Inputs
Price feeds, news wires, social posts, filings and your own portfolio. Ask which sources it reads, and how fast.
AI agents for trading · by Capacitr
AI agents for trading: the guardrails matter more than the model
A trading agent is a loop: it reads, decides and acts, then reads again. The model inside matters less than the limits around it. This guide breaks down that loop and the controls you should demand before connecting an agent to real money.
Free on iOS 16.4+, Android and the web. Not financial advice. Trading involves risk of loss.
Updated November 7, 2026
Inside the agent
Read, think, act
Decision
A language model or strategy turns inputs into a thesis and a proposed order. Ask whether you can see the reasoning.
Execution
The order goes to a broker, exchange or onchain venue, signed by a key. Ask who holds that key and what it can do.
Controls to demand
Seven guardrails for any trading agent
- Per-trade confirmationOr, if automated, hard limits on size, assets and loss per day.
- Scoped keysThe agent’s key should trade, not withdraw.
- Instant revokeYou should be able to pause or cut off the agent in one step.
- An audit trailEvery order should link to a venue record you can check.
- Visible sourcesEach decision should cite the inputs behind it.
- Region checksThe agent should refuse markets you are not allowed to trade.
- Data disclosureYou should know what is sent to AI providers.
Controls compared
How five agent products handle control
From each company’s own documentation, checked November 7, 2026. Autopilot is a copy-trading service rather than an agent, so it is listed for reference.
| App | Who places the trade | Custody | How AI is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacitr Our app | Nothing is placed until you confirm each trade. | Self-custodial wallet. Capacitr does not hold funds. | News-to-trade assistant: matches breaking posts and articles to the markets they move, writes a thesis with sources and can fill in a ticket. |
| Supertake | “Ask me first” by default: you approve each trade instruction. Optional Autopilot mode trades within limits you set. | Funds stay at your connected broker (Robinhood and Coinbase are named). | Turns a plain-English investing thesis (a “take”) into a portfolio. Takes can be shared and forked. |
| Catalyst | Agents can sign trades under permissions you delegate. Per-trade approval is optional, per its terms. | Non-custodial wallets (via Privy). Withdrawals in stablecoins only for now. | Autonomous agents turn a plain-English strategy into a workflow that watches signals and trades. |
| tastytrade | Orders sent through MCP show a preview and need confirmation; tastytrade notes the same AI can confirm, and some actions skip it. | Held at the broker. Crypto held by Zero Hash. | No built-in agent. An official MCP server lets an AI assistant you bring (such as Claude) read your account and send orders. |
| Autopilot | Automatic: trades are mirrored into your brokerage. Filing-based copies lag the original trades. | Funds stay at your broker (Robinhood, Schwab and Public are named). | Mainly copy-trading portfolios (“Pilots”) that track experts, 13F filings and politicians, plus AI portfolios. |
| Button (Tailor) | Drafts trades; nothing is placed until you slide to confirm. | Not published. | AI research assistant that analyzes your portfolio and data, runs scheduled briefs and risk scans, and drafts trades. |
About our app
How Capacitr works
Capacitr, our app, uses a trading key you approve for your own wallet, and asks before anything is signed. Based on its App Store listing and support page.
Self-custodial
Capacitr is not an exchange, does not hold your funds and is never the counterparty to your trades. You approve a trading key for your own wallet, and every fill links to the venue’s explorer.
Asks before it signs
The assistant can suggest a trade and fill in the ticket. Nothing is placed until you confirm, and Capacitr tells you what is sent to its AI providers before your first question.
Check availability before you deposit. Hyperliquid is not available in the US or Canada. New Polymarket positions are not available in the US, the UK and other restricted countries. Robinhood Chain is available in the EU/EEA only.
FAQ
Common questions
What are AI agents for trading?
Software agents that read market data and news, decide on trades and either prepare or place orders, often using large language models.
Can AI trading agents trade without me?
Some can. Catalyst agents can trade under delegated permissions, and Supertake has an optional Autopilot mode. Capacitr and Button wait for your confirmation.
Can I build my own AI trading agent?
Yes. tastytrade’s MCP server lets an AI assistant you choose read your account and send orders with a preview. You remain responsible for every order it sends.
What is the biggest risk with trading agents?
An agent acting on bad information or exceeding limits you did not set. Scoped keys, size limits and confirmation reduce that risk; nothing removes market risk.
Who publishes this guide?
Capacitr, Inc., which makes the Capacitr app. Other products are described from their own public pages.
Read the news. Trade what it moves.
Try Capacitr
See the market a story moves, read the reasoning and decide for yourself. Learn more at capacitr.xyz.