Gekko: An Open-Source Bitcoin Trading Bot Platform
Gekko is an open-source platform designed for automating trading strategies on Bitcoin markets. While no longer actively maintained, its legacy as a powerful and flexible tool remains. This article explores its capabilities and provides context for its discontinuation.
What is Gekko?
Gekko allows users to define their own trading strategies using technical analysis (TA) indicators. It handles the entire process, from aggregating live market data and calculating indicators to executing live orders (using a tradebot) or simulating order execution (using a paper trader). It also calculates profit and risk metrics and presents results through a web interface.
Gekko's features include:
- Live Market Data Aggregation: Collects real-time data from various exchanges.
- Indicator Calculation: Processes data to generate trading signals.
- Order Execution: Executes trades on connected exchanges (tradebot).
- Paper Trading: Simulates trades without risking real funds.
- Profit/Risk Metrics: Calculates key performance indicators.
- Web Interface: Provides a visual dashboard for monitoring and analysis.
- Historical Data Management: Imports and manages historical market data for backtesting.
- Backtesting: Simulates trading strategies using historical data.
- Exchange Support: Supported a range of exchanges (though this may be outdated).
- Plugin System: Extensible functionality through plugins for various platforms.
Why Gekko is No Longer Maintained
The original developer has ceased maintenance of Gekko to focus on other ventures. While the platform remains available as open-source software, users should be aware that it may not receive updates or bug fixes.
Alternatives to Gekko
Several other open-source and commercial trading bot platforms exist. Researching these alternatives is recommended for anyone seeking a currently maintained solution.
Conclusion
Gekko represents a significant contribution to the open-source trading community. While its active development has ended, its design and functionality offer valuable insights into building automated trading systems. Users should consider the lack of ongoing support before deploying it for live trading.