Trading pairs
Choose the assets and pairs the strategy may use. Starting with a short list is easier to follow than a long one.
Getting started with Valorstead
A first-steps guide for new users. By the end you will have an account, a verified identity, a connected exchange and a dashboard you can read.
Allow about thirty minutes in total. You can stop after any step and come back later.
What this guide covers
If you have never used an automated trading platform, the list of settings can look long. It is not. There are four steps, and for each of them you only need to make a handful of choices. Your account manager is on the phone for every one, if you want them to be.
After you have been through the guide you will be able to log in securely, link an exchange with limited permissions, tell the platform what to watch and how to notify you, and find what it did on any given day.
Nothing in this guide is investment advice, and no step requires you to deposit more than you are comfortable with.
If you prefer to do it with someone, say so on your first call. Many customers share their screen with their account manager and click through each step together, and that is completely normal.
- 1Register your account
- 2Connect an exchange
- 3Set up analysis and monitoring
- 4View and manage
Step 1: Register your account
Fill in the registration form with your first and last name, your email and your mobile number. Use an email address that only you can read, because that is where security alerts and account recovery messages are sent.
After you submit the form you are taken to the platform, and the account manager call follows. You can look around while you wait. You do not need to make a deposit for any of the steps in this guide up to the point of running a strategy.
You will then set a password. Choose a long phrase you do not use anywhere else, and save it in a password manager. Right after that, switch on two-factor authentication using an authenticator app, which takes about two minutes and protects both your account and your money.
Security tips for this step
- Do not reuse a password from another site
- Store the 2FA backup codes somewhere safe and offline
- Never share a code with anyone, including someone who says they are from us
Limits to keep in mind
- Create a key just for this platform
- Tick trading only. Never enable withdrawals
- Restrict by IP address if your exchange lets you
- Delete the key if you stop using the service
Step 2: Connect your exchange
The platform acts on an exchange account through an API key, which is a pair of codes you create in your exchange's settings. Think of it as a limited-access card that lets us place orders but not take your money out.
In the exchange, create a new API key, give it permission to read balances and to trade, and leave withdrawals switched off. Copy the two codes into the connection screen in your Valorstead account. If the exchange offers an IP allow list, add the addresses shown to you on that screen.
Step 3: Set up analysis and monitoring
This is where you tell the platform what to look at and how you want to hear about it.
Conditions and limits
Set the amount allocated, the maximum you are willing to have in play at once and whether the system should pause in volatile markets.
Notifications
Pick which events send you an email, such as a position closing or a pause. Fewer alerts are easier to keep up with.
Market monitoring
The overview shows what is being watched and how conditions look. It updates as the market does.
Step 4: View and manage your account
The dashboard has four areas worth knowing. Overview shows your balance and a short summary of recent activity. Strategies lists what is running and lets you pause or change it. Reports has your statements, which you can export. Settings is where you change security options, payment methods and notifications.
A good habit is to look at the overview once a day and the reports once a week, and to set a reminder for it in your calendar until it becomes routine. If a number puzzles you, write it down and ask your account manager at the next call.
If you change your mind about anything you chose in the earlier steps, none of it is locked in. You can reduce the allocation, remove an asset or disconnect the exchange from the settings area whenever you like. You can pause a strategy at any time with one click, and you can withdraw funds by following the withdrawal policy.
Important notes
No guarantee of profit. Markets carry risk, and you may lose some or all of the money you put in. Being new to trading does not reduce that risk. Automation reduces effort, not exposure.
You remain responsible for the investment decisions that are made in your account, including the amount you allocate and the strategy you choose. Read the risk disclosure before you deposit, and only use money you can afford to put aside.
If something does not work
The three problems new users run into most often, and what to do.
| What you see | Likely reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The exchange connection is rejected | The key was copied with a space, or does not have trading permission, or the IP allow list does not include our address. | Create a fresh key, copy both codes carefully and check permissions and allowed addresses. |
| The dashboard shows no activity | The strategy is paused, the amount allocated is zero, or the market has not met the conditions yet. | Open Strategies, check that it says running and look at the allocation. |
| A verification document is declined | The photo is cropped, blurred or the details do not match the account. | Retake it in good light with all four edges visible, then upload again. |
Still stuck? Your account manager can look at the same screen with you, or you can write to [email protected].