Why Obsidian Does Not Resell Market Data
The Obsidian desk made a deliberate decision never to become a market data vendor, and that decision shapes every part of how the Cipher platform is built.
Why does Obsidian refuse to redistribute market data?
Redistributing market data requires exchange licensing, forces per subscriber cost control, and produces exactly the request caps and symbol restrictions that make free tiers frustrating. The Obsidian desk avoided the entire category of problem by never taking custody of the data in the first place.
What does the no resale decision cost Obsidian?
The decision costs Obsidian the easiest marketing channel available in this category, which is a free public heatmap that ranks in search. The Obsidian desk cannot publish live levels to attract traffic, so Obsidian competes on education, process and the desk itself instead.
What does the no resale decision give a member?
A member receives unrestricted access to every symbol the member's own broker entitles, every expiration in the chain, and no daily request ceiling. A member also receives a privacy guarantee that is architectural rather than contractual, which is a materially stronger form of guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
Does this mean Obsidian has no data of its own?
Correct. The Obsidian desk supplies mathematics, interface and process. Every number a member sees is computed from that member's own broker connection.