Algorithmic trading replaces discretionary decision-making with rules that execute automatically. The advantages are consistency, speed and the ability to backtest an idea against years of historical data before risking a cent.
Start simple. A moving-average crossover with a fixed stop and target is enough to learn the full workflow: define rules, backtest, analyse the equity curve, forward-test on a demo account, then deploy with small size.
Backtesting honesty matters more than backtesting profits. Account for spreads, slippage and commissions. Be suspicious of strategies with fewer than 100 historical trades or performance concentrated in a single market regime.
The open API gives you full programmatic access to market data, order management and account state — while the strategy marketplace lets non-programmers deploy vetted algorithms with configurable risk settings.
Put it into practice
Open a free account and apply what you've learned with real-time charts and a risk-free demo environment.
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