Regulation & Responsibility
Understanding the regulatory boundaries of trading software and where the user’s legal responsibility begins.
01. Focus of Financial Regulation
Financial regulation primarily targets activities involving custody (holding funds), advisory services (telling you what to buy), and asset management (trading on your behalf). Software tools that execute user-defined instructions fall into a distinct category of technical infrastructure.
02. Software vs. Financial Services
Trading software provides technical capability, not financial recommendations. It acts as an interface between your logic and the exchange’s API. Because the software does not provide “advice,” the responsibility for all decisions, risk parameters, and compliance remains entirely with the user.
The Legal Split
Provides the connectivity, math engines, and order routing tools.
Determines the strategy, sets the risk, and owns the final outcome.
03. Jurisdictional Differences
The regulatory treatment of digital assets and automated trading varies significantly by jurisdiction. Users are responsible for understanding and adhering to the legal framework applicable to their specific location and tax residency.
04. No Guarantees or Protections
Using automation does not grant access to investor protection schemes or SIPC-like guarantees. Losses are a fundamental risk of market participation. Every instruction executed by the system is considered a direct action taken by the account owner.