How Bots Are Fueling High-Speed Bitcoin Trading

Investors have benefited from algorithmic (‘algo’) trading programs under many different circumstances, but these ‘trading bots’ can prove particularly valuable to those interested in cryptocurrencies.
Bot trading has reduced user error, enabled more rapid processing of information and given traders more time and flexibility. However, it may hold even greater potential in the crypto markets due to their immature nature.
Trading bots have been around for decades, seeing growing use in stock markets as digitization has taken hold. However, the digital currency markets are less than a decade old and with far less tenure than more mature markets, have had significantly less time to integrate algo trading.
Tim Enneking, chairman of cryptocurrency investment manager EAM, highlighted the differences between high-frequency trading (HFT) in traditional markets and those for cryptocurrencies.
He told CoinDesk:
‘When it comes to use HFT for stocks, milli – and even micro – seconds matter. However, for cryptocurrencies, these very small increments of time are not nearly as important.”

This post was published at Coin Desk on October 9, 2016.