diff --git a/nautilus_core/network/src/websocket.rs b/nautilus_core/network/src/websocket.rs
index 2fc2f37fd6da..fe3fa1ce2549 100644
--- a/nautilus_core/network/src/websocket.rs
+++ b/nautilus_core/network/src/websocket.rs
@@ -323,6 +323,58 @@ pub struct WebSocketClient {
 }
 
 impl WebSocketClient {
+    /// Creates a websocket client that returns a stream for reading messages.
+    pub async fn connect_stream(
+        url: String,
+        headers: Vec<(String, String)>,
+        heartbeat: Option<u64>,
+        heartbeat_msg: Option<String>,
+        max_reconnection_tries: Option<u64>,
+        keyed_quotas: Vec<(String, Quota)>,
+        default_quota: Option<Quota>,
+    ) -> Result<(MessageReader, Self), Error> {
+        let (ws_stream, _) = connect_async(url.clone().into_client_request()?).await?;
+        let (writer, reader) = ws_stream.split();
+        let writer = Arc::new(Mutex::new(writer));
+
+        let disconnect_mode = Arc::new(AtomicBool::new(false));
+        let rate_limiter = Arc::new(RateLimiter::new_with_quota(default_quota, keyed_quotas));
+
+        // Create config with minimal no-op Python handler so we incrementally
+        // move towards a more Rust-native approach.
+        let config = {
+            let handler = Python::with_gil(|py| Arc::new(py.None()));
+            WebSocketConfig {
+                url,
+                handler,
+                headers,
+                heartbeat,
+                heartbeat_msg,
+                ping_handler: None,
+                max_reconnection_tries,
+            }
+        };
+
+        let inner = WebSocketClientInner::connect_url(config).await?;
+        let controller_task = Self::spawn_controller_task(
+            inner,
+            disconnect_mode.clone(),
+            None, // no post_reconnection
+            None, // no post_disconnection
+            max_reconnection_tries,
+        );
+
+        Ok((
+            reader,
+            Self {
+                rate_limiter,
+                writer: writer.clone(),
+                controller_task,
+                disconnect_mode,
+            },
+        ))
+    }
+
     /// Creates a websocket client.
     ///
     /// Creates an inner client and controller task to reconnect or disconnect