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Your Complete Guide to Using Cryptocurrency Trading Bots

While trading cryptocurrency is fairly straightforward, it can be quite a draining task trying to keep tabs on market trends, considering that the crypto market never closes. On top of it all, the unpredictable market’s volatility doesn’t make things easier for both new and experienced crypto traders. This is where trading bots come into play. 

Generally, a trading bot is a special algorithm designed to read different market indicators and to mark trade entry and exit points, as well as complete trading transactions on behalf of the user. 

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The biggest advantage of trading bots, besides deeply analyzing intricate trading data, is the accuracy and high speed at which they execute trading processes. Such a high degree of efficiency is appreciated by traders whose strategies involve time-sensitive processes such as limit order and stop-loss order. 

It’s easy to create your own trading bot, especially if you have a good grasp of coding and programming languages. But this doesn’t mean the less tech-savvy traders are locked out from trading using bots. 

There are a good number of pre-programmed trading bots that cryptocurrency traders can utilize and even customize to fit their trading strategies. 

But before you pick the first trading bot that shows up from your search, there are a few things you should consider to ensure you make the right decision. 

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Trading Bot

☑️Ease of Use

The idea of leveraging the efficiency of bots is to automate your trading process. However, it doesn’t mean that you will entirely leave the bot to handle everything. You need a trading bot that you can easily manipulate its functionalities and tweak it in line with your trading objectives. 

So, ensure your trading bot of choice has an intuitive interface, allowing you to control it without the need for any technical knowledge. 

☑️Security

Cryptocurrency, much like anything else on the cyber-space, is prone to hacking among other cybersecurity threats. Besides, using a trading bot means that you are giving the bot access to your funds. This can be risky, especially if the bot’s security is questionable. 

The true test of a bot’s security is examining the company behind the bot. Ideally, the bot should be built by reputable developers who stand behind their work. You can also check users’ reviews on the bot’s security. 

☑️Reliability 

Even with its efficiency, a trading bot isn’t helpful if it frequently experiences downtime or goes offline for whatever reason. An unreliable bot means that you’ll miss out on a trading opportunity. 

Again, users’ reviews can help you know whether a particular bot is reliable or not. 

☑️Profitability

The main reason for using a trading bot in the first place is to maximize profits by utilizing the bot’s efficiency. 

One way to know if a bot is profitable is by checking whether it allows for the customization of trading strategies. Also, look out for handy trading features that give you an edge when trading. 

☑️Compatibility with Exchanges

Although most crypto trading bots are compatible with major exchanges, it’s always good to ensure that your bot of choice is compatible with the exchange you want to trade on. 

Best cryptocurrency trading bots in the market:

1. Cryptohopper 

The definition of a reliable bot, as we know it, is changing thanks to this cloud-based cryptocurrency trading bot. The bot continues to trade even when your computer is switched off, ensuring you don’t miss any trading opportunity. Additionally, since the bot doesn’t run on local storage, your computer is able to maintain its peak performance, which isn’t the case when using typical bots.

Being cloud-based, you might be tempted to think that the bot is reserved for the tech-savvy traders. Well, that isn’t the case! In fact, Cryptohopper is among the first trading bots to integrate external trading signaller that allows novice traders to run the bot on autopilot. Experienced traders also have the freedom to configure their own trading signals based on multiple technical indicators. 

One of the most unique features of this trading bot is its backtesting capabilities that allow you to reconstruct trades that could have occurred in the past, using historical data and rules of a given trading strategy. The results allows you to determine the effectiveness of the strategy, saving you potential losses. Other handy features include trailing stops, intuitive templates, and technical analysis. The bot can also be configured to only sell with profit.

In addition to its features, Cryptohopper is compatible with major exchanges such as Coinbase, Bitfinex, Kraken, Bittrex, and even less popular ones like KuCoin, Poloniex, and Cryptopia. 

Cryptohopper charges a relatively affordable fee for using the bot. But first, you’re offered a 7-day free trial, so you can familiarize yourself with the features as you test out its profitability.  Once you are ready to use it, you can subscribe to the basic monthly plan dubbed “Explorer’ for just $16.58/month or upgrade to the “Adventurer” package for $41.58/month. The premium plan goes for $83.25 and comes with more functionalities compared to the other subscription plans. 

2. 3Commas

3Commas is a web-based trading bot that’s compatible with numerous exchanges. Recently, the company behind this bot collaborated with Binance exchange, a partnership aimed at ensuring convenient trading conditions. 

The bot has a user-friendly interface that allows you to replicate the trading strategies of other successful traders, as well as customize your own. Its best capabilities are the stop loss and take profit targets, which can be set simultaneously. You can also trade various cryptocurrencies at the same time to maximize your profits. 

To guarantee reliability, 3Commas can run both on Android and iOS devices, allowing you to monitor your trading progress on the go. The best part is that the bot runs 24/7 regardless of the device you are using. You can access all your trades across various exchanges conveniently from the trader’s diary that comes with the bot. This comes in handy in tracking your profits and other transactions. 

The bot’s monthly plan will set you back $29/month, the ‘Advanced Package’ gives you access to long and short algorithms as well as view and copy functionalities, for $49/month. The ‘Pro Package’ gives you access to all premium features such as margin trading bot, composite bots, and ability to use Bitmex, Binance Futures, and Bybit bots.

3. Gunbot 

Gunbot has been around for quite some time and not even once in its long history had the bot fallen victim to hacks or security breaches of users’ wallets. Professional and beginner traders will certainly have it easy using the bot due to its simple layout. If you encounter any problem when using the bot, you can seek help from the vast community of Gunbot users on their social media platforms. 

Nonetheless, even with its basic interface, the bot houses configuration abilities based on technical indicators used that are used by manual traders.

The unique selling point of this bot is that it charges a one-time, flat rate for using it. The fee is paid in terms of Bitcoins, usually 0.1BTC or 0.3 BTC, depending on the features you would like in your bot. Upon purchase, you’ll be offered the company’s digital coin known as Gunthy coin. With this coin, you can easily sell your bot, should there come a time you want to quit trading. 

Its only downside is that the bot cannot efficiently stop losses on a highly volatile market.

4. Gekko

Although it is user-friendly to traders regardless of their skill level, traders with advanced tech knowledge will get the most out of this free trading bot.

To start with, Gekko can be downloaded for free on GitHub – a platform designed for tech gurus. You don’t need any technical knowledge to navigate the platform and download the bot. However, being open-source software, a great deal of configurations and improvements require a good grasp of coding. 

Nonetheless, even without any tech skills, you can still use the bot to perform basic trading functions such as backtesting and set it on autopilot.  

The bot is designed to run on virtually all operating systems, including Linux, MacOS, and Windows, in addition to being compatible with major exchanges such as Bitfinex, Kraken, and Bitstamp. 

Conclusion

Trading bots offer the much-needed efficiency to stay on top of the dynamic cryptocurrency market trends. Compared to brick and mortar type of trading, trading bots make more rational trading decisions since they aren’t subject to emotional waves that come with the market fluctuations. 

To an extent, the lack of emotions can be a flaw since they aren’t attached to the money, and so, the bots can continue trading even when making losses. It’s for this reason that bots require periodic monitoring just to ensure they are trading in accordance with your overall trading goals. Most importantly, ensure you are familiar with all the trading basics before using any trading bot. 

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By Edith M.

Edith is an investment writer, trader, and personal finance coach specializing in investments advice around the fintech niche. Her fields of expertise include stocks, commodities, forex, indices, bonds, and cryptocurrency investments.

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