Europe, Eurex and CBOE Futures Exchange futures plus options on futures, with cross-exchange spread support.

Markets and strategy patterns

  • CME ES, NQ, RTY options multi-leg execution
  • Energy options on futures (NYMEX CL, NG)
  • Eurodollar / SOFR options spreading
  • Eurex and ICE futures-options strategies
  • Cross-exchange options spread combinations
  • Block-trade execution endpoints
  • Institutional-grade volatility surface monitoring

API surface

Product surfaces
CQG WebAPI (REST) for orders, account state and market data. CQG FIX 4.4 for high-throughput execution and market data sessions. CQG Continuum for data products. Coverage spans CME Group, ICE Futures US, ICE Europe, Eurex, CBOE Futures Exchange and partner exchanges. Options on futures are first-class throughout.
Connection methods
HTTPS REST for WebAPI. FIX 4.4 sessions for FIX. Both authenticate against CQG’s gateway; the FCM that holds your account is configured server-side, so the strategy talks to CQG and CQG routes through the FCM. Demo and certification environments are separate from production.
Authentication
CQG access is typically partner-mediated. Application credentials are issued by CQG through the partner FCM’s onboarding process. WebAPI uses bearer-token authentication; FIX uses session-level credentials. Custom multi-leg or block-trade endpoints may carry additional permission flags configured server-side.

For specifics, refer to CQG

Specific WebAPI endpoints, FIX session parameters, application credentialing process and market data subscriptions live in CQG’s partner documentation and through your FCM.

Section 03 · Build with AI

Build your CQG strategy with AI

Pick a surface (WebAPI for simpler REST workflows, FIX 4.4 for institutional-style throughput and block trades), and author your strategy in an AI IDE. Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI-based AI agents all work with the same GitHub-native deployment loop.

  • CQG WebAPI (REST)

    HTTPS REST surface for orders, account state and market data. Bearer-token auth issued through CQG’s partner onboarding.

  • CQG FIX 4.4

    FIX 4.4 session for high-throughput execution and market data. Session-level credentials provisioned through the partner FCM.

  • CQG Continuum

    CQG’s data product family for market data delivery. Separate licensing from the execution APIs.

  • Custom connector via partner FCM

    Custom integrations are practical for prop firms and institutional desks; CQG’s partner FCM onboarding provides the credentials.

Surface support for CQG products

FIX 4.4 covers the broadest CQG functionality including block-trade endpoints and cross-exchange spread combos. WebAPI is the simpler REST surface for strategies that do not need block-trade capacity. Demo environments are available on both surfaces.

SurfaceFuturesOptions on futuresSpreadsBlocksDemo
CQG WebAPISupportedSupportedSupportedPartially supportedSupported
CQG FIX 4.4SupportedSupportedSupportedSupportedSupported
Custom partner-mediatedSupportedSupportedSupportedSupportedSupported

✓ confirmed support per CQG partner documentation. "partial" indicates the functionality is available on the surface but with additional configuration steps.

TradingHost does not force a surface. It runs your project against the CQG endpoint your strategy chooses.

Author with AI

FIX 4.4 sessions and CQG WebAPI both have clean documented surfaces; AI IDEs scaffold the request layer well once the credentials are in place. The TradingHost MCP control surface closes the loop on observability and runtime management.

Section 04 · Run on TradingHost

Run your code on TradingHost

CQG provides the execution platform and market data; your FCM provides the brokerage account and clearing. TradingHost provides the production environment where your CQG-connected strategy runs.

Instead of running strategy code on a laptop, desktop machine, generic VPS or manually configured server, you deploy from GitHub into a TradingHost-managed container runtime.

You

  • Your repo contains your code.
  • Your deployment defines how it runs.
  • Your strategy connects to CQG via WebAPI or FIX.

TradingHost

  • Keeps the runtime online.
  • Surfaces logs and health checks.
  • Region selection.
  • Controlled deployment surface.

Deployment flow

  1. STEP 01

    Connect GitHub

    Authorise TradingHost to access your GitHub account.

  2. STEP 02

    Link a repo or start from a starter

    Point TradingHost at your existing CQG strategy repo, or fork a CQG WebAPI / FIX starter for a working baseline.

  3. STEP 03

    Deploy into a TradingHost container

    Pick a region (US-East for CME and ICE US futures; EU for Eurex and ICE Europe), supply your CQG WebAPI bearer token or FIX session credentials as environment values, and deploy. TradingHost runs your strategy on managed Kubernetes infrastructure with persistent FIX session handling where required.

  4. STEP 04

    Monitor logs and health

    Watch live logs, health and runtime state from the TradingHost dashboard. The same surface is reachable through MCP from any AI IDE. FIX session resets and market data subscription events show up alongside strategy logs.

  5. STEP 05

    Update and redeploy

    Push changes to your GitHub main branch and TradingHost redeploys automatically. A demo-environment-keyed deployment is the natural test environment.

Deploy

Section 05 · Operational notes

Operational notes for CQG

Things that bite you when you actually run a CQG strategy in a containerised cloud runtime. CQG’s partner-mediated access model is the dominant operational reality versus retail-direct brokers. Every claim below is quoted or paraphrased from CQG’s partner documentation or a primary exchange reference.

  1. 01 · Partner-mediated access

    CQG access is arranged through your FCM, not direct retail onboarding

    CQG, Inc. is an execution technology platform, not a brokerage. Access to the WebAPI or FIX is provisioned by your Futures Commission Merchant. Onboarding lead time depends on the FCM and is typically longer than retail OAuth flows. Plan a setup window before deploying live; demo environments are available faster.

    SourceCQG partner portal

  2. 02 · WebAPI vs FIX

    FIX 4.4 covers the broadest functionality including block-trade endpoints

    CQG’s WebAPI is the simpler REST surface and is appropriate for most order-placement and account-state workflows. FIX 4.4 covers block-trade endpoints, certain cross-exchange spread combinations and high-throughput market data with lower per-message overhead. For institutional-style flow or block trades, FIX is the right surface; for standard automated execution, WebAPI is enough.

    SourceCQG partner developer documentation

  3. 03 · Options on futures

    Cross-exchange spread combos require server-side configuration

    CQG supports cross-exchange spread combinations for options on futures (e.g., CME ES options against ICE products). These spread definitions are configured server-side and exposed through both WebAPI and FIX. Strategies that build spread legs ad-hoc need to confirm the spread definition exists in CQG’s contract universe before submitting.

    SourceCQG partner developer documentationCME options-on-futures reference

  4. 04 · Demo environment

    CQG demo is separate from production and uses different credentials

    CQG provisions a demo environment that mirrors production endpoint shapes with separate credentials and a separate balance. Promoting a strategy is a host plus credential swap. Keep demo and production secrets in separate TradingHost Secrets entries.

    SourceCQG demo environment

  5. 05 · Market data

    Market data subscriptions are exchange-specific and FCM-mediated

    CME, ICE, Eurex and CFE market data each carry separate subscription fees. The FCM holds the relationship; data entitlement on the CQG side mirrors what your FCM has configured. Strategies that depend on real-time data on a specific exchange need to confirm subscription with the FCM before deploying.

    SourceCME market dataCQG partner portal

Section 06 · Built for

Built for

TradingHost CQG runtimes are best suited to:

  • Developers building strategies in AI IDEs (Cursor, Claude Code)
  • Futures and options-on-futures strategy operators
  • Energy options strategy specialists (NYMEX)
  • Eurodollar / SOFR options spreading systems
  • Cross-exchange volatility surface arbitrageurs
  • Institutional desks and prop firms accessing via FCM

Connecting GitHub and creating your first strategy is free.

Section 08 · FAQ

FAQ

No. TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with CQG, Inc.

No. CQG, Inc. is a derivatives execution and market data technology platform. Your brokerage account, custody and clearing sit with the Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) that provisioned your CQG access. TradingHost provides the runtime where your CQG-connected strategy code runs.

Through a CQG-partnered Futures Commission Merchant. The FCM provisions WebAPI bearer tokens or FIX session credentials against your account. CQG does not onboard retail users directly. Setup lead time depends on the FCM.

WebAPI for simpler REST workflows: order placement, account state, market data on the surfaces it covers. FIX 4.4 for institutional-style throughput, block-trade endpoints and broader cross-exchange spread combinations. Strategies that fit inside WebAPI’s capability envelope do not need the FIX overhead.

Yes. CQG covers CME Group, ICE, Eurex and CBOE Futures Exchange options on futures across both WebAPI and FIX surfaces. Cross-exchange spread combinations are defined server-side.

No. Your strategy code connects to CQG and sends order instructions; CQG routes them through your FCM. TradingHost provides the runtime where that code runs.

No. CQG access is provided by your FCM, mediated through CQG’s partner program. You are responsible for the relationship with your FCM and compliance with CQG’s and the FCM’s terms.

Any language that runs in a container. CQG WebAPI is HTTPS REST and FIX 4.4 is a documented session protocol; any client in any language that handles those can talk to CQG.

Open an account with a CQG-partnered FCM. Request WebAPI bearer credentials or FIX session setup. Connect your GitHub repo, link it to TradingHost, and deploy with credentials in TradingHost Secrets.

In your GitHub-controlled secrets workflow. TradingHost reads them at runtime through GitHub repository secrets, environment secrets or your own approved secret-management process. TradingHost does not need custody of your WebAPI tokens or FIX session credentials.

No. Strategies should never need withdrawal or money-movement permissions. The credentials only need access for order placement and market data.

Yes. TradingHost supports MCP-based control for AI IDEs including Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI-based AI agents.

No. Margin and maintenance calls are handled by your FCM. Your strategy should be aware of margin state through account balance queries, but the broker enforces; TradingHost runs the strategy code.

No. Tax forms (typically 1099-B for futures gains under Section 1256 rules) come from your FCM at year-end, not from TradingHost.

TradingHost runs in the EU and US-East regions. US-East is the natural pick for CME, ICE US, CBOE futures and options matching engines; the EU region is the right pick for Eurex and ICE Europe.

No. TradingHost is focused on production runtime and deployment. Backtesting belongs in your research stack, framework or AlgoBuilder.