Autonomous Trading v6
Give your agent a budget, a target, and a deadline — then let it trade. The agent creates a strategy wallet, scans for opportunities, opens positions, protects profits with DSL, and enforces risk controls.
Skill Attribution
When creating a strategy, include skill_name and skill_version in the call. See references/skill-attribution.md for details.
Prerequisites
Install these companion skills first:
- dsl-dynamic-stop-loss — trailing stops, auto-closing, per-tier retrace
- opportunity-scanner — market scanning, scoring, hourly trend gate
- emerging-movers — SM rotation detection, IMMEDIATE_MOVER signals
Minimum budget: $500 (recommend $1k+)
Known Bugs & Gotchas
See references/bugs-and-gotchas.md — critical issues from live trading including the dryRun bug, phantom closes, XYZ DEX margin type, Tier 1 lock misconception, and scanner leverage vs actual max.
The Flow
Step 1: Ask the User
Collect: budget, target, deadline, risk tolerance (conservative/moderate/aggressive), asset preferences.
Step 2: Calculate the Playbook
See references/risk-rules.md for complete risk rules by profile.
v6 Core Rules:
The #1 Rule — Hourly Trend Alignment. ALL trades must confirm with hourly candle structure. Counter-trend = hard skip, no exceptions. This single rule prevents the majority of losing trades.
Max Leverage Check. Always check max-leverage.json before entering. Scanner leverage is conservative, not actual max.
Concentration Over Diversification. At small account sizes ($500-$10k), 2-4 high-conviction positions beat 6 mediocre ones. Cross-margin math: 4 positions → 80.6% margin buffer, 2 positions → 89.7%.
Every Slot Must Maximize ROI. Empty slot > mediocre position. If a position isn't working, cut it and free the slot.
Speed Filter. Best moves happen FAST (XRP hit Tier 3 in 19 min, XMR Tier 2 in 37 min). Slow movers are suspects.
Directional Exposure Guard
Before opening, check total LONG vs SHORT notional. Cap at 70% in one direction.
Position Sizing by Score
| Scanner Score | Position Size |
|---|---|
| 250+ | Up to max per-position |
| 200-250 | 75% of max |
| 175-200 | 50% of max |
| < 175 | Skip |
Step 3: Create the Strategy
strategy_create_strategy(budgetUsd, leverageType, riskLabel)Returns strategyId + walletAddress. Fund the wallet.
Step 4: Create the Playbook File
JSON config tracking: risk profile, position limits, score thresholds, active positions, trade journal. See references/playbook-schema.md.
Step 5: Set Up Cron Jobs
Race Condition Prevention (v6 — CRITICAL)
Multiple cron jobs (scanner, SM flip, DSL) can all try to close the same position. When ANY job closes a position:
# 1. Close the position
result = close_position(wallet, asset)
# 2. Immediately deactivate DSL state file
state["active"] = False
save_state(state)
# 3. Disable DSL cron for this asset
disable_cron(f"dsl-{asset}")All three steps MUST happen in the same action. This prevents phantom closes.
Cron Schedule:
| Job | Interval | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Opportunity Scanner | 10-30 min (time-aware) | Find setups |
| DSL Monitor | 2-3 min per position | Trailing stops |
| SM Flip Detector | 5 min | Conviction changes |
| Portfolio Update | 15 min | Reporting |
See references/cron-setup.md for detailed cron configuration, time-aware scheduling, and SM flip detection logic.
Step 6: The Trading Loop
SCAN → EVALUATE → TRADE → PROTECT → REPEAT
For each scan result:
1. Check hourly trend alignment (HARD REQUIREMENT)
2. Check directional exposure guard
3. Check max leverage via max-leverage.json
4. Score ≥ 175? → Size by score tier
5. Open position → Create DSL state → Start DSL cron
6. Journal the trade (scanner snapshot at entry)v6: Dead Weight Cutting
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| SM conviction drops 4→1 (e.g., 220→24 traders in 10 min) | Cut immediately |
| Dead weight at conviction 0 | Cut immediately — free the slot |
| Position stagnant, better opportunity available | Rotate |
Step 7: Safety Rails
Hard Stops (automatic):
- Daily loss limit hit → stop trading for the day
- Total drawdown hard stop → close all positions, alert user
- DSL breach → auto-close (handled by script)
What the Agent Should NEVER Do:
- Trade counter-trend on hourly
- Exceed position size limits
- Override DSL
- Average down on a losing position
- Ignore the directional exposure guard
Step 8: Lessons from the Field
See references/lessons.md for what works, what doesn't, retrace tuning, and fee awareness from live trading.
API Reference
See references/api-tools.md for the key Senpi tools used by this skill.