getting-started
Your first Copy Trading follow ($200 on a Pro-tier Grid Bot)
Live execution with 20% drawdown stop-out and proportional sizing
15 min setup + ongoing monitoring · beginner
What you'll have when finished
- Have one active copy-trading position
- Understand the 20% drawdown stop-out trigger
- Know how to read the 30s fan-out worker behavior
Before you start
- LIVE execution — real orders fire on your exchange within 30 seconds of master fills. There is no Watch Mode anymore
- Mirror-fills smaller than exchange minimum may be rejected. Allocate $200+ as a practical floor
- 20% drawdown stop-out is your safety net. Do not raise it past 30% unless you can afford a complete blowup
Walkthrough
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Connect a CEX in Settings → Connections
Copy Trading needs a connected exchange to mirror fills onto. Open Settings → Connections. Connect Coinbase or Binance US (US-friendly). API key needs trade permission (NOT withdrawal).
Success criteria: At least one connected exchange shows green status
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Open Copy Trading + read the red banner
Discover → Copy Trading. Red ShieldAlert banner says "Real trades. Real money. Real risk." Read it. Following authorizes haythix to place real orders on your exchange when master fills.
Success criteria: You have read the red banner
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Filter Leaderboard to Grid Bot type
Leaderboard tab. Grid Bot masters tend to be more stable than Smart Trade for first-time copiers. Look for: 30d ROI positive, Max DD better than -25%, total trades ≥ 100, follower count ≥ 5.
Success criteria: You have identified one Grid Bot master that meets all 4 thresholds
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Click Copy this trader + set allocation = $200
Click Copy this trader. Follow Modal opens. Pick your connected exchange. Allocation USD = 200. This sets your scaling ratio = 200 / master's capital — typically 1-5% of master's notional fires on each copy fill.
Success criteria: Allocation field shows $200
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Set drawdown stop-out = 20% (default)
Drawdown stop-out at 20% is the safe default. If your cumulative loss vs allocation crosses -$40 (20% of $200), the worker auto-unfollows you and sends a notification. Tighter (10%) gets stopped out during normal volatility; looser (30%) accepts a $60 worst-case.
Success criteria: Stop-out field shows 20
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Tick the risk acknowledgment + Confirm
Risk acknowledgment checkbox is mandatory. Tick it. Click Confirm. Position appears in your Copying tab. Fan-out worker activates — next master fill within 30 seconds triggers a mirror fill on your exchange.
Success criteria: Position visible in Copying tab with status Active
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Watch first mirror fill + monitor drawdown
Within hours, the master's bot fires its next trade. Your exchange receives a proportional mirror order within 30 seconds. Position card shows: trades copied count, cumulative P&L, current drawdown vs threshold, started date.
Success criteria: Trades copied count is ≥ 1 AND mirror fill visible on your exchange
What's next
You have one live copy-trading position. Monitor for 7-14 days. If positive P&L and drawdown stayed well below 20%, scale to $500-1000. If approaching the stop-out, let the auto-unfollow trigger and investigate the master before re-following. Diversify by following a Smart Trade and DCA master next — 3 masters across different strategies reduces concentration risk.