Questions
& Answers

Nanoconda is a fully managed, low-latency trading platform for CME futures. It provides everything needed to run your algorithm – market data, order entry, risk controls, simulation, GUI, and optional colocation – in a single HFT-capable environment.

Nanoconda serves professional futures traders who run systematic, algorithmic, or high-frequency strategies on CME markets. This includes proprietary trading firms, systematic hedge funds, independent algo traders, quant research teams, and FCMs or introducing brokers looking to offer DMA access to clients. If your strategy requires direct, low-latency exchange connectivity, Nanoconda is built for you.

Nanoconda currently provides certified Direct Market Access to CME Group – covering the full CME futures complex including equity index futures (ES, NQ, YM), interest rate futures (ZB, ZN, ZF), energy (CL, NG), metals (GC, SI), agricultural (ZC, ZS, ZW), and FX futures (6E, 6B, 6J). Contact us if you need support for other exchange venues.

For live trading, yes. You need a clearing relationship with a Futures Commission Merchant (FCM) who will sponsor your CME exchange access. Nanoconda integrates with any US-registered FCM – we handle the technical integration as part of onboarding and can recommend FCMs if you don't have one in place.

For the Backtesting Simulator ($250 / 3 months), no FCM is required at all – you can test your strategy completely offline with PCAP or DataBento DBN replay data.

No. Nanoconda is a technology platform providing low-latency infrastructure and direct exchange connectivity. You maintain your FCM relationship and trading accounts, and retain full control over your strategy. Nanoconda does not act as a broker or take trading discretion.

The core Nanoconda API is a C++ shared memory interface. Your algorithm links against it and reads market data and writes orders directly to shared memory regions on the same machine – giving you the lowest possible latency. Wrapper interfaces for other languages can be discussed during onboarding based on your requirements.

Standard FIX engines use TCP/IP socket connections between processes, often over the kernel network stack – adding 10–100µs of overhead. Nanoconda uses shared memory IPC: your algorithm and our gateway share the same physical memory region, eliminating all inter-process messaging overhead. Our critical path also bypasses the Linux kernel entirely, reducing order-to-wire latency to ~1 microsecond.

Order-to-wire latency – from your API call to the byte leaving the network interface – is ~1 microsecond on our managed colocation hardware. Total round-trip time, including CME acknowledgment, depends on exchange conditions, but with CME Aurora colocation cross-connects, the full round-trip is in the single-digit microsecond range.

The Linux kernel's network stack introduces overhead at every layer: system calls, context switches, memory copies, and interrupt handling. For HFT, even 10µs of kernel overhead compounds into a structural competitive disadvantage. Kernel bypass means Nanoconda's software accesses the network hardware directly, skipping the OS kernel entirely on the hot path. This eliminates 10–50µs of avoidable latency that any conventional networking approach would impose.

The Trading Simulator replicates CME Globex matching logic and supports all CME exchange order types – FAK (Fill-and-Kill), Iceberg, Limit, Market, Stop, and Stop-Limit. Your algo sends orders through the exact same C++ API as live trading; they are matched against the simulator's local order book instead of reaching the exchange.

The simulator can run against live market data feeds (paper trading mode) or against PCAP / DataBento DBN replay files (historical backtesting). No code changes are needed to switch modes.

DataBento DBN (Data Binary Normalized) is a high-efficiency binary market data format from DataBento. Nanoconda supports DBN files alongside traditional PCAP captures for historical backtesting. You can replay DBN data through the simulator at original timestamp rate (useful for manual trading simulation via GUI) or at maximum speed for faster iteration. The same API runs unchanged against DBN data, PCAP data, live feeds, and production.

Yes. The API allows you to tag orders and trades with your own strategy identifiers. Your application controls how strategies are structured and executed. You can launch, monitor, and pass parameters to your strategies via the GUI, with your code determining behavior based on those inputs.

CME periodically updates the iLink 3.0 and MDP 3.0 specifications. Nanoconda monitors all upcoming EDCs (Exchange-Driven Changes), maintains ongoing CME certification, and rolls out all protocol updates – included in your subscription. You don't need to track CME technical advisories or manage conformance testing. We handle it, and we notify you of any changes that affect your usage.

Nanoconda has four products designed around the natural progression of a trading firm:

Backtesting Simulator – $250 / 3 months
Software license. Replay PCAP or DataBento DBN data through the CME-compatible simulator. No FCM, no exchange connection, no infrastructure needed. The entry point for validating a strategy before going live.

GUI Managed Algo – $2,100 / month
Fully managed service. 1 dedicated CPU core at CME Aurora colocation, browser GUI access, no SSH. Ideal for solo traders and small teams going live on CME for the first time without server admin overhead.

Colocated Professional – $3,200 / month
Fully managed service. 3 dedicated CPU cores at CME Aurora colocation, full SSH access, 24/6 managed ops. For prop firms running multiple strategies that need direct server control.

DMA Software Suite – $3,200 / month
Software license. Deploy the complete CME-certified platform on your own colocation hardware. For established firms that want institutional-grade certified software without managed operations.

None. Nanoconda charges a flat monthly subscription with no per-trade fees, no volume tiers, no order routing fees, and no exchange fee markups. Your price does not change based on trading volume – the more you trade, the more value you get.

No long-term lock-in. Subscriptions are monthly by default. Annual subscriptions are available at a discount – contact us for current terms and rates for new clients.

Yes – the transition is by design. The Backtesting Simulator uses the same C++ API as production, so no code changes are required to go live. Develop and validate your strategy in simulation, then deploy it to production when ready.

Onboarding support is included in all managed subscriptions (GUI Managed and Colocated Professional). There is a $500 container and iLink setup fee for managed configurations. Contact us if you have custom integration requirements that may involve additional professional services work.

You can go from contract to live trading in under a week, assuming market data licensing and your FCM account are already in place. Market data licensing and FCM setup typically take 3–4 weeks and are the main time drivers.

To go live, you need: (1) an FCM relationship with sponsored CME access, (2) strategy code ready to integrate with our C++ API, and (3) a signed CME non-display market data license (ILA). Nanoconda handles configuration, provisioning, and FCM integration, guiding you through each step.

Yes. Onboarding support is included in the $500 container setup fee. Our team helps you configure sessions, integrate your FCM, set position and rate limits, run your first simulated trades, and verify everything before go-live.

Yes. The Backtesting Simulator ($250 / 3 months) is specifically designed as a no-risk entry point – no exchange account, no FCM, just your strategy running against real historical market data through the same API as production. You can validate latency, order logic, and API integration before committing to a live managed plan. You can also schedule a demo call to see a live walkthrough before signing anything.

Full API and platform documentation is at nanoconda.com/docs. The support portal at support.nanoconda.com handles ongoing technical issues. You can also reach us directly at info@nanoconda.com – we respond promptly.