A 24/7 momentum scanner on liquid USD crypto pairs, validated by Claude and gated by a BTC regime filter.
Crypto never closes, but the edge isn't there 24 hours a day. Entries concentrate in the US/EU overlap (4-11 AM PT) where volume is real; exits run continuously because drawdowns don't wait for the open.
The three pillars are session-anchored VWAP (where buyers have been active since UTC midnight), RVOL (whether the volume is actually unusual), and ATR (how much risk each trade actually carries on a specific pair).
On top of all of that sits a BTC trend filter. Alts bleed harder than BTC in risk-off regimes — if BTC itself is below session VWAP, we don't chase long momentum setups anywhere.
Phase 1
Universe Refresh
Every 15 min · 24/7
Tradable USD pairs, 24h volume ≥ $50M, news scanned for hacks and delistings before they hit the watchlist.
Phase 2
Entry Scan
Every 2 min · 4-11 AM PT
BTC trend check first. Watchlist scanned for setups, each signal validated by Claude before execution.
Phase 3
Exit Scan
Every 1 min · 24/7
VWAP break, ATR stop, 24h time stop, or scale-out. Daily review email goes out at market-close (1 PM PT).
Three setups. Each requires RVOL confirmation and a non-hostile relationship with session VWAP. No setup, no trade.
Price breaks the session high (since UTC 00:00) with RVOL confirmation and holds above session VWAP. A real breakout needs size behind it.
Price was trending above session VWAP, pulled back to test it, and bounced with volume. Buyers are defending the level.
A sudden explosion in relative volume with price breaking the session high. High conviction when all conditions align.
Crypto wicks are real. Fixed percentage stops get hunted; we size every stop to the pair's actual volatility.
ATR-Based Stops (2x)
Stop distance scales with each pair's 14-day ATR. Position size = $100 risk / (ATR * 2), so losses stay bounded.
VWAP as the Line
If price closes below session VWAP, the long thesis is broken. Exit immediately regardless of other signals.
Scale-Out Profit Taking
Sell half at 1.5x ATR above entry. Let the rest trail with the ATR stop.
24h Time Stop
Positions open 24h with less than 2% gain get closed. Momentum that hasn't paid off in a full day isn't worth the opportunity cost.
BTC Trend Gate
Before any new long entry, BTC must be within 0.5% of its own session VWAP. Below that threshold, all new entries are rejected — exits continue normally.
Claude is integrated at every decision point — not as the decision-maker, but as a second opinion that catches what rules can't.
News Analysis
Real headlines aggregated from 200+ crypto sources. Auto-rejects hacks, exploits, delistings, lawsuits, and bankruptcies via tags and headline keywords. Claude classifies the rest as positive, neutral, or unknown.
Signal Validation
Reviews each signal before execution. Considers thin-book wicks, exchange-specific distortions, BTC correlation, and current portfolio exposure. Fails closed on provider outages.
Trade Reasoning
After every trade, generates a plain-English explanation of why the bot acted. Included in real-time email alerts.
Daily Review
At 1:00 PM PT, reviews the last 24h of trades and positions. Identifies what worked, what didn't, and highlights lessons for tomorrow.
This bot runs on Alpaca's paper trading environment. No real money is at risk. Past performance of the strategy does not guarantee future results. This is not financial advice.