FAQ

Common questions about MoltMarket, OpenClaw integration, and prediction market trading.

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General Questions

What is MoltMarket?

MoltMarket is an integration platform that enables OpenClaw AI agents to trade on prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi using natural language commands. Instead of manually writing API calls, agents can simply describe trades in natural language: "Buy $500 YES on presidential election if probability < 45%".

Why use MoltMarket instead of direct API integration?

MoltMarket provides:

• Natural language interface - No need to understand REST APIs

• Unified platform access - Same code works for Polymarket and Kalshi

• Built-in security - Non-custodial architecture with hardware wallet support

• Risk management - Automatic position limits and stop-losses

• Production-ready - Battle-tested in live trading environments

Is MoltMarket free?

Yes, MoltMarket is open-source under the MIT License. You only pay:

• Platform trading fees (Polymarket: 0%, Kalshi: ~2%)

• Network gas fees (Polygon: ~$0.50-2.50 per trade)

• No MoltMarket fees currently (may introduce optional premium features)

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Getting Started

What do I need to get started?

Required:

• OpenClaw installed

• Node.js 18+ or Python 3.10+

• Account on Polymarket or Kalshi (or both)

• Funded wallet/account ($50+ recommended for testing)

Optional but recommended:

• Ledger hardware wallet for large trades

• Basic understanding of prediction markets

• Familiarity with Python or TypeScript

How long does setup take?

Quick setup: 5-10 minutes

• Install MoltMarket: 2 minutes

• Configure API keys: 3 minutes

• First trade: 5 minutes

Complete setup: 30-60 minutes

• Hardware wallet integration: +20 minutes

• Risk limit configuration: +10 minutes

• Testing and validation: +10 minutes

Do I need to know how to code?

Basic Python or TypeScript knowledge is helpful but not required. MoltMarket agents use natural language, so you can describe trades conversationally:

agent.run("Find election markets with high liquidity and buy $100 YES if probability is below 45%")

For advanced strategies (arbitrage, market making), programming knowledge is beneficial.

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Security & Safety

Is my money safe?

MoltMarket is non-custodial, meaning:

• ✅ You control your private keys

• ✅ Funds remain in your wallet/account

• ✅ MoltMarket never has access to withdraw your funds

• ✅ Configurable spending limits prevent unauthorized trades

However, you're responsible for:

• ❌ Securing your private keys

• ❌ Backing up wallet files

• ❌ Setting appropriate risk limits

How do I protect against unauthorized trades?

MoltMarket provides multiple security layers:

1. Position limits - Agents can't exceed configured max trade size

2. Daily loss limits - Trading stops after hitting daily loss cap

3. Hardware wallet approval - Large trades require physical button press

4. Session keys - Time-limited permissions (expire after 24h)

5. Audit logging - Every trade recorded for review

Recommended setup:

security:
  max_position_size: 500         # $500 max per trade
  max_daily_loss: 1000           # Stop after $1000 daily loss
  require_approval_above: 500    # Ledger approval for trades > $500

What happens if my computer is hacked?

Worst case scenario:

• Attacker gains access to encrypted wallet file

• Wallet encrypted with AES-256

• Attacker still needs encryption password (stored in OS keychain)

• Even with password, session keys expire after 24h

• Smart contract limits prevent draining account

For production: Use hardware wallet (Ledger) for all trades. Private keys never leave device.

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Platform Questions

Polymarket vs Kalshi - which should I use?

Feature	Polymarket	Kalshi
Regulation	Decentralized (no US KYC)	CFTC-regulated (US only)
Markets	Politics, crypto, sports, pop culture	Politics, economics, regulated events
Liquidity	Higher ($1M-$20M major markets)	Lower ($100K-$5M)
Fees	0% trading fees	~2% trading fees
Settlement	On-chain (UMA oracle)	Centralized
Collateral	USDC (Polygon)	USD (fiat)

Recommendation:

• US traders: Use Kalshi (regulated, compliant)

• International traders: Use Polymarket (higher liquidity, no fees)

• Arbitrage traders: Use both platforms simultaneously

Can I use both platforms simultaneously?

Yes! MoltMarket supports trading on both platforms:

agent = Agent(providers=[PredictionMarketProvider(
    platforms=["polymarket", "kalshi"]
)])

# Search both platforms
agent.run("Find election markets on both platforms")

# Execute arbitrage
agent.run("""
  If Polymarket price < 45% and Kalshi price > 50%,
  execute arbitrage with $200 position
""")

How do I get API keys?

Polymarket:

1. Visit polymarket.com/api

2. Request API access

3. Receive API key via email

Kalshi:

1. Create account at kalshi.com

2. Complete KYC verification (US users only)

3. Navigate to Settings → API

4. Generate API key + secret

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Trading Questions

What's the minimum amount I can trade?

Technical minimums:

• Polymarket: ~$1 (limited by gas fees)

• Kalshi: $1

Recommended minimums:

• Testing: $10-50 per trade

• Production: $100-500 per trade (fees become negligible)

How fast do trades execute?

Average execution times:

• Polymarket: 2.1 seconds (p50), 3.5 seconds (p95)

• Kalshi: 1.8 seconds (p50), 2.9 seconds (p95)

Breakdown:

1. Market search: <500ms

2. Order construction: <100ms

3. Transaction signing: <50ms (session key) or 10-30s (Ledger)

4. Network confirmation: 1-3 seconds

Can agents trade 24/7?

Polymarket: Yes, continuous orderbook Kalshi: Market hours vary by contract type

• Most markets: 9am-5pm ET

• Some contracts: Extended hours

What's the maximum position size?

Platform limits:

• Polymarket: Effectively unlimited (depends on liquidity)

• Kalshi: Varies by contract (usually $25K-100K per position)

MoltMarket default limits:

• max_position_size: 1000 ($1,000 per trade)

• max_total_exposure: 10000 ($10,000 total)

• Configurable in config.yaml

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Technical Questions

Does MoltMarket work with other agent frameworks?

Currently supported:

• ✅ OpenClaw (native integration)

• ✅ Claude Desktop (via MCP server)

• ✅ Custom agents (via MCP protocol)

Planned support:

• 🔄 LangChain (in development)

• 🔄 AutoGPT (in development)

• 🔄 CrewAI (planned)

Can I backtest strategies?

Yes, using backtesting mode:

# config.yaml
advanced:
  backtesting_mode: true
  backtest_data_path: ~/.moltmarket/backtest/

Backtesting executes trades against historical market data without real API calls or funds.

How do I monitor agent performance?

Built-in monitoring:

# Check portfolio
agent.run("Show all positions with P&L")

# Check risk limits
agent.run("Show current exposure and risk limits")

# Review trade history
agent.run("Show last 10 trades")

Audit logs:

# View trade log
tail -f ~/.moltmarket/audit.log

# Export to CSV
moltmarket export-trades --from 2026-03-01 --to 2026-03-19 --format csv

Can multiple agents share risk limits?

Yes, with multi-agent coordination:

# config.yaml
advanced:
  enable_multi_agent: true
  agent_coordination_port: 3402

Multiple agents respect shared max_total_exposure and max_daily_loss limits.

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Troubleshooting

My trades aren't executing

Common causes:

1. Insufficient balance - Check USDC/USD balance

2. Risk limits exceeded - Check max_position_size and max_daily_loss

3. Market closed - Verify market still open for trading

4. Slippage too high - Increase slippage_tolerance

Debug steps:

# Check balance
agent.run("Show wallet balance")

# Check risk limits
agent.run("Show current risk limits and exposure")

# Enable debug logging
# config.yaml: logging.level: debug

I'm getting "Rate limit exceeded" errors

Solutions:

1. Enable caching to reduce API calls:

   performance:
     cache_enabled: true
     cache_market_data_seconds: 30

2. Reduce check frequency:

   # Instead of checking every 10 seconds
   check_interval = 60  # Check every minute

3. Use multiple API keys (if available)

My Ledger isn't connecting

Troubleshooting:

1. Ensure Ledger unlocked

2. Open Ethereum app on device

3. Enable "Blind signing" in Ethereum app settings

4. Try different USB port/cable

5. Update Ledger firmware

Test connection:

moltmarket ledger verify

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Best Practices

What's a good starting strategy?

Week 1: Learn the basics

• Start with $50-100 total capital

• Trade small positions ($10-20)

• Use only market orders

• Focus on high-liquidity markets (>$1M)

Week 2-4: Build experience

• Increase to $200-500 capital

• Trade medium positions ($50-100)

• Experiment with limit orders

• Try different market categories

Month 2+: Advanced strategies

• Scale to $1000+ capital

• Implement arbitrage detection

• Use stop-losses and take-profits

• Optimize for fees and slippage

How do I avoid common mistakes?

Common mistakes:

1. ❌ Trading low-liquidity markets (slippage > profit)

2. ❌ No stop-losses (large unexpected losses)

3. ❌ Over-concentration (too much in one market)

4. ❌ Ignoring fees (gas + platform fees eat profits)

5. ❌ No position sizing (betting too much per trade)

Best practices:

1. ✅ Only trade markets with >$500K liquidity

2. ✅ Always set stop-losses (35-40% typical)

3. ✅ Diversify across 5+ markets

4. ✅ Calculate break-even including all fees

5. ✅ Risk max 10% of capital per trade

How often should I check on my agent?

Minimum (passive trading):

• Daily P&L check

• Weekly risk limit review

• Monthly strategy evaluation

Recommended (active trading):

• Real-time position monitoring

• Hourly arbitrage opportunity checks

• Daily performance metrics

Maximum (algorithmic trading):

• WebSocket live updates

• Per-trade execution analysis

• Continuous risk monitoring

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Getting Help

Where can I get support?

• Documentation: docs.usemoltmarket.com

• GitHub Issues: Bug reports

• GitHub Discussions: Community Q&A

• Email: [email protected]

How do I report a bug?

1. Check existing issues

2. Create new issue with:

   • MoltMarket version (moltmarket --version)

   • Operating system

   • Configuration (remove API keys!)

   • Error message and stack trace

   • Steps to reproduce

How do I request a feature?

1. Search GitHub Discussions

2. Create new discussion in "Feature Requests"

3. Include:

   • Use case description

   • Expected behavior

   • Example code (if applicable)

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Advanced Topics

Can I build custom trading strategies?

Yes! MoltMarket is designed for extensibility:

from moltmarket import Strategy

class ArbitrageStrategy(Strategy):
    def on_market_update(self, market):
        # Custom arbitrage logic
        if self.detect_arbitrage(market):
            self.execute_trade(market)

    def detect_arbitrage(self, market):
        # Your algorithm here
        pass

# Register custom strategy
agent.add_strategy(ArbitrageStrategy())

See Custom Strategies for detailed guide.

Does MoltMarket support options or derivatives?

Not currently. MoltMarket supports binary outcome prediction markets only:

• ✅ YES/NO markets (Presidential election, Fed decision, etc.)

• ❌ Multi-outcome markets (not yet)

• ❌ Options (put/call)

• ❌ Futures

Can I run MoltMarket on a server?

Yes, MoltMarket runs headless:

# Run as background service
moltmarket start --daemon

# Or use systemd
sudo systemctl start moltmarket

See Deployment Guide for production setup.

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Still have questions? Email [email protected]