Crypto Database Population

Experiment Overview

Context

Live trader failed to start with error:

CRYPTO VIOLATION: Required min_crypto_positions=1, but portfolio has 0 crypto symbols

Investigation revealed:

1. •SelectionConfig.min_crypto_positions defaults to 1 (for 24/7 trading coverage)
2. •The symbol database had 0 crypto symbols
3. •Training on Colab used the same empty database, so no crypto models were trained
4. •Live trader only loads models that exist, so no crypto models = no crypto trading

The Data Flow

Symbol Database (must have crypto)
    → Selection (picks best symbols including crypto)
    → Training (produces models for selected symbols)
    → Models (BTCUSD_1Hour.pt, ETHUSD_1Hour.pt, etc.)
    → Live Trader (loads models that exist)

If crypto is missing at ANY step, the chain breaks.

Solution: Two-Part Fix

Part 1: Populate Database with Crypto (Before Training)

from alpaca_trading.selection.symbol_database import SymbolDatabase

db = SymbolDatabase('data/trading.db')
count = db.update_crypto(verbose=True)
print(f'Added {count} crypto symbols')

# Verify
crypto = db.get_candidates(asset_types=['crypto'], skip_volume_filter_for_crypto=True)
print(f'Crypto in database: {len(crypto)}')
# Expected: 25 symbols (BTC/USD, ETH/USD, SOL/USD, etc.)

Part 2: Live Trader Graceful Fallback (When No Crypto Models)

In scripts/live_trader.py, detect if crypto models exist and adjust config:

# Detect crypto models (symbols ending with 'USD' or containing '/')
model_symbols_list = list(available_predictors)
crypto_models = [s for s in model_symbols_list if s.endswith('USD') or '/' in s]
has_crypto_models = len(crypto_models) > 0

selection_config = SelectionConfig(
    max_correlation=config.max_correlation,
    min_crypto_positions=1 if has_crypto_models else 0,  # Graceful fallback
)

Key insight: The live trader should work with whatever models exist, not fail because training didn't include crypto.

Failed Attempts (Critical)

Crypto Symbols Available (Alpaca API)

The Alpaca API provides 25 USD trading pairs:

Workflow for Training with Crypto

1. •

   Before zipping for Colab, verify database has crypto:

   python

   from alpaca_trading.selection.symbol_database import SymbolDatabase
   db = SymbolDatabase('data/trading.db')
   
   # Check current state
   crypto = db.get_candidates(asset_types=['crypto'], skip_volume_filter_for_crypto=True)
   print(f'Crypto in database: {len(crypto)}')
   
   # Populate if needed
   if len(crypto) == 0:
       db.update_crypto(verbose=True)
   

2. •

   Zip and upload to Colab - database now includes crypto

3. •

   Run selection - crypto symbols will be included in candidates

4. •

   Train - will produce BTCUSD_1Hour.pt, ETHUSD_1Hour.pt, etc.

5. •

   Download models to models/rl_symbols/

6. •

   Live trader will automatically:

   • •Detect crypto models (symbols ending in USD or containing /)
   • •Set min_crypto_positions=1
   • •Trade crypto 24/7 when equity markets closed

Key Insights

1. •Database is source of truth: Selection only sees symbols that are in the database
2. •Graceful degradation > hard failure: Live trader should work with available models
3. •Validation still matters: Keep the CRYPTO VIOLATION check, but handle gracefully
4. •24/7 trading requires crypto: min_crypto_positions=1 ensures coverage when markets closed

Files Modified

scripts/live_trader.py:
  - Line 2174-2182: Detect crypto models, set min_crypto_positions accordingly

alpaca_trading/selection/symbol_database.py:
  - update_crypto(): Populates database with crypto symbols from Alpaca API

Related Skills

• •selection-diversity-validation: The validation that catches missing crypto
• •crypto-hard-filter-simplification: Why crypto fails filters (yfinance data issues)
• •data-source-priority: Alpaca API has better crypto data than yfinance

References

• •alpaca_trading/selection/symbol_database.py: update_crypto() method
• •alpaca_trading/data/pipeline.py: list_crypto_symbols() function
• •scripts/live_trader.py: Lines 2174-2182 (crypto model detection)