CUSP Wealth, a Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) regulated WealthTech and investment company, recently announced the launch of their hybrid advisory model for US stock and ETF trading in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The launch is powered by a strategic partnership with Alpaca, a global leader in brokerage infrastructure APIs, providing access to options, stocks, ETFs, and fixed income.
The GCC region’s financial wealth is expected to grow 4.7% annually to $3.5 trillion by 2027, up from $2.8 trillion in 2022.1 However, complex barriers to entry continue to exclude a significant portion of the population from professional wealth management.2
Traditional wealth management firms in the region have historically prioritized serving high-net-worth clients, often requiring minimum deposits of $200,000 and high fees.3 This creates significant barriers for individuals who want to start small, even with modern robo-advisor options. These challenges are even more prominent for those who want to invest in Shariah-compliant assets. CUSP Wealth is addressing these barriers by offering low entry thresholds with curated portfolios starting at $25 and fractional investing for as little as $1, as well as both traditional and Shariah-compliant assets.
"While investing in global markets is common in the region, we are focused on helping people reach their financial goals, regardless of their starting capital. Our hybrid approach of AI-driven optimization combined with financial advisors delivers wealth management-quality service to everyone,” said Fedor Panteleev, Chief Product Officer at CUSP Wealth.
By offering conventional and Shariah-compliant assets in one interface, CUSP Wealth eliminates the need for multiple accounts across various platforms while ensuring the user experience and fee structure remains the same across both trading experiences. CUSP Wealth’s Shariah-compliant infrastructure is formally verified with a Fatwa certification from Amanie Advisors, ensuring cultural and religious expectations for faith-aligned investing.
With Alpaca’s Broker API, CUSP Wealth is powering its core investment infrastructure to offer:
- Direct investing in 10,000+ US stocks and ETFs with zero basic trading fees* and no per-transaction minimums
- AI-powered portfolio advice combined with financial advisors
- Optional High Yield Cash program enabling clients to earn on uninvested funds and deploy capital instantly
“The technology we've built on Alpaca's Broker API is what enables our pricing strategy. By combining AI-driven portfolio optimization with automated operations, we've reduced the cost structures that force traditional platforms to charge high fees or impose large minimums,” explained Panteleev. “With Alpaca, we are championing structural changes to how wealth management works in the GCC with the vision that everyone should have access to build their wealth with clarity and confidence."
“There’s a growing sophistication among retail investors in the GCC as the region continues their advancement and diversification into US markets,” said Yoshi Yokokawa, Co-founder and CEO of Alpaca. “To keep pace, digital infrastructure and entry barriers need to improve. We’re proud to be CUSP Wealth’s infrastructure partner, working together to empower their users to start investing at lower costs while aligning with the needs of the region. This collaboration paves the way for more investors to get started, aligning with our shared goal of making financial services more accessible and less restrictive."
Contact Alpaca
About Alpaca
Alpaca is a US-headquartered, self-clearing broker-dealer and a global leader in brokerage infrastructure APIs providing access to stocks, ETFs, options, fixed income, and crypto. Alpaca delivers embeddable finance solutions for tokenization, fully paid securities lending, high-yield cash, 24/5 trading, Shariah-compliant investing, and more. Today, Alpaca powers over 10 million brokerage accounts across hundreds of fintechs and institutions in 40+ countries with over $320M in funding. For more information, visit: alpaca.markets
About CUSP Wealth
CUSP Wealth Ltd is an investment company regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in the UAE that helps individuals build long‑term wealth with clarity, confidence, and zero trading fees. CUSP combines human expertise with AI‑driven insights to create CUSP Personalised portfolios, smart investing tools, and seamless access to over 10,000 global assets, including US stocks and ETFs. Guided by transparency and innovation, CUSP Wealth also provides Shariah‑compliant options for investors who want their money to stay aligned with their values. For more information, visit www.cuspwealth.com
*Zero basic trading fees apply to trade executions made on the Cusp Wealth app. Other charges, such as portfolio advisory fee, or other third-party banking fees may apply depending on the service used. Refer to the Fees Schedule of Cusp Wealth for more information. T&Cs apply.
References
- Wealth Management Opportunities In The GCC Surge | Global Finance Magazine
- EY GCC Wealth Management Industry Report 2025
- https://gulfbusiness.com/cusp-launches-ai-powered-investment-platform
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