OTC market structure plus European broker access creates the issue you’re seeing. Two layers:
First, the displayed ask on OTC isn’t a public order queue. When you see “OTCN $0.1044 × 6,000,” that’s Susquehanna International Group’s broker-dealer quote, a US market maker offering to fill US institutional flow. Same with NITE (Citadel Securities), ETRF (Morgan Stanley/E*Trade), CDEL (Citadel), MAXM (Maxim Group). These aren’t retail sellers in a queue , they’re institutional market makers with their own customer flow that gets priority.
Second, & more important for you specifically: European retail orders for US OTC stocks face structural barriers. Your order routes from your Swiss broker (Swissquote, IB Switzerland, Saxo, PostFinance, etc.) through a longer chain European order management → US clearing → US wholesaler (Citadel Securities or Virtu Financial typically) → maybe an OTC venue. Each hop reduces priority.
PRIIPs/FIDLEG regulations mean many Swiss and EU brokers either block OTC buys entirely or place them in a slower compliance pathway that doesn’t get filled when there’s any friction.
Of yesterday’s 36.4M shares, roughly 23M went through dark pools and ATSs that European retail orders cannot access, that’s US institutional crossing flow.
Different brokers handle US OTC very differently:
•Most Swiss/EU brokers (Swissquote, PostFinance, UBS Switzerland, Cornèr): block OTC buys, sometimes allow sells of existing positions
•Interactive Brokers Switzerland: usually allows OTC buys but routes through US infrastructure with European compliance overlay; can be slow to fill
•Saxo Bank: variable, often requires phone confirmation for OTC under specific tiers
•DEGIRO: blocks most US OTC entirely
•US-based brokers (if you have access): Fidelity, Schwab, IBKR US all allow OTC with fewer restrictions
•JPMorgan Self-Directed (US): blocks OTC buys on sub-$1 names entirely; you can only sell existing positions
Two possible reasons your orders aren’t filling:
1.OTC market makers fill their own customer flow first retail orders don’t have priority access to displayed asks even when the asks are below your limit. Of yesterday’s 36M shares, ~23M went through dark pools that retail orders never touch.
2.If you’re using a Swiss/European broker (even ones with US branding like IB Switzerland, Schwab International, Fidelity International), your order routes through European compliance overlay that adds latency. If you’re on a true US broker (US Fidelity, US Schwab, US IBKR LLC), then it’s just the OTC wholesaler mechanics.
Try a smaller order (2-5K shares). Small clips fill on OTC much more reliably than 50K-150K. If small clips also sit unfilled, your broker is the bottleneck not the market.