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AI-native runtime for Pepperstone trading strategies

Author cTrader Open API and FIX strategies 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

Broker
Pepperstone
Broker type
Forex and CFD broker (Australia-origin)
Asset class
Forex, indices, commodities, share CFDs, ETF CFDs, currency-index CFDs
Supported products
90+ spot FX currency pairs, major and minor indices CFDs, metals (XAU/USD, XAG/USD), energies, soft commodities, 1,000+ share CFDs, ETF CFDs. Crypto exposure is a separate Pepperstone Crypto product in Australia, out of scope for this page.
Runtime model
Containerised strategy runtime
Deployment source
GitHub
Languages
Any language that runs in a container
Common integrations
cTrader Open API (OAuth REST and streaming), cTrader FIX 4.4, cTrader Automate (cAlgo C#), MT4 and MT5 bridge, NautilusTrader, 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
Pepperstone role
Broker account, market access, execution venue. cTrader API and FIX are operated by Spotware Systems against your Pepperstone account.
Regulators
Pepperstone Group Limited (ASIC AFSL 414530, Australia); Pepperstone Limited (FCA firm reference 684312, UK); Pepperstone GmbH (BaFin, Germany); Pepperstone Financial Services DIFC (DFSA); Pepperstone Markets Limited (SCB, Bahamas); Pepperstone Markets Kenya (CMA).
Retail leverage caps
Australia (ASIC) and EU (BaFin, ESMA-aligned) and UK (FCA): 30:1 on major FX, 20:1 on non-major FX and gold, 10:1 on non-gold commodities and non-major indices, 5:1 on stocks, 2:1 on crypto CFDs. Bahamas (SCB) and Kenya (CMA) entities may permit higher leverage per local rules. US retail clients are not accepted by any Pepperstone entity.
Affiliation
TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with Pepperstone Group, any Pepperstone entity, or Spotware Systems

Section 02 · What Pepperstone offers

What Pepperstone offers

Pepperstone offers spot FX, indices and commodities CFDs, and 1,000+ share CFDs against a Pepperstone broker account through the cTrader Open API, cTrader FIX 4.4, cTrader Automate (cAlgo C#) and the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 bridges. The cTrader API and FIX are Spotware Systems' interfaces, used against your Pepperstone cTrader account. Endpoint specifics live in the cTrader documentation and Pepperstone's integration pages.

Markets and strategy patterns

  • cTrader Open API strategies on 90+ FX currency pairs
  • 1,000+ share CFD systematic and pairs strategies
  • XAU/USD and XAG/USD precious-metals strategies
  • Major indices CFD breakout (S&P 500, NAS 100, US 30, GER 40)
  • cAlgo C# strategies promoted from cTrader Automate to TradingHost
  • FIX 4.4 low-latency execution
  • Demo cTrader account validated deployments promoted to live

API surface

Product surfaces
90+ spot FX currency pairs (majors, minors, exotics), major and minor indices CFDs, metals (XAU/USD, XAG/USD), energies, soft commodities and 1,000+ share CFDs. Pepperstone Crypto is a separate spot product launched February 2026 in Australia and is out of scope for this page.
Connection methods
cTrader Open API (OAuth-based REST and streaming) for orders, accounts, positions and market data. cTrader FIX 4.4 for institutional-style execution. cTrader Automate runs cAlgo (C#) scripts inside the cTrader desktop terminal. MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 are also supported for EA-style strategies, with the EA running inside the terminal rather than on TradingHost.
Authentication
cTrader Open API uses OAuth 2.0 authorisation-code flow with account-level access granted at app authorisation time. cTrader FIX requires enabling FIX from inside the cTrader desktop client (Open Trader, Settings, FIX API), which generates the FIX credentials. Demo cTrader accounts are separate from live; FIX credentials are scoped to a single cTrader account.

For specifics, refer to Pepperstone and cTrader

cTrader Open API and cTrader FIX 4.4 specifications live at Spotware's cTrader help site. Pepperstone-specific account onboarding, instrument lists and entity selection live at Pepperstone's own pages.

Section 03 · Build with AI

Build your Pepperstone strategy with AI

Pick an integration method, fork a TradingHost framework starter, and author your strategy in an AI IDE. The cTrader Open API is the canonical TradingHost-compatible path; cAlgo and MetaTrader EAs run inside their respective desktop terminals rather than on a container runtime.

  • cTrader Open API

    OAuth-based REST and streaming over a Spotware-operated API surface. The canonical TradingHost-compatible path for Pepperstone strategies.

    openapi.ctrader.com

  • cTrader FIX 4.4

    Low-latency FIX session against your Pepperstone cTrader account, enabled from inside the cTrader desktop client.

    help.ctrader.com/fix

  • cTrader Automate (cAlgo)

    C# strategies that run inside the cTrader desktop terminal. Useful for development and backtesting, not a TradingHost-runtime model.

  • MetaTrader 4 / 5 or custom connector

    EA model in the MT4 or MT5 terminal, or your own integration on top of cTrader Open API.

Framework support for Pepperstone products

cTrader Open API and cTrader FIX cover Pepperstone's cTrader instrument set across FX, indices, commodities and share CFDs. cAlgo and MetaTrader run inside their terminals; their cells are marked accordingly. Crypto CFDs are not part of the standard Pepperstone cTrader product set.

FrameworkFXIndicesCommoditiesCFDCrypto CFDs
cTrader Open APISupportedSupportedSupportedSupportedNot documented as supported
cTrader FIX 4.4SupportedSupportedSupportedSupportedNot documented as supported
cTrader Automate (cAlgo)Partially supportedPartially supportedPartially supportedPartially supportedNot documented as supported
MetaTrader 4 / 5Partially supportedPartially supportedPartially supportedNot documented as supportedNot documented as supported

✓ confirmed support per Spotware cTrader and Pepperstone documentation. "in terminal" means the strategy runs in the cTrader or MetaTrader desktop, not on a TradingHost container. "no" indicates not in the standard Pepperstone cTrader product set.

TradingHost does not force a framework. It runs your project.

Author with AI

The framework starters above pair naturally with AI IDEs. The TradingHost MCP control surface closes the loop: AI tools can inspect deployments, review logs and manage the runtime alongside you, never the trade execution path.

Section 04 · Run on TradingHost

Run your code on TradingHost

Pepperstone provides the broker account; Spotware operates the cTrader API and FIX against that account. TradingHost provides the production environment where your Pepperstone-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 Pepperstone via cTrader Open API 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 framework

    Point TradingHost at your existing strategy repo, or fork a TradingHost cTrader Open API starter for a working baseline.

  3. STEP 03

    Deploy into a TradingHost container

    Pick a region (EU for European Pepperstone entities, US-East when nearest to your chosen cTrader server), supply the environment values your strategy needs (cTrader Open API client ID and secret, OAuth refresh token, account ID), and deploy. TradingHost builds your container from the repo and runs your strategy on managed Kubernetes infrastructure. No local Docker install 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, so Cursor, Claude Code or a CLI agent can read deployment state and manage the runtime alongside you.

  5. STEP 05

    Update and redeploy

    Push changes to your GitHub main branch and TradingHost redeploys automatically.

Deploy

Section 05 · Operational notes

Operational notes for Pepperstone

Things that bite you when you actually run a Pepperstone strategy in a containerised cloud runtime, not in Pepperstone's marketing pages, not in third-party tutorials. Every claim below is paraphrased from Spotware cTrader docs, Pepperstone's own pages or the relevant regulator; the deployment-side guidance is from running these strategies on TradingHost.

  1. 01 · cTrader OAuth

    cTrader Open API uses OAuth 2.0 authorisation-code flow; account binding happens at authorisation time

    The cTrader Open API is operated by Spotware (the cTrader vendor) and uses an OAuth 2.0 authorisation-code redirect flow: register a cTrader Open API application at openapi.ctrader.com, redirect the user through Spotware's authorisation page where they pick which cTrader accounts the app can access, then exchange the auth code for access and refresh tokens. Account selection happens once at authorisation, not on every request; the access token carries the account access list. Strategies should rotate refresh tokens per Spotware's published lifetime.

    SourcecTrader Open API account authentication

  2. 02 · cTrader FIX

    cTrader FIX 4.4 credentials are generated from inside the cTrader desktop client

    cTrader FIX uses standard FIX 4.4 protocol. Credentials are not provisioned by Pepperstone directly; the user opens cTrader, navigates Open Trader, Settings, FIX API, and the client generates SenderCompID, Password and host details for both the Quote and Trade sessions. A single cTrader account yields one set of FIX credentials. Demo cTrader accounts have a separate FIX endpoint and separate credentials.

    SourcecTrader FIX specification

  3. 03 · Multi-entity onboarding

    Pepperstone account entity is decided at onboarding, not by the API

    A trader signs up under one Pepperstone entity (ASIC Group Limited, FCA Limited, BaFin GmbH, DFSA DIFC Limited, SCB Markets Limited, or CMA Kenya). The cTrader account is created under that entity. The API surface is the same across entities, but the leverage caps, eligible products, complaint-handling jurisdiction and regulatory protections follow the entity. A strategy that hard-codes 'ASIC leverage' is wrong if the account is on the SCB or CMA entity.

    SourcePepperstone regulatory information

  4. 04 · US clients

    No Pepperstone entity accepts US retail clients

    Pepperstone is not registered with the CFTC or NFA, and none of its current entities accept US retail clients. The Pepperstone onboarding flow rejects US-resident applicants at the KYC stage. Strategies targeting US retail customers must use a CFTC-registered broker such as OANDA Corporation or FOREX.com.

    SourcePepperstone regulatory information

  5. 05 · cTrader vs MetaTrader

    The cTrader path is TradingHost-native; MetaTrader EAs run in the terminal

    Pepperstone supports MetaTrader 4, MetaTrader 5 and cTrader. The cTrader path (Open API + FIX) is the TradingHost-compatible runtime, because cTrader exposes a Spotware-hosted API surface that a container can call. MetaTrader's EA model runs inside the MT4 or MT5 desktop terminal and is not a TradingHost runtime workload. For EA-style strategies, run MT4 or MT5 separately or port the logic to cTrader Open API.

    SourcePepperstone cTrader integration overview

  6. 06 · Crypto product separation

    Pepperstone Crypto is a separate spot venue, not a CFD product on this API surface

    Pepperstone launched a dedicated Pepperstone Crypto spot venue in Australia in February 2026. It is a separate product, a separate account type and a separate API surface from the cTrader-based FX and CFD account covered on this page. Strategies that target Pepperstone Crypto should not be authored against the cTrader Open API. The FX/CFD pages on TradingHost do not cover Pepperstone Crypto; that is a future scope.

    SourcePepperstone Crypto announcement (AU)

  7. 07 · Trade reporting

    EMIR, MiFID II and ASIC reporting is Pepperstone's responsibility

    Pepperstone Limited reports under FCA / MiFID II / EMIR rules as a UK-authorised investment firm. Pepperstone GmbH reports under BaFin / MiFID II / EMIR rules. Pepperstone Group Limited reports under ASIC derivative trade-reporting rules. TradingHost does not perform regulatory trade reporting on your behalf and is not a reporting service. The strategy code you run on TradingHost is your own algorithmic activity; reporting attaches to the Pepperstone entity holding the account.

    SourcePepperstone regulatory information

Section 06 · Built for

Built for

TradingHost Pepperstone runtimes are best suited to:

  • Developers building strategies in AI IDEs (Cursor, Claude Code)
  • cTrader Open API and cAlgo developers
  • Share CFD systematic and pairs traders
  • FIX 4.4 low-latency execution strategies
  • Teams moving from MetaTrader and VPS hosting to containerised deployment

Connecting GitHub and creating your first strategy is free.

Section 08 · FAQ

FAQ

No. TradingHost is independent and is not affiliated with Pepperstone Group, any Pepperstone entity or Spotware Systems.

No. TradingHost is not a broker and is not a registered investment firm. TradingHost is a cloud runtime that runs your strategy code. The broker relationship, the account, the leverage, the execution and the regulatory protections all live with the Pepperstone entity that holds your account.

No. Your strategy code connects to cTrader Open API or cTrader FIX against your Pepperstone account and sends instructions according to your own logic. TradingHost provides the runtime where that code runs.

No. cTrader Open API access is provided by Spotware Systems (the cTrader vendor) at openapi.ctrader.com. You register an app there and authorise it against your Pepperstone cTrader account.

No. No Pepperstone entity accepts US retail clients. US-resident traders need a CFTC-registered broker. See the OANDA or FOREX.com pages for US-accessible alternatives.

Yes. The cTrader Open API is exposed over gRPC and JSON; community Python clients are available. Any HTTP-capable language can call the OAuth and order endpoints.

Yes. TradingHost supports any language that can run inside a container. Spotware publishes proto definitions for cTrader Open API; you can generate clients in any gRPC-capable language. cTrader FIX is standard FIX 4.4, so any FIX engine works.

If your strategy is a MetaTrader 4 / 5 Expert Advisor compiled in MQL, or a cTrader Automate cAlgo strategy compiled in C#, that strategy runs inside the desktop terminal and traditionally needs a Windows VPS to stay online. For TradingHost, port the logic to cTrader Open API or cTrader FIX 4.4; that becomes the TradingHost-compatible shape.

Open a Pepperstone cTrader account, register a cTrader Open API app at openapi.ctrader.com and authorise it against that account. Fork a TradingHost cTrader Open API starter, or connect your own GitHub strategy repo. Linking a GitHub repo and creating a strategy is free; runtime plans are listed on the pricing page.

Yes. Leverage is set by the Pepperstone entity that holds your account. Pepperstone Group Limited (ASIC), Pepperstone Limited (FCA) and Pepperstone GmbH (BaFin) cap major FX at 30:1 and apply the ESMA-aligned cascade for other instruments. Pepperstone Markets Limited (Bahamas, SCB) and Pepperstone Markets Kenya (CMA) may permit higher leverage per local rules. The API surface is the same across entities.

In your GitHub-controlled secrets workflow. TradingHost reads the cTrader app client ID, client secret and refresh token at runtime through GitHub repository secrets, environment secrets or your own approved secret-management process.

Yes. TradingHost supports MCP-based control for AI IDEs including Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot and CLI-based AI agents. AI tools can inspect deployments, review logs, restart strategies and manage runtime workflows. MCP is a control and observability surface, not the trade execution path.

No. EMIR and MiFID II trade reporting is the broker's responsibility. Pepperstone Limited reports under FCA / MiFID II / EMIR rules. Pepperstone GmbH reports under BaFin / MiFID II / EMIR rules. Pepperstone Group Limited reports under ASIC derivative trade-reporting rules. TradingHost runs your code; the Pepperstone entity handles regulatory reporting.

No. TradingHost is focused on production runtime and deployment. Backtesting belongs in your research stack, in cTrader Automate (cAlgo), in a framework like NautilusTrader, or in AlgoBuilder.