Open-source · local crypto trading engine
A free, local trading engine for Kraken and Coinbase. Strategy Packs are optional.
Krellbot is an open-source trading engine that runs on your machine. It is free. It is not a hosted service. Your exchange keys stay on your computer in the OS keychain and are never sent to krellbot.dev.
What it is
Krellbot is an open-source Python engine that runs on your computer, reads JSON strategy files you put in ~/.krellbot/packs/, and supports Kraken or Coinbase. The engine needs no subscription. Telemetry is off by default.
You can backtest and paper-trade a runnable pack you write, without paying anything. Maintained Strategy Packs are optional: the planned live checkout is a $39/month subscription. Today's Stripe checkout is test-only and makes no live charge.
LIVE confirmation and a trade-only keykrellbot ui); activation separately sends your activation key to krellbot.dev/api/licensekrellbot setup <activation-key>Showing our top-rated packs. Subscribers see every strategy we've tested, with full results.
How it works
The engine runs on your machine. An explicit permission check or live trade contacts your selected exchange; pack activation sends the activation key to krellbot.dev. Exchange credentials are not sent to krellbot.dev.
One-line install places a launcher and a frozen binary on macOS, Linux, or Windows. The binary is SHA-256 pinned against the manifest — it is not code-signed or notarized yet. The engine runs entirely on your computer.
A pack is a JSON file in ~/.krellbot/packs/. The free engine reads your pack and never executes code from it. krellbot backtest replays it against cached candles; krellbot arm --mode paper runs it end-to-end with no exchange call.
Exchange keys live in the OS keychain. The live tick path wires the venue adapter (KrakenVenue / CoinbaseVenue) and can place real orders when KRELLBOT_ENABLE_LIVE=1 and a trade-only key is stored — but no order from this build has been observed reaching a production account.
What Krellbot does NOT do: receive your exchange key, run code from a pack file, lower a stop, withdraw, or call CancelAllOrdersAfter. See Security.
Your machine. Your exchange keys. The client is open source and runs locally. The wizard checks trade-only, withdraw-off permissions with the selected venue, then stores the credentials in the native OS keychain. krellbot.dev never receives your exchange credentials.
Get the engine
curl -fsSL https://krellbot.dev/api/install?os=mac | sh
Open Terminal. On a Mac, press Command-Space, type Terminal, and press Return. Paste the command. Press Return.
irm https://krellbot.dev/api/install?os=win | iex
Open PowerShell. Press the Windows key, type PowerShell, and press Enter. Right-click in the window to paste. Press Enter.
The one-line commands use the release installer, currently pinned to v0.9.4 for macOS arm64, Linux x86_64, and Windows x86_64. Other combinations are refused rather than emulated silently. Downloads are SHA-256 pinned; they are not code-signed, notarized, or Authenticode-signed in this release. See Security and Getting started before installation.
After the install, open a new terminal window.
See what is installed
krellbot list
Add your activation key (optional — only for paid Strategy Packs)
krellbot setup <activation-key>
Save your exchange key in a text file. Line one is the key. Line two is the secret. Trade on. Withdraw off.
krellbot keys add kraken --file key.txt
Backtest a pack against cached candles
krellbot backtest pack.json --venue kraken
Arm a pack in paper mode. No order leaves your machine.
krellbot arm pack.json --venue kraken --mode paper
Install the hourly tick schedule under your OS scheduler
krellbot service install
Open the local dashboard (loopback only)
krellbot ui
Write your own pack: drop a JSON file in ~/.krellbot/packs/. A runnable pack needs schema_version: 1, id, version, timeframe, indicators, entry, exit, risk, and markets — see Pack format. Files with only id and public_label are legacy markers: krellbot list prints them as legacy: not runnable.
Ready to upgrade from basic rules to battle-tested logic? Unlock our actively maintained Strategy Packs to deploy continuously calibrated, quantitative trading models straight to your local engine for $39 / month via a Stripe subscription. That's the whole pitch.
Test checkout today. Live Stripe credentials are not yet configured on this deployment, so the button below opens the Stripe test Payment Link — no live charge is made. Real charges only start once Stripe live keys are wired up.
Waiting for the activation key…
Run krellbot setup <your-key> on the machine where Krellbot is installed. The key begins with kb_ — that is the format the engine redeems. Anyone with this key can use your subscription; keep it private.