UTR8

UTR8 is a proprietary trading firm founded in 2011 by a small group of experienced traders. Its Dutch companies were registered in Utrecht that year, a deliberate choice: most Dutch trading firms are based in Amsterdam, and UTR8 set up in Utrecht instead. The firm trades only on its own account and at its own risk. It takes no client money, has no external mandates and offers no services to the public.

UTR8 specialises in arbitrage strategies built on relative price differences between related products. It provides liquidity by continuously quoting competitive bid and ask prices on many major exchanges and trading platforms, which in its own words helps keep spreads tight. Its Dutch trading company, Utr8 B.V., is licensed by the Dutch regulator, the AFM, to deal on its own account.

The firm has offices in Hong Kong, Utrecht and Grand Cayman, arranged so that trading follows the sun and the book passes from one office to the next. It opened the Caribbean office in 2024 and has described Hong Kong as its main office. Its Swiss company in Baar, which UTR8 used to call its European headquarters, went into liquidation at the end of August 2026. UTR8 says it has more than 45 traders, engineers and operations staff.

What UTR8 Trades

• Arbitrage
  Strategies that trade relative price differences between related products, the core of the business.
• Liquidity provision
  Continuous two-sided quotes on many major exchanges and trading platforms.
• Exchange-traded products
  Stocks and listed derivatives. UTR8 has long said it stays out of non-transparent products and markets.

Culture and Benefits

UTR8 describes its atmosphere as relaxed but focused, and names three things it builds on: its culture, excelling in unique strategies, and strong relationships. New traders are trained on the desk by a senior trader from their first day rather than in a classroom, and can take on real responsibility within a few months. The benefits the firm lists are a competitive salary with a performance bonus, a generous holiday allowance and the time to use it, and the chance to work across its international offices.

Hiring at UTR8

UTR8 recruits mainly through its Graduate Trader role, open in Utrecht and Hong Kong. Graduate traders price and trade a range of financial instruments, manage the execution and risk of trading portfolios, optimise daily positions and strategies, and research new market opportunities and trading models. The firm asks for a master’s degree, preferably in quantitative finance, mathematics or a technical field, up to three years of work experience, excellent numerical and analytical skills and fluent English. No prior knowledge of markets is needed, but programming experience is a strong advantage, and you should be willing to work internationally on a regular basis. There is no application portal: you apply by email with your CV and motivation.

UTR8 publishes a selection process in three steps:

• Application
  Send your CV and explain why you are interested in UTR8.
• Technical assessment
  Mathematical tests and an informal interview.
• Final interview
  An interview with management and traders.

UTR8 does not publish the format of its maths tests, and candidate reports are rare. Expect numerical and analytical questions, and be ready to explain why arbitrage trading appeals to you.