There was a time when trading US options meant I stayed awake until past midnight, squinting at my phone while the house finally went quiet around me. If you invest from Singapore and follow American markets, you probably know exactly how that feels.
I’ve been investing long enough to have tried a handful of platforms. Some are cheap but clunky. Others have great tools but charge too much for what they offer. What I actually wanted was simple: low fees, fast execution, access to both Singapore and global markets, and features built for our time zone — not someone’s in New York or London.
Especially the last one. Because if you’ve ever traded US options from here, you know the hours are brutal.
The sleep problem with US options
US options trade between 9:30am and 4pm Eastern Time — that’s 9:30pm to 4am Singapore time. During daylight saving months, it shifts to 10:30pm to 5am.
I used to manage it fine. Then I had a kid who needed me up at 6am every single morning. Staying awake until 2am trying to catch the market open started taking a real toll on my sleep — and honestly, on my health.
So when I heard about a Singapore broker that finally addressed this problem, I decided to give it a proper look.
Pre-market US options during evening hours
Longbridge is a MAS-licensed digital broker that launched something no one else offered before: live pre-market US options trading from 5pm to 10:30pm Singapore time. That means you can trade your options after work, not in the middle of the night.
The practical benefit goes beyond better sleep. You can react to earnings reports and economic news right away, adjust positions or hedge risk before the main market opens — instead of watching option premiums swing while you’re already asleep.
Longbridge holds 22 regulatory licenses across different countries and markets, including the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, and New Zealand. It was co-founded by professionals from Alibaba Cloud, ByteDance, and Phillip Securities (POEMS), seeded by Alibaba and Didi co-founders, and raised over USD 150 million in funding from institutions like PhillipCapital.
The platform opened to the public for the first time in October 2021 in Hong Kong. In 2025 alone, it processed more than 55 million orders with a nominal order value hitting US$1 trillion, and user assets doubled within a year.
What Longbridge gets right — and where it falls short
Here’s the honest breakdown:
The good:
- Lifetime $0 commissions for US, HK, and SG stocks — not a first-year promotion.
- $0 platform fees for pre-market option trades (regulatory fees still apply).
- A clean, mobile-first app that underwent more than 16 updates last year with over 110 new features, including multi-leg options strategies and US fractional shares.
The limitation:
- Longbridge focuses purely on stocks and options. No crypto, no CFDs, no unit trusts. If you trade other instruments, you’ll need another platform alongside it.
Is Longbridge safe?
Long Bridge Securities Pte. Ltd. is regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) under the Securities and Futures Act, license number CMS101211. Licensed brokerages in Singapore rarely collapse overnight — the worst-case scenario is typically a sale or acquisition where your funds and holdings transfer to another firm.
Longbridge also picked up several industry awards in 2025: the FinTech Innovation Award from Asian Banking & Finance, Investment Tech of the Year, Outstanding AI FinTech Brokerage at EDigest’s Financial Services Awards, and Hong Kong 01 FinTech Leadership Award for AI Brokerage Platform.
Worth It?
Verdict: Worth it — if options trading matters to you.
The pre-market evening window alone solves the biggest practical headache of trading US options from Asia. Add in lifetime zero commissions across three major markets, and Longbridge earns a spot on my shortlist for Singapore-based investors who trade actively.
That said, if you only hold long-term positions and rarely touch your portfolio, this feature might not change much for you. Pricing can also shift — $0 fees today don’t guarantee the same tomorrow.
FAQ
Does Longbridge charge commissions on US options?
$0 commission for US options is available as a limited-time offer. Additional regulatory fees (FINRA, exchange fees, settlement fees) still apply.
Can I trade fractional shares?
Yes — Longbridge supports US fractional shares and recurring investments for US stocks.
What happens if Longbridge gets acquired?
Your funds and holdings would typically transfer to the acquiring firm. You’d be notified in advance and given options to withdraw or consent to a portfolio transfer.
A note from Dana
I’ve been watching Longbridge for over a year now, and the pre-market options feature is genuinely useful — not just a marketing promise. If you’re losing sleep over US trading hours, this might be worth switching to while those $0 commissions are still live. I’d say try it before the name becomes more well-known and the early incentives shrink.
Check out Longbridge’s website” target=”_blank”>their sign-up page to see what rewards are available right now. And if you’re new to options trading, this post walks through the basics.