Choosing between free threading and async in Python

As host of this year’s first PyAmsterdam Meetup, Optiver welcomed the local Python community back to our headquarters for an evening of tech talks, networking and knowledge sharing. To open the event, Optiver Senior Software Engineer and Team Lead Samet Yaslan delivered a timely talk for developers working on performance-critical systems: “Choosing Between Free Threading and Async.” Prompting his choice of topic was a recent change in CPython, as Samet explained: “Beginning with version 3.13, CPython introduces an option for a build known as free threading, where the Global Interpreter Lock (GIL) is removed. The question is: With the GIL gone, do we still need async in Python?” Here’s how he breaks it down, and what it means for your next Python project.

Career Kickstarter Tech: The ‘why’ behind every trading system

At Optiver, our engineers work on some of the most advanced systems in the world, solving unique challenges that combine performance, efficiency and real-time decision-making. Our Career Kickstarter: Women in Tech program invites aspiring female-identifying engineers from across Europe to explore how their coding and problem-solving skills apply to real-world challenges in financial markets. We […]

Optiver EU campus recruiting Q&A

Interning on Optiver’s Austin HFT Team

Former software engineer intern Ethan shares what it was like to build production systems on Optiver’s Austin high-frequency trading team.

Why DevEx matters to Optiver

Optiver’s Global Head of Developer Experience, Cian Lane, shares how DevEx boosts productivity firm-wide: 30% faster CI builds and onboarding cut to minutes.

Breaking down the trading industry: Which role is right for you?

If you’re curious about a career in STEM, you’ve probably thought about big tech or academia–but have you thought about trading? There are many types of roles you might see, including quantitative trader, quantitative researcher, and institutional trader. While these might seem similar–all require strong analytical skills and mathematical thinking—the day-to-day work can look quite […]

From intern to new grad: Joining the team full-time

Over the last few years, Jason has shared what he was looking for in an internship, what he found, and what he learned. Now, as a full-time trader, he reflects on how it all comes together—and what’s next. What experiences from your internships influence your day-to-day work? So much of what I do today is […]

Continuing education: Interning abroad

By his second internship, Jason built a strong foundation with options theory and simulated trading. With real trading experience, his time in Amsterdam feels less like an internship and more like a preview of a full-time career. During your second internship, how did your experience change? My second internship was a truly unique experience. I […]

Sharpening your skills: From CS class to trading floor

During his first internship, Jason is immersed in Optiver’s culture of collaboration and gets a clearer view of how trading actually works. Was there a defining lesson from your first internship? A few lessons stood out to me—both personal and professional. On a personal level, I realized how important it is to genuinely enjoy your […]

Becoming a quant trader: Jason’s career journey

This blog series follows four years of Jason’s path into quantitative trading. While studying Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan, he began exploring internship opportunities that offered more than just textbook learning. A search that led to two summer internships—one in Chicago, one in Amsterdam—and ultimately shaped his decision to join […]