Most trading bots bleed yield positions through fees and slippage. Ten percent of automation helps - alerts, gas timing, execution splitting. The rest destroys returns.
Pionex, Freqtrade, and Hummingbot are genuinely free. Most alternatives cut you off after 14 days. Here's what you actually get without paying a subscription.
Retail arbitrage is largely competed away by market makers with faster infrastructure. Here is where genuine retail-scale arbitrage still exists, what it actually pays, and why 90% of advertised yield is unsustainable.
Most bots capture spread, extract funding rate, or sell subscriptions. The profit source defines what breaks it. Here's the decomposition by category.
Grid bots profit from range-bound volatility by capturing spreads. The mechanism is sound until the market trends. Here's what breaks it, with real drawdown numbers.
Most copy trading platforms bury the metrics that matter. Here is how to read drawdown, Sharpe, sample size, and execution risk before you allocate capital.
Shrimpy's retail platform shut down in November 2023 after Bitcoin IRA's acquisition. Bitsgap remains active with grid bots and arbitrage across 15+ exchanges.
3Commas charges $15-$110 monthly plus exchange fees. Pionex charges 0.05% flat, no subscription. The cost difference decides most outcomes.
3Commas charges $15-$110 monthly plus exchange fees. Pionex charges 0.05% flat, no subscription. The cost difference decides most outcomes. Here is who wins by profile.
Most simple arbitrage is already gone. MEV bots capture it in milliseconds. Here are the opportunities that still exist, the infrastructure required, and realistic returns after costs.
DCA bots work in most markets but deliver boring returns. Grid bots extract fees from volatility but fail in trends. Here is which bot to try first with $500-$2000.
Crypto trading bots are legal in the US, EU, and UK. But what counts as investment advice versus tooling, KYC/AML obligations, and jurisdictional compliance differ.
Your first DCA bot setup should use $500 or less. Here is how to choose a platform, configure buy frequency, avoid the three failure modes, and monitor for 30 days.
Grid bots fail in trending downturns. DCA works but demands patience. Short-biased strategies have specific opportunity windows. Here's what worked across three cycles.
Crypto trading bots automate trades 24/7, but they execute strategies, not create profits. Here is what bots do well, what they cannot do, and mistakes to avoid.