HaloLabz · Free tools · Guide

How to run a paper trading desk

Before live capital: gates that keep a paper book honest. Same rails as trenches / liquidlabz paper modes.

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CSV checklist — defense float, free_usdc SOT, collat SL retarget, fee_scratch window, QUANT floors.

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1. Defense float before fire

Set a minimum free-cash floor. If a new open would breach it, skip.

2. Free-cash source of truth

After entry or margin-add, read venue collateral the same tick. Do not trust a pre-entry wallet cache.

3. Defense SL tracks liquidation

On every collateral change, move liq-hedge / defense stops to current liq.

4. Fees, slip, funding in the ledger

Paper PnL without costs is fiction. Optimistic fill models stay labeled MOCK with live_eligible=false.

5. QUANT gate — sample before stories

Raw win screenshots do not graduate. Require independent closes and risk stats. Fail closed.

6. Thesis window vs fee scratch

If fee-scratch fires before the thesis window, that is an exit clock bug — not strategy death. Set scratch ≥ thesis horizon.

7. What not to copy from scalp books

Chop take-profit percents and extreme leverage laws are product-specific. Clone risk honesty — not another market's base laws.

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Generated 2026-07-22T06:55:05Z · Never charged · Not financial advice · Paper ≠ live