> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.clypt.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Trader Guide
> Strategy evaluation and deployment guide for traders
## Overview
This guide is for **traders** — people who want to deploy verified strategies from the ClyptQ marketplace without writing code. It covers how to evaluate strategies, deploy them safely, and manage risk.
## Why ClyptQ for Traders?
| Benefit | What It Means |
| ----------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Independent Verification** | All metrics (Sharpe, drawdown, returns) are computed by the platform — not self-reported by builders |
| **Cross-Exchange Validation** | Strategies are tested on exchange data the builder never saw. Overfitting is exposed |
| **Code Parity** | The strategy you paper-trade is the exact same code that was backtested. No "backtest version" vs "live version" |
| **One-Click Deploy** | Paper trade → live with a parameter change. Same graph, same logic |
| **Built-in Safety** | Emergency shutdown, balance sync, drawdown limits — all built into the engine |
## Strategy Evaluation
### What metrics to look for
Every marketplace strategy shows independently verified metrics. All core metrics are **annualized and standardized** for consistent comparison across strategies:
**Required Metrics:** Every listing must display **Total Return** (cumulative), **Maximum Drawdown (MDD)**, and **Sharpe Ratio** — all computed by the platform. Sharpe requires explicit `periods_per_year` or `timeframe` parameter.
**Return Metrics:**
| Metric | What It Tells You | Standardization |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Total Return** | Cumulative return `(V_current - V_first) / V_first` | Percentage |
| **Sharpe Ratio** | Return per unit of risk | Requires `periods_per_year` or `timeframe` |
**Risk Metrics:**
| Metric | What It Tells You | Standardization |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------- |
| **Max Drawdown (MDD)** | Worst peak-to-trough decline | **Peak-to-trough %** |
| **Win Rate** | % of profitable trades | Percentage |
| **Profit Factor** | Total profit / Total loss | Ratio |
**Trust Metrics (ClyptQ-Specific):**
| Metric | What It Tells You | Builder Can Manipulate? |
| ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| **Cross-Exchange Consistency** | Performance stability across venues | No |
| **Fee Impact** | Return degradation with real costs | No |
| **Funding Cost** | Cumulative funding rate impact | No |
### Cross-exchange validation
The platform tests every strategy on exchanges the builder never saw, producing a **consistency score** that reveals how well the strategy generalizes across venues. Look for high consistency and minimal gap between primary and cross-exchange performance.
### Multi-scale backtesting
Every listing includes multi-scale backtest results across different time windows, so you can see how the strategy performs across varying market conditions.
Full details on cross-exchange validation, consistency scoring, and how to interpret verification results
## Deployment
After purchasing a strategy, you deploy it from the **dashboard** — not from notebook cells. Paper and live trading are managed entirely through the platform UI.
### Step 1: Paper Trading
Paper trading uses live data with simulated fills. No real money at risk. Start a paper run from the dashboard by selecting the purchased strategy and clicking **Paper Trade**.
**What happens:**
1. Historical warmup fills all operator buffers with past data
2. Clock syncs to the next real-time bar boundary
3. Live data arrives via WebSocket from the exchange
4. Orders are executed with simulated fills (same fill model as backtest)
**What to verify:**
* Does paper equity roughly match backtest predictions for similar conditions?
* Are signals generating at expected frequency?
* Is latency acceptable for your timeframe?
### Step 2: Live Trading
If paper results match expectations, switch to live from the dashboard. Connect your exchange API credentials and allocate capital.
### Step 3: Monitoring
Track key metrics during live trading via the dashboard. The platform shows real-time equity, drawdown, trade frequency, and latency.
## Safety Features
| Feature | What It Does | When It Activates |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| **Emergency shutdown** | Closes all positions immediately | Ctrl+C or SIGTERM signal |
| **Balance sync** | Detects external changes (manual trades, liquidation) | Before each tick |
| **Heartbeat** | Prevents Kernel idle timeout | Continuously during execution |
| **First tick skip** | Skips execution on first real-time tick | Transition from warmup to live |
| **Funding auto-injection** | Includes funding costs in simulation | Automatically for futures |
## Pricing
### Strategy Purchase
Strategies are purchased with a **one-time fee** set by the builder. The platform takes a commission based on the builder's seller tier:
| Seller Tier | Max Listing Price | Builder Revenue Share | Platform Commission |
| ----------- | ----------------- | --------------------- | ------------------- |
| **Free** | \$99 | 20% | 80% |
| **Bronze** | \$299 | 40% | 60% |
| **Silver** | \$599 | 60% | 40% |
| **Gold** | \$999 | 70% | 30% |
### Platform Subscription
Running strategies (paper or live) requires a **platform subscription**:
| Plan | Price | Live Trading Bots | LLM Credits | Backtest Data |
| ----------- | ----------- | ----------------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Starter** | Free | 1 | 5 / month | Limited |
| **Pro** | \$30/month | 1 | 85 / month | Broad + Early Access Beta Data (on-chain, news, etc.) |
| **Premium** | \$200/month | 5 | 730 / month | Full Data Access |
## Common Questions
**What if a strategy loses money?**
The strategy purchase is a one-time fee — there are no ongoing charges tied to performance. You can stop a strategy at any time via the dashboard — emergency shutdown closes all positions immediately.
**Can I modify a strategy?**
Traders can adjust risk parameters (capital allocation, max leverage) but not strategy logic. The graph is the builder's intellectual property.
**Can I run multiple strategies?**
Yes. The number of strategies you can run concurrently depends on your platform subscription tier. Each strategy runs independently with its own account and risk parameters.
**How do I verify performance?**
All metrics are independently computed by the platform. You can also run your own backtest on the strategy's listing page before purchasing.
**What if data disconnects?**
The driver automatically reconnects WebSocket feeds. If a gap is detected during reconnection, it fills from historical data (gap-fill warmup).
## Related Pages
How strategy verification and cross-exchange validation works
Exchange matrix with fees, leverage, and data availability
How ClyptQ ensures backtest results are realistic
Why backtest = live and what it means for trust